If you are a parent considering raising your child plant-based, consider the case of a 12-year-old girl raised on a strict vegan diet. The girl ended up in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, Scotland suffering from a severe form of rickets.
The girl had already experienced multiple fractures and been diagnosed with a degenerated spine comparable to that of an unhealthy 80-year-old woman.
Fast Food Diet Better for a Child than Veganism
Say what you will about a child who eats junk food, if the diet overall includes animal foods like eggs, meat and dairy…even if from fast food joints…this type of bone degeneration simply does not happen.
For all the downsides of The Standard American Diet, it is shockingly still a better choice than even a whole food vegan diet (aka “plant-based”) that is devoid of numerous critical nutrients a growing child’s body demands.
Pediatrician Discredits Veganism for Children
Media reports indicate that the hospital doctors were under pressure to report the girl’s parents to police and social workers.
Dr. Faisal Ahmed, a pediatrician treating the girl, warned that the dangers of forcing children to follow a strict vegan diet need to be publicized. (1)
If raised strictly vegan, the child would almost certainly have severe deficiencies of Vitamins A and D, both of which are essential bone nutrients that can only be obtained from animal foods.
For example, using aquafaba instead of eggs and plant-based meat substitutes can prove very dangerous.
In all likelihood, the child would also be lacking needed calcium, zinc (the intelligence mineral), B-12 as well as other B vitamins, Vitamin K2, the EPA and DHA fatty acids, and the sulfur containing amino acids methionine and cysteine.
Although the human body is theoretically capable of converting beta carotene from vegetables like carrots into true Vitamin A, children are not able to do so efficiently if at all.
Sunlight could have provided Vitamin D but only if the family spent a lot of time outdoors year-round in a tropical area. Northern climes like Scotland simply do not offer the benefit of Vitamin D-producing sunlight for much of the year.
Other Cases of Child Vegans Suffering Severe Nutritional Deficiencies
Sadly, this is not the first time vegans have been accused of child abuse though it may be the first case involving crippling bone damage. More typically, vegan babies end up in the hospital from malnutrition caused by the use of soy milk instead of infant formula.
Given soy milk alone, babies end up with severe vitamin, mineral, fatty acid, and amino acid deficiencies, which is why soy formula manufacturers are required by law to add methionine and other nutrients that are critical for a baby’s growth.
In 1990, the FDA investigated after a two month old girl in California was hospitalized with severe malnutrition. Her parents had fed her soy milk instead of soy formula. Because of this and a similar incident in Arkansas involving the SoyMoo brand of soy milk, the FDA issued a warning on June 13, 1990. Since then, most brands of soy milk include warning labels in tiny print on their packages.
Clearly, voluntary warning labels have not been enough, and there have been deaths as well as hospitalizations of vegan babies fed soy milk. Vegan parents in Atlanta were found guilty of the death of their six-month-old baby. To supplement the mother’s inadequate supply of breast milk the parents had fed their son soy milk and apple juice. The baby was only 3 1/2 pounds when he died of starvation. (3)
The sad truth is that numerous vegans have been charged and found guilty of unintentionally starving their children from all across the globe, including parents in Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Australia, and the United States among others. (4-10)
Vegan Breastfeeding Dangerous Too
In France, a vegan couple was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the death of their 11-month-old daughter. The baby, who was only 12.5 pounds at the time of her death, had been exclusively breastfed by a vegan mother.
An autopsy showed her to be not only severely underweight and malnourished but severely deficient in Vitamins A and B12. (2, 11-12)
The mother had cared enough to breastfeed, but had an inadequate supply of poor quality milk because of the severe nutritional limitations of her plant-based diet.
While veganism for very young children can be catastrophic, the tragic case of the 12-year-old Scottish girl illustrates that plant based diets for older children are also dangerous. Although finally getting medical treatment, the child’s long-term prognosis for recovery and a normal life remains grim.
Sadly, the word about the dangers of veganism for children doesn’t seem to be getting through to the general public. The continual barrage of highly flawed propaganda-ridden, documentaries such as What The Health guarantees that more well-intentioned but seriously misinformed vegan child malnourishment cases are likely to follow.
References
(1) Parents of 12-Year-Old Vegan Girl Who Has Degenerative Condition May Face Charges
(2) French Vegans Charged with Neglect After Baby’s Death from Nutritional Deficiencies
(3) Vegan Couple Serving Life Sentences for Starving Baby to Death
(4) Vegan Couple Who Fed Child Only Raw Fruit and Vegetables Charged with Murder
(5) Sydney vegan couple starved 20-month-old girl leaving her toothless and with rickets
(6) Baby Death: Parents Convicted of Killing Son with a Diet of Vegetable Milk
(7) Swedish Parents Jailed for Almost Starving Vegan Toddler to Death
(8) Strict vegan parents starved their baby of nutrients so badly that the one-year-old developed cerebral palsy and was in intensive care for a month with rashes and internal bleeding
(9) Italian baby raised on a vegan diet hospitalized for severe malnutrition, removed from parents
(10) Vegan couple will serve life sentences for starving baby to death, Georgia court rules
(11) French Couple Sentenced to 5 Years in Jail for Vegan Breastfeeding Death of 11 Month Old Baby
(12) Vegan Parents Face Jail
I use to like the things that you post but this is the 2nd time in a week you are dogging out vegans. You post these outrageous stories based on 1 or a few people. These post above is about child abuse not living a healthy fully balanced life if a plant based individual. There are many alternatives that give calcium and not one equals that of cows milk and the dangers of any animal milk. I know this your blog but at least be fair and do a post on the dangers of what eating meat does to the body, the earth and the animal itself. Milk from an animal does more harm than good. Maybe take your blinders off and truly educate yourself to the dangers of anything form an animal. I’m out
Amy, I can appreciate that lots of families are searching to find the best diet, but I do believe moderation in all things. I drink raw milk and have no health issues. Your statement that milk from an animal is harmful is somewhat contentious as there are more than enough examples from nature alone that says that it is highly nutritious. You are free to disagree, but it is very important to not throw statements out there about “blinders” and then appear to wear them yourself. Be open. If it is untrue, it will fall to the wayside, if it is true, then you and I and everyone else will learn. I take this blog as a learning experience; some things I believe, some I don’t, but I believe in a Creator God and His Word tells me to TEST EVERYTHING. No better advice anywhere.
You believe in God but you steal the breast milk from baby cows? Do you really think that God put you on this earth to breast feed into adulthood from another species? We are the only species that does this.
How would you like it if you were repeatedly raped/impregnated, your babies stolen and killed and then your breast milk pumped out of you only to give to another adult species? My God surely doesn’t approve of such bizarre atrocities.
I weaned at the age of 3 from my mother. Maybe its time for you to grow up, get weaned start eating solids and grow a conscience.
Seriously? I don’t say this to many people, or anyone EVER, but you need drugs or something because you’re going to have a heart attack if you don’t chill. All that aside, I won’t say animals don’t feel pain because they do. But I will say that animals don’t think in human terms. I know death and things upset them, but it’s part of the natural law and order of things. Please get a grip on reality.
May, sometimes, even when we think we are right, it takes time to know and understand things. There is scripture in the Bible supporting eating meat, drinking milk and how are you getting past God asking for animal sacrifice? He made them; He can decide how they are to be used. If that offends you, then I won’t eat meat, drink milk, etc. in front of you. (Also in the scripture.) No one should force their views on anyone; even God allows free will. I just don’t understand why people get so mad and act ugly over an opinion. I don’t know who your God is, but apparently my Bible is talking about a different God than yours. I know many old timers from working at the hospital who are alive because of the milk of an animal. People are given a higher priority by God. Please don’t argue with me on that, about what your God says; mine says man is different than any animal.
I couldn’t have said this better myself..
Actually, while the bible does allow eating meat, it is well after the fall. In Genesis 1:29 (NIV) says: Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”
It isn’t until after the flood that God allows us to eat meat. Genesis 9:2-3 (New International Version – NIV) says: 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
While eating meat is allowed, it was God’s original intention for us to be vegan. Granted we live in a fallen world, but that is not reason to not try to follow His Word as best as we can & be good stewards. There are many ways to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need without harming the creatures he has made.
Here is a great article that shows may scriptures that support being Christian and Vegan. http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/2011/12/christianity-and-vegan-diet-how-i.html
Actually lots of animals will nurse from other mammals. Pigs are notorious for raiding the dairy barn to nurse directly from cows. The only thing keeping animals from consuming milk past their infancy is opposable thumbs.
Amy has stated something that’s been proven by scientific research -consuming dairy milk (or any animal milk) is dangerous to human health. Our bodies adapt to what we give them – I drank dairy milk my whole life, felt “normal” and had no idea that I didn’t feel 100% of what my body could actually feel, until I gave it all up over the last year. Huge eye opener for me, and I’m pretty sure that God is okay with me eating plant-strong. 🙂
Amy – I agree with most of what you said. I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, but it’s a bit short-sighted to post an article about how bad vegan diets are based on a few incidents. There are surely a ton of examples of people who are meat eaters and have serious nutritional deficiencies. It’s all dependent on how carefully you research and plan, and how diligent you are in getting what you need.
In terms of milk doing more harm than good, I completely disagree. Unprocessed milk has tremendous benefits for routine consumers.
Just do what is right for you and you alone and no judgment to others and their choices…simple really!!
Its not simple – that is the problem. I’m sure those parents were doing what they though was right for them and their child. But now their child is suffering greatly for it. What is right and good for our bodies is not whatever we want it to be; what we want is often not good for us. We need to be more aware of what we need. If our bodies don’t thrive on veggies alone, it makes sense that we need to eat meat. Sometimes we have to throw our ideology out the window when it does not help us.
It is not judgmental when you are talking about saving lives. Its correction with safety in mind, which is ultimately love. Such judgments could have prevented this child from getting rickets in the first place.
Indeed, their child is suffering greatly–but not because the diet was vegan. The child is suffering because the diet was poor and lacking in proper nutrition. It’s absolutely possible to eat a health, balanced vegan diet. The parents failed here.
I don’t need meat. If I hold down an internship, full load of classes, and run eight miles a day without meat….I’d say I’m doing fine. 🙂
I was born in the early 70’s was deathly allergic to dairy. I was raised on soy-based formula. I was perfectly healthy. My parents were meat-eaters, but I am a pescatarian. I do take a B12 and B6 supplement. I do believe it’s unhealthy to eat meat and no one is going to convince me otherwise. Eating meat causes obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, and a host of other problems. Factory farming has caused even more problems, due to antibiotics and steroids. I don’t eat meat for health and for moral/ethical reasons. Learning about nutrition and what our bodies REALLY need is key.
If you require supplements then something is clearly missing from your diet. May I suggest eating some meat? Oh wait…
Eating meat in healthy amounts does not cause obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, or cancer, and meat provides the body with essential nutrients that plant foods simply cannot provide. Eating foods full of white flour, sugar, processed rancid plant-based oils, and otherwise empty calories is what causes disease. A vegan who regularly scarfs down large quantities of margarine, pasta, vegan cupcakes, cookies, etc. would be less healthy in the long run than an omnivore who eats a well-balanced diet with limited amounts of processed junk food. “Learning about nutrition and what our bodies REALLY need is key.” Indeed.
To “Anon” that posted in this thread on August 26, 2013 at 7:33 am:
I don’t blame you for not providing your name; if I were posting such statements, I’d be ashamed to claim them as well.
“Eating meat in healthy amounts does not cause obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, or cancer”
Actually, it does — and there’s no ambiguity on this. Consuming animal products has been clearly demonstrated to cause all of these ailments commensurate with the quantity consumed. There are several hundred peer reviewed studies explored on this topic just in The China Study alone, but the research confirming this goes well beyond those and continues to be confirmed by ongoing studies.
“… and meat provides the body with essential nutrients that plant foods simply cannot provide.”
This is a false and clearly misinformed statement. The bodies of animals get their nutrients *from plants*. Let’s cut out the middle “man” and just go to plants ourselves, eh? =o)
“Eating foods full of white flour, sugar, processed rancid plant-based oils, and otherwise empty calories is what causes disease.”
Well… Sure — but eating processed, rancid animal-grease and otherwise empty calories also causes diseases. I’m not sure what your point was here.
“A vegan who regularly scarfs down large quantities of margarine, pasta, vegan cupcakes, cookies, etc. would be less healthy in the long run than an omnivore who eats a well-balanced diet with limited amounts of processed junk food.”
This is kind of like saying, “People who jump off buildings will have more health problems than people who walk a mile a day”, eh? One could as easily say that a someone who regularly scarfs down large quantities of butter, bacon, animal-based cupcakes, cookies, etc., would be less healthy in the long run than a vegan who eats a well-balanced diet with limited amounts of processed junk food. However, the *really* interesting comparison is the vegan and the non-vegan who are *both* eating well-balanced diet with limited amounts of processed junk food; protip: the non-vegans don’t fair very well in those comparisons at all.
“Learning about nutrition and what our bodies REALLY need is key.”
Also, learning about logical fallacies might help you to properly evaluate good nutrition from bad, as well as what our bodies REALLY need. =o)
You are absolutely right in your understanding of love! A point so many fail to see. It is a travesty how often we throw out the truly ironic accusation of “judgemental” rather than learning to discuss and debate in a serious fashion. It is the definition of love to put the needs of others ahead of your own needs or even comfort. I would far rather never argue or debate, but I put that aside to try to help others learn from my experience and research. Good discussion is so beneficial … and to me to even when I would have rather avoided it!
This is meant to be in reply to Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran, who posted on August 26, 2013. Unfortunately, the “reply” link under his post appears to be disabled.
Anon: “Eating meat in healthy amounts does not cause obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, or cancer”
Sean: “Actually, it does – and there’s no ambiguity on this. Consuming animal products has been clearly demonstrated to cause all of these ailments commensurate with the quantity consumed.”
How then, do you explain the thousands of people who have lost weight on ketogenic and/or Atkins-style low-carb high-fat diets, many of whom have BETTER blood glucose and lipid profiles than vegetarians and/or vegans? Although such diets are high in fat, they are usually moderate in protein, and consuming animal protein on such diets does not seem to be making people keel over from clogged arteries.
Sean: “There are several hundred peer reviewed studies explored on this topic just in The China Study alone, but the research confirming this goes well beyond those and continues to be confirmed by ongoing studies.”
The raw data of the China Study do not support the study’s conclusions, and this has been thoroughly discussed by several people, including scientists. A quick Google search will turn up several weaknesses and criticisms of the China Study. Further, for every study you could site that supports the findings of the China Study, I could site one that contradicts them, so that argument doesn’t fly. As someone who has a background in statistics and who is an editor of technical papers and scientific manuscripts, I see ALL THE TIME in my line of work findings not supported by data and/or data manipulated to fit desired hypotheses. Unfortunately, this is a product of the “publish or perish” mentality of many scientists and often speaks to the motives behind the people or institutions who funded the studies.
It it just me, or does it often seem as though people who are willing to to spout off with statements as off base as these are the same people who hide behind pseudonyms? Why is that, do you suppose? =o)
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “How then, do you explain the thousands of people who have lost weight on ketogenic and/or Atkins-style low-carb high-fat diets”
It is idiotic to suggest a comparison between low-carbohydrate diets, modeled after the ketogenic diet that was designed to treat epilepsy in children, with veganism. Atkins, paleoism, et al., are short term diet plans which burn fats in the body by starving it of carbohydrates. No one (and by “no-one” I mean “no peer reviewed source”) has ever found this diet plan to be healthy outside of its pediatric application, and it’s clearly deadly to do it over the long term. Study after study (again, of the peer reviewed variety) has shown that people usually put the weight back on after stopping the diet. One might as well claim that eating animals doesn’t make you fat because liposuction takes it right back off, therefore eating them is healthy.
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “many of whom have BETTER blood glucose and lipid profiles than vegetarians and/or vegans?”
Are you really going to try to make such a claim? Seriously? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence in order to be taken seriously, and this claim certainly qualifies as such.
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “Although such diets are high in fat, they are usually moderate in protein, and consuming animal protein on such diets does not seem to be making people keel over from clogged arteries.”
Yes, it does. Saturated fats, such as are almost exclusively found in animal’s bodies, give people heart disease. The connection between consuming animals products and contracting heart disease is unambiguous. There isn’t any debate to be had on this one — that’s just the way it is.
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “The raw data of the China Study do not support the study’s conclusions, and this has been thoroughly discussed by several people, including scientists. A quick Google search will turn up several weaknesses and criticisms of the China Study.”
Actually, the raw data *does* support the conclusions. I’ve read the raw data, and I’ve read the conclusions. They match up. If you’re interested, the author has diligently provided all his sources, which constitute hundreds of peer reviewed studies, and you can easily follow these back to the originals yourself (he’s included an extensive appendix). Having done so myself with a metric whack of these, I’m recommending that text with a great deal of confidence.
Waving your hand vaguely at Google and claiming something has “been thoroughly discussed by several people” is more than a little silly, and suggests to me that your claims of being a researcher are as flimsy as the claims that accompany it. FWIW, I actually have gone through the trouble of reading and closely examining the “research” on two ostensibly legitimate “debunkings” of the text, and on both occasions found that the creators of those works were engaged in all manner of shenanigans (e.g. making claims not supported by their source materials, deliberately misrepresenting what was actually stated in the text, etc.). I’ve tired of digging in to such counter claims, but my advice to you is to take such writs with a grain of salt. *=o)*
However, should you decide the The China Study is not for you, and you do wish to pursue peer reviewed studies on this matter, you might consider giving Dr. Greger over at Nutrition Facts a go: http://nutritionfacts.org/index.php?s=meat
Of note, Dr. Gregor’s approach is not unlike Dr. Campbell’s in that he doesn’t rely on his own research so much as he quotes from the materials in the field — all of which he provides ready links to so that one can dig in as far as they’d like to go.
This response is meant to be in reply to Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran. Unfortunately, the “reply” link under his post again appears to be disabled. (Gee, I wonder why?)
At no point have I called you a derogatory name or have attacked the vegan lifestyle or your lifestyle in particular, sir. Nor am I proselytizing‎ for an omnivorous lifestyle. However, I do call out fallacy and scientific fraud when I see it, and the studies you cite have serious flaws in methodology and/or possible scientific fraud, and their conclusions are therefore questionable. The conclusions of the China Study are clearly not supported by the raw data. I don’t know where you studied statistics, but in the real world, the raw data speak for themselves. If you thoroughly examine the raw data from the China Study, there is a strongly positive correlation between wheat consumption and disease that is simply not found with the consumption of meat. However, Dr. Campbell won’t tell you that (again, gee, I wonder why?); you have to look at the actual raw data yourself to discover it. I’m sorry, but omitting half the story is the same as telling a lie. You also point to studies by Dr. Michael Greger. He is affiliated with HSUS, and they are clearly pushing an anti-animal-product agenda.
People who resort to name calling (i.e., “Callow, Misinformed Necrovore,” as you have addressed me and I will not stoop to your level) is a clear sign their position is untenable. People only resort to character assassination when their position doesn’t square with the facts. The fact that people such as the Inuit still do subsist almost exclusively on animal fat and protein without suffering any ill health effects is proof positive that the hypothesis that eating any animal products is unhealthy is simply false.
I totally agree with Kelly in that your responses clearly demonstrate you can’t be taken seriously.
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “This response is meant to be in reply to Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran. Unfortunately, the “reply” link under his post again appears to be disabled. (Gee, I wonder why?)”
Hmm… Maybe for the same reason it’s disabled for *yours*, eh? This is going to be complex, so try to follow me. You see, when comments reach a certain “depth” (i.e. after to so many “reply levels”, if you will), then this particular website removes the “Reply” link so that the indentation doesn’t continue indefinitely. It’s not the *best* solution to the problem (IMHO), but it works well enough.
But hey – you go ahead and believe it’s a bizarre conspiracy theory; it’s clear that your mind tends in that direction anyway. Hey — maybe I have control over the internets and can change the way that random websites work whenever I want — after all, it’s not like any of the *other* posts on this site (or on this page) have the “Reply” link gone, so it *must* be me! >=oP
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “At no point have I called you a derogatory name or have attacked the vegan lifestyle or your lifestyle in particular, sir.”
In a certain light, I guess this might be considered true. Sure, while I personally may take offense to your moronic declarations on health related topics, and while I may find it insulting when you make baseless claims on subjects which you clearly know nothing about, it is nevertheless fair to say that you did not directly attack me.
Callow, Misinformed Necrovore: “Blah blah blah”
Yep.
See you around, genius.
I think genetics has a lot to do with it. Someone with a more vegetarian ancestral background may do well with vegetarianism long term. On the flip side, there are whole groups of people who live near the Arctic circle who consume nothing but meat and are perfectly healthy.
it is about quality and understanding nutrition 🙂 Those that live near artic circle the air is more sulphuric so higher meat content is required. I am vegan mainly veggie but if I lived there I would require I imagine meat.
That, and the fact that you need a minimum of 5000 callories a day just to keep warm :). Not even chicken is suitable for that kind of cold. You really need lots of fatty meat in order to survive.
I eat meat.
Hell yeah! 😀
I am shocked by this. They claim it to b a healthy alternative. Forks over knifes is a big proponent of this. I still believe tho dairy is no good.
I was vegan for a year and felt amazing! Got pregnant ate meat for a year after that didn’t like how my body felt overall and am a vegetarian this time around. Again I feel amazing. My son is super healthy has been sick but once. We go to a naturopath who is very well educated in nutrition. I love our lifestyle! We all feel great. Now I know it’s not for everyone but in any way one chooses to live you must have a proper balance and make sure you get all your nutrients. We eat wholesome food. Just because some people are negligent does not mean all people who eat this way are doing wrong!
so agree with you. Im with you!
Jennifer, where do you live? Vegetarian diet might be good for some people in warm climate. Still it is very dangerous diet to follow especially for growing kids and especially vegan diet. You took your time to educate yourself and to prepare balanced meals, but most vegetarians just don’t eat animal food and eat grains and junk. Most people think that if you just eat, no mater what, you’ll be fine. That is not true. Even if you eat meat, but bad food in overall, you will get sick over time. Though, meat will give you longer run. Also, there were no vegan diet anytime, but modern times. Those traditional vegetarians ate ghee and/or insects too. A cow is not vegetarian, as many argue, they eat grass with insects and ton of insects. The same goes for other animals.
I know acupuncturist who was vegan for few years, who knows everything about this diet and he educates people. He strongly recommend against it if someone is not ready spend lots of time preparing food properly. He himself start eating eggs and ghee because he could not make food and work at the same time. He also take supplements like B12 since he knows he can not not get it enough out of his diet. But he is someone who really knows what he is doing. How about lots and lots of clueless vegans out there who became vegan just because they heard about it from someone in a store, on TV or read it in a magazine?
@Mmom-
“Still it is very dangerous diet to follow especially for growing kids…”
Bull-you-know-what. My child is now 23 and has been vegan all his life. Has always been healthy (just ask his doctor) and in fact, always LESS sick than classmates. NEVER had an ear infection. Was out only 4 days during high school (he managed to get hit in the ribs w/a basketball during the state championships which had nothing to do with his vegan diet).
I made sure that once he was weaned, that I followed COMPETENT nutritional advice on what to feed him. And don’t start with that “any diet that needs supplementing is not healthy” nonsense. What would you call all those ads for Flintstones etc. vitamins? Sure looks like “supplements” to me.
But, don’t listen to me. Listen to these people:
American Dietician Assn-
“Well-planned vegan, lacto-vegetarian, and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation. Appropriately planned vegan, lacto-vegetarian, and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets satisfy nutrient needs of infants, children, and adolescents and promote normal growth.”
American Academy of Pediatrics-
“Children exhibit good growth and thrive on most lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan diets when they are well planned and supplemented appropriately”
TWO associations full of PROFESSIONAL dieticians and pediatricians say it’s healthy for children to eat a vegan diet. What are your credientials?
In order for me to believe veganism is a valid dietary choice for growing children I’d have to also believe that the American Academy of Pediatrics has my children’s best interests in mind. I don’t. Any organization who advocates excluding children from medical care because the parents chose not to vaccinate doesn’t have children’s best interests at heart. Any organization who discourages open discussion with pediatricians and ENCOURAGES forcing parents to do what they’re told are a bunch of bullies who want to line their pockets. That doesn’t speak well for them.
Besides, they change their standards every few years. Just wait a year or two and they’ll flip over to the next fad diet and back that.
Your logic makes absolutely no sense. Whether veganism is healthy or not (and it;s proven over and over to be optimal), has not one thing to do with whether or not any particular trade organization is beneficial or not.
You did not read my comment and actually attack me for nothing, dear. You are very rude also. I did not attack you personally and just said that clueless vegan diet followers playing it dangerous and you disagree!? I really don’t care what you eat and good work on raising your kid healthy. Do what you want, but I care about those kids are in real danger with plant based diet by vegan parents who don’t do any research. Do you still disagree!?
I am not sure what you say about supplements in your comment. What is “Flintstones etc”? If you need to take B vitamins like B12 then it surely points out at lack of nutrients in your diet.
Also, your “credentials” come from unreliable, constant mind changing, ongoing research makers; means they don’t know for sure what they are saying. My credentials come from traditional societies which were tested by time. And I am not talking about Midlevel times when people were sick and die in their 30th. I am sure you did not read Dr. Price’s book. He did great job researching different traditional diet and effect on health and body.
A meat heavy diet is laking in fiber, carbohydrates, also too heavy in cholesteral which is the leading cause of many of the common illnesses in north america. Every body should technically take a multi-vitamin no matter what kind of diet you follow. These parents screwed up pretty bad. There are books and research that they could have found to prevent this. Google your vegetarian pregnancy.
Dr. Weston Price is a freakin dentist. That is it. He knows less about ethnographic nutrional studies and ancient traditional nutrition than an undergrad anthropology student! Look at people’s credentials and where their research comes from. Believe no one persons interpretations blindly. Use critical thinking for gosh sakes. He’s a dentist!!!!
This article is unfortunate. However, I think it’s odd that so many are jumping on the anti-vegan bandwagon. You read articles like this occasionally… yes, but over 30% of adolescents by age 10 in my state are already obese on their animal based diets. Where are all the articles condemning the parental decisions there?
I was raised primarily vegetarian- mainly because we could not afford much meat or dairy and my mother only knew how to cook vegetables. Although she bought eggs, I refused to eat them ( I thought they were vile). On occasion I ate cheese, that was it. I was always a very healthy child and am a very healthy adult that eats a vegetarian diet- primarily vegan.
It may not be for everyone, but I feel the people that condemn it, do so as not to face the guilt of their decisions. The horrific animal cruelty- castrating animals with sheers, cutting their ears and tails off without pain killers, packing the animals in filthy conditions their entire lives unable to move, burning off beaks, throwing baby male chicks into grinders ALIVE, drugging the animals with so many hormones and unnatural feed that they can’t support the weight of their mutated bodies, when their legs break beneath them and 30% of chickens are contaminated with salmonella from lying in feces- you can’t tell me that is a more healthy to eat that rather than some vegetables.
Our treatment and necessary consumerism of these tortured creatures is disturbing and shameful. So, it’s only seems fair that the number one killer in America is heart disease and that people are dying all over the country of countless illness brought on by their obesity- directly linked to the animal packed SAD diet.
Off that horrific topic, the environmental impact of the industry is disastrous. The green house gases alone, not to mention the contaminated fresh water and wild life that dies of a result of the waste- now lets talk about a world running out of water and just how much water it takes to water the fields to produce the GMO crops to feed these living food stock- How many trees need to be cut down to create areas to contain these animals or even areas to let them graze or to grow their feed? Meat consumption is killing our planet and our people. It’s ignorant to put down an alternative that shows so much promise. Any diet can be unhealthy- even a vegan diet- especially a SAD diet. This is why is it important to learn about health and nutrition and eat a variety of different foods.
thank you for your comment vegas vegan. i am not totally vegan myself but prefer not to eat much meat or dairy. it makes me sick. i do however, get lots of nutrition and know nutrition well. important we all educate ourselves and pay attention to how our body feels after we detox it from all the crap that causes deficiencies usually in the first place. in this article we have no idea if this 12 yr old was getting processed packaged food which i hear about so many vegatarians do these days. i dont call that true vegetarianism anyway. true vegaterianism is where you eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts,seeds and beans, and include eating a good amount of it raw. also to eliminate the genetically modified foods which are known to cause cancer and lord knows what else. soy being a main crop, so if the child grew up on this soy milk, i wouldnt be suprised. i dont understand why she didnt have breast milk until she could have regular drink, the way it should be in a natural sense. then she most likely would not have degenerative bone disease.
i do my best to stay away from soy for many health reason. that is the real culprit and possibly the processed foods/sugar/soda if she had any of these.
otherwise being vegan, if you eat properly or being a meat eater, if you eat properly, you be healthier.
Yeah, good job giving him a CHOICE in the matter before indoctrinating and training him into a lifestyle
Where do you live? Did you know that eating meat is a very dangerous practice in many parts of the world these days! Maybe time you educated yourself on a thing called reality!
I know a dental hygienist who can tell a veg just by LOOKING at their teeth.
How sad 🙁 I was miserable as a vegan.
But paleo also goes too far. Whatever happened to balance?
In what way does it go overboard? I eat a very well balanced diet and I am Paleo. Fruits, tons of veggies and quality lean meats.
I agree; we need meat and dairy.
It is about understanding nutrition.. balance and diet… simple THE END. You can be a healthy vegan or vegetarian. Its nonsense to suggest otherwise however you can also be an extremely unhealthy vegan and vegetarian!!
so very true. you said it all Lynn. it’s not about being vegan or not. it’s about nutrition of the foods they are getting. doesnt have to do with the meat/soy. you can eat meat/dairy and also eat sugar and refined diet and soda and totally screw up your electrolyte balance, depleting your calcium and d supply in your bones. vegan or no vegan.
It’s true. I’m a vegetarian, and while I was pregnant I had my Iron and B12 tested throughout just to make sure because of all the scares. Never have tested deficient in either one.
All it takes is common sense. Whether you are vegetarian or eat meat, you need to have a knowledge of nutrition. I bet percentage-wise, there are more unhealthy meat-eaters than vegetarians.
Furthermore, that business about feeding infants soymilk, rather than formula is ridiculous. Infants won’t get proper nutrition from just cows milk either. Whether they are given soy or milk based formula, there are added nutrients.
Thank you Lynn! You said it. It’s about being SMART about what you feed yourself and your children. We do not need meat and dairy, as the FDA and the diary industry, etc would have us all believe to fill their pockets, and I am offended that this article is trying to pin this little girl’s ailment strictly on veganism. Perhaps she is “strictly vegan”, but she probably either A) has an underlying condition or B) does not get enough of the proper foods. There is a such thing as vegan junk food, and it’s no different than meat and dairy junk food in the end.
There’s a world of plant-strong/vegan/vegetarians out there who are strong, healthy, and happy, beating off diseases like cancer and diabetes and lowering their cholesterol and blood pressures, all without the “help” of pills. Just sayin’. 🙂
I am vegan, and I teach myself and my family about being HEALTHY. That is the bottom line. 🙂
Exactly Nicole!! I have friends that have been vegan for years and are body builders and athletes! Plant strong is the way to go for sure 🙂
Lynn, children need all kinds of things that a strict vegan diet can’t provide. You can be a healthy ADULT vegan but children need protein etc. to develop. If you think otherwise you’re deluded and if you’re going to have children and make them vegans I hope you never breed. Period. End of story.
Sanda. I am 40 years old with two children. I am also studying to be a qualified Nutritionist ( 3 year course ) I know what I am talking about. I have two amazingly healthy kids. Neither is vegan. Both have a brilliant diet. One eats only chicken as meat neither have dairy. I provide organic eggs instead. One is vegetarian. I force nothing on nobody what I said is you can be a healthy vegan or vegetarian.
The only supplementation required of vegans is vitamin B12. Vitamin D supplementation might also be a good idea (for vegans and nonvegans alike) depending on latitude and sun exposure. Everything else can be found in abundance in a 100% plant-based (vegan) diet. The many vegan children and young adults raised vegan who I know are all quite healthy, and some are very athletic. Many do not catch the “stomach viruses” that so many omni children seem to get. My own vegan eleven-year-old has only vomited only three times in her life and has rarely caught a cold or missed school. And it’s not genetic, because her father and I were both sick frequently as children, though we aren’t any longer as 100% plant-based adults.
Humans do not need meat or dairy, especially not dairy!! Do some research and you will see for yourself. Humans need a healthy diet period. More unhealthy children eating a non-vegan diet than the other way around! Wonder how many animals in the wild are getting cancer and other diseases? But our pets are because they are being fed so much crap as well instead of the diet they are meant to eat!
There are more unhealthy children eating a non-vegan diet because there are thousands more children that don’t eat a vegan diet. I”d bet that there are also more healthy non-vegan children than there are healthy vegan children. You need to understand that there are certain vitamins that can only be provided in adequate amounts from meat and dairy. As adults we can find ways to eat healthy without these foods, but it is very wrong to force a child to follow those beliefs. Children, and babies, require different nutrients to adults, which is where the problem arises. When they are forced to follow a vegan diet they are being deprived of some of these essential nutrients. Please open your mind more and see that there are very real dangers when you don’t get all the nutrition you require, and you could be putting more than yourself at risk.
In comparative population studies such as Adventist 2, vegans do just fine. Especially the men, who lived 12 years longer on average than the meat-eaters.
Cancer is a complicated subject. Vegans’ rates are a little lower in some areas, more notably lower for prostate cancer: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26561618 Dairy has been rather consistently linked to prostate cancer, probably because of the hormones that are inherent in dairy but foreign to the human body.
Are you kidding me, Lori?
In nature, even plants get cancer(google tree cancer, or Gall). Cancer has nothing to do with eating meat or not.
Eating TOO MUCH meat has an increase on cancer-chances. Eating 2-3 times a week a small amount of meat, is healthy.
Also people: There is a difference between veganism and vegitarianism. The commenter Kitty had sufficient nutrients, as she still consumes animal products, but not animals themselves.
Back to the point: Animals also get cancer and die of it. It’s stupid to assume they do not. Humans get more cancer, as we DIAGNOSE it and humans grow older than most animals.
Lori – most animals in the wild die young, long before they have a chance to get cancer, but if by some luck they manage to live long, they can get cancer too except for the moment they start showing symptoms, another animal will kill them. I find it extremely stupid that you don’t get it. Incidentally, I bet there was a lot less cancer back in the 10th century because most people never lived past 40.
As to our pets – the lifespan of our pet cats is 12-17 years on the average. The lifespan of a Scottish wildcat which is very close to our cats genetically and interbreed freely in nature is 12-15 years in captivity and about 7 years in the wild. So sure, wild animals mind get less cancer – because they don’t live long enough. And if they get cancer, how would you know? It’s not like wild kitties or wolves go to the vet to check.
Also about pets. There are vegan idiots who force their cats – cats which are obligate carnivores – to eat vegan diets. How damn is that?
Having volunteered in pet rescue or several years, I can report that by far, the biggest problems have nothing to do with vegans, and if I had to estimate, vegans on the whole are excellent pet guardians. Feeding cats vegan diets wouldn’t make the top 20 (or probably top 100) of pet problems.
I do know some vegans who feed their cats vegan diets, and the cats are fine. In rare cases, vegans have fed their cats vegan diets and the cats died. Any diligent caring pet guardian will be careful with their animal’s diet, monitor their health closely, and change as needed.
But it’s complicated. First of all, what if a cat lives a shorter life but the lives of many more animals are spared? It’s not an equation with one easy answer. And what does “obligate carnivore” mean? It means that in the wild, cats need to eat prey to get their nutrients. But in the lab, we can put all those nutrients into a can. And we can get all of them from plants or a lab. Now of course it’s not that simple. Optimal feline nutrition requires all kinds of balances. For instance, whereas humans thrive on a high complex carb diet (see: Okinawan Elders), cats have a very low carb threshold; high-protein plant foods such as wheat gluten and tofu are not the right delivery mechanism for cats. Will we one day formulate a widely used healthy vegan cat food? I don’t see why not, as demand rises. It’s not an impossibility. But that hasn’t been done with due diligence yet, IMHO. So there is some risk.
It’s not a simple yes/no or good/bad situation.
You need brain…try visiting OZ…
Educate yourself, no animal products are necessary in a human diet. Also watch Earthlings, as they show an example of how animals are treated on factory farms.
What ignorance and prejudice. And what on earth is a ‘strict’ vegan? You are either vegan or not; there is nothing ‘strict’ about it.