• yuriy@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Well shit, B12 supplements are cheap enough. Are there any other reasons it’s a bad idea?

    • xkforce@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Vegans and vegetarians (once a month meat consumption isnt really an omnivore diet) are more likely to be deficient in Zinc, Iron and are more susceptible to osteoporosis due to poor Calcium uptake. Because animal protein does help the body to absorb minerals like Iron, Zinc and the like (it isnt known for sure why and phytates in certain plant foods also hampers mineral uptake) vegetarians and vegans need to overcompensate for those minerals in their food. On the order of about 50% higher than the RDA for omnivores.

      Now I am not saying it cant be healthy, it can and there certainly are problems with how the average westerner eats, but I have no confidence in this being done correctly on a mass scale given the data that has come out. eg. 50% of vegans are deficient in B12 as measured by blood test and thats among a population that is likely much more aware of B12 being problematic since it is only naturally found in significant quantities in animal products and almost every meat and dairy substitute on the market is fortified with B12. And that widespread deficiency STILL happens. Vegetarians are less susceptible to B12 deficiency but still generally rely on the dairy industry to obtain that B12 along with Calcium and Zinc. And because B12 is water soluble not fat soluble, it needs to be obtained daily or in higher doses, semidaily. And the effects of B12 deficiency can be delayed months (pernicious anemia) or years (permanent nerve damage with the anemia hidden by excess folate consumption)

      People need education and better meat and dairy substitutes that arent as processed to make this work. Right now, most of them have too much salt and saturated fats to be an improvement.

            • xkforce@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Denying that there are substantial differences between animal and plant protein is a weird take. (Anyone with a milk protein allergy is grateful that the proteins in plant milk arent the same as the ones in cow milk) Plant proteins arent always complete and the type of proteins arent the same. Plants for example, dont have proteins like casein which is present in cow milk. And as is pointed out in the linked review, can be deficient in amino acids such as Lysine, Cysteine and Methionine. (The sulfur containing amino acids they refer to) There is also evidence that plant protein by and large isnt absorbed as effectively as animal protein. Which is fine for the vast majority of people. i.e contrary to the fear mongering, vegetarians and vegans still get plenty of protein unless theyve done something horribly wrong. And the lower digestability of plant proteins has been useful in treating proteinuria (excessive protein in the urine) which is usually associated with kidney failure.

              The Role of the Anabolic Properties of Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Sources in Supporting Muscle Mass Maintenance: A Critical Review

              • sizzler@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                “A recent meta-analysis concluded that soy protein resulted in similar muscle mass and strength gains as animal protein”

                “Meta-analysis revealed that although consuming animal protein provided a favorable effect on absolute lean mass compared to plant protein, the result was not statistically significant”

                “As for muscle strength, meta-analyses showed no statistical difference in effect between animal protein and plant protein”

                Also all the protein they are talking about is dairy not meat.

                Your own link, did you read it?

                  • sizzler@lemmy.world
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                    7 months ago

                    I agree there are differences in the proteins, and thay was an interesting read but its clearly much less than you suggest, they are talking 1% differences or statistical anomalies. I took the time to read what you’d posted so I’m clearly not acting dishonestly but I am reporting you for offensive language.