Vegetarianism produces subclinical malnutrition, hyperhomocysteinemia and atherogenes

[hailtotheking]

Hmm, this might upset some people ..

Elsevier

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Vegetarianism produces subclinical malnutrition, hyperhomocysteinemia and atherogenesis
Yves Ingenbleek, M.D., Kilmer S. McCully, M.D.
Received 30 December 2010; accepted 27 April 2011. published online 29 August 2011.

Abstract
Objective
To explain why vegetarian subjects develop morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases unrelated to vitamin B status and Framingham criteria.

Methods
A study of 24 rural male subjects 18 to 30 y old and 15 urban male controls was conducted in the Sahel region of Chad. Food consumption was determined from a dietary questionnaire, and overall health status was assessed by body weight, body mass index, serum albumin, plasma transthyretin, urinary nitrogen, and creatinine. Plasma lipids, vitamins B6, B9 and B12, homocysteine, and related sulfur amino acids were measured as selected cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Results
Body weight, body mass index, blood, and urinary markers of protein status were significantly lower, with an estimated 10% decrease of lean body mass in the study group compared with urban controls. Neither lipid fractions nor plasma levels of vitamins B6, B9, and B12 were significantly different between the two groups. Although the mean consumption of sulfur amino acids (10.4 mg·kg−1·d−1) by rural subjects was significantly below the recommended dietary allowances (13 mg·kg−1·d−1), plasma methionine values were similar in the two groups. In contrast, homocysteine concentration was significantly increased (18.6 μmol/L, P < 0.001), and the levels of cysteine and glutathione were significantly decreased in the study group, demonstrating inhibition of the trans-sulfuration pathway. The strong negative correlation (r = −0.71) between transthyretin and homocysteine implicated lean body mass as a critical determinant of hyperhomocysteinemia.

Conclusion
The low dietary intake of protein and sulfur amino acids by a plant-eating population leads to subclinical protein malnutrition, explaining the origin of hyperhomocysteinemia and the increased vulnerability of these vegetarian subjects to cardiovascular diseases.

[profi]

Pure vegetarianism doesn't really exists. In poorer countries where they cannot afford to eat meat they still manage to some animal content from veggies because these veggies are bugged with insects and worms. In fact brewers yeast grown in Asia contains more vitamin B that the one grown in laboratory because the yeast is contaminated with insects.

[hailtotheking]

If you are referring to a diet completely devoid of anything animal derived, that is veganism.

Yes its true that historically, full on veganism has never occurred on any noticeable, sustained scale. All of the so called vegetarian societies actually infrequently consumed dairy, or eggs, or both, as well as the insects inhabiting the vegetation they consumed.

Back to the study here - i think if someone is consuming some eggs and dairy in their diet regularly it would provide enough good quality protein and sulphur to offset this issue. Legumes are also a reasonably ok source of protein and sulphur, but probably not good enough to totally remove the risk.

[sendos]

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Pure vegetarianism doesn't really exists. In poorer countries where they cannot afford to eat meat they still manage to some animal content from veggies because these veggies are bugged with insects and worms. In fact brewers yeast grown in Asia contains more vitamin B that the one grown in laboratory because the yeast is contaminated with insects.

Seems like a round about way to get animal produce! Also, if the premise of a vegetarians diet is the ethical dilemma of killing animals, then surely that's the last thing they'd want!

IN response to the study HTK, have you got access to the full study? (I really miss uni access :-( ). WOuld be interesting to see what they actually ate.

[Odevans]

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Would be interesting to see what they actually ate.

This obviously needs to be taken into account, before the study can prove anything. Until then, it poses no use.


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[SpiderDan]

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This obviously needs to be taken into account, before the study can prove anything. Until then, it poses no use.


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I agree, there are plenty of vegetarians in good health....just depends on what they eat.

A diet where the bulk of consumed food is through nutritionally defcient rice, beans and oats this will have negative effects on bio-markers. I dont think vegetarianism is inherently bad so long as the nutritional bases are covered.

Unfortunately there are some vegetarians who do it badly and no wonder they feel better when they reintroduce animal products.

[hailtotheking]

However, in the Abstract it hints that a major issue was lack of sulfur amino acids. Enough eggs and dairy would probably alleviate that.

Most forms of vegetarianism allow dairy, eggs, and sometimes even seafood, and can thus likely provide adequate nutrition (although optimal? That' s another question) if the diet is well thought out.