Vegans diets

Ling WH, Hanninen O. 1991. Shifting from a conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters fecal hydrolytic activities in humans. J Nutr 122 924-930. 

A problem with vegan diets is whether they can provide snfficient protein and some micronntrients. Foods recommended are whole grains and grain prodncts e.g. wheat, millet, barley, rice, rye, oats, maize, wholemeal breads and pastas) pulses and products made from them (e.g. peas, beans, lentils, tofu) fresh vegetables (including green leafy vegetables and salads) fresh and dried fruits nuts seeds (e.g. sunflower, sesame and pumpkin). 

Two miCTonutrients of particular concern in vegan diets are vitamin B,2 and iron which are normally obtained from meat. A dietary supply of vitamin B,2 can be ensured from sources such as yeast extracts or soya protein. 

It has been shown that flux through the peroxisomal /1-oxidation pathway is limited [5], mainly as a result of the relatively small oxidative capacity of peroxisomes. Subjects on a vegan diet have considerably lower DHA levels compared to omni-... 

Vegans eat no animal products. They need to take vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. A vegan diet provides most of the benefits of a vegetarian diet when implemented correctly. 

Osteoporosis is a disease or metabolic disturbance, particularly in postmenopausal women, that indicates a need for a very high dietary calcium intake. High calcium requirements appear to be related to the very high protein intake of the modem Western diet. A decreased protein intake, as can be obtained on a total vegetarian (vegan) diet, can allow for calcium balance, in a variety of age groups, from one third to one fifth the amount of daily calcium required with a Western diet. 

My real turning point came when I moved to Hawaii, just after college. The local, seasonal, vegan diet was no problem, with papaya and bananas growing outside my window and tomatoes ripe year-round. But during dinner with my boyfriend one evening, I realized that something else had shifted. 

Answer The vegan diet lacks vitamin Bi2, leading to the increase in homocysteine and methylmalonate (reflecting the deficiencies in methionine synthase and methylmalonic acid mutase, respectively) in individuals on the diet for several years. Dairy products provide some vitamin B12 in the lactovegetarian diet. 

Diet (poor/vegetarian/vegan diet increases risk of iron-deficiency anaemia). Other risk factors which may warrant investigation include ... 

The total human body store of the corrinoids described is 5 mg, and the recommended daily requirement of corrinoids is 2 xg this nutrient is provided by a typical Western diet but may not be included in a vegan diet. Whether 2 xg per day is sufficient to maintain health and protect against disease, especially of a degenerative kind, is a subject of current debate in which some believe it wise to consume larger amounts of... 

Ti Couz (3108 16th St., o 415-252-7373) creperie is the place to take out-of-towners. Based on the cooking philosophy of the working-class residents of Brittany, in the northwest of France, Ti Couz serves hundreds of versions of crepes. Most diners start with one of the savory buckwheat crepes and finish with a sweet, dessert crepe. The luscious crepe with Gruyere cheese and a mushroom sauce and the sweet crepe with nutella and vanilla ice cream are divine. Like most French restaurants, the menu is dairy-heavy and is best avoided by those on a vegan diet. 

McCarty, in the article cited earlier, first explains his finding in terms of cyclic AMP levels, which others have found to make cancer cells liable to contact inhibition, and thus more benign. A possible scenario is that glucagon inhibits a growth factor supporting cancer proliferation, and also induces cancer cell death by apoptosis. The cancers especially noted to be inhibited by a vegan diet are of the breast, prostate, and colon. 

Lastly, Wayne Martin refers to a report in the May 18,1991, issue of The Lancet that compares breast cancer incidences for young Chinese women in Singapore. Half were put on a typical high-meat Western diet, the other half on a vegan diet typical of northern China, with much soya food. The former were at three times the risk. 

In sum, a low-meat or no-meat (or vegan) diet is seen as the way to go, reducing the odds for having both cancer and heart attacks. 

Two studies (Abdulla et al, 1981 Lightowler and Davies, 1998) used the duplicate portion technique to assess the iodine content of the vegans diets. Usual restraints and influences identified with this technique, such as the possible influence on dietary habits of collecting the food samples and gaining adequate cooperation from the subjects, might have been reduced in the Abdulla study that was undertaken in a controlled environment. These individuals consumed a modified diet to which they were unaccustomed, their iodine intakes would therefore not be a true reflection of their habitual diet. 

The findings from previous studies highlight the need to assess the iodine content of the vegan diet accurately. There are a number of factors that can influence the accurate assessment of iodine intake in vegans, including incomplete duplicate diet collections, the use of dietary supplements and the intake of dietary goitrogens. 

Dietary Supplements As dietary supplements are an important source of iodine in the vegan diet, the accurate assessment of iodine intake from this source is important. The use of dietary supplements by vegans is a crucial factor in determining their iodine intake and assessing whether supplement users could be at risk of excessive intakes of iodine. However, dietary supplements may be a confounding factor in the assessment of iodine intake, as there is uncertainty and variability in their iodine content (Lee et at, 1994). Furthermore, an excessive intake of iodine through some dietary supplements is not difficult because of their concentrated formulation and manufacmrers recommendations about the number of tablets to be taken, which may further exacerbate excessive intake. 

Environmental goitrogens may normally be ineffective when in low concentration, and most are not of major clinical importance unless there is coexisting iodine deficiency. However, a vegan diet is likely to include more foods possessing goitrogenic properties, such as brassicas and seaweed, compared with an omnivorous diet, and previous research has shown that vegans are at increased risk of iodine deficiency. Thus, excess intake of these substances may affect iodine metabolism in vegans. 

Lightowler, H.J. (1997). Iodine in the Vegan Diet. PhD Thesis, South Bank University, London, UK. 

Iodine Deficiency in Vegetarian and Vegan Diets Evidence-Based Review of the World s Literature on Iodine Content in Vegetarian Diets... 

Raw food diet Diet mainly consists of fresh and uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, and beans may be practiced as an omnivorous (raw meats and fish), vegetarian or vegan diet... 

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