2010-09-26
2009-11-27, the infamous ADA-paper
As you may know, there is a paper out there veggies love to cite:
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
This is the Position statement of the American Dietetic Association, and the whole paper can be found at 
www.eatright.org/ada/files/veg.pdf
This paper also states:
Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
But there is a little something at the beginning: “Well planned”…
Some vegans may have intakes for vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and occasionally riboflavin that are lower than recommended.
“May” have?
It is essential that all vegetarians use a supplement, fortified food, dairy products, or eggs to meet recommended intakes of vitamin B-12
“May” have?
A reliable source of vitamin B-12 is important for vegan children. If there is concern about vitamin D synthesis owing to limited sunlight exposure, skin tone, season, or sunscreen use, vitamin D supplements or fortified foods should be used.
Think it is only about a bunch of vitamins and minerals? Ever heard of important fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid, or, in short, DHA?
Breast milk DHA levels in vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian women appear to be lower than levels in nonvegetarians. Because DHA seems to play a role in the development of the brain and the eye and because a dietary supply of DHA may be important for the fetus and newborn, [...] Foods containing linoleic acid (corn, safflower, and sunflower oil) and trans-fatty acids [...] should be limited because these fatty acids can inhibit DHA production from linolenic acid.
As the paper says: “Well planned”. If you do not apply appropriate planning to a vegan diet, well, there is an older version of the paper, in which DHA is not even mentioned, whereas the current version tells about the importance of them
This is why you have it to be “well planned”, I never heard that about a normal diet.
next: 2009-10-31, yes, Hitler was a vegetarian. Definetely.
previous: 2009-12-25, “I saw it on TV”…
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