Vancouver naturopath Sanja Tamburic advocates paleolithic diet—and says few in her field are vegan

Mark F...quick question. That cow you eat for B12, you know, the one that only eats plants. Where do you think it gets its B12? How about gorillas or elephants? Are they all B12 deficient as well? C'mon...let's use some common sense.

Studies have found that Vitamin B-12 deficiency is no more common in vegans than meat eaters. And just taking a standard vitamin B-12 supplement may not remedy the situation. One may need a plant based B-12 source to be able to absorb this essential nutrient. A vegan can go into the sun and manufacture Vitamin D as easily as a meat eater, or take a supplement if they can't. Meat eaters are typically deficient in about four essential nutrients, whereas vegans are usually only deficient in two. Meat, dairy and grain eaters are commonly deficient in Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3), Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Magnesium, Iron (especially women), Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin E, and Folic Acid. Diets dense in hydrogenated fats and carbohydrates but missing key vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, lead to derangement and dysregulation of core physiology, and contribute to the epidemics of obesity, heart disease, inflammation, cancer and other chronic problems. Poor quality food and stress-filled lifestyles, make everyone susceptible to low levels of various nutrients that compromise performance. More than half of all Americans are vitamin B-deficient, some doctors estimate. Folic acid is the most well-known of the B vitamins, but B6 and B12 are equally important and equally deficient. B12 is essential for nervous system function and to avoid pernicious anemia, which is an autoimmune disease that destroys the cells in the stomach. Lack of B12 leads to chronic fatigue, cancer, male infertility, heart disease, and altered metabolism. Even avid meat eaters can be deficient in Vitamin B12. Anemia is particularly common in women, especially during their child-bearing years. In fact, it's the most common deficiency in the world, affecting about 1 billion people. Generally speaking, however, in America and Canada iron excess is a bigger issue than iron deficiency, and many people are probably getting more iron than is healthy. Zinc is a much more common nutrient deficiency than iron for everyone, especially vegetarians, but they are grouped together because the problem with both is phytates. Phytates are present in plant foods that contain zinc and iron (beans, grains, nuts, seeds), which inhibit absorption of these minerals by the body. Adequate vitamin C will help bypass the phytates and make iron and zinc bioavailable. "Overall, vegans who get enough vitamins and minerals from supplements or other healthy sources described above can easily achieve and maintain optimal health. Knowing the common deficiencies of vegan diets can help those who follow them adjust their own diets to prevent deficiencies and maintain good health. " http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/common-v...

Truth to be told, meat consumption is less healthy today than in the past but if you eat organic animal proteins like chicken, turkey, and fish as well as red meat i.e grass-fed beef there are no evidence to show this is bad for you. On the contrary, fruits, veggies and some meat make us all healthier.

Absolutely untrue Ela. Read the China Study. The most comprehensive nutritional study ever conducted.

Paleolithic Man followed a diet engineered for the human biological makeup that is still applicable in the current day. We don't need to hunt bison or travel in nomadic groups. The foods are simple and can be grown in a garden and fish can be caught or purchased at fresh markets along with produce. We may not be able to live the same in the field lifestyle but we are very capable of obtaining the resources and following through.

http://epaleodietsite.com