Friend sent me this article More bad press on Vegan diet.

[RAINRA]

he sent this message and link after I gave him plenty of evidence that eating meat was unhealthy and drinking milk.

 

"Shows how this girl was on a strict vegan diet and by the age of 12 her spine was equivalent to that of an 80 year old!! Fucking Freaks!"

 

Jon

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article4087977.ece

Edited March 30, 2009 by RAINRA

[RAINRA]

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states

 

I sent him a counter article showing it was not just vegans with a deficiency. They just felt like pointing that out because she was one. Blame the diet.

[Fallen_Horse]

Lovely title on the first article. Nothing enrages me more than when the news makes a hyped title to sell a story. Sad...

[FormicaLinoleum]

That's so annoying! It's an old article, so there is no point leaving comments on the site now, I figure. But that article is quite misleading, referring to food sources of Vit D, when the true primary source is sunshine exposure, and most people in areas with little sunlight should supplement Vit D. The article makes it sound like if you aren't a vegan, you get plenty of Vit D through (unsupplemented) food, which is of course ridiculous.

 

Another example of incredibly sloppy and anti-vegan-slanted writing from the article: "In 2001, British vegans Hazmik and Garabet Manuelyan, from Staines, were sentenced to three years’ community rehabilitation after they admitted starving daughter Arenai, 10 months, to death. She had been fed nothing but breast milk, raw fruit, vegetables and nuts." Um, and just what is a 10-month old supposed to be eating according to this writer? Hamburgers?? A 10-month old should be fine being fed nothing but breast milk, period! Obviously, they must not have been feeding her enough, which is an issue completely separate from veganism.

[CollegeB]

Maybe vegans should stop starving their children. This is the 2nd episode I've heard of this. I know there are more, though it makes me curious to know how many omni parents dont feed their kids and then the kids die.

[MollyMormon]

It's interesting that the comments made were about getting Vit D fortified juice and supplements. People have been getting Vit D since the dawn of time without fortified foods. I think many vegans in our society try to eat like non-meat eating omnis. You really shouldn't raise vegan children like that. Or any children like that. Baby formula is not breast milk, soy or cows milk formula is not the same. I think that if someone wants to raise vegan kids the first thing is that they really have to try breastfeeding for much longer than our society approves. Around 2 years IMO. Then they need to actually prepare food. Good healthy food. Bagged iceberg lettuce "salad" is not a salad. Saltines are not the best snack and frosting free pop tarts and cheerios are not a healthy breakfast. I think the only reason omni kids don't starve is because they get the calories and fat that kids need. Their nutrition is terrible but the fats and calories keep them not dying. Raising healthy children ,omni or veg, starts in the kitchen.

[xjohanx]

Bagged iceberg lettuce "salad" is not a salad.

 

What's wrong with iceberg lettuce? I know it's not as nutrient dense as some greens but come on, it's still a good food.

[MollyMormon]

In many homes a pre-packaged iceberg lettuce salad is the only green vegetable a child is exposed to next to canned green beans ,if that. And usually the kids don't eat it.

[xjohanx]

But it is still a salad

Would kale not be a salad if I didn't eat it and it was the only green veggie I ever saw?

I'm sorry but I don't understand your reasoning at all.

[FormicaLinoleum]

People have been getting Vit D since the dawn of time without fortified foods.

The main true source of Vit D is exposure to sun. We aren't supposed to get Vit D from food, period. It's entirely reasonable to think that people get less exposure to sun now than they have in the past. We work indoors more, and in very recent times we have all been warned of the risks of skin cancer and many of us therefore actively avoid sun exposure. Wearing sunblock while out in the sun can prevent Vit D production.

 

So it's not unreasonable, as far as I can see, to think that we do make less Vit D these days, and therefore need to supplement even though we haven't had to in the past.

[MollyMormon]

But it is still a salad

Would kale not be a salad if I didn't eat it and it was the only green veggie I ever saw?

I'm sorry but I don't understand your reasoning at all.

 

I am not against iceberg, but as the mother of 3 veg children I don't agree that 3 small chunks of it on a plate is adequate nutrition for a growing child. When we go out, that (and french fries) are many times the only vegan options. I even have to take food over to my parents house because the bag of iceberg is the only veg friendly food they have. That's fine for me but not my growing boys. And if kale was on your plate and you don't eat it, it is no longer salad, it's garbage, unless you eat it later. It's not about the salad, it's about appropriate nutrition for kids.

[tuc]

That is SOOO bullshit if someone blaims parents killing a baby fed nothing but breast milk, veggies, nuts and fruits.

 

A 10 month old can live with breast milk only. It contains everything a baby under 1 year needs. If the baby dies because of starvation, it has nothing to do with veganism. Also, if a baby is not gaining weight, it should be taken to hospital immediately, instead of waiting for the kid to starve to death. I bet a kid looks quite sick WELL before it dies of starvation.

 

I just hate those anti-vegan reporters. FFS!

[xjohanx]

But it is still a salad

Would kale not be a salad if I didn't eat it and it was the only green veggie I ever saw?

I'm sorry but I don't understand your reasoning at all.

 

I am not against iceberg, but as the mother of 3 veg children I don't agree that 3 small chunks of it on a plate is adequate nutrition for a growing child. When we go out, that (and french fries) are many times the only vegan options. I even have to take food over to my parents house because the bag of iceberg is the only veg friendly food they have. That's fine for me but not my growing boys. And if kale was on your plate and you don't eat it, it is no longer salad, it's garbage, unless you eat it later. It's not about the salad, it's about appropriate nutrition for kids.

 

Okay yes, BUT you said it wasn't salad which is what I opposed since it is. Iceberg have been getting bad reputation lately which I think is stupid. And I don't understand what you are arguing against since I never claimed that 3 chunks of iceberg lettuce is adequate nutrition for a child or an adult for that matter. I'm just saying ICEBERG LETTUCE IS GOOD FOOD and you can make delicious salads from it.

[VeganEssentials]

I'm just saying ICEBERG LETTUCE IS GOOD FOOD and you can make delicious salads from it.

 

Bah! Iceberg lettuce is garbage! Crunchy water, that's all it is!

 

Aside from it being pretty lacking in nutrients, it's the reason I didn't eat salads for 25 years. I thought it was the only kind of lettuce out there, and its sheer nastiness turned me off to greens for a long time. Down with iceberg lettuce!

[Fallen_Horse]

In case anyone is confused, iceberg lettuce is very healthy...

 

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2476/2

[VeganEssentials]

Still won't get me to eat it, even if it has more nutritional value than I'd expected

 

Give me spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens and some good spring mix any day over that stuff. I want FLAVOR in my greens, darnit!

[justxt]

That is SOOO bullshit if someone blaims parents killing a baby fed nothing but breast milk, veggies, nuts and fruits.

 

A 10 month old can live with breast milk only. It contains everything a baby under 1 year needs. If the baby dies because of starvation, it has nothing to do with veganism. Also, if a baby is not gaining weight, it should be taken to hospital immediately, instead of waiting for the kid to starve to death. I bet a kid looks quite sick WELL before it dies of starvation.

 

I just hate those anti-vegan reporters. FFS!

 

I had two kids who didn't want to eat solids till they were 12 months old. They were 24 pounds at 10 months on nearly 100% breastmilk. I'm inclined to agree that breastmilk is sufficient, given the many chubby breastfed 10 month olds I've known. There was clearly some other problem in that situation, and it should have been addressed long before the baby died.

 

I'm a little confused by the call for drinking fortified cow's milk to solve the vitamin D problem, when bringing back 30 minute outdoor recess at school would provide most kids the sun exposure they need to produce enough vitamin D on their own.

[Marcina]

That is SOOO bullshit if someone blaims parents killing a baby fed nothing but breast milk, veggies, nuts and fruits.

 

A 10 month old can live with breast milk only. It contains everything a baby under 1 year needs. If the baby dies because of starvation, it has nothing to do with veganism. Also, if a baby is not gaining weight, it should be taken to hospital immediately, instead of waiting for the kid to starve to death. I bet a kid looks quite sick WELL before it dies of starvation.

 

I just hate those anti-vegan reporters. FFS!

 

I had two kids who didn't want to eat solids till they were 12 months old. They were 24 pounds at 10 months on nearly 100% breastmilk. I'm inclined to agree that breastmilk is sufficient, given the many chubby breastfed 10 month olds I've known. There was clearly some other problem in that situation, and it should have been addressed long before the baby died.

 

I'm a little confused by the call for drinking fortified cow's milk to solve the vitamin D problem, when bringing back 30 minute outdoor recess at school would provide most kids the sun exposure they need to produce enough vitamin D on their own.

 

I'm with you on that. When I was a kid we had a 15 minute recess in the morning, and then a 20 minute recess after lunch. Thats 35 minutes of running around outside.

Eating food that's had stuff added to it doesn't count as a balanced diet and doesn't replace good old sunshine.

[apple]

I'm a little confused by the call for drinking fortified cow's milk to solve the vitamin D problem, when bringing back 30 minute outdoor recess at school would provide most kids the sun exposure they need to produce enough vitamin D on their own.

 

It's because if they've got the parents all worried about their kid's vit D intake, they just HAVE to buy more milk. Dairy companies can't make any money off the sunshine!

[chesty leroux]

That is SOOO bullshit if someone blaims parents killing a baby fed nothing but breast milk, veggies, nuts and fruits.

 

A 10 month old can live with breast milk only. It contains everything a baby under 1 year needs. If the baby dies because of starvation, it has nothing to do with veganism. Also, if a baby is not gaining weight, it should be taken to hospital immediately, instead of waiting for the kid to starve to death. I bet a kid looks quite sick WELL before it dies of starvation.

 

I just hate those anti-vegan reporters. FFS!

 

i feel like those people were actually feeding their child avocado blended with water, not breast milk. If i remember correctly, unless there was a different couple in america that did that.