A mother's vegetarian diet cause severe aneamia and brain damage in her child

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology April 2004 - Volume 26 - Issue 4 - pp 270-271 and a recipe for easy skillet rosemary chicken.

Study title and authors:

Books:

Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency in an Infant Associated With a Maternal Deficiency and a Strict Vegetarian Diet

Weiss, Rachel MD; Fogelman, Yacov MD; Bennett, Michael MBBS, FRCP, FRCPath

This paper can be accessed at: http://journals.lww.com/jpho-online/Abstract/2004/04000/Severe_Vitamin_B12_Deficiency_in_an_Infant.13.aspx
 
A 6-month-old infant had severe anemia and brain damage due to vitamin B12 deficiency. The cause of the vitamin deficiency was a maternal dietary deficiency because of a strict vegetarian diet.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

Easy Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Chicken

2 pounds of skin on chicken pieces

2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 rosemary sprigs
1 yellow onion, sliced into rings and halved
5-6 garlic cloves, smashed flat and cut into small pieces
Juice from ½ a lemon
½ cup chicken broth
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium high heat. Make sure the oil is nice and hot!! Season both sides of the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper. Place the chicken into your hot pan skin side down and sear for five minutes or until the skin is golden brown. Using tongs, turn the chicken over and add on top of the chicken the garlic, onions, and rosemary sprigs. Squeeze in the lemon and pour in the chicken broth, cover and turn down to medium low heat. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Easy Skillet Rosemary Chicken



Vegetarians have shrinking brains

This post includes a summary of a study published in Neurology 2008;71:826-832 and a recipe for sausage and egg breakfast bites.

Study title and authors:
Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly

A. Vogiatzoglou, MSc, H. Refsum, MD, PhD, C. Johnston, S. M. Smith, DPhil, K. M. Bradley, FRCR, FRCP, C. de Jager, PhD, M. M. Budge, MD and A. D. Smith, DPhil, FMedSci

Books:

From OPTIMA (A.V., H.R., C.J., K.M.B., C.d.J., M.M.B., A.D.S.), Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, UK; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.V., H.R.), Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Norway; Oxford University Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (S.M.S.), UK; and Department of Geriatric Medicine (M.M.B.), The Canberra Hospital and Australian National University Medical School, Australia.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/11/826
 
The study discovered that going on a vegan could be bad for your brain-with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage because of a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vegans and vegetarians are the most likely to be deficient because the best sources of the vitamin are meat, particularly liver, milk and fish. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anaemia and inflammation of the nervous system.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bites

Ingredients:
1 small bunch of dark greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, beet greens or spinach

1-2 cups of crumbled, uncooked sausage

Food Mall: Eggs

8-10 eggs

a small bunch of parsley or other fresh herb

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Slice the greens into thin strips (if using kale, removed the stems). Sauté in oil or butter over medium heat for several minutes, then add the crumbled sausage.

Continue to sauté until sausage is basically cooked, then turn off heat.

Whisk the eggs then stir in the parsley, kale and sausage.

Pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Let cool slightly before cutting into squares.