http://salegoss.immensepots.com/ Visit http://www.eastwesthealing.com en http://salegoss.immensepots.com/2009/02/18/vegetarianismto-be-or-not-to-be.html Greetings! Clearly something is very wrong! Americans are making much better choices in regards to their health.  People are exercising more, numerous have stopped smoking, fruit as well as vegetable consumption has increased as well as numerous Americans have reduced their intake of red meats as well as animal fats. So what is the problem? Along with the unjustified as well as unscientific saturated fat as well as cholesterol scares of the past several decades has come the notion that vegetarianism is a healthier dietary option on behalf of people. Although there are benefits to vegetarian diets on behalf of certain health conditions and  some people do better on less fat as well as protein, just like others do better on more carbohydrates than proteins as well as fats, the fact remains…their are dangerous effects of a diet void of animal fat as well as protein. Why is B12 important? The idea that B12 can be obtained from plant foods is by far the an estimated all dangerous of all of the myths surrounding vegetarianism. In maintaining a healthy body, B12 is essential as well as can only be obtained from animal foods!  Vitamin B12 works with folic acid in numerous body processes including synthesis of DNA, red blood cells, as well as assists in the production of neurotransmitters. The B12 found in plant proteins are similar but not exact to the B12 found in animal foods as well as on behalf of that reason are not bioavailable to the human body. Deficiencies in vitamin B12 may occur due to two reasons: the inability to absorb as well as the inability to consume foods rich in vitamin B12. Although I would like to retain the focus on the later situation there are environmental as well as lifestyle stressors, including the over abundance  of antibiotics as well as other medications being prescribed to today leaving any one of us susceptible to a deficiency in B12. These stressors heavily impact our detoxification, hormonal as well as visceral systems leading to inflammation in the gut as well as a depletion of hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, calcium, pepsin as well as other enzymes necessary on behalf of the absorption of B12. Absorption of B12 is a complex process as well as a deficiency in any one enzyme required on behalf of the liberation as well as absorption of B12 can give rise to a deficiency. Some common symptoms related to B12 deficiencies include: constipation, memory loss, difficulty walking or moving, anemia, mood disorder, numbness, disorientation, damage to the nerve cells, as well as dementia. Do saturated fats as well as dietary cholesterol cause heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and/or cancer? This too is another popular argument with vegetarians because of the fact that it is trusted that eating animal proteins as well as fats shall give rise to heart disease as well as cancer. Although saturated fats as well as cholesterol are trusted to be the head honchos in “clogged arteries” numerous studies by prominent researchers like Enig, Mann as well as Fred Kummerow as well as several others have shown that arterial plaque is primarily composed of unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated ones, as well as not the saturated fat of animals, palm or coconut. Polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as trans-fatty acids found in modern day foods such as margarine, vegetable shortening as well as refined vegetable oils are found by Enig as well as colleagues to be causative factors in accelerated arteriosclerosis, heart disease cancer as well as other ailments.Additionally, studies have shown that such diets are associated with depression, cancer, psychological problems, as well as fatigue. So numerous of these diseases mentioned are primarily 20th century occurrences, yet people have been eating animal  meat as well as fat on behalf of several thousands of years. Further,from the research done by Weston A. Price, there were/are several native peoples around the world (the Innuit, Maasai, Swiss, etc.) whose traditional diets were/are very rich in animal products, but who nevertheless did/do not suffer from the above-mentioned maladies. Saturated fats have numerous health benefits as well as are essential in protecting us from hormonal imbalances, immune system weakness, adrenal as well as thyroid dysfunction as well as heart as well as cholesterol disease. They are great to cook with because of the fact that they are chemically stable under high heat, as well as do not break down, unlike polyunsaturated vegetable oils used in so numerous of our foods today. There is one more fact I would like to leave you with….vegetarians are said to have lower rates of Arteriosclerosis than meat eaters, it has been proved in numerous studies that this is false.  As we had discussed above, in regards to the complexity of B12 absorption, recent research has uncovered another dangerous condition that can result from less severe B12 depletion: elevated homocysteine. Homocysteine (a nerve as well as vessel toxin), is produced from methionine in which the body converts back to homocysteine with the help of B12.  If someone is deficient in vitamin B12, homocysteine levels shall increase promoting mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, Alzheimer’s Disease, birth defects, recurrent pregnancy loss, as well as eye disorders. It should at all times be remembered that a number of things factor into a person getting heart disease or cancer. Instead of focusing on the phony issues of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, as well as meat-eating, people should pay more attention to other more likely factors. These would be trans-fatty acids, excessive polyunsaturated fat intake, excessive sugar intake, excessive carbohydrate intake, smoking, certain vitamin as well as mineral deficiencies, as well as obesity. What you can do? 1. Increase your intake of animal foods. 2. If you practice vegetarianism, supplement your diet with healthy fats at every meal as well as supplement with a quality vitamin B12. 3. Avoid overconsumption of foods that block vitamin B12 intake or increase the body’s require on behalf of the vitamin, such as soy foods as well as spirulina. 4. Avoid antacids as well as drugs that lower stomach acid levels: acid-suppressing drugs such as Tagamet, Zantac as well as Losec can give rise to serious B12 deficiency. 5. Consume plenty of calcium. Calcium is involved in the absorption of B12 from the lower small intestine. Best sources are raw dairy products as well as bone broths. (Bone broths also help heal intestinal inflammation that could cause absorption problems.) 6. Take 2-4000mg of cod liver oil to help with any inflammation that may block absorption of any nutrients. 7. Increase utilize of coconut oil as well as other natural fats like avocados, butter, olive oil, etc. Consume lacto-fermented foods: these help fight against pathogens such as helicobacter pylori, which is associated with B12 deficiency. Eradication of the organism often clears up B12 deficiency. Thanks on behalf of joining us this month as well as on behalf of your enthusiasm in educating yourself on how to increase your health as well as vitality.  For more information on the topics today please visit www.westonaprice.org or schedule your FREE consultation.  We are at all times available to answer any questions you may have. We also encourage you to visit our website, blog as well as youtube! Just click on the links below. There is a ton of FREE information that shall help put you on the right track towards a better life! With Qi, Jeanne Cuevas EastWest Healing as well as Performance www.eastwesthealing.com Click here on behalf of our YouTube page! Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:15:14 -0500 salegoss