RE: vegetarianism dangerous for children?

February 22, 2005

Thanks for the link. I did make my comment! It never ceases to amaze me

that whole vegetarian cultures have survived for eons. Then someone always

comes

along and says it is unhealthyto eat a vegetarian diet, as meat eaters enter

the hospitals at a rapid pace and have to have heart transplants!

-Tracy

> came across this article today where they said it's dangerous to

> have children be vegetarians...please! You can read the article and

> there is a link at the bottom to submit comments. Ya'll might want

> to let them know what you think about their " findings. "

>

> http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/146/146910_vegetarian_diet_c

> an_damage_children.html

>

February 22, 2005

I was unable to pick up this attachment (could you resend it )? However In

my opinion. People are not willing to change So instead of recognizing the

power of vegetables they rather protect their lifestyle of eating dead flesh

Be Well,

Lynda

February 22, 2005

Tried accessing this article and got a response saying article no longer

exist. Could you paste it in an e-mail and circulate it?

-

" grindlinefan " <IcedChaiSoy

Monday, February 21, 2005 8:47 PM

vegetarianism dangerous for children?

>

> I came across this article today where they said it's dangerous to

> have children be vegetarians...please! You can read the article and

> there is a link at the bottom to submit comments. Ya'll might want

> to let them know what you think about their " findings. "

>

> http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/146/146910_vegetarian_diet_c

> an_damage_children.html

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Jacqueline Bodnar

> Author of " Vegetarian Resource Book: A to Z Reference Guide to

> Vegetarianism "

> http://www.jacquelinebodnar.com/vegbook.htm

>

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

>

> edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

>

February 22, 2005

Below is a response to the article -

Mime-Version: 1.0

Content-Type: text/plain; charset= " us-ascii "

>I was called by the BBC to respond to the story " Children 'Harmed' By Vegan

>Diets " . I am co-author of " Becoming Vegan " , by dietitians Brenda Davis and

>Vesanto Melina, distributed in the UK by Airlift books; www.airlift.co.uk

>

> Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service had done a

study in

>which providing animal products such as butter, cheese, milk, and meat

>improved the health and growth of impoverished and undernourished Kenyan

>children. Professor Allen failed to recognize that an assortment of plant

>foods that were nutrient rich and higher in protein and calories would have

>helped too. The findings from this study are not applicable to vegan

>children in the developed world.

>

> In our book " Becoming Vegan " we explain how to create a balanced and

>nutritionally adequate vegan diet. Everyone doesn't automatically know to do

>this properly, and certainly the authors of this study didn't. Whatever diet

>people use to raise their children, they typically need to learn a few

>nutrition pointers and tips about feeding children properly. For vegan diets

>this is particularly true as most vegans were not raised on this diet. But

>research has shown that it can be done and result in children of same height

>and weight statistically as the norms (though there tend to be fewer obese

>children among the vegan population.) Whatever their dietary choice,

>pregnant women and children are more vulnerable than people at other stages

>of the life cycle because of their fast rate of growth. It makes sense to

>take extra care in planning a nutritionally adequate diet for these stages.

>

> It is not true that animal products contain essential nutrients

that are

>not found anywhere else. Animal products are unique sources of certain

>substances such as cholesterol. However dietary cholesterol is not

>essential; we make what we require in our bodies and too much may be a risk

>factor for disease. Vitamin B12 comes from bacteria and is present in animal

>products as a result of bacterial contamination. Properly designed vegan

>diets contain vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Vegans obtain

>sufficient calcium from fortified soy milk, calcium-set tofu; sesame seeds,

>almonds, blackstrap molasses, white or black beans; and greens such as kale;

>bok choy, Napa cabbage, and broccoli.

>

> Professor Allen's assertion that feeding children a vegan diet was

>unethical is unfounded, and reflects the fact that Professor Allen does not

>know how to create a nutritionally adequate vegan diet. Considering the risk

>factors related to in a diet high in animal products, it can be viewed as

>unethical to feed your child a diet high in animal products, and to set your

>child up for a future that increases his or her risk of various cancers,

>cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

>

>Vesanto Melina, MS, Registered Dietitian

>Langley, B. C. Canada

>Phone: (604) 882-6782

>E-mail: vesanto

>Web: www.nutrispeak.com

>Message: 5

> Tue, 22 Feb 2005 01:47:24 -0000

> " grindlinefan " <IcedChaiSoy

>vegetarianism dangerous for children?

>

>I came across this article today where they said it's dangerous to

>have children be vegetarians...please! You can read the article and

>there is a link at the bottom to submit comments. Ya'll might want

>to let them know what you think about their " findings. "

>

>http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/146/146910_vegetarian_diet_c

>an_damage_children.html

---------------*********-----------------------\

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

For a compassionate world, gwynt

Gwyneth Treharne

---------------<><><>--------------------------\

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

February 22, 2005

Here is the Vegan Society's press release as well:

PRESS RELEASE

From the Vegan Society

22nd February 2005

VEGAN DIETS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: WHAT'S THE REAL EVIDENCE?

The claim that milk and meat are vital to children's development, which

swept though the media earlier this week, originated from an American press

release based mainly on a two-year study of 555 undernourished Kenyan

children, completed in December 2000 and published in the Journal of

Nutrition in November 2003. (1)

As usual, the original information evolved beyond all recognition as it

moved from scientific paper to press release to soundbite: " There's

absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their

children as strict vegans " , proclaimed certain sections of the media. (2)

The scientific paper compared groups of Kenyan children given three food

supplements: meat, milk and vegetable oil. Three measures of mental

development were taken: Raven's visuo-spatial test, verbal meaning and

arithmetic. On all three measures, the vegetable oil group beat the milk

group and on two measures the vegetable oil group beat the meat group.

" Even on the paper cited, the soundbite attributed to Professor

Allen is clearly far fetched " said Stephen Walsh, author of

Plant Based Nutrition and Health.

But there is far stronger evidence than this that vegan diets support

healthy development in children. In the UK a study of 39 vegan children

found that

" the growth and development of children reared on both vegan and

vegetarian diets appears normal. " (3)

In the USA, a study of 400 vegan children reached the same conclusion. (4)

Both these studies were carried out in the 1980s and the results should be

well known to any scientist presuming to comment on vegan diets and child

development.

The soundbite that went the rounds this week comes from taking the results

of the one test on undernourished Kenyan children where meat seemed to have

a better impact than vegetable oil and ignoring all the contrary evidence

both from the Kenyan study and from direct studies of western vegans.

" This is not science but blatant spin " , said Vegan Society Chair

Alex Bourke, " and representatives of the media who have

uncritically passed on the soundbite have been sadly misled. "

For further information on the benefits of a vegan diet for animals, people

and the environment – both in Africa and in the West – see Plant Based

Nutrition and Health or contact a Vegan Society spokesperson (details

overleaf).

REFERENCES:

(1) http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/133/11/3965S.pdf

(2) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4282257.stm

http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0218micronutrients.shtml

(3)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=

abstract & list_uids=3414589

(4)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=

Abstract & list_uids=2771551

CONTACTS:

Alex Bourke, Vegan Society Chair, 07956 169214

Sandra Hood BSc (Hons), State Registered Dietitian

Author of Raising your Vegan Infant - With Confidence, 07977 210306

Stephen Walsh PhD, Vegan Society Nutrition Spokesperson

Author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health, 07967 361510

PUBLICATIONS:

Plant Based Nutrition and Health, published September 2003.

For review copy, call 020 7928 7459 or email <clarkev

Also for information on Raising your Vegan Infant - With Confidence,

to be published later this year.

grindlinefan [icedChaiSoy]

Monday, February 21, 2005 8:47 PM

vegetarianism dangerous for children?

I came across this article today where they said it's dangerous to

have children be vegetarians...please! You can read the article and

there is a link at the bottom to submit comments. Ya'll might want

to let them know what you think about their " findings. "

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/146/146910_vegetarian_diet_c

an_damage_children.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacqueline Bodnar

Author of " Vegetarian Resource Book: A to Z Reference Guide to

Vegetarianism "

http://www.jacquelinebodnar.com/vegbook.htm

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

February 23, 2005

I was looking at my almost five year olds shiny beautiful hair today and

thinking that she must be healthy to have hair that great (except that one spot

in the back she cut herself with a pair of children's scissors). She rarely

eats meat......McDonalds Chicken Nuggets once in a great while is all. She has

declared meat yucky....even though my eat meating husband offers it to her.

Both my girls are healthy, active, and bright......and I don't serve them meat.

There is always going to be some ignorant mis-informed people regarding

vegetarianism. I have seen article after article lately about studies regarding

animal products, and the overwhelming majority basically says that meat is not

good for us....especially beef. It was definately a irresponsible

article.....my children can't be compared to poverty stricken children in

Africa.

Kelly

grindlinefan <IcedChaiSoy wrote:

I came across this article today where they said it's dangerous to

have children be vegetarians...please! You can read the article and

there is a link at the bottom to submit comments. Ya'll might want

to let them know what you think about their " findings. "

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/146/146910_vegetarian_diet_c

an_damage_children.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacqueline Bodnar

Author of " Vegetarian Resource Book: A to Z Reference Guide to

Vegetarianism "

http://www.jacquelinebodnar.com/vegbook.htm

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

February 23, 2005

I agree with Jacqueline. " Studies " like this make me crazy.

Two weeks ago, during my vegetarian nutrition class, I was talking about having

knowledge/expertise and wanting to share it. One of the women in my class is a

former body builder, and she agreed that when you know about something, whether

its body building or good nutrition, you want to shout from the rooftops. But

people generally don't react well to that because it may mean they have to

re-examine their choices.

Faulty research is so much friendlier. Also, so few people understand that you

need to look beyond the claims at the research itself. Was it a double blind

study? Who sponsored it? Is it just one study?

Katie

http://frugalveggiemama.blogspot.com

February 23, 2005

WHERE in Africa is important part to answer that - Because not everywhere in

Africa they are starving

IcedChaiSoy wrote:

The researcher is from California but did her research in Africa. She gave

the kids there meat every day and they " came alive " and perked up, were more

social, smarter, etc. ...

I wonder... aren't they pretty much starving in places in Africa? If you gave

them just about anything to eat it would probably give them enough energy to

be more social and do better. Is it really meat that made these kids " come

alive " or was it ....just something to eat. Any food would do it, I think if you

dished them up some tofu, rice and veggies they would probably come alive too.

I really wonder who funded this research...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacqueline Bodnar

Author of " Vegetarian Resource Book: A to Z Reference Guide to Vegetarianism "

http://www.jacquelinebodnar.com/vegbook.htm

February 23, 2005

According to the VegSource Newsletter, the National Cattlemen's Association

funded the research. Gee, where's the surprise there? Here's what they had

to say:

" 1) National Cattlemen's Beef Association pays for sadistic anti-vegan

" study "

You may have heard about a study claiming that feeding a vegan diet to

children is tantamount to " child abuse. " What you may not have heard is that

the " study " was paid for by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

What's more the study itself was depraved and showed no regard for human

life. Like Nazis experimenting on captives, the Cattle industry manipulated

very slightly the diets of starving African children -- not to benefit the

children but to try to produce some " scientific finding " which justifies

meat-eating.

You can read the full story here:

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/ncbs_vegan_study.htm

After you do, consider writing your Congressional representatives and

demanding that that the USDA and meat industry stop experimenting on young,

starving children, and ask for an investigation. You can find your

representatives contact info here:

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm "

God's Peace,