Pro-Vegetarian Pro-Vegan

Also, as Americans became aware of world poverty and population pressures, red meat came to be seen as wasteful. The landmark 1971 book Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé made the case that the livestock raised to satisfy Americans’ lust for meat represented a monumental waste of protein that could instead be feeding malnourished people in poor countries. Beef eating was particularly inefficient, she wrote, since cattle consumed 21 pounds of vegetables to produce one pound of meat.

Kelly West, among others, rediscovered the high carbohydrate diet in the 1960s. He was astonished to discover when writing up his results that ‘very similar experiments had been done by Himsworth, with the same results. Over and over again this phenomenon has been rediscovered—and subsequently forgotten or disregarded’ [29]. Even those who remained unconvinced as to the virtue of a high carbohydrate diet were persuaded of the need to reduce fat, and the new diet was greeted with particular enthusiasm by those who had rediscovered that a high fat intake might be bad for the heart. Concerns about ‘diet heart’ powered many investigations into the virtues of polyunsaturated fats and fish oils [30], and the new high carbohydrate/low fat recommendations were formally recognised by the ADA in 1971 [31].

"A review of the available evidence shows clearly the rarity with which diabetics understand and follow their diet prescriptions. The reasons for these shortcomings and their persistence are many and complex. They include the tendency of physicians to underestimate the formidability of developing, implementing, and adjusting a diet prescription that is both acceptable and effective over a long period of time. Another problem is the limited conceptual and technical knowledge of most physicians concerning dietary principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the various types of diabetes. Recent research confirms the important potentials of diet regulation in mitigating diabetes and its complications. But apparently much of our effort in diet counseling is ineffective and wasteful. It seems desirable, therefore, to review in some detail the reasons for this failure and then to use candid appraisals for developing more effective approaches in the diet therapy of diabetes.

Event Rich Text

Vegetarianism has taken on a "political correctness" comparable to the respectability it had in the last century, when many social and scientific progressives advocated it. Today, crusaders extol meatless eating not only as healthful but also as a solution to world hunger and as a safeguard of "Mother Earth." The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) aggressively attacks the use of animal foods and has proposed its own food-groups model, which excludes all animal products.

I disclaimed vegetarianism after many years of observance. Although the arguments in favor of it appear compelling, I have learned to be suspicious, and to search for hidden agendas, when I evaluate claims of the benefits of vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is riddled with delusional thinking from which even scientists and medical professionals are not immune.

Don't get me wrong: I know that meatless diets can be healthful, even desirable, for some people. For example: (a) Men with an iron-loading gene are better off without red meat, because it contains heme iron, which is highly absorbable and can increase their risk of heart disease. (b) Because vegetarian diets are likely to contain less saturated fat than nonvegetarian diets, they may be preferable for persons with familial hypercholesterolemia. (c) Vegetables contain phytochemicals that appear protective against colorectal cancer. (d) Homocysteinemia (elevated plasma homocysteine) approximately doubles the risk of coronary artery disease. Several congenital and nutritional disorders, including deficiencies of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid, can cause this condition. Since folic acid occurs mostly in vegetables, low intakes of the vitamin are less likely among vegetarians than among nonvegetarians. (e) Some people find that being a vegetarian helps to control their weight. Vegetarianism tends to facilitate weight control because it is a form of food restriction; and in our overfed society, food restriction is a plus unless it entails a deficit of some essential nutrient.

However, one need not eliminate meat from one's diet for any of the foregoing reasons. Apparently, it is ample consumption of fruits and vegetables, not the exclusion of meat, that makes vegetarianism healthful.

Dog Day Afternoon?

The term "vegetarian" is misleading, for it is not a name for people who favor vegetable consumption, but a code word for those who disfavor or protest the consumption of animal foods. The neologism anticarnivorist better characterizes the majority of those who call themselves vegetarians. I call myself a "vegetable enthusiast," because I strongly encourage eating lots of vegetables, including legumes, whole grains, and fruits. I believe that these foods are desirable not only because of their high nutrient density and low caloric density, but also because of aesthetic and gustatory factors. Being a vegetable enthusiast doesn't entail rejecting the use of meat or animal products.

Most people who categorize vegetarians identify at least five different kinds, based on which types of animal food they consume: Semivegetarians consume dairy products, eggs, fish, and chicken; pesco-vegetarians consume dairy products, eggs, and fish; lacto-ovo-vegetarians, dairy products and eggs; ovo-vegetarians, eggs; and vegans, no animal foods. From a behavioral standpoint, I categorize vegetarians as either pragmatic or ideologic. A pragmatic vegetarian is one whose dietary behavior stems from objective health considerations (e.g., hypercholesterolemia or obesity). Pragmatic vegetarians are rational, rather than emotional, in their approach to making lifestyle decisions. In contrast, vegetarianism is a "matter of principle" for ideologic vegetarians; its appropriateness is a given.

One can spot ideologic vegetarians by their exaggerations of the benefits of vegetarianism, their lack of skepticism, and their failure to recognize (or their glossing over of) the potential risks even of extreme vegetarian diets. Ideologic vegetarians make a pretense of being scientific, but they approach the subject of vegetarianism more like lawyers than scientists. Promoters of vegetarianism gather data selectively and gear their arguments toward discrediting information that is contrary to their dogma. This approach to defending a position is suitable for a debate, but it cannot engender scientific understanding.

Because of the influence of my Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) environment, I practiced vegetarianism for many years. My wife and I even tried to give up consuming all animal products, but this didn't work. We sometimes muse aloud about the morning we put soymilk on our breakfast cereal. We ended up eating the cereal with a fork because we found the mixture repulsive. We had another unforgettable experience when we ate with a group of vegetarian hippies in the Oregon woods. We were there at their request to advise them on vegetarian eating. They had already prepared the worst-looking vegetarian stew I have ever seen or tasted. It consisted of raw peanuts and a variety of half-cooked vegetables. After eating it, I had heartburn for hours. Digestive distress is legendary among SDAs.

Reasons for adopting vegetarianism can be very personal. Some years ago I shared a podium for several days with a vegetarian. It became clear from our informal conversations that he was not religious; so I asked him why he had opted for vegetarianism. He told me a touching story about having been a lonely boy whose closest companion was his pet dog. He said that, peering into the dog's eyes one day, he had come to see the animal as a fellow being. Soon he had applied this view to all animals, and since he could not bear the thought of eating his dog, he could no longer eat other animals.

Dr. Winston Craig, MPH, PhD, RD.

Claim to Fame: Co-author of the American Dietetic Association’s 2009 position paper on a vegetarian diet.

Education: Master in Public Health in Nutrition at Loma Linda University,a Seventh-day Adventist university in California that promotes a vegetarian diet.

Profession: Nutrition chair and professor at Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist university in Michigan that promotes a vegetarian diet.

Employer’s Mission: “The mission of the Nutrition Department of Andrews University is to prepare dietetic and nutrition professionals for service in church, society, and the world and to influence the community-at large to affirm the Seventh-day Adventist lifestyle, including the vegetarian diet.”

Previous Employment: Chemistry instructor at Kingsway College, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school in Ontario (1974 - 1976). Assistant professor in Chemistry and Health Science at Adventist College of West Africa (1976 - 1979). Assistant/Associate Prof. in Nutrition at Loma Linda University (1979 - 1984).

Religion: Seventh-day Adventist.

Most Popular Books and Articles:Some Valuable Things I Learnt About Nutrition and Health from Ellen White… The Use and Safety of Common Herbs and Herbal Teas… The Top Ten For Good Health!… Dietary Fat… Raw Foods Diet and Vegetarian Meat Substitutes.

Quotes: “Did you know the Bible describes the best foods for our bodies in Genesis 1:29 and 3:18?”

“Temperance in all things is necessary for health and the development of a balanced Christian character (Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health, p. 38). In today’s world, we are continually tempted to excesses or to extremes. Being self-controlled includes restraining ourselves from extremes. Self-control is listed as part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and is essential for living an effective and productive Christian life (2 Peter 1:6).”

“The original diet given to humans in Genesis One is a plant-based diet. After the permission to eat flesh food the longevity of people was greatly shortened.”

"Sylvester Graham in 1839 wrote that humans would never suffer illness if they ate only uncooked foods. His ideas on a raw food diet were not endorsed by other health reformers of that time, such as John Harvey Kellogg and Ellen White. Dr Kellogg wrote that he could not endorse the extravagant and unsubstantiated claims made by the promoters of the raw food fad. Ellen White also did not recommend that we eat only a raw food diet. … Ellen White clearly promoted the importance of cooking or baking legumes, grains, potatoes and other starchy foods.”

Controversies: Winston Craig occasionally quotes himself as a source in his own articles. His most common “source” is the General Conference Nutrition Council, a Seventh-day Adventist group with a logo modeled off the United Nations flag. When Craig cites them as a source, he is actually citing his own articles that are published anonymously on that site. Craig even references the General Conference Nutrition Council (himself) in his ADA position paper on a vegetarian diet. After all, when you quote yourself, you’re quoting the most reliable person you know.