Gloria Steinem summed up one of the challenges of life very well when she said, "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."
This quote rings especially true when it comes to what we choose to eat. Our food choices are influenced by a range of factors that make it almost impossible to entertain change. Growing up, I was told that I needed to consume dairy for calcium, eat meat to get strong and fish to get smart. Imagining food without animal products on my plate seemed almost unimaginable.
However, I always felt a sense of nagging unease about my food choices -- what if everything I knew about food and nutrition was wrong? What if I truly had no valid justifications for choosing to consume animal products? What began as a path of unlearning -- about taste, tradition and nutrition -- ultimately culminated in me choosing a vegan lifestyle.
But unlearning in the age of information means having to sift through an avalanche of Internet articles discussing conflicting scientific reports and marketing propaganda (often indistinguishable from each other) that are largely fueled by billion dollar industries whose bottom lines depend on our uninformed food choices. Some anti-vegan rhetoric is delivered with so much conviction that, at times, I still have difficulty separating fact from fiction.
The problem, however, is that the longer you let myths go unchallenged, the greater is their ability to masquerade as truths. So, I decided to put my mind (and hopefully the minds of many others) at ease by reaching out to One Green Planet's expert community and getting their input on the top vegan nutrition myths.
This is what I uncovered in my discussions with some prominent voices in the plant-based nutrition space:
1. Is it true that plant protein is inherently inferior to animal protein?
Brenda Davis, RD and co-author of "Becoming Raw": In reality, people have no greater need for animal protein than do gorillas or elephants, both of whom have far bigger muscles than we do, yet are plant eaters. It comes as a surprise for people to learn that essential amino acids are made by plants, not by animals. We can get them from animals, but somewhere along the food chain they originally came from plants. Generally, if vegans eat a variety of plant foods (legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and grains) and consume sufficient calories, protein needs will be met. However, if protein intakes are marginal, legumes become especially important.
2. Do I need calcium from dairy products to maintain strong bones?
Joseph Keon, nutritionist and author of "Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth about Cow's Milk and Your Health": Milk offers no guarantee of protection from bone fracture while at the same time burdens the body with additional saturated fat and cholesterol, hormones and growth factors and, frequently, antibiotic residues. Millions of people the world over maintain fracture-resistant bones into their seventh and even eighth decade of life by consuming calcium largely from plant sources. The calcium we need may be easily obtained from leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, legumes and some nuts and seeds.
3. Should I be worried about B12 deficiency?
Vesanto Melina, RD and co-author of "Becoming Raw": B12 originates from bacteria, not animal products. The reason this nutrient cannot be obtained from plant-foods is because of our sanitary methods of food production. In contrast, meat eaters obtain vitamin B12 that is produced by bacteria present in the flesh of the animals. This lack in sanitary plant foods does not mean that all vegans are deficient in this nutrient, because they can easily obtain the recommended levels of B12 via foods that are fortified with B12 (non-dairy milks, soyfoods, veggie "meats" and breakfast cereals) or via B12 supplements. In fact, all people over the age of 50, on any diet, are advised to use fortified foods or supplements as their B12 sources, as these forms are better absorbed by many seniors than the B12 from animal products. Many seniors develop deficiency of vitamin B12 due to diminished intestinal absorption. Like people on any diet, vegans simply need to make sure they have a reliable source of this essential nutrient.
4. Can I get adequate amounts of Omega-3 fats without consuming fish oil?
Ginny Messina, MPH, RD and co-author of "Vegan for Life": Vegans aren't at higher risk for heart disease than people who eat fish, but many experts suggest erring on the side of a little insurance by supplementing, especially for those who suffer from depression. Vegans who want to include DHA and EPA in their diets can get it the same way fish do, which is from algae. In fact, from an environmental perspective, it makes sense for everyone to choose algae-derived supplements over fish oil.
5. As a vegan, don't I have to consume too much soy to meet my nutritional needs?
Lauri Boone, RD and raw food nutritionist: You don't need to fill your plate with tofu or other soyfoods for your diet to be nutritionally complete. Soyfoods -- which include tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soymilk, among others -- certainly provide a simple way for vegans to meet their protein needs. But you can easily obtain all of the essential amino acids -- along with fiber, antioxidants, minerals and phytochemicals -- your body needs by eating a variety of grains and legumes each day. Add to that a few servings of nuts and seeds and plenty of fresh vegetables, and you will begin to see how easy it is to get all of the nutrients your body needs -- with or without soy. However, if you are going to consume soy, choose organic soyfoods to ensure that the soy you consume is not genetically modified and is not grown using pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals.
6. While vegan diets may be okay for adults, aren't they unsafe for infants and children?
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, LDN and co-author of "Simply Vegan": Babies and children grow and develop normally on vegan diets and can have significant health advantages -- vegan children often eat more fruits and vegetables, are typically leaner and don't develop a taste for meat, dairy products and eggs -- foods that are linked to health problems later in life. As all parents should know, it is important to give children the nutrients they need. For parents of young vegans, this means making sure that infants' and children's diets have good sources of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, protein and enough calories to support growth.
To round up my discussion on vegan nutrition, I chatted with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, co-author of the best-selling book, "The China Study" and most recently featured in the documentary "Forks over Knives" about his No. 1 tip for maintaining good health and preventing disease. According to him, "The consumption of whole plant-based foods is the best strategy for health maintenance and disease prevention. Wholeness means foods having the natural proportions of nutrients and nutrient-like chemicals. As a consequence, the whole effect is greater than the sum of its parts -- thus allowing for the countless natural biological interactions to take place."
So there you have it: not only is a plant-based (vegan) diet not restrictive in terms of providing us with adequate nutrition, but if we also focus on a diet rich in whole plant-based foods, getting the right nutrients and maintaining good health should be the least of our concerns!
Thanks to the great work of these experts, it turns out the unlearning curve for vegan nutrition is no longer as steep and treacherous as it was in the past.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."
-- Galileo Galilei
One Green Planet is an online destination for the ecologically ethical generation. We deliver insights into the world of ecology, environment and vegan living. To find out more about us, visit One Green Planet and join our growing community on Facebook and Twitter. If you are a business or expert interested in becoming a contributor, supporter or collaborating with our independently-run platform, please contact us.
Follow Nil Zacharias on Twitter: www.twitter.com/zachariot
Five myths about vegans - The Washington Post
Top Vegan Nutrition Myths Busted (by Experts!) | One Green Planet
Veganism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition - MayoClinic.com
'Skinny' Vegan Diet - What You Can Eat, How It Works, and More
You are the *perfect* example of someone who was *willing* to educate themselves and make a change for the better.
You are a shining example of a conscious human being. One who takes matters into their own hands and doesn't just hope something goes away. Instead of just doing what you'd been doing, you decided to take charge.
There are so many--sadly-- who are ignorant and stubborn and refuse to educate themselves, help the planet at the same time, and (generally) do the right thing.
Kudos to you for being an example of someone who isn't dissident just to be fatuous--but instead someone who was raised well enough to take a chance on doing the right thing.
Helping yourself--is helping others.
Cheers.~~~~
“Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around…”❦❥❧ - Henry David Thoreau
Here's another expert, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, who's dispelling myths about being vegan. In this article she takes on the myth that assumes you have to take supplements to make up for everything you're "lacking" as a vegan. http://newhope360.com/vegetarian-amp-vegan/do-vegans-need-supplements
I suggest getting onto Facebook and join groups so you can learn, comment, question and interact.
Here are a few to take a look at:
The Raw Cure http://www.facebook.com/groups/223493611010272
Vegan Super Fitness http://www.facebook.com/groups/96208583294
Vegan Parenting Support Group http://www.facebook.com/groups/249777695055100
The World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle http://www.facebook.com/groups/worldpeacediet
A SIMPLE RAW FOOD DIET 80 10 10 http://www.facebook.com/groups/16869800873
The Vegan Food Enthusiast http://www.facebook.com/groups/100963363316044
JD Mumma, Ami
www.VeganExcellence.com
Carnivores have the enzyme needed to produce their own Vitamin C - Humans are lacking this enzyme.
I agree completely that there is misinformation, along with missed opportunites to inform, in this article. For example, why on earth isn't nutritional yeast mentioned in the B12 section? That's where I get my B12, and it's tasty, too!
Ground Flax Seed: 1600mg of Omega-3 for EACH tablespoon! (and only 400mg of O-6, a 4:1 ratio in your favor) Eating fish for the fish oil isn't the best move since the O-3 is often has gone rancid. What I do is purchase the flax, grind it in a small "coffee" grinder that I use just or this purpose, the REFRIGERATE the ground seed in a jar. After grinding the flax would also go rancid if left unrefrigerated. Great on top of my ALMOND yogurt, salads, in smoothies, etc.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2
-------------------------
Except that propaganda can also come from activist groups funded to the tune of many millions of dollars. Groups that also have an agenda and an ideological ax to grind. Mr. Zacharias conviently ignores.
I lived in strict vegetarian households for years where we paid attention to getting balanced meals and everyone was really striving, before the days of the "superfoods".
Now I eat little meat because I figured I don't need that much considering I don't have a physical job and I know it is full of antibiotics and the animals had sh*t to eat, etc, but organic meat is way over my budget. More importantly, I don't want it to be an issue when I am invited over to dinner.
However, depending on the week, I eat 60-80% organic (the organic food store is a bit far away), it does taste better, and overall, I feel a lot more energized than when I had less veggies and fruits in my diet.
It seems pretty obvious to me that vegetarians who do eat right seem rather healthy and I can't count the number of older folks who've loved to have their steak and more, and who've had warnings about the state of their arteries and been told to cut down their fat intake drastically.
You were off by a great deal more. When it proved to have been 18 that benefited, rather than the 7 you‘d claimed, instead of apologizing for the egregious error, you go on to further malign Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, calling his work “propaganda.”
Then you refute yourself saying, “...people who resort to insults…”
You must work for the dairy industry or raise cattle. You’re terrified of people knowing what’s making them sick. There’s an agenda in your posts.
Once again, there is no evidence that animal foods contribute to heart disease. The evidence against sugar is much stronger. And guess what carbs are converted to in our bodies? Yep. Sugar.
By the way, I don't raise cattle or work for the dairy industry, although I do raise animals (and plants) for my own kitchen, including a herd of dairy goats. As for my agenda, I only want to correct the amount of misinformation being promulgated by vegan propaganda.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/385/
www.eatwild.com
www.localharvest.org
Especially not at the current rate of meat consumption.
Not even close. FAIL
Hmm... sounds a lot like religion to me...