Fwd: [SoFlaVegans] Expert hits out over vegan diet children

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Expert hits out over vegan diet children

'Unethical' to deny animal products

By Andrea Clements

25 February 2005

 

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=614691

 

A local vegetarian representative today hit back at claims that

denying young children animal products was " unethical " .

 

Strict vegetarians who insist their children live by the maxim " meat

is murder " had come under fire after a Californian study showed that

adding just two spoonfuls of meat to the diet of poverty-stricken

children in Africa transformed them both physically and mentally.

 

Professor Lindsay Allen, director of the US Agricultural Research

Service's Western Human Nutrition Research Centre, who conducted the

study, was especially critical of parents who imposed a vegan

lifestyle on their children, denying them milk, cheese and butter as

well as milk.

 

Prof Allen said: " Animal source foods have some nutrients which are

not found anywhere else.

 

" Talking of young children and pregnant women and lactating women I

would say it is unethical to withhold these foods during that period

of life. "

 

Beth Gourley, for the Vegetarian Society of the UK, said she believed

the majority of vegetarian parents were responsible and showed no

neglect in regard to their children's diets.

 

" Don't parents have the right to bring their children up according to

their morals?

 

" Vegetarian diets can be more healthy and pose less risk of diseases

which affect people in later life.

 

" There's a 25% lower risk of dying from heart disease for vegetarians

and few vegetarians are overweight. "

 

She pointed to tofu, green leafy vegetables, wholegrain foods and

beans, pulses and nuts as of significant nutritional value.

 

Gillian Killner, speaking for the British Dietetics Association in

Northern Ireland, said the study was the first to suggest a strong

need for meat in the diet, and that further research should be

awaited.

 

She stressed the importance for vegans or vegetarians, especially

those who were pregnant, breastfeeding or feeding young children to

get the right nutrients.

 

" There are good meat alternatives which have been used for

generations.

 

" Vitamin D, B2 and vitamin 12 would be of concern, therefore

alternatives from the sun and fortified foods would be recommended.

 

" Following a planned diet will mean that you will not miss out on

essential nutrients. "

 

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