Re: Vegetarian Diet Can Leave Nutritional Holes

LuellaMay,
interesting article re' vegetarian diet leaving nutritional holes, but there are other aspects to the question of what constitutes a wholesome and nutritionally comprehensive diet and some flaws within the article. (Opinion)

This is my own take on the matter and an indirect reply to the article writer: Andrew L. Rubman, ND.



PROTEIN: THE BODY'S BASIC BUILDING BLOCK......

It is of course true to say that vegetarians must be careful to eat a wide variety of healthful foods in order to meet all their dietary needs, but the concern that overall, vegetarians need to focus on nutrients they may be lacking, such as protein, vitamin B-12, calcium and iron in the ways suggested doesn't ring true.

The statement from the article that states:............
"we build healthy muscles and organs from essential amino acids, which come from protein in the food we eat", is simply not true.
The protein from which we are made is not built from protein. Yes, you did read that correctly. Protein is built from the amino acids in food. The only extent to which protein is built from protein food is how well the amino acids in that food are utilized. The idea that you can eat a piece of steer or pig or chicken and that it will become protein in your body is......well.....absurd.
Animal protein is just that: animal protein............NOT human protein.

The body cannot use or assimilate protein in its original state as eaten. The protein must first be digested and split into its component amino acids. The body can then use these amino acids to construct the protein it needs. The ultimate value of a foods protein then, lies in its amino acid composition.
All nutritive material is formed in the plant kingdom; animals have the power to appropriate but never to form or create proteins source........the eight essential amino acids.
Plants can synthesize amino acids from air, earth, and water, but animals, including humans, are dependent on plant protein----either directly, by eating the plant, or indirectly, by eating an animal that has eaten the plant.
There are no "essential" amino acids in flesh that the animal did not derive from plants, and that humans cannot also derive from plants. That is why all the animals of strength have all the protein they need. They build it from the abundance of amino acids that they consume eating plant life. This is also why, except in emergencies, carnivorous animals generally do not eat other carnivorous animals. They instinctively eat animals that have eaten plant life.


There are 23 different amino acids. ALL are essential, or they wouldn't exist. 15 of these can be produced by the body and eight MUST be derived from the foods we eat. Only these 8 are called "essential".
If you eat any fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or sprouts on a regular basis, you are receiving all the amino acids necessary for your body to build the protein it needs, just like the other mammals who seem to manage without eating meat.
In fact out of these 8 amino acids that the body must receive from outside sources, there are many fruits and vegetables that contain ALL the amino acids not produced by the body: carrots, bananas, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, okra, peas, potatoes, summer squash, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Also ALL nuts, sunflower & sesame seeds, peanuts, and beans contain all 8 as well.
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VITAMIN B-12: FOR OPTIMAL NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTION.....

Supposedly, if you don't eat meat you will develop a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Poppycock. Where then do the animals whose meat we eat get theirs?
Vitamin B12 is found in plants in very small amounts. But the way Vitamin B12 is secured is primarily from that produced in the body. The stomach secretes a substance called "intrinsic factor", which transports the B12 created by the bacterial flora in our intestines. The B12 issue is part and parcel of the entire protein myth.
Our actual need for B12 is so minute that it is measured in micrograms (millionth of a gram) or nanograms (billionth of a gram). One milligram of Vitamin B12 will last you over 2 years, and healthy individuals usually carry around a 5 year supply. Putrefaction hinders the secretion of "intrinsic factor" in the stomach and retards the production of B12, so flesh eaters are more likely to develop a B12 deficiency than vegetarians, as meat causes more putrefaction than any other food along with the incorrect combination of all foods.
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CALCIUM: KEEPING BONES
STRONG AND INTACT...............

"Another possible result of a vegan diet is calcium deficiency."
The fact is that all green leafy vegetables contain calcium. All nuts (raw) contain calcium. And raw sesame seeds contain more calcium than any other food on earth. Also most fruit contains ample calcium.. If you are eating fruits and vegetables daily and some raw nuts even occasionally, you cannot have a calcium deficiency,(Vegan).
The best sources of calcium are raw sesame seeds, all raw nuts, kelp, dulse, all leafy greens, and concentrated fruits such as figs, dates, and prunes.
As long as these foods are included in the diet on a regular basis, it is impossible to have a calcium deficiency: even if you wanted one.
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IRON: A VITAL COMPONENT OF
RED BLOOD CELLS

"Like B-12, iron is a vital component of red blood cells, as well as a primary carrier of oxygen in the blood. Inadequate iron intake often makes people feel tired and rundown. Meat is the best source of heme-iron, the kind most easily absorbed by the body, but there are also plenty of plant sources, including black-eyed peas, lentils, soybeans, kidney beans, spinach, whole wheat bread and iron-fortified breakfast cereals."

So why eat meat to obtain the mineral Iron, if plant sources are a good source?
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VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF VEGETARIAN LIFE........

"There are two basic rules to help the body more efficiently absorb plant sources of iron: First, combine them with foods that contain vitamin C, such as oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes and broccoli. Second, eat them separately from calcium supplements and tea and other dietary sources of tannins. Dr. Rubman says it is fine to get iron from a daily multivitamin supplement. However, because excess iron levels bring on serious medical problems, do not take iron supplements unless your doctor prescribes them."

Very good advice.


VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF VEGETARIAN LIFE

"A properly balanced vegetarian diet can help you reap significant health benefits. The wider the variety of healthful foods you add to your daily diet, the more likely you are to meet all your nutritional needs."

If properly combined......YES.

Regards

Chrisb1.


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