Veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism. Because vegans shun all animal products, such as meat, fish, and eggs, they may get too little of some nutrients found in meat and dairy products, such as calcium and vitamin B-12. Such deficiencies are of particular concern when it comes to growing teens.
The dietary habits of the vegans varied considerably and did not comply with the average requirements for some essential nutrients.
Specifically, the researchers report that vegans had dietary intakes lower than the average requirements of:
Even after the researchers included dietary supplements in their analysis, the vegans' intake of calcium and selenium remained low.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition July 2002;76:100-106
This study echoes one published last year.
Of the many nutrients vegans lack, vitamin B12 is the most significant because it can have permanent neurological complications and even result in blindness.
Contrary to what many vegetarians believe, vitamin B12 is not absorbed very well, if at all, from plant sources. Previous studies have consistently shown low B12 levels in vegetarians and vegans because they do not eat meat and other animal by products.
For further information please review the comprehensive vitamin B12 page.
These studies do not document some of the major dangers with choosing to be a vegetarian. For those of you who have a teenage vegetarian or who are health care practitioners treating these individuals, this is very important information. You can view the list below for that information.
One clearly needs to be sensitive to the fact that a teenager showing sudden changes in their eating patterns may have an eating disorder and would benefit from an effective intervention. My current recommendation for an intervention for an eating disorder would be EFT. You can find EFT practitioners on the Gary Craig's EFT Referral page or you can use my free EFT manual to start the process.
If you are a health care practitioner and are interested in attending one of the top energy training events of 2002, you will want to be certain to come to Chicago in September for Dr. Larry Nims's BSFF course.
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Vegetarian Diet In Pregnancy Linked To Birth Defect
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