Good questions, Carla. I think more research needs to be done on meat verses plant diet. There is a lot of vested interest in promoting the idea that meat-diet is healthier than vegan/vegetarian diet so we are bombarded with that message.
There are many healthy vegans out there and statistically vegetarians live longer than onmivores, so it's a myth that vegans are going to keel over and die.
I'm not the best representative of a vegetarian because I have so many health problems from mercury. These problems started when I was a meat-eater, not a vegetarian. My friend, however, became a vegetarian the same time as me and went on to have 5 children, where as I can't even get periods. She only ate fish during pregnancy, which knowing what I do now might not have been the best choice! But she thought it would help her babies.
Maybe some vegans and vegetarians don't take enough care to make sure they are getting enough protein or vitamins in their diet. I've always taken a vitamin supplement. I took iron for a long time, but it didn't help me to get a period. It's pretty easy for a vegetarian to get enough protein as cheese and eggs are complete proteins. To get complete proteins as a vegan it's necessary to combine proteins i.e. peanut butter on toast is a complete protein.
If someone needs a high protein, low carb diet then they really are in trouble as a vegan, and may well suffer health consequences. I am having trouble designing a diet for myself. I haven't given up yet though, because there is no way I am eating meat. I would rather risk the dairy, if I have to get a low carb high protein source.
It could well be the amino acids in meat. For some people to get better on the meat, which is documented, there has to be something in the meat that helps them. So, if this can be done as a supplement for people with aversion to eating meat, then problem solved <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Of course, a lot of people feel healthier on a vegan diet too. It probably depends on the person's state of health. One woman I was talking to said that since becoming a vegan her hair has thickened and her nails.
BTW, for those in the UK who are looking for an alternative to dairy milk that isn't soya, Plamil's White Sun might be a solution. I haven't tried it yet as I haven't found a local supplier, but it's sunflower milk with pea protein and has a ration of 3.2 g of protein to 1.8 g of carbs.
Re PROTEIN. I was wondering why some people who had suffered symptoms of deficiency on a vegan/veg diet do much better including meat - even though the veg diet had lots of protein in terms of actual grams. I have known more than a handful of such people.
Could it be the ratio of the various amino acids in the meat to each other that makes it unique, rather than actual quantities? Or maybe it is something else in the meat - some fatty acid or mineral or vitamin that is present in greater amts than is found in plant food? Does anyone know anything about this?
If it's just the balance of amino acids, then a person who has deficiency synptoms could try consuming amino acids. If they could afford it, they could go to a Dr. who knows about these things and have a profile done and then supplement with the necessary aminos. Just a thought. Because I do know of a vegetarian who was sickly, but when she started taking carnitine (I think), she perked right up, and continues to be perky to this day.
