2011 Archives

Vitamins B12 and D: Monitoring versus Supplementing

Good nutrition is aimed at preventing nutrient deficiencies (among other things), which means that, no matter what type of diet you eat, there are circumstances where supplements may play a role. Regular vitamin B12 supplements are absolutely essential for all vegans who don’t eat B12-fortified foods every day. Depending on sun exposure, vegans may also require vitamin D (although this isn’t a vegan issue; it’s true of most omnivores, too.) And depending on individual requirements and diet, some vegans (and again, some omnivores) might require other supplements to ensure adequate intake.

An alternative to supplementing is to monitor blood levels of […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-09-12T10:09:28-04:00September 12th, 2011|Tags: Supplements, vitamin B12, Vitamin D|46 Comments

Bad news for red meat is bad news for chickens

Red meat has a bad PR problem. Two recent meta-analyses—one published in 2009 and one in 2011—linked red meat consumption to increased colon cancer risk. In May, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund reaffirmed conclusions from an earlier comprehensive report, saying that the evidence for a relationship between red meat and colon cancer is “convincing.”

And it’s not just cancer; a study published just last week found that adults who consume 4 ounces of red meat per day have a 20 percent increased risk for developing diabetes.

The evidence strongly suggests that it’s a good […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-08-16T15:04:39-04:00August 16th, 2011|Tags: chicken, Meat, Vegan activism|33 Comments

Soy Isoflavones and Estrogen

Because my husband regularly consults for the soy industry, I’ve chosen not to write very much about soyfoods and health. And, since Jack published his excellent comprehensive article on the controversies surrounding this issue, there isn’t much need for me to do so anyway.

But two issues regarding soyfoods always prompt me to provide some clarification, because they seem to be universally—and consistently—misunderstood despite very clear and conclusive research findings. One pertains to the types and amounts of soy consumed in Asia which I wrote about several months ago. The other is the mistaken idea that soyfoods contain estrogen, […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-08-04T11:48:37-04:00August 4th, 2011|Tags: Soy|48 Comments

Oral Contraceptives and Vitamin B12: Is There An Issue for Vegans?

Several readers asked me about an article that appeared on the Vegan Mainstream website linking oral contraceptive use to vitamin B12 deficiency. The writer, who was depending in part on greens and sea veggies for vitamin B12 (somebody bring me my smelling salts, please) ended up with a B12 deficiency. Unable to reverse the deficiency with supplements, she finally was able to bring her blood levels back up after a doctor advised her to discontinue using oral contraceptives.

I can’t comment on this particular situation, but I can comment on the conclusion made in the article that “a vegan […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-07-13T10:24:08-04:00July 13th, 2011|Tags: vitamin B12|17 Comments

Being Picky About Vegan Nutrition

Psychology Today recently published the results of a web-based survey on why vegetarians return to meat-eating. The number one reason given was failed health, and this was followed by the “hassle and stigma” of being vegetarian.

Their study had just 77 participants (I don’t know how many were vegan) and, to my knowledge, hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal, so it’s not much more than food for thought. What impressed me the most about the article was the author’s reference to a 2005 CBS News survey which found that there are three times as many “ex-vegetarians” as there […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-07-01T12:32:12-04:00July 1st, 2011|Tags: Ex-vegans, Nutrition|73 Comments

Fat Soluble Vitamins: Do They Stand Between Vegans and Health?

This month, I’m working on a couple of responses to recently published criticisms of vegan diets. Among the issues that are frequently raised is one that focuses on fat-soluble vitamins. Some of the concerns are based on legitimate questions about active forms of these vitamins and their absorption from plant foods, and others aren’t. Regardless of those questions, though, plant foods can and do provide enough of the fat soluble vitamins A, D and K. (Vitamin E, which is also fat-soluble, is not involved in the controversy since it’s found in a […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-06-20T12:33:48-04:00June 20th, 2011|Tags: Nutrition, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, vitamin K, Vitamins|59 Comments

Understanding Nutrition Research: A Quick Primer

This is clearly a case of great minds thinking alike. I started writing this post earlier in the week, and just saw that Jack Norris posted an article on the same topic yesterday. If you're at all interested in this topic, I hope you’ll read both; his is a more in depth discussion and this one is a faster overview.

It’s an issue that comes up frequently in the comments section of this blog—how we analyze and use nutrition research. In order to draw conclusions about diet and health, we need to […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-06-08T16:14:38-04:00June 8th, 2011|Tags: nutrition research|19 Comments

Vegans are Compassionate at Every Size

Some 2 billion pairs of eyes will be focused on Kate Middleton as she takes the long walk down the aisle of Westminster Abbey tomorrow, and apparently she’s been slimming down in anticipation of that scrutiny. Naturally the media is all over Kate’s recent weight loss, speculating that it was achieved through France’s (and soon to be America’s) new diet craze from Dr. Dukan. The Dukan Diet is an updated and equally unhealthy twist on Atkins and it promises weight loss by restricting food choices to a few plant […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-04-28T10:25:42-04:00April 28th, 2011|Tags: fat shaming, Health, weight control|28 Comments

Weight Control the Vegan Way

Vegans are less likely than omnivores to be overweight or obese on average, which is a nice selling point for veganism. In general, our diets are somewhat lower in fat and much higher in fiber—two important factors for weight management.

But not everyone loses weight when they go vegan, and promising people that they will is unfair. There are plenty of vegans who struggle with their weight. Some overweight vegans feel guilty about their body size because they believe that they aren’t a good advertisement for veganism. But anyone who makes an effort […]

By Ginny Messina|2011-04-01T09:47:54-04:00April 1st, 2011|Tags: Health, weight control|50 Comments

Meeting Protein Needs on a Vegan Diet: The Calorie Connection

People often ask why any adult would need a diet providing more than 5 to 6 percent of calories from protein. After all, human breast milk is around 6 percent protein and it supports health during the fastest period of growth of the entire lifecycle. How could adults need a more protein dense diet than an infant?

Babies certainly have high protein needs for their size. They require almost 0.7 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. Vegan adults need far less—around 0.4 […]