Is Veganism Safe for Children
The current hottest lifestyle trend is being vegan, but is there a downfall? Adults are not the only people becoming vegans, so are children. More and more parents are raising their children to become vegans, but is raising children on veganism actually safe? It is vital that growing children are consuming the proper amount of vitamins. Once an infant turns over six months, iron and vegetables need to be introduced into their diets. Once the infant is over eight months, the parent should introduce protein-rich food. Children need to consume foods with high calories and high nutritional value such as omega 3, vitamin B12 (needed for healthy blood and nerve function), vitamin D, calcium, and iron. Many children being raised on vegan diets are lacking key nutrients; therefore, parents should take proper precautions to make sure their children are getting a well-balanced diet.
The main problem with raising children on veganism is making sure the children are getting a well-balanced diet. According to pediatric dietician, Helen Wilcock,” vegan children are more prone to be deficient in vitamin D, calcium, iron and possibly vitamin B12, so they need supplements” (qtd. in Moorhead). Some parents are forcing their children to be vegans but are not giving the children supplements and vitamins along with the meals. Additional supplements and vitamins are the key ingredients to avoid the children becoming malnourished.
An Italian toddler was taken to the hospital to have an emergency surgery because of a heart condition which was made worse with dangerously low levels of calcium (Rinkunas). The 14-month-old toddler’s parents fed him on a vegan diet without providing supplements; the hospital reported the cas...
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...dairy, animal protein and oils are to the development of a child. Dr. Alastair Sutcliffe, a senior lecturer in pediatrics at University College London, recommends that parents should consider raising their children as vegetarian, since children are more vulnerable as vegans.
Nevertheless, parents are going to raise their children however they want; disregarding some of the downfalls of raising a child on veganism. Veganism can be suitable for children, if and only if parents are knowledgeable and provide well-balanced meals along with supplements that the child might lack. If parents do not want to put in the time and effort, then they should consider another lifestyle. Parents thinking about raising children on veganism should consult a nutritionist to get the most out of the vegan diet. To find more information about veganism visit www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan.
However, a child raised on a vegan diet can prove to be just as healthy as a child raised on a standard diet. As true with any diet, an unbalanced vegan diet lacking in necessary vitamins and minerals or having excess fat can lead to an unhealthy child and because children have smaller appetites and with the range of food available to eat already limited it might be hard to find food they will eat (Mann). This makes raising a child on a vegan diet a little more difficult than raising a child on a standard diet but not impossible. “Many dieticians believe it is possible to bring up a healthy vegan child [but] ... ‘you do have to make sure you know what you are doing.’(Mann).” With a vegan diet that is, on its own, restrictive a parent just has to ensure that their child is getting everything they need just like an adult on a vegan diet. Children have more nutritional requirements to ensure that they get enough of what they need you just have to plan each meal. Nut butters are extremely rich in protein and many grains are calcium fortified. There are also meat substitutes made of beans, soy, and vegetables that can appeal to children and are full of many of the vitamins a vegan could need. It is perfectly safe for a child to be raise vegan as long as they are consuming a proper balance of what they need
We can heal ourselves, We can heal the environment, We can heal this planet.” Some people are afraid of being vegetarian because they are afraid that they can’t get protein; this is a wrong statement. We can also get protein from vegetables such as we can get it from soy beans or eggs. When I was in second senior high school I became a vegetarian for 1 month.
My kids have had no childhood illnesses other than chickenpox, which they both contracted while still breastfeeding. They too grew up on a healthy diet, homegrown organics etc. Not to the same extent as I did, though, as I was not quite as strict as my mother, but they are both healthier than I have ever
13 (3), 524. Retrieved from Healthy Child Care Library of Articles: http://healthychild.net/NutritionAction.php?article_id=524. Sorte, J., Daeschel, I., Amador, C. (2011). Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children. (Ashford University, ed.).
A vegetarian diet usually has high fiber and is low in fat and calories. This is why a vegetarian diet is a great option for someone who wants to lose weight. However, a diet too low in fat and calories can be a problem for children and teenagers who are still growing (Becoming a Vegetarian 2014). It is important that someone does not start a new diet without asking a healthcare professional first. Another benefit of a vegetarian diet is that it might be helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease. In a study on 76,000 people, vegetarians were 25% less likely to die of heart disease then someone who eats meat (Harvard Health).Becoming a vegetarian has a lot of health
Unless the intention is to shorten one’s lifespan, the Western diet, respectively, has it all wrong. On any given day, Americans are found consuming excessive amounts of meat and dairy products. While that may not seem like such a crime—it’s treason to their bodies. What people fail to realize is that they are allowing unnecessary trans fats, numerous carcinogens, and harmful bacteria into their bloodstream. This can lead to countless complications later in life. Whereas, if people avoided meat and dairy for fruits and vegetables, the health benefits from this type of eating habit would be astonishing. Although vitamin B-12, found in many meat products, is essential to make blood for the nervous system, there can be supplements that vegans take to ensure they are getting what they need. Vegan lifestyle is proven to be healthier as opposed to a meat and dairy lifestyle, because vegans are less prone to diseases, have a leaner and more energetic body, and their lifestyle mitigates the ecological destruction of the planet.
The term vegan, devised in 1944 via Donald Watson, is referred to as an individual that follows veganism, which is the exclusion of all animal products to be consumed, predominantly in their diet (Kahn, 2011). Veganism is primarily supported due to preventing animal cruelty, as well as its health benefits and environmental consequences (Craig, 2009). Adolescence is referred to as the transition from childhood to adulthood, due to biological changes that occur via the onset of puberty (Ellis, 2004). Essential nutrients that are vital to be consumed during adolescence are proteins, which are in the category of macronutrients as they are required in large amounts, as well as calcium and iron, which are categorised as micronutrients, thus being required in smaller amounts (Bialostosky, Wright, Kennedy-Stephenson, McDowell & Johnson, 2002). Protein, calcium and iron are claimed to be essential nutrients in an adolescent female following a vegan diet as they are at higher risk to be lacked via plant-based sources if the consumption of these nutrients are inadequate, which may implicate negative effects on the growth and development during the pubertal growth spurt (Craig, 2009; Ilich-Ernst et al., 1998). This essay will be regarding to a 14 year old female named Jenny Brown, whom is currently following a vegan diet and is not consuming any supplementation in order to obtain adequate nutrition. As Jenny Brown is at the age of adolescence, this essay will discuss the biological changes that occur during puberty, followed on by a discussion on each of the vital nutrients including the macronutrient protein, as well as the micronutrients calcium and iron that are essential to be adequately consumed in order to attain nutritional competence ...
A vegan diet, which excludes all animal products including dairy and fish, can provide benefits for brain health when it is balanced. However, a poorly planned vegan diet can have a negative impact on brain health, resulting in mental health problems and even neurological disorders. Vegans should be sure to meet the daily requirements for vitamins in order to ensure optimum brain health. Vitamin D is particularly important for vegans, since it isn 't found in many vegan foods. According to "Scientific American" magazine, a 2009 study by researchers at the University of Manchester demonstrated that adults with lower vitamin D levels processed information much slower than those who had adequate levels. Fortunately, food isn 't the only source of vitamin D. Your body makes vitamin D during sunlight exposure, so try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight on at least three or four days of the week. Vegan sources of vitamin D include fortified soy milk and fortified orange
Healthier being a meat-eater or a vegetarian. There are many eating habits all around the world. Most people don’t decide what they want for their eating choices until they are the age where they can decide what they want, without causing any health problems. Children are deciding at a younger age that they don’t want to eat meat. Why is this a problem?
Children understand that food is important in their life, however they do not know that nutrition also plays a significant role in health as well.
Vegan life is healthier for the nutritional benefits are better when compared to non-vegan eating. The majority of people in the world consume a diet, which contains food derived from animals. Those who have animal derived diets follow such a diet due to commonly known nutrition benefits and taste that come with the diet. Although, most people were told that such a diet was healthy, they wouldn’t follow such a diet if they knew the harm that came with it. Furthermore, several people know they require fruits, vegetables, and grains, according to the commonly known food nutrition chart. However, some people do not know that animal derived food is not necessary and that there are other healthier foods to replace them. Vegan diets follow the food chart needs without consuming food that come from animals by replacing the nutritional benefits that come from animals with plant-based foods that also have the same nutritional benefits.
According to Bonnie Beezhold et.al found that vegans and vegetarians, “…report better mood than non-vegetarians, suggesting that even less animal food intake is associated with better mood” (293). Also, Beezhold et.al, “…have found that the risk of major chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes may be reduced by adopting a completely plant-based diet vs. an omnivore diet” (Beezhold et.al 289). Overall, the medical community has agreed that veganism is a healthy option to avoid disease, but their concerns are that vegans will be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals that the regular omnivores are not deficient in. If a vegan is deficit in a certain mineral or vitamin that person can take supplements to combat it. People can say that if I take supplements will that make me healthy even though I consume meat? No, because you are consuming meat and that can clog arteries and increase cholesterol. I think that veganism is probably one of the healthiest options available for everyone. I also think that it is the healthiest because you do not see people become fat off of eating vegetables and fruits. I also agree with Beezhold et.al findings which show that vegans have less stress and anxiety because of the food they ate. Beezhold et.al think this may be because omnivores consume meat and the food the animals were fed where “…higher in certain
Critics of vegetarianism do not believe that going on a plant based diet is the healthier choice. According to Nancy Rodriguez , people need to have a balanced diet consisting of the basic food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Vegetarians are getting the important nutrients from vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy but are missing important vitamins that they would normally get from proteins, such as, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and calcium. These nutrients are available in other foods but vegetarians are not able to get it in large amounts as they would be in meat. This insufficient amount of nutrients could create health problems in the future, for example, not having enough vitamin D could lead to bad bone structure. It is true that becoming a vegetarian could lead to some nutritional problems in the body however; there are many more positive aspects in becoming a vegetarian than negatives.
...ing properly from all the vegan friendly food groups to ensure there are no deficiencies in protein, vitamin B or D, calcium and iron. As long as the vegan diet includes all of these necessary items than it is a completely healthy diet and way of life, the options for the vegetarian eater have become much more plentiful over the last 10 or so years and therefore makes it much easier to enjoy this type of lifestyle healthfully.
Vegetarians tend to be healthier than those who consume meat. This is due to the prevalent unnatural chemicals used in the processing of meats, and eating these are unsuitable for the body. Meats already contain harmful amounts of cholesterol, and over-consumption of red meat can lead to early heart disease. Animals that are raised on farms for their meat are not treated well, and this mistreatment can lead to harm in the meat they are producing. Although one life choice cannot change one’s environmental