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A huge battery of cognitive tests was run on kids in the study.
Only one of the many tests run showed a statistical difference between
groups, and only two tests were significantly correlated with the
children's biochemical B12 status.
This is barely more than would be expected by chance alone. This
is not an earth-shaking rejection of the macrobiotic diet, as releases
on this study might suggest.
Does "Macrobiotic" Equal Vegan?
"A macrobiotic diet is a vegan diet with more protein,"
proclaims a current article about this macrobiotic study on WebMD.
This, however, is not true.
In the same article, the author stresses the crucial importance
of "food combining"-- an outdated and thoroughly discredited belief that vegetarians
need to be concerned about combining certain foods at every meal
to obtain a balanced profile of amino acids. Other grave-sounding
pronouncements in the article could lead vegetarian and vegan parents
to be deeply concerned about the health of their children. This
article and much of Western nutritional advice seems to ignore that
large groups of people around the world, Chinese and Indians to
mention two, live healthy full lives with little or no meat in their
diets.
The macrobiotic diet was invented at the turn of the last century
and was popularized by George Ohzawa in the 1950's. Ohazwa included
fish and vegetables including certain seaweeds in his regimen, but
advised that the optimal diet for humans consisted primarily of
brown rice. Michio Kushi, a student of Ohazwa was largely responsible
for bringing macrobiotics to the US. It is not a vegan or even vegetarian
diet. Both vegan and macrobiotic diets emphasize whole grains, legumes,
and vegetables, but in addition to including fish, macrobiotics
puts little emphasis on fruits.
A recent study in France compared dairy-consuming vegetarians with
those eating a macrobiotic diet. Those eating the macrobiotic diet
consumed about half as much fat (no fatty cheese), a third less
calcium (no dairy), 50% more iron (more whole grains and legumes),
half as much vitamin C (less fruit), and almost no vitamin B12 (no
dairy and limited fish).Since vegans also consume no dairy, they
may tend to have calcium intakes similar to those on a macrobiotic
diet, which are low by Western standards but seem to serve many
populations of the world very well. Vitamin D can also be a problem
for both vegans and macrobiotics since they do not consume dairy
products, which are usually fortified with Vitamin D in most Western
populations. (Vitamin D is not a concern for any individuals who
get a half hour of sunlight a day.) Unlike this particular group
of Dutch macrobiotic families, though, informed vegans will generally
consume and feed their kids foods fortified with Vitamin D (as most
omnivores unwittingly do), and will usually choose supplements fortified
with Vitamin B12.
The good news from the Dutch macrobiotic children study is that
they are very healthy in all other ways measured. They are the same
height and weight of omnivores, have good iron status (which had
been a worry among the infants), and have higher folate intakes.
Based on dietary guidelines issued by the American Institute for
Cancer Research, they are also at lower risk for certain cancers
than their peers.
Better Sources of B12 than Meat or Dairy
As parents we have responsibility for our children's diets. If we
always let them eat junk food or foods chock full of saturated fat
and cholesterol without regard to their immediate or long-term health,
then we are being irresponsible. Studies show heart disease begins
in early childhood, chiefly from the meat and dairy-heavy standard
Western diet. And new research points to early diet as playing the
most important role in risks for breast cancer (and probably other
cancers, too).
If we are trying to feed our children on a much healthier vegan
diet, we must also be aware of the need to insure they consume adequate
levels of B12 -- and from healthful sources.
If you only got your health news from places like ASCN, WebMD, or
the Cattlemen's Association, you might think that consuming dairy
and meat were the only -- or even the best -- sources of B12. In
fact, according to a study just completed by the USDA, the B12 in
meat, fish and poultry -- while plentiful -- is so poorly absorbed
in some humans as to lead to B12 deficiency in 9% of the study population
of American adults age 26-83. In another 39% of the group, the B12
level was in the "low-normal" range. In other words, almost
half of this normal American group had sub-optimal B12 levels despite
eating plenty of foods commonly recommended as good B12 sources.
Though the meat industry may not want to spotlight it and WebMD
may be poorly informed on the subject, there are other, much better
sources of B12. Start by reading labels: Vitamin B12 is one of a
number of B vitamins (including thiamin and folacin) that are being
added to everything from soy and rice milks to Cliff Bars and Kellogg's
Sugar Frosted Flakes. Vitamin B12 comes from certain bacteria, and
because more and more companies are adding it to their products
in response to the growing health-oriented marketplace, it's easier
to find good vegan dietary sources for B12. Probably the simplest
way to insure adequate B12 intake, as we need so little -- about
2 micrograms -- is through a regular vitamin pill.
An unfortunate aspect of the Dutch macrobiotic story is that these
parents seemed to consider meat and dairy as the only solution to
their nutritional problems. They apparently did not consider taking
B12 supplements or regularly consuming foods that are fortified
with the nutrients a macrobiotic diet may not provide in adequate
levels.
For excellent nutritional information for raising vegan children,
we recommend the work of nutritionists Vesanto Melina and Brenda
Davis. To read an excerpt from their new book, Becoming Vegan,
go here: http://www.vegsource.com/parent/growing_vegans.htm
Education Equals Health
Releases from WebMD, ACSN and the meat-industry make one thing clear:
Be careful of getting all your nutritional information from someone
who is misinformed or who has a financial interest in the discussion.
When someone is pushing information that just happens to coincide
with what's good for their bottom line, beware.
The problem, as always, seems to be one of good consumer education.
Of note is a recent study by the University of Florida of 7,520
US households, conducted over a six-year period. Researchers found
that low education level is the biggest determinant of beef consumption;
the more educated an individual is, the less likely they will consume
beef. (The study was paid for by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.)
Probably the simplest way to insure your vegan little ones are getting
all they need is to give them a daily multivitamin which contains
B12, calcium and iron. A healthy diet with supplements of certain
key nutrients is a responsible approach to raising children on a
healthy vegan diet.
Marty Root has a PhD in Nutrition from Cornell University,
and works as a Senior Research Scientist at BioSignia,
Inc. in Chapel Hill, NC. His work involves making statistical
models that predict the onset of chronic diseases such as heart
disease and the cancers, and he is a frequent contributor to VegSource.
Jeff Nelson is President of VegSource Interactive, Inc.,
and Chair-Elect of the Board of EarthSave International.
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VegScience Discussion Board.
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