Digest Number 1356

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In message <1213951470.2860.18851.m42 >,

writes

 

> Daily Mirror today

>

> Posted by: " kimberley1 "

> Kimberley1   kimberley1o

>

> Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:00 pm (PDT)

>

> Dr Marilyn Glenville Says: " Even though Rebecca is the oldest of

> the three, her scan results are by far the best. Her diet is

> excellent and she is lowering her risk by being so fit and active

> with all that weight-bearing, bone-strengthening exercise. She

> didn't eat dairy when she was younger which, if she'd continued,

> would probably have increased her risk, but she's made up for it

> with a diet high in calcium since and looks set to have healthy

> bones into old age. "

> Rebecca's Verdict: " I'm very relieved. I was worried that being

> vegan for so long might have done some damage. I'll keep exercising

> because staying fit for as long as I can is really important to

> me. "

>

I've been vegan for about 16 years and a recent scan showed bone density

very much higher than average for my age. On the other hand, a friend

who had a scan at the same time came out quite seriously below average

despite being in a very low risk age group (unlike me).

 

Heredity and exercise have a lot to do with it, but we should also make

sure we get plenty of calcium (greeny leafy vegetables other than

spinach, broccoli which is also good for vitamin K, calcium-set tofu

such as Cauldron, soya products with added calcium and vitamins, even

oranges are a useful source). It's nonsense to say you MUST have milk

products to get enough calcium, but it's also nonsense to claim that

milk causes osteoporosis as some misinformed people still do.

 

And yes, vitamin D is an issue for vegans and others who avoid meat,

fish and eggs. We need to get out in the sunshine as regularly as

possible in the autumn around midday (people with dark skins need to

stay out for longer) to help build up stores and consider taking a

supplement in winter when this method won't work because the sun is too

low in the sky in the UK (the situation is worse in Scotland than in the

South of England for this reason). The problem actually affects

everyone trying to live this far north, though populations who've been

here for thousands of years have adapted with lighter skins to take

advantage of the limited amount of sunshine.

 

Without vitamin D no amount of calcium will save a child from rickets,

and vegans and lacto-vegetarians have no " natural " dietary source. A

traditional supplement in winter would be to chew on the liver of a dead

animal and burgle its stores of vitamin D that way. A more humane and

sanitary way would be to use foods fortified with vitamin D or take the

Vegan Society's very cheap VEG 1 supplement (just under a fiver for

three months supply, six months for under-12s) which contains the

handful of nutrients that need care in a vegan diet (many commercial

multivitamins contain dangerous levels of retinol and a whole load of

other stuff we don't need).

 

> > >

> > > 5. " ...their claim that vegans are less likely to develop

> cancer is not true. " - Is he right here?

 

I don't think there's any less cancer overall in vegans than in the rest

of the population, though some cancers are more common in groups who eat

a lot of processed meat. Vegans OUGHT to be less susceptible to heart

disease, but only when they're taking B12 as lack of this vitamin will

negate the benefits of the rest of the diet.

 

> > > 6. " Despite being warned that the lack of vitamin B12 is a

> problem, it seems that many vegans don't heed the dietary advice seriously

> and follow their own pet nostrum, thinking they will adapt to a

> diet deficient in vitamin B12 " - How does he know these vegans think

> like this? Again, maybe they just aren't aware of the B12 issue.

 

Sadly, some vegans very strongly resist the idea of taking a supplement,

which they regard as somehow " unnatural " (like houses and buses and

sanitation and all the other things we take for granted). Worse still,

a few public speakers on veganism still propagate myths about B12 being

contained in spirulina (it's not), miso (I saw this recently on a vegan

nutrition website, but we're hoping the person has now dropped this

claim), dirty utensils (unlikely, though there's plenty else you can get

from these!) and so on. Even the Vegan Society went through a phase of

claiming B12 was not an issue, despite their former President Dr Frey

Ellis (who taught Tom Sanders) dealing very thoroughly with the matter

in the 1970s. So even stuff we all know can be forgotten - till people

start getting sick again and we have to find out why all over again.

 

Finally, of course many more kids made seriously ill by stupid non-vegan

feeding - but there need to be 400 times as many for the figures to be

comparable. I doubt very much whether there are 400 non-vegan children

with rickets for every vegan one (and sadly there are more of these than

the press know about).

 

Good wishes,

 

Vanessa

 

------------------

 

Vegan Society nutrition booklet page 12 on " Protecting Your Bones " :

 

The foundation of good bone health is plenty of physical activity to

stimulate the body to build and maintain strong bones.

 

Folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin K all help to maintain strong bones.

Calcium, protein and phosphorus are the building blocks of bone.

Vitamin D boosts absorption of calcium, while pre-formed vitamin A

(retinol) blocks this boost. Excessive protein intake may increase

losses of calcium from the body. Salt increases calcium loss, but

potassium from fruits, vegetables and legumes decreases such losses.

 

Calcium requirements therefore depend strongly on the rest of the diet,

but everyone should consume at least 500 milligrams a day from calcium

rich foods or supplements.

 

Milligrams of calcium per 100 grams

 

Kale or spring greens 150

 

Broccoli or cabbage 50

 

Oranges 40

 

Fortified plant milks typically 120

 

Tofu typically 300

 

Eating a variety of whole plant foods ensures an adequate but not

excessive protein intake along with other beneficial nutrients. Fruit,

vegetables and legumes are especially rich in potassium. Salt (sodium)

has the opposite effect to potassium, so it can be beneficial to reduce

sodium intake.

 

Maintain an adequate store of vitamin D and get a good intake of vitamin

K from at least 100 grams per day of green leafy vegetables or broccoli.

Postmenopausal women get special benefit from these foods.

 

Get your vitamin A from plant carotenoids in brightly coloured fruits

and vegetables, not from retinol or supplements.