[billg]

I have lots of experience with the issue since I have experimented extensively with veganism (6 years) and am now currently ovo-vegetarian. The secret to preventing brain health deterioration for vegans, vegetarians, and meateaters is getting sufficient levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fats...particularly the omega 3s. In order to do veganism successfully long-term one should consume lots of flaxseed oil or ground flaxseed because of its super high content of omega 3s. Also, you should be supplementing with B12 and perhaps other B vitamins. One way to supplement B12 in non-pill form is to eat lots of nutritional yeast.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he brain is remarkably fatty: In fact, this organ is 60% fat and needs omega-3s to function properly. Now researchers have discovered a link between mood disorders and the presence of low concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in the body.

Omega-3 and 6 fats move into cell membranes, particularly the membranes of nerve and epithelial cells. Epithelial cells compose skin, the lining of the arteries and lungs, the linings of the ducts in the breast and testes. The preferential fat for these brain and epithelial cell membranes is omega-3 but n-3 will be replaced by n-6, if n-3 is not available. Cells where omega-3 is displaced by omega-6 are less able to repair themselves and may become hyperplasic.

The brain and nerves so need omega-3 that they will rob it from every other cell to maintain optimum brain levels. Some of the brain and nerve conditions associated with high omega-6 and/or low omega-3 include, alcoholism, depression, manic depression, memory loss, impaired night vision, anxiety, insomnia, dementia, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, stress induced hostility and schizophrenia.

Apparently, omega-3s help regulate mental health problems because they enhance the ability of brain-cell receptors to comprehend mood-related signals from other neurons in the brain. In other words, the omega-3s are believed to help keep the brain's entire traffic pattern of thoughts, reactions, and reflexes running smoothly and efficiently.

Clinical trials are underway to further investigate whether supplementing the diet with omega-3s will reduce the severity of such psychiatric problems as mild to moderate depression, dementia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Interestingly, the oil used to help the child with a degenerative nerve disorder in the popular film Lorenzo's Oil was an omega-3 fatty acid.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'A')s far as the brain shrinkage, I've read that the anthropological evidence indicates an 11% reduction in average hominid brain size since the advent of agriculture, and it is directly attributed to the displacement of flesh as a primary protein source in the diet by grains and legumes.

[pedalling_faster]

one of the best smelling women i ever met was a vegetarian. i always wondered if that was related to her diet.

her critical thinking abilities were 'all there'.

my former dentist is a vegetarian & Hindu. he's real sharp.

i think you have to work a little harder at nutrition if you exclude meat from your diet. i would like to learn more about complete proteins from plants besides the practice of combining legumes & grains. i heard that gives you "all the amino acids."

[Specop_007]

Eating lots of meat also keeps ones skin young and makes one look good.

Its why I'm so damned sexy.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'A')s far as the brain shrinkage, I've read that the anthropological evidence indicates an 11% reduction in average hominid brain size since the advent of agriculture, and it is directly attributed to the displacement of flesh as a primary protein source in the diet by grains and legumes.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'M')an, I hope this is a bunch of nonsense. My IQ's so low I can't afford to lose any more points.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'A')s far as the brain shrinkage, I've read that the anthropological evidence indicates an 11% reduction in average hominid brain size since the advent of agriculture, and it is directly attributed to the displacement of flesh as a primary protein source in the diet by grains and legumes.

[The_Virginian]

"By anyone who's bothered to research the issue beyond idealogical tripe. "

YES. It's REAL. But NOT just for Herbivorian Humans...seems drinkers are are also affected.

(Alcohol pulls B-vits from the body...unless you drink bottle conditioned/ yeast in black beer)

Sci Am

" "So, we think it is too early to advise people to take B12 supplements to prevent their brains from shrinking," he said.

"What we can say is that our results suggest that rather than maintaining one's B12 at a level that is just above the cut-off for deficiency, it might be prudent to aim to keep it higher up the normal range," Smith said by e-mail.

Smith said that could be achieved by eating plenty of foods that are a good source of vitamin B12 such as milk and other dairy products, fish, meat and fortified breakfast cereals.

Vitamin B12 helps in the formation of red blood cells and is important for the maintenance of the central nervous system. Deficiency can lead to anemia and neurological damage.

Smith said another study from Oxford that came out last year showed that lower vitamin B12 levels -- but still within the normal range -- were linked to cognitive impairment and a higher risk of later cognitive decline."

(obviously the -usda?-levels are set too low!

BTW I already supplement my cow flesh with GNC big 150 B Vitamins....150 mCg = 2500% of USRDA of b-12! INSANITY)


Abstract

Medscape

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '
')including severe osteoporosis and chronic digestive disorders.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'B')y anyone who's bothered to research the issue beyond idealogical tripe.- I was vegan/vegetarian for 10+ years (and yes, I was conscious of the B12 and other nutrient issues). I'm considerably healthier now that I've re-introduced meat into my diet. --snip-- Humans are omnivores, and all the ideological blathering in the world will not change that fact...

[manu]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'A')s far as the brain shrinkage, I've read that the anthropological evidence indicates an 11% reduction in average hominid brain size since the advent of agriculture, and it is directly attributed to the displacement of flesh as a primary protein source in the diet by grains and legumes.

[3aidlillahi]

So what caused the brain deterioration in Carnivorous palinus that could allow her to make such ridiculous assertions such as abelief in creationism, God directs pipeline procedures, anti-abortion in all cases, etc.? Eating all that meat that she shoots clearly isn't doing her any good.

[charliebrownout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'N')ew research shows that vegetarians are at risk of brain damage. Their poor diet results in brain shrinkage.

Vegetarians suffer from "brain shrinkage."

So the next time you feeling like calling some freako peacenik vegetarian a "pea-brain,"....restrain yourself. Its not nice to make fun of people with brain damage.

[mklkatreeandleaf]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'A')s far as the brain shrinkage, I've read that the anthropological evidence indicates an 11% reduction in average hominid brain size since the advent of agriculture, and it is directly attributed to the displacement of flesh as a primary protein source in the diet by grains and legumes.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mklkatreeandleaf', '
')False assumptions like this and like evolution are just baseless platforms to invent anything off the top of your head you want to.

[dohboi]

Sub: Really, everywhere. Many of the places where lots of cattle are raised are already short of water. And cattle raising is always a water intensive endeavor, afaik. We should all be going near-vegan, or just having the occasional grass-fed buffalo burger.

Production everywhere is "all screwed up" (though I'll grant that few places are more so than CA).

Newf wrote: "How about immigration restrictions?"

I have a feeling those will mostly take care of themselves once the water really starts to run out. Perhaps Mexico will build its own wall to keep thirsty West Coast & SW Gringo's from swarming down and sucking up all of their fresh water.

[Subjectivist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dohboi', 'S')ub: Really, everywhere. Many of the places where lots of cattle are raised are already short of water. And cattle raising is always a water intensive endeavor, afaik. We should all be going near-vegan, or just having the occasional grass-fed buffalo burger.

Production everywhere is "all screwed up" (though I'll grant that few places are more so than CA).

Newf wrote: "How about immigration restrictions?"

I have a feeling those will mostly take care of themselves once the water really starts to run out. Perhaps Mexico will build its own wall to keep thirsty West Coast & SW Gringo's from swarming down and sucking up all of their fresh water.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dohboi', 'S')ub: Really, everywhere. Many of the places where lots of cattle are raised are already short of water. And cattle raising is always a water intensive endeavor, afaik. We should all be going near-vegan, or just having the occasional grass-fed buffalo burger.

Production everywhere is "all screwed up" (though I'll grant that few places are more so than CA).

Newf wrote: "How about immigration restrictions?"

I have a feeling those will mostly take care of themselves once the water really starts to run out. Perhaps Mexico will build its own wall to keep thirsty West Coast & SW Gringo's from swarming down and sucking up all of their fresh water.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dohboi', 'S')ub: Really, everywhere. Many of the places where lots of cattle are raised are already short of water. And cattle raising is always a water intensive endeavor, afaik. We should all be going near-vegan, or just having the occasional grass-fed buffalo burger.

Production everywhere is "all screwed up" (though I'll grant that few places are more so than CA).

Newf wrote: "How about immigration restrictions?"

I have a feeling those will mostly take care of themselves once the water really starts to run out. Perhaps Mexico will build its own wall to keep thirsty West Coast & SW Gringo's from swarming down and sucking up all of their fresh water.

[dohboi]

newf, I see a lot of projecting of regional and current behaviors as natural and necessary universally and throughout time. So let's get a little global and temporal perspective on these things taking them one at a time:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')We are omnivours, we love our meat