I was thinking of becoming Vegan when I came across this article.?

Question

The part on saturated fats really made me think twice. What do you all think?

http://www.westonaprice.org/mythstruths/mtvegetarianism.html

For anyone who read the article, I'm talking about the suggestion that we've all been mis-lead my the food industry and that saturated fats are actually healthy for us... any opinions on this?

Vegan&Proud - thanks for the heads up that Weston A Price is a lobbyist group for the meat and dairy industry... I should have checked that right away. I like to get information from impartial sources... so I'll take what they say with a grain of salt.

Answer 1

IMO a well thought out, moderate, tasty and well-balanced diet is the answer and whether it takes shape as a ominivore or vegetarian diet is immaterial.

IF however, there are ethical reasons for a diet -- that is a different issue from dietary concerns.

Answer 2

That particular website, among others, is known for a bias against certain kinds of lifestyles or foods like soy and such. I wouldn't care what it says. What qualifications do they have?

You should go to the school of medicine website for the top medical schools in the world to actually learn things. Also, you can read information from medical reports from around world, it's all available on the internet. You shouldn't believe everything you read because there is almost always money in the background.

If being a vegan were really bad wouldn't vegan people be dying all the time or getting sick? It is not a common occurrence.

Answer 3

Saturated fats are only found in animal products. They are found in every animal product to one degree or another. The best way to avoid saturated fats is to become vegetarian. The small amount of saturated fat that a ovo-lacto vegetarian might consume in dairy and eggs is compensated by all the very good for you fats in vegetarian foods. Transitioning from the Standard American Diet (SAD) can be very, very difficult without support and advice. I have started a Yahoo Group, "Transitioning to Vegetarianism" for those who would like to check out the vegetarian lifestyle to determine if they could do it. All we ask is that you keep an open mind toward vegetarianism and don't insult or demean us if you decide you disagree with us. I would like to invite you to join the group. I'll put the link in the sources section.

Answer 4

I don't have much else to say than what the other vegans have said. Acutally, some have said it more articulately than what I could.

One can be vegan and unhealthy. I was one of those last year. I was very active, but not eating enough. Most of what I ate was healthy just very low in fat or no fat and I wasn't getting enough of that.

My sister-in-law is (I think) vegetarian. Yet, I wouldn't be surprised if she is still eating a lot of high fat, greasy foods, as things like potato chips (the brand her parents buy have fully hydrogenated oil in them; YUCK) and cheese fries and cheese pizza. The family (she and her parents, my in-laws mostly, as she still lives at home) does not seem to eat many vegetables as a whole, and I'm more apt to find potato chips than potatoes in the kitchen. I've eaten bananas there to save them. (I've resuced some and have baked with them.) They're also heavy on processed "foods". Just because she doesn't eat meat, doesn't mean she's healthy. My parents-in-law have had dietary-related health problems and they still continue in their eating habits.

One can be a meat eater and consume eggs and dairy as well and vegetables and fruit still be unhealthy.

There are vegan women who have had miscarriages. There are vegetarian women who have had miscarriages. Ther are omni women who have had miscarriages. Some may have been due to poor health. Some may have been due to genetics. Some may have just been a mystery.

I'm vegan (if you couldn't figure it out from my screen name. I'm healthy. I'm six months pregnant. My baby is healthy. I've had prenatal testing done and they've all come back with as good as results as what they can have.

If I thought for a SECOND that my lifestyle would harm my child, I would have changed my eating habits. Even more so, if my husband thought I would harm our child with what I do and don't eat, I would have changed. I grew up in a meat eating family (I was also exposed to healthy foods, too, like plenty of fruits and vegetables; Things like cookies and potato chips were treats, not daily offerings; I don't even like potato chips or fries). When I announced my pregnancy to them, both of my parents asked if I would at least go back to eating eggs and cheese and milk. I told them that if I thought what I was doing would harm my child, I would. They said nothing more.

There is plenty of legitimate information on the health beneifits of vegans.

Answer 5

I think it is a load of crap, probably paid for by the meat industry. Read Aveline Kushi's book, Macrobiotic cooking. It gives very logical information about the properties of food. I followed it closely and lost ten pounds without even trying.

I don't eat that strict anymore, but I eat pretty healthy and had recent tests that said I was in great health, and I have some pretty bad habits.

I eat vegetables, whole wheat products, cheese, eggs (sometimes) and fish. No land animals, and my health is great at 40.

Answer 6

Weston A. Price is a lobbyist group for the meat and dairy industry.They advocate a diet high in saturated fats,why?Because nearly all animal foods have some saturated fats.They advise drinking raw cow's milk rather than breastfeeding.They claim Dr. Price found the "x-factor" in what made people live long and healthy.Yes,they call it the "x-factor,"doesn't that sound a bit ridiculous to you?

The truth about Weston A. Price
http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/fuhrman_dietary_myths.htm

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”

“Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.“

-ADA’s and Dietitians of Canada position on Vegetarian and Vegan diets

Answer 7

Look at the reference article list, it is ridiculously based on old information. There is no doubt that saturated fats contribute heavily to heart disease. Why would diets such as those based on Mediteranean based foods be so popular if sat fats were good for us? Go vegan and start saving lives. www.goveg.com

Answer 8

It has also been proven by meat eating scientists and doctors, that more Omega-3 fatty acids and less Omega-6 fatty acids are better for optimal bodily and brain performance. Omega-3's are not saturated. And suaturated fats found in coconuts are an excellent source for vegetarians!!!

Answer 9

Though the article is well written, this author clearly doesnt know his facts. For example, when he talks about B12 being readily available in meat, he fails to mention that cattle do not produce B12 naturally, any more than humans do. Cattle feed is supplemented with B12 in the form of nutritional yeast. A vegan can just as easily obtain B12 from nutritional yeast, which makes a tasty mock "cheese" sauce, or can be added to baked goods or smoothies. Nowhere does he show a willingness or open mind to the idea of being healthy on a vegetarian diet. I recently had bloodwork done on myself, and my 12 year old veggie daughter, and our levels of all of the important nutrients were all spot on. In fact, our iron counts were higher than they should be, and we have been vegetarian for years. I wouldnt let this one, poorly researched article detract me from being a vegetarian. Its obviously biased by an omnivore with firm beliefs. A load of codswollop, if you ask me.

Answer 10

it may not be the saturated fat that is so bad for you as the cholesterol, coconut oil has saturated fat and no cholesterol (fairly good for you),

to be a vegetarian (to be healthy), i don't know why anyone would eat (or need to eat) milk or cheese or eggs, to me (and most health experts) that's not really vegetarian or healthy.

as a matter of fact, vegetarian Mexican food is a very good way of getting calcium, beans and corn tortillas have good amounts of calcium!