A Vegetarian Diet Is Not For Everyone

Introduction

A vegetarian is defined as one who doesn't eat any meat, fish, or poultry, but may eat eggs and dairy products. A vegan on the other hand avoids all animal products (fish, meat, poultry) and dairy.

Many nutritionists, scientists and researchers, and the public in general believe that red meat is bad, and that it should be avoided, or at least, minimized. The media has associated it with clogged arteries and heart disease.

In my studies and research into nutrition, I came upon the book The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Dr. Campbell makes a compelling argument against eating any animal protein at all, and linking it with chronic disease -- including cancer.

That work and other studies I have read greatly influenced my thinking for years. And this was in addition to many friends and colleagues who lived and advocated a vegetarian lifestyle.

Consequently I embraced a vegetarian lifestyle a few years back. Based on what I had read and heard, it made sense to me. Up to that point in time, a vegetarian diet for all seemed to be an open and shut case.

I am not the only one. Listen to the story of Dr. Joseph Mercola. He has the most visited natural and alternative health website in the United States.

"... I have had the distinct advantage of having the opportunity to treat over 25,000 patients who were willing to implement suggestions I made to improve their health. Over the years, I certainly have made my share of mistakes, and some people did not improve after implementing what I thought was very solid advice.

Interestingly, most of my initial failures were related to encouraging many thousands of patients to eat too many vegetables in relation to fats and animal protein.

This may sound shocking to some, and staunch vegetarians, or vegans, might wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that you could possibly eat too many vegetables. In fact, many have absorbed Dr. T. Colin Campbell's writing's on this topic, particularly his book The China Study, which makes a radical case against the wisdom of eating animal protein at all, by linking protein to all manner of ill health, including cancer" (www.mercola.com.)

A Hard Look At "The China Study"

The China Study goes contrary to the real life experiences of Dr. Mercola and other nutritionally-oriented physicians. Dr. Michael R. Eades, M.D. has also taken a critical look at the book. He has been practicing nutritional and metabolic medicine since 1986. And, like Dr. Mercola, has treated thousands of patients.

Dr. Campbell is not a practicing and has no real world experience to support his claims.

In reality, The China Study is not a study, but a collection of observations that were compiled. An actual study uses either animals or humans to test a theory. Dr. Campbell used neither.

Dr. Eade makes the valid point that all that can be done with observational data such as Dr. Campbell's is to form a hypothesis, and test it in randomized, controlled trials, to ferret out the truth about whether or not animal protein actually causes cancer.

Bad Experiences With Vegetarian Diets

Dr. Mercola relates his negative experience after becoming a vegetarian. After completing his family residency practice in 1985, he read the book Fit For Life. This book advocated a vegetarian lifestyle.

Fit For Life strongly advised eating fruits and vegetables. Dr. Mercola implemented that practice by eating only fruit for breakfast. After a few weeks on that diet, he had his fasting triglycerides tested. Their level was 3000! In the past, Dr. Mercola's levels had never gone past 100.

Dr. Mercola is convinced that had he remained on that vegetarian diet, he would have died. Although some people thrive on it, he didn't.

Both doctors Mercola and Eades are passionate about helping their patients through nutrition. And both were initially convicted by some of Dr. Campbell's arguments. They recommended vegetarian diets to their sick patients in order to solve their health problems.

Many of these patients' health failed to improve. Others had their health conditions worsened while they embraced a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Clearly this approach, contrary to Dr. Campbell's assertion that everyone should avoid animal meat and fat, did not work for them.

Chris Masterjohn, a doctoral student in nutrition, also had a bad experience with a vegetarian diet.

"My personal experience was primarily in the health aspect ... What happened to me was really surprising because I was reading in this book [John Robbins' book Diet For A New America] that protein causes your body to acidify, and causes calcium to leech from your bones and teeth.

I thought that ... I would be protected for ages to come from dental decay and osteoporosis. But one of my principal experiences after several years of vegetarianism was that I had come down with a mouthful of tooth decay ...

What I started to realize was that if I was primarily concerned about the welfare of animals, it might be better to support the farmers who were raising their animals in a humane way ... pastured eggs and so on. That's when I started adding a few things like eggs and fish.

What really struck me was at a certain point ... I was really starting to crave meat. And when I started eating meat again, I noticed that a lot of the problems I developed while I was a vegetarian started to disappear, like anxiety and some of the digestive problems that I've had," (www.mercola.com.)

One Size doesn't Fit All

Dr. Mercola says that, based on his personal observations with his patients, perhaps one-third of the population would benefit from a vegetarian diet. It is obvious that it isn't right for everyone.

Just as everyone has a unique set of fingerprints and different personalities, we all have different nutritional requirements. This is why I have recently embraced nutritional typing. This concept says that everyone falls into one of three classes -- protein type, carb type, or a mixture of the two.

A protein type requires large quantities of protein and fat, and lesser amounts of vegetables -- including fruits and vegetables. A "carb type" on the other hand needs large quantities of carbohydrates, and lesser amounts of protein and fat. A "mixed type" falls somewhere in between.

When I was following a vegetarian diet, I didn't notice dramatic health issues like those experienced by Dr. Mercola and Chris Masterjohn. But I did strongly crave meat, and I didn't feel as strong as I thought I should feel.

I took two different versions of metabolic or nutritional typing tests and the results of both indicated that I was a protein type. Since then I have incorporated large amounts of red meat in my diet. I feel great now.

Even with nutritional typing, everyone is highly individualized. That means that even among protein types, we each require varying ratios of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In order to fine tune nutritional typing to fit your unique nutritional profile, you must continually experiement, and listen to your body.