Once again, an offering that is only new to me, but she has such awesome things to say I wanted to share.
In
The Vegan Brain: Plant-based diets, micronutrients, and mental health, Dr. Ede declares:
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Most people think of fruits and vegetables as teeming with the vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants we need to live and thrive. It is true that many plant foods are rich in many of these substances, but just because a food contains a particular nutrient doesn’t mean we can access it.
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And BOOM! It's ON.
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Below I summarize the most important potential brain nutrient deficiencies that ALL plant-eaters—vegans, vegetarians and omnivores— need to be aware of, as well as key deficiency risks unique to vegans and vegetarians.
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Well, I picked the right day to start Keto.
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Contrary to popular belief, plant foods are lousy sources of vitamin A. In fact, they contain no vitamin A at all! Instead, they contain carotenoids, which we must then convert into retinol, the form of vitamin A our bodies can use. This is 12 to 24 times more difficult than obtaining retinol from animal foods.
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Maybe I can tell this to my mother as many times as she told me to eat my vegetables (which I never, ever, liked as a kid, and to this day.)
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The form of vitamin D our bodies need is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). We can make Vitamin D3 from sunshine or obtain it from animal foods. The form of vitamin D found in plant foods is vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Our bodies can convert some D2 to D3, but D2 is less potent, doesn’t last as long in the bloodstream, and may be harder to store in our body fat for rainy days and dark winters.
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Also, it is fairly well known now that the ability to synthesize Vitamin D from sunlight drops as we age, which is why I supplement with both D3 and K2.
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The MK-4 form of vitamin K2 only exists in animal foods.
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All I can say is "See?!?!?!"
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Vegan diets contain virtually no vitamin B12, and severe, prolonged B12 deficiency is fatal. Most vegans and vegetarians are aware of this danger and either take supplements or consume fortified yeast (unfortified yeast doesn’t naturally contain any vitamin B12).
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This is probably the most recognized deficiency, and the most likely to be admitted to by vegans. "But I supplement!" is not the panacea they imagine. In
Thinking of going vegan? Read this first. the warning is:
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Vitamin B12 deficiency was once thought to be rare in vegetarians, but is now known to be common among people on all the different vegetarian variations. Researchers have observed stage 3 vitamin B12 deficiency in over 60% of vegetarians.
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Stage 3 is the WORST level. It comes down to bio-availability, which is 50% in meat and fish, but only 9% in eggs. What's more, I think plant-based diets are so deficient in so many things it interferes with full absorption and ability to use it correctly in the body.
Back to Dr. Ede:
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The brain is a high-energy organ, so even temporary, mild deficiencies of a single B vitamin can significantly disrupt normal brain function. All of the B vitamins except for B12 can be found in plant foods, yet some studies find that vegans are more likely to be deficient in vitamin B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B2 (riboflavin).
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Like I said.
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Many plant foods are lower in iron than animal foods, and to make matters worse, plants contain a form of iron that is far more difficult to absorb than heme iron, the form found in animal foods.
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How many vegans and vegetarians show up at the doctor for anemia? Lots, though they are loathe to admit it. And this can turn into pernicious anemia, which can kill you.
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Plant foods are far lower in zinc than animal foods. Zinc deficiency is much more common among vegans than iron deficiency, and yet gets far less attention. A 2017 Swiss study found that 47% of vegans had inadequate zinc levels compared to only 10% of omnivores.
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Vegan diets contain absolutely no DHA or EPA, and vegetarian diets contain only small amounts from eggs and dairy. In comparison to omnivores, DHA and EPA levels can be about 30% lower in vegetarians and more than 50% lower in vegans. This is because the form of omega-3 (ALA) found in plant foods is very difficult for the body to convert into DHA. At best, women convert only about 9% of the ALA they consume into DHA, whereas men convert a dismal 0-4%.
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In closing, Dr. Ede declares:
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The science is clear on this point: unsupplemented vegan diets pose great danger to brain health. It is my hope that this article will help call attention to these other critical nutrients the brain needs in order to operate at the top of its game.
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Personally? I think the Vegan Brain is why they act so irrational. It's sad, it really is. As an animal rights activist since the age of 12, I understand: but they are going about it all the wrong way, with lies and stubbornness instead of adult moral decisions and actual science.
I think a far better solution to animal issues are to push for:
- more and better guidelines for the use of animals in research
- humane and sustainable farming
- less waste of resources exemplified by the processed food industry, which levels natural habitats to make unnatural foods
- helping people realize BETTER food is cheaper in the long run that CHEAP food
This is a highly personal thing to me, as ya'll can probably tell.
Plus I live with four rescue cats, who are obligate carnivores. I also fight for them.