Sudden death in vegans

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in the British Medical Journal 1952; 2: 668 20 September and a recipe for sirloin tip roast with turnip roots and swiss chard.

Study title and author:
Diet and Stamina
Dr A Guthrie Badenoch Edinburgh

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/pdf_extract/2/4785/668-c

Books:

Dr Badenoch examined 2 vegans (a man and a women) with many health problems.

Both complained of the "vegan back", sore mouths, blackening of the fingernails, aneamia, ankylosing spondylitis, failure to concentrate and other ailments.

They reported of unexpected sudden deaths in their vegan community.

As treatment, both started to take eggs, milk & butter, and both had injections of vitamin B12.

After treatment they felt much improved.

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

Recipe of the day

Sirloin Tip Roast with Turnip Roots and Swiss Chard

Ingredient list:

Food Mall: Tri-Tip Roast

1.5-2 pounds of sirloin tip roast

1 sweet yellow onion
2 turnip roots
2 bunches of Swiss chard
Apple cider vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Ancho chili powder
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Oregano
Salt

Directions:
Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pressure cooker over medium heat. Chop onion into bite-sized pieces, add to pot, and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Peel turnip roots and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add turnips to pot. Dust vegetables generously with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add 1 cup of water. Season roast on all sides with salt, garlic powder, ancho chili powder, oregano, and black pepper. Spice is good; don’t be stingy laying it on. Add roast to pot. Lock top on pressure cooker. Increase heat to high. After achieving high pressure, reduce heat to the lowest level consistent with maintaining high pressure. Cook under high pressure for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, allow pressure to come down naturally, and remove top. Remove roast to a cutting board and slice into half-inch thick strips.

Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat and let it get hot. Strip leaf from stem of chard and add to hot oil. Add a dusting of salt and garlic powder. Stir the leaves around as they wilt. Add a generous splash of apple cider vinegar, enough to get some on all the chard. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and let the chard and raisins experience an apple cider steam bath for a few minutes until the chard is fully wilted.

Transfer food to plates and enjoy!



Elderly advised to eat animal foods to retain cognition

This post includes a summary of a paper pPublished in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol. 89, No. 2, 707S-711S, February 2009 and a recipe for lamb tagine.

Study title and authors:
Vitamin B-12 and cognition in the elderly
A David Smith1,2,3,4 and Helga Refsum1,2,3,4

Books:

1 From the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing, the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom (ADS and HR), and the Institute of Basic Medical Science, Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (HR).

2 Presented at the symposium "Is It Time for Mandatory Vitamin B-12 Fortification in Flour?" held at Experimental Biology 2008, San Diego, CA, 8 April 2008.
3 Supported by the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust (ADS); the Norman Collisson Foundation (ADS); the Alzheimer's Research Trust (ADS and HR); and the Johan Throne Holst Foundation for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo (HR).
4 Reprints not available. Address correspondence to AD Smith, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom. E-mail: david.smith@pharm.ox.ac.uk.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/2/707S

The paper reports that cognition is associated with vitamin B-12. Brain atrophy is associated with low vitamin B-12 status.

The author advises: "It is suggested that the elderly in particular should be encouraged to maintain a good, rather than just an adequate, vitamin B-12 status by dietary means".

Non-animal foods are devoid of bio-available vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is in animal products, including meat, dairy products, and eggs.

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

Recipe of the day

Lamb Tagine

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Boneless Leg of Lamb

675g/1½lb boneless lamb or mutton shoulder or leg, cut into 2.5cm/1inch cubes

30ml/2tbsp oil
3 large shallots or 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
10ml/2tsp ground ginger
1.25ml/¼tsp ground turmeric
1.25ml/¼tsp sweet paprika
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Pinch saffron threads
450ml/¾pint hot water
1 cinnamon stick
2 sprigs fresh thyme
45ml/3tbsp freshly chopped coriander

Method:
1.Heat the oil in a large 1.7L/3pint ovenproof dish, add the onions, ginger, turmeric, paprika and seasoning. Cook over a low heat for 1-2 minutes.

2.Add the meat and garlic, coat in the flavoured oil and cook for 4-6 minutes until brown all over.

3.Add the saffron and water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

4.20 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the cinnamon stick, thyme and coriander. Cover and continue to cook for the remainder of the cooking time.

5.Remove the thyme and cinnamon stick from the tagine.
 



Vitamin B12 deficiency in breastfed children of vegetarian mothers leads to Neurologic Impairment

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2003;289:979-980 and a recipe for roasted vegetable salad with crispy duck.

Study title and authors:
Neurologic Impairment in Children Associated With Maternal Dietary Deficiency of Cobalamin—Georgia, 2001

Books:

R Muhammad, MD, P Fernhoff, MD, Dept of Pediatrics, Emory Univ, Atlanta, Georgia. S Rasmussen, MD, Div of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; B Bowman, PhD, Div of Diabetes Translation; K Scanlon, PhD, L Grummer-Strawn, PhD, L Kettel Khan, PhD, Div of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; M Jefferds, PhD, EIS Officer, CDC.

The paper can be accessed at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/289/8/979

During 2001, neurologic impairment, (a neurological impairment or disability may affect an individual’s speech, motor skills, vision, memory, muscle actions and learning abilities), resulting from cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency was diagnosed in two children in Georgia. The children were breastfed by mothers who followed vegan diets.

The author advises: "Persons who follow vegetarian diets should ensure adequate cobalamin intake. The only reliable unfortified sources ( of vitamin B12) are animal products, including meat, dairy products, and eggs. Most naturally occurring plant sources of cobalamin are not bioavailable".

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Recipe of the day

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Crispy Duck

Ingredients for Roasted Veg:

◦a few glugs of olive oil

Food Mall: Duck Breast

◦1 bunch asparagus, cut the stalks into 1/4′s

◦1 lb. various mushrooms, sliced
◦S&P

Ingredients for Duck
◦1 T fat of your choice
◦1 lb. duck breast
◦liberal amount of salt and pepper

Method:
Get your oven to 450°F.

Add a few glugs of olive oil on a baking sheet. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and S&P. Drizzle the veg with a bit more oil, toss it around with your hands and put in the oven. Roast until browned and crispy, about 3o minutes.

While the veg is roasting, add 1 T of fat to a saute pan and place on medium heat.

Take a sharp knife and score the skin of the duck at an angle, all the way from the top to the bottom. Turn the duck and score at the opposite angle. You’re just making little diamonds or squares. Why? Because it’s pretty and more importantly, it helps the skin cook faster and the end result is much crispier.

Liberally pat salt and pepper on the duck. Place the duck, skin side down into the saute pan. The goal here is to get the skin to render (get crispy) without overcooking the duck or burning the skin. Make sure your heat is around medium-low to medium. Saute, with the skin side down, for about 20 minutes. Flip the duck onto the other side and saute for approx. 10 minutes. The internal temperature should reach around 150°F for medium rare. Let the breast rest for about 7 minutes and slice as thinly as possible.