A Nutritional Perspective on Vegetarianism

Why Re-think Vegetarianism

The vegetarian lifestyle appeals to a broad range of conscientious people, including those concerned with our environment, their health, and animal rights issues. Others become vegetarians as an integral part of their spiritual or religious practices. Some may adhere to a meatless diet for less ideological reasons — they simply cannot afford to purchase meat. Currently, vegetarianism is a growing trend in the teenage population as well. It is not known how many people worldwide follow a vegetarian philosophy or lifestyle, but it is safe to assume that this figure is in the millions.

There is also a large population of former vegetarians, who for one reason or another, could no longer exclude meat from their diets. I happen to be a statistic in this category. I tried to abstain from meat for most of the reasons listed above. I was very concerned about how the animals were treated, worried about how much land was being denuded by millions of beef cattle, and thought that I was being more health conscious by cutting animal saturated fats from my diet. But then slowly, and surely, my body began giving me signs that I was not as healthy as I should have been. Why? What was happening to me?

As most vegetarians will tell you, being a vegetarian takes a lot of hard work. It requires preplanning meals, properly combining grains and legumes for optimum essential amino acid intake, and ensuring a well-stocked vegetable bin. However, even the most dedicated vegetarian will be lacking some essential nutrients.

One of the biggest problems with a vegetarian diet is its lack of complete proteins. Even carefully combining foods such as beans and rice does not provide vegetarians with complete proteins because they are low in one or more essential amino acids. This means that even when overall protein is high, there is still a shortage of essential amino acids. Vegetable protein is naturally low in tryptophan, cystine, and threonine. The body must ingest all the essential amino acids in order to use any of them.

The importance of essential amino acids cannot be overstated. Amino acids, broken down from ingested proteins, are the building blocks of the animal kingdom. About 50,000 different proteins in the human body are assembled and used to form organs, nerves, muscles, and flesh. Enzymes and antibodies are specialized proteins. Just 22 amino acids are responsible for forming all of these protein combinations. Eight of these amino acids are termed “essential” because the body cannot produce them naturally — they must be obtained through diet. Only if these essential amino acids are present in the body can the “nonessential” amino acids be built and synthesized by the body. The brain and nervous system are particularly dependent upon sulphur-containing amino acids found most plentiful in eggs and meat.

A friend of mine who was a vegetarian for years told me she couldn’t understand why she was tense, moody, and always craving chocolate. When she added meat back into her diet, her nervous disorders disappeared. I read a story of a vegetarian two-year old who was always nervous, cranky, and unmanageable. At a potluck, an unknowing server placed some chicken on his and his parents’ plates. Before they had a chance to remove the chicken, the child had consumed his and both his parents’ portions. That evening, for the first time in his young life, the boy was content, happy, and calm.

Besides feeding the brain and central nervous system, what other roles does protein play in maintaining the human body? It is essential for the formation of hormones and for milk during lactation. It is essential for normal growth and for normal blood clotting. Finally, it regulates the acid-alkaline balance of tissues and blood — a problem experienced by many vegetarians.

A vegetarian diet can also lead to mineral deficiencies because it lacks the fat-soluble catalysts necessary for mineral absorption. Reliance on grains and legumes as dietary staples exacerbates the problem because the phytates block absorption of calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium. A deficiency in these minerals can lead to a host of degenerative problems, birth defects, and mental problems. Phosphorus is another mineral often lacking in meatless diets and is another reason vegetarianism has been linked with tooth decay.

Vitamin deficiencies are a major problem as well, especially Vitamins A and D found in animal fats, and useable Vitamin B12, found only in animal products. Many vegetarians claim that their Vitamin A can be obtained from plant carotenes. Unfortunately, many people cannot make this conversion, possibly because studies show carotenes cannot be converted into Vitamin A without the presence of dietary fat. The body can store Vitamin B12 for two to five years. After its stores are depleted, deficiency diseases start showing up, including nervous disorders, eye problems, and pernicious anemia. B12 deficiency has been found in breast-fed babies of strict vegetarians.

When the human body is lacking necessary nutrients, it seeks to fill those deficiencies. This is true for both meat eaters and those who avoid meat. I’ve seen a strict vegetarian eating an entire plastic container of non-fat Cool Whip. I have a vegetarian friend who craves raw white flour and will eat an entire cake mix with a spoon if she has it in the house. Cravings like this are indicative of a major nutrient imbalance and should act as a red flag for dietary reassessment.

If You Simply Cannot Compromise . . .

If you are unwilling to compromise your vegetarian lifestyle, I would ask you to at least eat plenty of organic (raw is best) dairy products, including butter, milk, cheese, and cream. Raw dairy is much healthier and more digestible than the highly-processed, commercial milk found in the grocery store. Organic whole products from a grocery are next best, but pasteurization and homogenization are guilty of causing many other problems. Free range, organic eggs should be a daily staple. Although it may fee like too much of a compromise, I strongly recomend that you consume homemade, organic chicken and beef broth. It is also extremely important that you stay away from soy products that are not properly fermented, which excludes tofu as a dietary staple. If you are raising your children as vegetarians, I would ask you to do some serious research on the effects it may have on your children’s health. A lack of complete protein, cholesterol, and fat has serious implications for growing children and will affect their health in the future as well.

A special note about vegans (those who do not eat meat, dairy, or eggs): It is doubtful that a vegan can enjoy vibrant health throughout their lives because of the lack of nutrients listed above. Even if they themselves manage to feel okay without any major degenerative or chronic diseases showing up, it is their children who will inevitably show the signs of malnutrition. Weston A. Price’s book, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” is an excellent resource for learning more about traditional diets that promote generation after generation of healthy families. In every example of healthy cultures, protein from animal sources was included in the diet, even if it meant resorting to insects and worms.

Integrating Vegetarian Ideals with a Non-Vegetarian Diet

1. After it became clear that my body did not want to be vegetarian, I realized that I didn’t have to compromise my vegetarian ideals. I could instead focus on becoming a more responsible omnivore. To this end, I advocate purchasing meat from a local farmer who practices organic, authentic farming. This means that the soil is well nourished so that the grass is nutritious so the animals can be well nourished. Sunlight is also very important for the nutritional status of animals. They are also much happier when not confined. I advocate buying local fruits and vegetables during the summer months and, in winter, shopping at a small, locally-owned organic market. These actions also address my environmental concerns, as a small farm is biodynamic (a diverse community where the animals take from the soil and replenish it as well).
   
   For many vegetarians the moral or ethical case for abstaining from meat is their most powerful motivator. One of the best articles I’ve ever read which addresses these concerns is, “The Ethics of Eating Meat: A Radical View” by Charles Eisenstein, published in the Spring 2002 edition of Wise Traditions. I encourage vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike to read this article with an open mind, as it offers challenging new perspectives on life and death.

We’re In This Together

In the marketplace of ideas, the debate about vegetarianism has been, and will continue to be, one of the daily specials. I think we can all agree that what one chooses to consume is an intensely personal, and critically important decision. I hope the research I have shared, and the opinions that I have offered, will help you make an informed decision about what role meat will play in your life.

As always, wishing you health and vitality...

© 2003 Cynthia Cechota, M.S.

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For further reading:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price, D.D.S.
The Milk Book by William Campbell Douglas, MD
Myths and Truths about Vegetarianism by Stephen Byrnes
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on this Web site are not necessarily those of CreativeRefuge.com and are not medical advice. Please consult your doctor prior to making any changes to your existing diet or exercise regimen.