Can Vegan Diets Hurt Kids?
Parents who follow a strict vegan lifestyle and raise their children as strict vegans are putting their child's developmental health at risk according to a scientist with the U.S. Agricultural Research Service. The scientist also stated that living under the philosophy that "meat is murder" is an unethical practice as it results in children missing out on important nutrients found only in animal sources. Stunted Development Studies revealed that pregnant women who adhere to strict vegan diets give birth to children with developmental side effects such as small birth weight, slow growth and developmentally delayed. In some cases the effects are permanent. To determine the importance of meat sources in the diet researchers conducted a study of over 500 African schoolchildren who were raised on diets that consisted primarily of starchy, low-nutrition corn and bean staples. The diets also lacked micronutrients such as vitamin B12, zinc and iron, which are commonly found in meat sources. The study lasted for two years and the children were placed into four groups: In the first group children were given 2-oz. supplements of meat a day. This amount was equivalent to approximately two spoonfuls of mince.
Two other groups received either a cup of milk a day or an oil supplement containing the same amount of energy. The diet of a fourth group was left unaltered. The results of the groups of children who were given the meat and to a lesser extent the milk or oil were significant. They showed higher performance scores on intelligence tests and problem-solving skills than any of the other children at the end of the study. It was also discovered that the addition of meat to the children's diets nearly eliminated previous high rates of vitamin B12 deficiency among the children. Experts expressed that the results from the study was an effective indicator that adding animal food sources to diets was the much more feasible option to combating worldwide malnutrition than resorting to quick fix supplements. Vegans Fight Back The Chief Executive officer of the Vegan Society in the UK argued that a vegan diet provided energy and nutrition and considered plant sources for the most part a safer and cheaper source of nutrients. Her recommendation to vegan followers was to supplement their diets with vitamin B12. Courtesy: BBC News February 21, 2005
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