Guest guest Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 I'm going to have my first baby in February and everyone keeps asking if I'm going to raise my child a vegetarian (my husband and I are both vegetarians though I'm more vegan). Naturally I'm going to and the one thing I've heard from more than one person is that if my child decides to eat meat when they're older they won't be able to because their stomach won't be able to handle it. Is that true? Thanks, Tonia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 No. My brother and sister-in-law raised their son vegetarian. He's 11 now and occasionally eats meat - although he doesn't like it very much. Barb _____ On Behalf Of vegton Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:18 PM later in life I'm going to have my first baby in February and everyone keeps asking if I'm going to raise my child a vegetarian (my husband and I are both vegetarians though I'm more vegan). Naturally I'm going to and the one thing I've heard from more than one person is that if my child decides to eat meat when they're older they won't be able to because their stomach won't be able to handle it. Is that true? Thanks, Tonia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Tonia asked: <<the one thing I've heard from more than one person is that if my child decides to eat meat when they're older they won't be able to because their stomach won't be able to handle it.>> This is a common tactic: twist an argument FOR vegetarianism into one that is AGAINST. Yes, it is true that humans have to develop the enzymes to digest meat. That's why most reputable-but-omnivorous doctors/nutritionists will caution parents to hold off on feeding meat to a baby until their digestive system is more mature, starting instead with grains, fruits, etc. If -- heaven forbid! -- your child decided to start eating meat as a teenager, say, they would probably get sick at first. If they persisted, however, their digestive tract would learn to accommodate the meat. This is not a legitimate argument against raising a child as a veg*n. Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 I am not a doctor, but I do not believe this to be true, though it would not be a bad thing... Congratulations on your new family member! vegton <vegton wrote: I'm going to have my first baby in February and everyone keeps asking if I'm going to raise my child a vegetarian (my husband and I are both vegetarians though I'm more vegan). Naturally I'm going to and the one thing I've heard from more than one person is that if my child decides to eat meat when they're older they won't be able to because their stomach won't be able to handle it. Is that true? Thanks, Tonia Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Answers - Check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Hi Tonia! Congratulations and Good luck with your pregnancy and good luck with the bombardment of questions from well meaning but ill informed folks. How come nobody interrogates the families that go to McDonald's every night the reverse of this type of question? anyway... Yes it's true. If your children are taught all about the animals they won't be able to stomach the thought of eating them! Seriously though, plenty of long time veg folks have gone back to eating meat for whatever reason and their digestive system was still able to digest animal fat and protein. Our systems our most like that of herbivores but we are opportunistic omnivores and can digest just about anything edible if we absolutely need to. I've heard some veg folks say they ate meat by mistake and it made them sick. But I think that is way more likely due to the overload of fat OR the psychological effects of being grossed out OR a food borne illness from the meat, but not because they were unable to metabolize the nutrients. If you raise them vegan, it is possible that they could become lactose intolerant after biological weaning age if they are not exposed to dairy. But that could happen if they do consume dairy. Most humans are lactose intolerant after weaning from Mom's milk, that is the norm for our species and probably also for most other mammals. Why bother to make an enzyme to digest milk if you are not a baby? If your child eats a healthy veg diet and then one day decides to eat a meat lover's pizza, I would think all of the fat would upset their stomach, but is that a bad thing? If you also raise your child in a smoke free home and then they decide to sneak some Camels when they are 13, they will probably get sick from that too. There is an endless list of toxins that you could get your children " used to " just so they don't get queasy as rebellious teenagers should they decide to take a massive dose of that toxin. Best wishes! Danita >vegton <vegton >Aug 28, 2007 3:18 PM > > later in life > >I'm going to have my first baby in February and everyone keeps asking >if I'm going to raise my child a vegetarian (my husband and I are both >vegetarians though I'm more vegan). Naturally I'm going to and the >one thing I've heard from more than one person is that if my child >decides to eat meat when they're older they won't be able to because >their stomach won't be able to handle it. > >Is that true? > >Thanks, >Tonia > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 I don't completely know the answer to your question, but it brings to mind something I read. In Dr. Oz's book, the one called You: The Owner's Manual, he has a short little factoid in a box on one of the pages. I was flipping through his book in the bookstore, looked in the index for the word vegetarian and then turned to the page with the reference to vegetarianism. It was one short blurb that said that someone that's been a vegetarian for a while will most likely not be able to go back to being a meat eater. This is because they lack the enzymes necessary to properly digest it and it will end up making them not feel very good every time they eat it. Of course these aren't the exact words he used, but that's the jist of it. However, I'm raising my children as vegetarians. If you choose to do so you will come across people that will question what you are doing and try to challenge you on it. Stick to your guns and after a while nobody will say anything, it will be old news and they will move on. If someone questions why you are raising your child vegetarian come back and ask them how they could knowing all the damage meat causes to the human health, the environment, the killing of animals, etc. Turn the question back on them and see just how fast a new subject is brought up. :-) Jacqueline www.vegetariannews.us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 I have a friend whose vegetarian son decided to try fish as a teenager and vomited after doing so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 <<Stick to your guns and after a while nobody will say anything, it will be old news and they will move on.>> Oh, if only!! It's been since 1979, and no meal with extended family goes by without some negative reference. So glad you've been treated/respected better! Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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