When vegenism might just be a problem
There are 7.8 billion people in the world as of the last estimate a year ago. We can assume that has risen by a few more million when looking at previous figures.
By a curious coincidence, when that last estimate was arrived at, another survey estimated there to be 78 million vegans in the world.
Most of us meat eaters that enjoy a roast beef dinner, tend to tolerate, but still don’t understand, the reason why anyone would want to be a vegetarian, let alone a vegan.
Vegan seems to be a step too far for most of us. And one argument against this choice of living is the B12 factor.
B12 is the vitamin we all need to stay alive. It is involved with the metabolism of every cell that makes a human body. It’s also a cofactor in DNA synthesis. And the best source for this are all the foods vegans cannot eat.
Oily fish and dairy products, beef, liver and shellfish, all have high levels of B12.
It is amazing that our forefathers carried on traditions feeding their offspring with certain foods that more recent research is proven good for us.
For generations, children were from an early age, given a daily spoonful of cod liver oil. It tasted disgusting, but now we understand the benefits. Fresh greens and root vegetables were pretty well a daily source of food and goodness.
And then of course, every schoolchild had a quarter bottle of milk for calcium and strong bones.
If we eat a diet that contains much of the above ingredients, few will be deficient in B12. And this is one of the few vitamins that are usually stored in enough volume inside us, that we have a good enough store to last several years.
Most vegans are aware of a possible deficiency of B12 in their system and will take supplements such as Vegansafe B12.
They will also know they are low on this vitamin if they suffer unusual fatigue, headaches, and anaemia.
During this Covid lock-down, most of us have access to the internet and have hours to kill researching whatever we wish. Understanding the origins of essential foods for minerals and vitamins may also lead to a renewed interest in cooking.
It has recently been chronicled that the UK has more obese people than any other European country. We can get rid of this dubious award by taking more care about what we eat.
The digestive system is a superb machine that converts food into energy. It involves many digestive enzymes, glands, and organs, such as the liver, gall bladder, kidneys, as well as a thirty food channel through which all the food must travel.
It is little wonder that too much of the same junk food can create problems that may just a bloated feeling, IBS, constipation, and many other ailments.
If there is one message it is the word, variety. Variety of a daily intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and a supply of protein and carbohydrates, without involving supermarket ready meals with all the extras they contain.
