<div>Vegetarian diets can include B-12 from foods that are commonly available (check the Moscow Food CO-OP).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Spirulina, brewers yeast, and tempeh all can have significant amounts of vegetarian sourced B-12. I am holding a bottle of Nutrex </div>
<div>Spirulina purchased at the Moscow Food CO-OP that lists B-12 (Human Active) content in 2 tsp. at 30 % of RDA. The bottle</div>
<div>does not indicate this is artificially added. Either this is</div>
<div>a false claim, or a significant source of vegetarian B-12, not from supplements.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, there is disagreement on whether these foods contain enough B-12 of the correct kind for optimum health in a vegetarian </div>
<div>diet without taking B-12 supplements, a rather easy option. Sometimes spirulina, brewers yeast and tempeh, depending on how </div>
<div>produced and processed, have limited B-12 or not of the correct kind.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Given the claims at this web site below, that B-12 is not make by plants, but by</div>
<div>micro-organisms, it is no surprise that brewers yeast and tempeh can contain B-12, given the micro-organisms involved in these foods.</div>
<div>"Plants" are not the only source of food for a non-animal sourced diet. a common misconception. Spirulina is a micro-algae, so </div>
<div>either this is not a "plant," or the claim that plants do not produce B-12 is false, the label on my spirulina bottle is a lie, or the B-12</div>
<div>is added artificially to this spirulina.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>But consider that insects in the diet can supply B-12, also according to this web site below. Are insects acceptable </div>
<div>for a "vegetarian" diet? They are not plants, but are they considered animals? If they are not animals, a vegetarian could</div>
<div>get B-12 from this source, though our culture's views of insects as foods would render this unthinkable for many:</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="http://www.vegetarianaction.org.au/Refs/RFB12.htm">http://www.vegetarianaction.org.au/Refs/RFB12.htm</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>--------------------------------------------</div>
<div>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett</div>
<div><br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 9/30/08, <b class="gmail_sendername">Saundra Lund</b> <<a href="mailto:sslund_2007@verizon.net">sslund_2007@verizon.net</a>> wrote:</span>
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<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d">Hi Donovan & Other Visionaries,</span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d">Thanks for your response and for the opportunity to provide accurate information.</span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p><pre><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d">First, b</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d">ecause improving the nutrition available for all children who eat meals at school is very important to me, I renew my request that folks take this opportunity to contact </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d">the USDA to encourage that vegetarian meals and non-dairy beverage options be incorporated into The Child Nutrition Act revisions currently being drafted (for those who may have missed my original post, please scroll down or go to <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2008-September/056598.html" target="_blank">http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2008-September/056598.html</a>).</span></pre>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d">Second, the study you cited has nothing to do with the topic I was posting about, although through no fault of yours, no one would know that from reading the links since the study itself wasn't identified in the links you provided. In case there are other science junkies like me here, feel free to check out:</span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18779510?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18779510?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum</a></span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d">OR</span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://tinyurl.com/4e65uu" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/4e65uu</a></span></p>
<p><b><span style="COLOR: #1f497d">Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly.</span></b></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d">With permission, I'm sharing the response I received from my contact at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who has given permission for it to be shared to anyone who may be confused:</span></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Headlines claiming that vegetarian and vegan diets cause "brain shrinkage" have received quite a bit of attention recently. These headlines are based on a recent study conducted by researchers at Oxford and published in the Journal "Neurology". This was not a study of vegans or vegetarians. Unfortunately, this sound research study on vitamin B12 status in older adults has been mistakenly misconstrued by a few members of the popular media.</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18779510?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18779510?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum</a></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">This study looked at older adults, who are much more likely to be deficient in vitamin B12 compared to younger adults. This allowed the researchers to see the differences in brain atrophy, or "shrinkage," between groups of people with low B12 levels vs. normal B12 levels. In fact, the researchers found that older adults with lower B12 levels lost more brain mass over a five-year period compared to those with higher B12 levels. But this does not necessarily have anything to do with their diet, and because dietary intake was not measured, there is no evidence of a relationship between a vegetarian or vegan diet and brain volume. </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The most common cause of B12 deficiency actually has nothing to do with diet. Rather, some people simply cannot absorb it adequately. Normally, cells in the stomach produce a compound called intrinsic factor, which combines with vitamin B12 and allows it to be absorbed in the small intestine. Some people cannot make intrinsic factor, because of various stomach disorders. They need monthly B12 injections or very large oral doses (1,000 - 2,000 mcg per day). Also, certain medicines for acid stomach, such as omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), ranitidine (Zantac), or famotidine (Pepcid), interfere with the body's ability to absorb B12. </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Vegan diets need to be supplemented with B12. However, the National Academy of Sciences recommends that everyone over age 50 take a B12 supplement or use B12-fortified foods, and some have suggested that this should apply to all age groups. The reason is that about 15 percent of older meat-eaters-and some younger ones as well-are low in B12. So, the bottom line is to take a multiple vitamin or a B12 supplement. This is not a reason to add meat to your diet; that would lead to far worse problems. </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The harm in the popular media's misinterpretation of this study is twofold. First, reporters have wrongfully implicated vegetarian and vegan diets in causing brain shrinkage, while research continues to show the health benefits of this plant-based eating pattern. But most regrettably, we as a community have failed to acknowledge the value of this study, which clearly demonstrates the need to prevent, screen, and treat vitamin B12 deficiency in older adults. While these vulnerable members of our community go unnoticed, they continue to suffer from preventable cognitive decline, nerve damage, personality changes, and depression. </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Furthermore, the authors of this article noted that other risk factors for brain atrophy include hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. So, PCRM concludes that those people who follow a low-fat vegan diet and take a vitamin B12 supplement have a low risk of brain atrophy, as a low-fat vegan diet has demonstrated improvements and reversals of all of the above risk factors. </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Please see PCRM's fact sheet on vitamin B12 for more information.</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.pcrm.org/health/PDFs/faq_b12.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.pcrm.org/health/PDFs/faq_b12.pdf</a></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Best regards,</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"> </span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Katie Strong, M.S., R.D.</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Staff Dietitian</span></p><span class="q">
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine</span></p></span>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">5100 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Suite 400</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Washington, DC 20016</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Phone: 202-686-2210 ext. 338</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Fax: 202-686-2216</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:kstrong@pcrm.org" target="_blank">kstrong@pcrm.org</a></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">Saundra Lund</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">Moscow, ID</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">~ Edmund Burke</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
<p><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2008 through life plus 70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the author.*****</span></b></p>
<p><span style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p>
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<p><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">From:</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> Donovan Arnold [mailto:<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com" target="_blank">donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com</a>] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:25 PM<br><b>To:</b> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a>; Saundra Lund<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Vision2020] Care About Healthy School Nutrition for Our Children?</span></p>
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<p>Didn't they just find out that not eating meat shrinks the brain?</p></div>
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<p> </p></div>
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<p><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/Eating_veggies_shrinks_the_brain/articleshow/3480629.cms" target="_blank">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/Eating_veggies_shrinks_the_brain/articleshow/3480629.cms</a> </p>
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<p><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.nowpublic.com/health/eating-veggies-shrinks-brain" target="_blank">http://www.nowpublic.com/health/eating-veggies-shrinks-brain</a></p></div>
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<p><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=28622" target="_blank">http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=28622</a></p></div>
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<p>Isn't that something the students need? I sure could have used a bigger brain in school, now I don't need it that much, but I sure could have used one back when I was in school.</p></div>
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<p> </p></div>
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<p>Best Regards,</p></div>
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<p> </p></div>
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<p>Donovan<br><br>--- On <b>Thu, 9/25/08, Saundra Lund <i><<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:sslund_2007@verizon.net" target="_blank">sslund_2007@verizon.net</a>></i></b> wrote:</p>
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<p style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt">From: Saundra Lund <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:sslund_2007@verizon.net" target="_blank">sslund_2007@verizon.net</a>><br>Subject: [Vision2020] Care About Healthy School Nutrition for Our Children?<br>
To: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008, 11:11 AM</p><pre>If so, then I urge you to contact Mr. Robert M. Eadie, Policy and Program</pre>
<pre>Planning Branch Chief for the USDA to encourage that vegetarian meals and</pre><pre>non-dairy beverage options be incorporated into The Child Nutrition Act</pre><pre>revisions currently being drafted.</pre><pre> </pre>
<pre>You can contact Mr. Eadie by letter, fax, or email at:</pre><pre> </pre><pre>Mr. Robert M. Eadie, Policy and Program Planning Branch Chief</pre><pre>U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service</pre><pre>
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 640</pre><pre>Alexandria, VA 22302-1594</pre><pre>E-mail: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:robert.eadie@fns.usda.gov" target="_blank">robert.eadie@fns.usda.gov</a></pre>
<pre>Fax: (703) 305-2879</pre><pre> </pre><pre>You can learn more about what we can do to provide healthy meal options in</pre><pre>our schools at:</pre><pre><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/" target="_blank">http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/</a></pre>
<pre> </pre><pre>For those who don't want to have to reinvent the wheel, below is a copy of</pre><pre>our letter:</pre><pre> </pre><pre>Dear Mr. Eadie,</pre><pre> </pre><pre>Although neither of us are vegetarian, our daughter took the "Pledge to be</pre>
<pre>Veg" when she was in the seventh grade. She graduated from high school in</pre><pre>June, and she remained vegetarian in spite of the challenges school</pre><pre>breakfasts and lunches provided throughout the years. And, out of the group</pre>
<pre>of friends who took the Pledge, all 11 of them remain vegetarian today.</pre><pre> </pre><pre>Many children do not consume animal products due to ethical, religious, or</pre><pre>health reasons. Children of color are especially likely to need an</pre>
<pre>alternative to regular cow's milk, due to lactose intolerance. It is</pre><pre>***essential*** that the National School Lunch Program accommodate all</pre><pre>students! The American Medical Association and American Public Health</pre>
<pre>Association already support efforts to provide vegetables, fruits, legumes,</pre><pre>grains, vegetarian foods, and healthful nondairy beverages in school lunches</pre><pre>and food assistance programs.</pre><pre> </pre>
<pre>We ask the USDA to include these items when the Child Nutrition Act is</pre><pre>reauthorized next year:</pre><pre>- Nondairy beverage alternatives should be available and reimbursable</pre><pre>without a note wherever cow's milk is provided. Offering all students a</pre>
<pre>nutritious nondairy beverage will reduce saturated fat consumption and</pre><pre>increase overall program participation. </pre><pre> </pre><pre>-- Vegetarian meal options should be available every day, as trailblazing</pre>
<pre>states such as California, Florida, Hawaii, and New York have already</pre><pre>recommended. Whether a student consumes a vegetarian diet or chooses an</pre><pre>occasional vegetarian meal, experts agree that plant-based foods are healthy</pre>
<pre>choices for all children.</pre><pre> </pre><pre>-- Nondairy vegetarian commodity foods should be readily available to</pre><pre>schools. The USDA should provide schools with more fresh fruits and</pre><pre>vegetables and plant-based entrées to help meet the demand for these</pre>
<pre>healthful foods. The USDA and Congress should shift federal subsidies so</pre><pre>that they support child health rather than agricultural interests.</pre><pre> </pre><pre>We join the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the American</pre>
<pre>Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association in asking</pre><pre>the USDA to provide healthful vegetarian foods including vegetables, fruits,</pre><pre>legumes, grains, and nutritious nondairy beverages in schools. Increasing</pre>
<pre>access to low-fat, cholesterol-free, vegetarian foods will help mitigate the</pre><pre>rising prevalence of obesity and other chronic diseases.</pre><pre> </pre><pre> </pre><pre>Sincerely,</pre><pre>Saundra & Bill Lund</pre>
<pre><snip></pre><pre>_____</pre><pre> </pre><pre>Saundra Lund</pre><pre>Moscow, ID</pre><pre> </pre><pre>Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.</pre><pre>~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</pre>
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