Side effects of becoming vegetarian

There are several medical studies linking vegetarian diets to lower incidences of certain types of cancers, heart disease, Type II diabetes and other chronic diseases. Many news headlines say vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.

 

Thinking about going veggie? Before permanently clearing out the steak knives from your kitchen, consider some of the following possible side effects of becoming vegetarian:

 

1. Low cholesterol levels: Virtually every medical study on vegetarian populations, including the prominent Oxford Vegetarian Study of 5,000 vegetarian subjects, have concluded that vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels than non-vegetarians. Most in the mainstream medical community, including the American Heart Association, recommend keeping total cholesterol levels under 200.

 

However, another study by the Honolulu Heart Program — which focused on the cholesterol levels more than 3,500 Japanese-American men aged 71-93 years, not necessary what eating trends produced those cholesterol levels — concluded that “Only the group with low cholesterol concentration … had a significant association with mortality.” The Heart Program study, according to at least one medical doctor, demonstrates that having continuously, extremely low levels of cholesterol may lead to an early death.

 

2. Increased risk of colorectal cancer: One would assume that heavy meat eaters would have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer but a review published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition of the aforementioned Oxford study reveals, “Within the study, the incidence of all cancers combined was lower among vegetarians than among meat eaters, but the incidence of colorectal cancer was higher in vegetarians than in meat eaters.”

 

Vegetarians demonstrated a 39 percent higher incidence of colorectal cancer, which is confounding, given that eating red meat leads to higher colorectal cancer rates. The study’s researchers, although not unequivocal in being able to explain the findings, theorize that the vegetarian participants were perhaps not eating sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables.

 

3. Lower bone mineral density: While it’s possible for vegetarians to consume adequate amounts of protein, calcium, iron and vitamin D (if supplementing properly or getting enough sunlight) to ensure proper muscle and bone development, one studyconcluded that vegetarians had approximately 5 percent lower bone-mineral density (BMD) than non-vegetarians. The results of the study, the authors conclude, suggest that vegetarian diets — especially vegan diets — are associated with lower BMD. But don’t despair if you’re a vegetarian or thinking about becoming one. The authors claim that the “magnitude of the association is clinically insignificant.”

 

4. Lower levels of vitamin B12: A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry says that omnivores have a significantly higher cluster of cardiovascular risk factors than vegetarians. But one potential risk of becoming a vegetarian seems to be the preponderance of lower vitamin B12 in the blood. B12 helps with metabolism, converting food into stable energy, utilizing iron, producing healthy red blood cells, and a host of other benefits.

 

The risk of low B12 levels, according to the study’s authors, can result in arteriosclerosis. Several vegetarian-friendly foods such as cereals are fortified with vitamin B12. If you’re a lacto-ovo vegetarian and eat dairy and eggs, you are likely consuming adequate amounts of B12. Yeast extracts are a good choice for vegetarians abstaining from dairy and eggs.

 

5. Insufficient levels of omega-3 fatty acids: A paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that vegetarians have lower levels long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA [See related: Omega-3’s for vegetarians]. Sufficient levels of long-chain omega-3s are beneficial for cardiovascular health, say the study’s authors, who also concluded that DHA supplementation at a dose of about 2 grams per day eventually decreased plasma cholesterol.

 

Katie Minor, a senior instructor of nutrition at the University of Idaho, tells MNN.com, “Nuts and flaxseed can supply enough sources of essential fatty acids. I haven’t seen evidence that vegetarians are lacking in essential fatty acids. They seem to be adequate.”

 

Based on the conclusions of numerous medical studies, eating a vegetarian diet offers numerous health benefits. However, the same advice can be offered for vegetarians as for omnivores: exercise regularly, eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit every day and avoid processed foods.

 

One last morsel for thought: if you’re concerned at all about side effects of becoming vegetarian, Minor says to consider being a “flexitarian.”

 

“Flexitarians are people who are vegetarian most of the time, but once in a while will consume an animal protein,” she says. “The more restrictive you are with your diet, the more you’ll have to closely monitor what you’re consuming and the more likely your need will be to supplement. Work with a registered dietician to make sure you’re not at risk for dietary deficiencies.”

Omega-3s for vegetarians

Next time you’re in the supermarket, take a look at some of the products fortified with omega-3 fatty acids: waffles, peanut butter, eggs, milk and yogurt, bread, orange juice and fake butter spreads.

 

Are sources of omega-3s for vegetarians as potent as cold-water, oily fish such as salmon and sardines?

 

Fish and fish oil are generally regarded as the best sources of these fatty acids, which we need to get from food, so what’s a fish-shunning herbivore to do? Especially when research has concluded that a diet rich in omega-3s:

 

• Reduces inflammation
• Prevents cardiovascular disease (CVD),
• Improves immune function (autoimmune disorder prevention)
• Reduces allergic reactions
• Staves off depression

 

A study in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine analyzed research on fish oil dating back to 1970 and concluded that omega-3s reduce blood cholesterol and triglycerides as well.

 

(The same study also revealed that very high doses may prolong bleeding. Another study, from the University of Connecticut, stated that high doses cause blood vessels to rupture, possibly inducing stroke, so don’t start popping a fistful of fish oil pills.)

 

Strict vegetarians can cut out the middle man, er, fish

Fish aren’t born naturally oozing omega-3s out of their gills. It’s their diet of algae, krill, plankton and other microscopic primordial matter that flush the fish full of fatty acids. In essence, we get omega-3s from the fish because fish eat algae.

 

Strict vegetarians can now take supplements derived from algae that are free of fish oil. It’s best to get an algae supplement that contains both DHA and EPA, which are two of the three omega-3 fatty acids and regarded as the most beneficial fatty acids for health.

 

Fish oils are loaded with DHA and, to a lesser extent, EPA, both of which are found in the human brain and retina. One would assume that since fish get their fatty acid profile from algae, that algae supplements would be just as efficient as consuming a salmon filet.

 

Are DHA/EPA supplements as effective as whole fish?

We don’t know for sure, says, Edward Dennis, a professor at the University of California San Diego and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Lipid Research.

 

“Until researchers run a controlled study, it cannot be concluded that omega-3 supplements are as effective as omega-3-rich fish,” says Dennis, who is part of a "lipidomics" team of researchers, mapping out all the fatty acid molecules in the human body, much like "genomics" researchers a decade ago sequenced and mapped the protein-rich DNA sequences.

 

How many milligrams of omega-3 should I have each day?

Dennis also thinks there’s not enough scientific data for recommended dosages, although many health articles will suggest going for about one gram per day.

 

“Most physicians who give recommendations — either for vegetarians and omnivores — don’t have a basis for the dosage,” he says.

 

Should vegetarians consume more omega-3’s than non-vegetarians?

Not necessarily so, says a fatty acids researcher, who, coincidentally, is allergic to fish.

 

Dr. David Bernlohr of the University of Minnesota says he can’t eat fish because of an allergy, but he can stomach fish oil supplements.

 

“Certain fish have the highest fraction of omega-3s but you can clearly reach an equivalent amount by eating plant-based sources and taking supplements,” he says. “Even strict vegetarians can reap the benefits of the anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties that omega-3s offer.”

 

What about walnuts and flax seeds or oil? Aren’t they super rich in omega-3s?

Natural vegetarian sources like walnuts and flax seed and flax oil contain more ALA, the third type of omega-3.

 

Thus the dietary paradox for the strict vegetarian: On one hand, ALAs are the most bioavailable of the omega-3s (the body can metabolize it easier), but ALAs don’t do such a good job converting into DHA and EPA, which are widely regarded as being more potent. Some statistics claim only 5 percent of ALA gets turned into DHA and EPA.

 

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, walnuts have the highest omega-3 content of any common nut, with 30 percent of it comprised of ALAs. (Only an Indonesian nut — the candlenut — has more.)

 

Flaxseed oil contains the richest amount of ALAs, though it does have a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, a common trait of the typical Western diet and a factor that theUniversity of Maryland cites as a possible cause for inflammation.

 

Canola oil (at right) has the best omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: 2 to 1, making it a perfect salad dressing for vegetarians or for light sautéing cooking oil.

 

A final word on omega-3s for vegetarians:

The Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetics Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says, “Although vegetarians tend to have lower blood levels of long chain omega-3 fatty acids, it is sufficient to meet the needs of most people … however, certain factors can … adversely [affect] this important conversion process [including] high intakes of saturated fat, trans fatty acids, cholesterol and alcohol, an inadequate intake of energy or protein, or a deficiency of certain nutrients, such as zinc or copper.”

 

Can Calamari Cure Cancer?

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids are fattening the wallets of supplement distributors. These sources of healthy fats that we can only get from food are clinically proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and other early death sentences.

It's no wonder Omega-3s are one of the top-selling supplements in the $60+ billion dollar supplement industry.

I've jumped on the Omega-3 bandwagon, having purchased several bottles and capsules...even waffles.

But as mentioned in a previous article for MNN.com I covered on Omega-3s for vegetarians, not all sources of 3s are created equally. Humans tend to absorb plant-sources of 3s (ALAs) pretty easily but ALAs don't efficiently convert into the more potent EPA and DHA forms of Omega-3s that are primarily found in cold water oily fish like wild-caught salmon.

Though plant sources don't contain enough EPA and DHA, can it be concluded that vegetarians aren't as healthy as those who eat cold-water sources of oily fish that are rich in EPA/DHA?

That wasn't meant to be the focus of this week's Fit Friday, but it does pose an interesting question, one that was answered at the end of the blog I linked to earlier on Omega-3s for vegetarians who don't eat fish or pop fish oil pills: Does a vegetarian's health suffer by not consuming EPA/DHA-rich fish?

Not if they:

• Eat several meals a day, all with protein
• Doesn't over-compensate for the loss of animal protein by eating lots of quick-burning carbs
• Combines the right foods to get all essential amino acids 
• The obvious: doesn't smoke or abuse liquor or drugs or eat lots of unhealthy fats (anything hydrogenated or trans fats and too many cooked polyunsaturated fats) and junk food

Although my parents manage to eat salmon the recommended two to three times a week (Good for them!), I don't eat it religiously like they do. So, should I take fish oil supplements? Even if one researcher I interviewed for the Omega 3 for veggies article said until research proves it, supplements aren't necessarily as effective as natural sources. 

I'm banking that DHA/EPA supplements are at least partially as potent as cold water oily sources. We don't need that much to begin with (despite what the health marketers would lead us to believe); we primarily need to make sure we don't consume breads and other baked goods that lead to inflammation throughout the body. 

The overwhelming majority of traditional cultures that have been studied and been documented with very little chronic modern diseases like heart disease have included animal sources of Omega-3s. 

Almost everybody by now has heard about Eskimos being very healthy despite eating whale blubber (not despite; because of!). Eskimos also consume fish oil and krill oil, supplements of which have flooded the markets. 

And before long, you'll likely hear about squid (calamari), particularly wild line caught from Scandinavia. Squid is especially rich in DHA. Although DHA and EPA are often lumped together as especially rich Omega-3s, DHA, some researchers believe, is the body's preferred Omega-3. 

So don't be surprised if you soon see in your local health food store squid in a bottle. 

Just don't eat it fried too often.

3 New Year's Wellness Resolutions for 2012

Unless you believe that the world will end in 2012 because that's when the Mayan calendar ends, it might be a good idea to set some wellness goals for the New Year.

The goals might be the same ones you set for last year and the year before, and that's fine. I may have even written about these same goals in last year's blog. But they're all worth repeating because they can dramatically help with:

• weight loss
• energy
• pain-relief
• sexual performance (This could be linked with energy, but it's such a marketable bullet-point, it's hard to resist including it.)

All the benefits you'll receive from implementing these goals daily are inter-connected. A stronger immune system will give you better energy. Following the goals may result in better digestion and nutrient absorption, which in turn strengthens immunity, which leads to more energy. 

Get the picture? 

Already follow these principles? Please pass this info on. With 2 out of every 3 U.S. adults either overweight or obese, we all need to play our part in making our country healthier. 

Stop the preaching already. Get to the Goals!

1. Eat More

That's right...more, not less. It sounds counter-intuitive with 66 percent of us significantly overweight to recommend eating more. But most people don't eat enough, especially in the morning to properly fuel for the day. 

Many still skip breakfast; those that don't tend to eat unbalanced breakfasts that are loaded with carbs (read: sugar) like toast or muffins or waffles with orange juice. An unbalanced or skipped breakfast will throw you off for the rest of the day. The only way to attain steady energy for the rest of the day after an improper breakfast is eating a balanced lunch and a nap. But for those that don't have time for a nap, eating a balanced breakfast with enough calories is critical to having good, streamlined energy. 

Remember, food should neither make you hyper, nor make you crash. Eat 3-6 meals a day (Obviously, the more meals, the fewer calories per meal should be eaten), and you'll enjoy rock-steady all-day, all-night energy; no naps needed. 

2. Exercise less....

Am I on the Mayan prophecy bandwagon? Do I believe the end is near, so why bother exercising? No, but I do think the key to effective weight loss and all-day steady energy is to exercise as often as you eat: at least 3 times a day, in shorter bursts than traditional workouts. 

Good for you if you have to sit all day at work but manage to squeeze in a trip to the gym. But even if you workout for an hour at the gym, sitting for several hours at a time will result in poor blood circulation and tight muscles. 

If you're sedentary most of the day, try to do short bursts (as little as a few minutes is highly effective) of exercises that combine strength with flexibility, such as doing a push-up into downward dog. Try to perform at least one set every couple hours. 

3. Eat enough Omega 3 fatty acids and less Omega 6 fatty acids

Omega 3 fatty acids have received lots of praise from the mainstream media and nutritionists over the last decade, and for good reasons that aren't over-hyped. Indigenous cultures may not have known an Omega 3 fatty acid from a spear, but they did intuitively know what foods were rich with them. 

A very healthy dietary fat, Omega-3's may prevent Alzheimer's. They may also help lower blood pressure and triglycerides, which are processed by the liver and stored as potential energy in the form of body fat. 

(Eating too much of anything will result in the body storing triglycerides. This includes protein, which is erroneously presumed to not cause body fat storage by Atkins Diet followers.)

So frequently eat a natural source of Omega 3s (at least a few times a week), such as salmon or walnuts. Don't get fooled into eating cereals or chewing gum with fortified Omega 3's. There's actually no gum with Omega 3s but you get the picture. There's no substitute for cold oily fish and walnuts. Flax and Chia seeds and sardines are also excellent sources. A recent study's results on Omega 3 supplements showed that the pills did not improve Alzheimer's. This is a major bummer but shows that there's nothing like the real thing. If you have inflamed and achy joints, ditch all sugars from your diet and eat more whole food sources of Omega 3s. 

Just as ancient civilizations boiled animal bones into soups despite not ever hearing of the word 'calcium', old-world cultures instinctively knew which Omega 3-rich natural foods stimulated health. As advanced technologically as we are, most of us have only realized these benefits for at most 10 years. 

If you want to improve your body composition, increase energy and stay healthy, following these 3 tips could result in your breakthrough year, in which you take control of your health and prevent highly preventable trips to the doctor and paying for medications. 

Good luck and have a happy, healthy 2012.