...New Study on Vegetarian`s...Not as Healthy as Some may Think...

SYDNEY (AFP) - People who live on vegetarian diets have slightly weaker bones than their meat-eating counterparts, Australian researchers said Thursday.

A joint Australian-Vietnamese study of links between the bones and diet of more than 2,700 people found that vegetarians had bones five percent less dense than meat-eaters, said lead researcher Tuan Nguyen.

 The issue was most pronounced in vegans, who excluded all animal products from their diet and whose bones were six percent weaker, Nguyen said.

 There was "practically no difference" between the bones of meat-eaters and ovolactovegetarians, who excluded meat and seafood but ate eggs and dairy products, he said.

 "The results suggest that vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with lower bone mineral density," Nguyen wrote in the study, which was published Thursday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."But the magnitude of the association is clinically insignificant," he added.

 Nguyen, who is from Sydney's Garvan Institute for Medical Research and collaborated on the project with the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, said the question of whether the lower density bones translated to increased fracture risk was yet to be answered.

 "Given the rising number of vegetarians, roughly five percent (of people) in western countries, and the widespread incidence of osteoporosis, the issue is worth resolving," he said.

                                                                            Article taken from Yahoo News ...........................OUTLAW

Outlaw, you just reminded me of some flyers I found in my mailbox yesterday, encouraging everyone to give up all animal products because it's allegedly destroying the environment. They took bible verses out of context to "prove" that god will destroy people who eat meat. They used the verse in Leviticus that says not to eat blood, and that blood = meat. They quoted the "holy" writings of a number of other religions as well. Looks like another screwed up cult. Here's their web site. http://www.suprememastertv.com/ . http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/ According to them, almost every illness known to man can be blamed on meat.

I'm going to look up their contact info and write a couple of emails. I'll attach a photo of my freezer full of pork ribs, chicken breasts, and steaks.

W

Yes but your a lot less likely to get cancer. I'm not preaching here (I'm a meat eater) but the health benefits are there.

Just wish I could do it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jul/01/vegetarians-blood-cancer-diet-risk

Maybe just a little meat along the way....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P--CU_xLELE&feature=featured

Finally Free..I was in the Health and Fitness industry for many years..The meat eaters were always healthier than the Vegetarians..

The Borg..I think eating to much meat is bad for you..You need other nutients in your body besides meat..People who eat almost nothing but meat,will eventually become sick..

Cameo-d..A little meat is good..Over indulge and you can expect some nasty results..Just like anything..

                                                                                                                                                      ............................OUTLAW

On a serious note, I think one of the major problems is lack of B-12 in a vegan diet and very little in a vegetarian diet. I do believe we are supposed to be meateaters (in moderation).

"Not as healthy as some may think"?

You have one - ONE - study that bases it's conclusion on a 5 to 6 percent difference in bone density?  Osteoporosis isn't prevented by eating meat or drinking milk, because if it was, America should have the lowest incidence of this condition in the world by far, and it doesn't.

Why should it matter if some people don't eat meat?  Most vegetarians and vegans are just people who exercise their freedom of choice about what they include in their diet.  The nutjobs (PETA) are in the minority.

I eat meat about once a month.  On top of that I still like to eat too many prepackaged snack foods.  My diet isn't perfect, but I do try to base the majority of what I eat on whole plant foods.  Since I started at the beginning of this year, I have lost fat weight and gained strength, lowered my blood pressure, improved my aerobic endurance, and just look and feel better.  I'm 41 now, and I want to live to be 100!  The typical American diet has lead to the premature demise of several in my family because of cancer, congestive heart failure, strokes, and diabetes.  These are lifestyle diseases.  There are people around the world right now who are reversing arteriosclerosis, and reducing the chance of a heart attack, by adopting a strict vegetarian diet.

So, when I see a "study" quoted that appears to support the meat and dairy industries, I just have to call bullshit.  Eat what you want, I don't care, but don't piss into the wind and tell me it's raining.

The China Study

Dave

Outlaw, well said.  Here's to your continued good health!

Dave

One of the issues is how protein is assimalted, animal protein being assimalted better than palnt, not to mention you ahve ot eat much more palnt protien to get the same amount.

In reagrds to the bone density thing though, that may just have to do with meat eaters generally weight more then veggitarians.

The more you weight, the denser the bones, typically.

The Great Protein Myth

I think the stuff they put in meat is what is harmful, not the meat itself. (In moderation with a well balanced diet).

They have so many hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, steriods, shoe polish, tin cans.. you name it..it's in there somewhere...

That ruins the meat ..

Thanks for the link, but I don't think I mentioned that plants don't have protien, just that, and I will add supposedly, animal protein is easier to assimilate.

PrimitiveDave..Thank you......And...Thanks for the link............There are vegetarians who are masters at food combination..Unfortunately they are few and far between....I have`nt met many in all my years..Still they do exist.............Good luck on your pursuit of good health...........I have a feeling you`re going to do very well..

Snoozy..You can buy meat that does not have all the steroids and chemicals in it..It costs a bit more..But..If it`s a concern,it`s more than worth it..You can off-set the extra expense by eating less meat..It`s better for you in the long run,to eat less meat..

                                                                                   ..............................OUTLAW

I'm working up a good appetite right now...

I eat meat.

In the past I have gone through phases where I will eat mainly veggie burgers, veggie dogs, beans and salmon and sardines and egg beaters.

When I have done that my cholesterol has been great with out any medication and my blood pressure has been

good.

I end up eating meat because it is convenient to my busy, hectic lifestyle.

It takes time and energy to follow a specific diet.

When man is primitive they have to eat meat to survive.

When man in civilized they have too much meat and junk to eat and that ends up poisoning them.

I speculate that If a person would write down make a diet of all the foods they were going to

eat in a month and get their ratios in a healthy area regarding saturated fats, proteins, carbs etc

and eat a balanced diet with veggies and fruit bioflavinoids, omega 3 fats, eating meat

would not be so harmful, small pieces a few times a week.

But in Amerika people live on greasy cheeseburgers several times a day. with steak and ribs on the

weekends.

So, as has previously been said balance is important.

And I think keeping your weight down is very  important for longevity.

Mice that are given less food, food deprevation, can live much longer

than those that are given the regular amount of food.

I'm not a vegatarian, but I do like to eat that way, I eat meat but very small portions...I just feel better with less.

h4o

I think that Jaguarbase just about has it right. Today there are still a few bushmen left in Africa who hunt much like our early ancestors did. They stalk an animal, running it down for many hours, until they eventually chase it down and kill it. These skinny men and their families probably still only eat meat once or so a month. Driving to the local McDonald's for a greasy burger bares no resemblance to what our meat eating ancestors did.

As far as vegetarians generally weighing less, it doesn't work that way.  I've known several overweight vegetarians.  I used to work with a girl who ate nothing but noodles of various kinds.  A serving of pasta is around 220 calories, (few people actually eat a serving, usually much more).  Four ounces of chicken breast is about 150 (I'm going from memory here), and makes you feel fuller longer.  Add sugar to a vegetarian diet, and you can really pack on the calories.

As eyeslice points out, for early man meat was a hard to come by source of high quality protien and required a major investment in food gathering effort. I agree that most serious health problems of prosperous people is OVER NOURISHMENT. I know this but I don't live by it. LOL, I am hoping for more medical breakthroughs that the government will pay for so I can keep enjoying foood.