“As yet, I have not found a single group of primitive racial stock which was building and maintaining excellent bodies by living entirely on plant foods.” Weston A. Price, DDS
I have been very concerned over the growing trend of the vegetarian and vegan diets for some time, particularly because my teenage children have friends who are vegetarian or vegan for ‘ethical’ reasons. It concerns me because the vegan diet in particular is nutrient deficient, especially for growing teenage children and girls in particular who will go on to carry the next generation.
The big problem I have is that young people in particular are making decisions like this based on myths that simply are not true. There is a huge industry behind the plant based movement – sugar, grain, soy, pharmaceutical, and now climate change activist – who have a huge amount of money to make from the world moving to plant based.
Belinda Fettke – wife of attacked Tasmanian Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Gary Fettke – has discovered who and what is behind much of the plant based movement, and I’ve heard her speak about it a few times now (on podcasts, at the Western Price Meat Matters talk, and most recently at Low Carb Down Under Gold Coast).
Here are some YouTube videos in which Belinda talks about what she has uncovered, and the button below will take you to her website where there is a heap of further information.
When I was at the Meat Matters talk back in September of this year, I was given a handout on the Dangers of the Vegan and Vegetarian Diets. It covers the many myths surrounding these types of diets with a lack of nutrition, as well as debunking the many held beliefs around meat and the environment.
I will talk more on this in future posts, but tonight I want to focus on the nutrient deficiencies that are possible from not eating animal products. Sadly many claim they don’t care, it’s the fact they don’t want to be involved in killing animals. But I will get to that one soon.
The information below is all sourced from The Weston A. Price Foundation. You can contact them on info@westonaprice.org or www.westonaprice.org for more information.
“The danger of vegetarian and especially vegan diets is nutrient deficiencies. Certain vital nutrients occur ONLY in animal foods or are better absorbed from animal foods. These nutrients are particularly important for foetal development and for growing children.
VITAMIN A
Critical for healthy eyes, skin, bones, hormone production and immune function. Vitamin A plays a leading role in the formation of the foetus and the prevention of birth defects. Healthy populations consume amounts in the range of 20,000-30,000IU vitamin A per day. Best sources are cod liver oil, liver, butter and egg yolks from grass-fed animals.
VITAMIN D
Essential for growth, healthy bones, protection against tetany, convulsion and heart failure in newborns, protection against type 1 diabetes, and protection against cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Vit. D is necessary for the function of the bodies ‘feel good chemicals’ and protects against depression. Best sources are cod liver oil, lard and other pork products, prawns, oily fish and egg yolks from grass fed poultry.
VITAMIN K2
Critical for ensuring that calcium is put into the hard tissue (bones and teeth) and protection of the soft tissues, such as the arteries and kidneys, from calcification. Vit. K2 is required for the synthesis of brain cells and for reproduction. It occurs in certain fermented plant foods, such as natto, but best sources in the western diet are poultry liver and aged full fat cheese.
VITAMIN B12
Needed for red blood cell production, protection from toxins and for mental health. B12 deficiency can cause paranoia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, tendency to irrational anger and dementia. All animal foods provide B12 but liver is the best source. There is no B12 in plant foods.
VITAMIN B6
Is involved in brain function, production of histamine, the storage of carbohydrate as glycogen and the synthesis of many important compounds. We use the plant form of B6 much less effectively than the animal form. Best sources are muscle meats, seafood, organ meats and raw milk.
ZINC
A co-factor in hundreds of enzymes and needed for hormone receptors and production of hormones such as insulin. Required for cell replication, skin integrity, immunity, digestion, glucose tolerance, high metabolic rate and sense of taste. Zinc is very difficult to absorb from plant foods. Best sources are red meat and shell fish.
IRON
Needed for red blood cells, energy and immunity, iron is best assimilated from liver and red meat.
CALCIUM
Dairy foods are the best source of usable calcium in Western cultures.
EPA & DHA
Critical for brain function. The best sources are cod liver oil, organ meats and seafood.
ARACHADONIC ACID
Critical for healthy cell to cell junctures in the skin and intestinal tract, and for life saving inflammation response. Critical for brain function. Best sources are animal fats and organ meats.
AMINO ACIDS
In principle, the body can make taurine, carnitine, creatine and carnosine, but production is difficult in infants and in many adults. These amino acids are critical for many functions in the body, including energy and brain function. Best sources are meat, seafood and organ meats.
CHOLESTEROL
Infants and millions of people with genetic defects cannot make the cholesterol they need for growth, brain function and mental health. Only anmial foods provide cholesterol.