Vegan Nutrition 101 with Jack Norris RD

[beforewisdom]

The video by Jack Norris who is a cofounder of Vegan Outreach and a Registered Dietitian. Vegan Outreach publishes the best vegan diet starter guide in regards to correct, complete and current nutrition information.

[Lordmuppet]

excellent video! I wish i had watched something like this when i first went veggie/vegan.

[erikiva]

That video is really good and informative.

I have one question. Personally I don't care if I have to take supplements, it is a price too low to pay, but I have sometimes been asked, if it is not necessary to eat meat and we can get everything we need from plants, why do we need to take supplements?

[beforewisdom]

That video is really good and informative.

I have one question. Personally I don't care if I have to take supplements, it is a price too low to pay, but I have sometimes been asked, if it is not necessary to eat meat and we can get everything we need from plants, why do we need to take supplements?

The simple answer is that we can and do get everything we need from plants ( where do you think the supplements come from? ), but modern life removes that as an option in exchange for other benefits.

If we didn't have water treatment facilities or pasteurize tempeh, miso, etc we would get b-12 without a supplement, but we would also get sick.

If we all lived near the equator and got outside more, we wouldn't need vitamin D supplements ( something omnis also need )

[erikiva]

I did try that but it is hard to talk to people that don't want to be convinced, they say that if the problem is that, why don't meat eaters need those supplements. Of course not many people's diets are varied and healthy enough that they don't need any supplements but there you go. Thanks

[beforewisdom]

I did try that but it is hard to talk to people that don't want to be convinced,

That is the essential issue right there.

If they don't want to be convinced, nothing you say will matter. You are wasting your time talking to them when you could be talking to someone with an open mind.

they say that if the problem is that, why don't meat eaters need those supplements.

That is flat out wrong. The supplement industry doesn't exist for the benefit of vegans, less than 1% of the worlds population. Many meat eaters need B-12, especially people over 50, people who drank heavily, smoked heavily or have digestive issues. Israel even made it a law to fortify foods with b-12 and it is a very common practice in the US for similar reasons.

[erikiva]

I did try that but it is hard to talk to people that don't want to be convinced,

That is the essential issue right there.

If they don't want to be convinced, nothing you say will matter. You are wasting your time talking to them when you could be talking to someone with an open mind.

they say that if the problem is that, why don't meat eaters need those supplements.

That is flat out wrong. The supplement industry doesn't exist for the benefit of vegans, less than 1% of the worlds population. Many meat eaters need B-12, especially people over 50, people who drank heavily, smoked heavily or have digestive issues. Israel even made it a law to fortify foods with b-12 and it is a very common practice in the US for similar reasons.

I know, but it is like people that eat frequently in McDonalds and then lecture me about the risks of veganism, or people asking why and then going on about poor lettuces, so, still learning fights to pick. My daughter's biology teacher told the class that veganism equaled suicide, I never thought the hardest part of the change would be this. I am learning though.

[Lordmuppet]

That video is really good and informative.

I have one question. Personally I don't care if I have to take supplements, it is a price too low to pay, but I have sometimes been asked, if it is not necessary to eat meat and we can get everything we need from plants, why do we need to take supplements?

The simple answer is that we can and do get everything we need from plants ( where do you think the supplements come from? ), but modern life removes that as an option in exchange for other benefits.

If we didn't have water treatment facilities or pasteurize tempeh, miso, etc we would get b-12 without a supplement, but we would also get sick.

If we all lived near the equator and got outside more, we wouldn't need vitamin D supplements ( something omnis also need )

1) that thing about water/pasteurization is interesting! Had not heard that before.

2) Important to note that not ALL supplements come from plants. Here is an extract from Ryan Andrew's article on supplements on PrecisionNutrition. Sadly I think you need a log in to see the article.

"These nutrients are manufactured in a lab and are different than the same nutrients found in nature. Synthetic vitamins can have the same chemical constituents, but still have a different shape (optical activity).

...

Starting materials for strictly synthetic supplements can be anything from coal tar to petroleum to acetylene gas. These supplements are made in facilities via chemical manipulations with the goal of duplicating the structure of the isolated vitamin. Specific formulas for the process aren’t made available to the public (sorry, I tried)."

edited to add: other non plant sources of supplements include bacteria and food cultures (yogurts etc)

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-vitamin-supplements

[erikiva]

"These nutrients are manufactured in a lab and are different than the same nutrients found in nature. Synthetic vitamins can have the same chemical constituents, but still have a different shape (optical activity).

This is important because some of the enzymes in the human body only work properly with a vitamin of the correct shape. When we give the body concentrated forms of synthetic nutrients, it doesn’t always appear to have an appropriate delivery system.

Starting materials for strictly synthetic supplements can be anything from coal tar to petroleum to acetylene gas. These supplements are made in facilities via chemical manipulations with the goal of duplicating the structure of the isolated vitamin. Specific formulas for the process aren’t made available to the public (sorry, I tried)."

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-vitamin-supplements

And then they cover them in an unspecific Gelatin, like the Vit B complex I found at my local health store..

[beforewisdom]

2) Important to note that not ALL supplements come from plants

But the ones vegans need specifically do. B-12 is made by growing bacteria in vats. B-12 from natural sources come from bacteria. Omega3/dha/epa supplements come from algae, the same algae fish eat that omnis eat to get omega3s.

[Lordmuppet]

2) Important to note that not ALL supplements come from plants

But the ones vegans need specifically do. B-12 is made by growing bacteria in vats. B-12 from natural sources come from bacteria. Omega3/dha/epa supplements come from algae, the same algae fish eat that omnis eat to get omega3s.

Ah fair enough. My bad for misunderstanding your post

[Lordmuppet]

"These nutrients are manufactured in a lab and are different than the same nutrients found in nature. Synthetic vitamins can have the same chemical constituents, but still have a different shape (optical activity).

This is important because some of the enzymes in the human body only work properly with a vitamin of the correct shape. When we give the body concentrated forms of synthetic nutrients, it doesn’t always appear to have an appropriate delivery system.

Starting materials for strictly synthetic supplements can be anything from coal tar to petroleum to acetylene gas. These supplements are made in facilities via chemical manipulations with the goal of duplicating the structure of the isolated vitamin. Specific formulas for the process aren’t made available to the public (sorry, I tried)."

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-vitamin-supplements

And then they cover them in an unspecific Gelatin, like the Vit B complex I found at my local health store..

Yeah Gelatin is annoying