Are you at a greater risk of brain atrophy when you go on a vegan diet?!

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See, it seems to me that stroking out from having a coronary artery clogged with cholesterol (only found in animal products) would cause more brain atrophy than a health vegan diet.

If you eat a proper vegan diet, no, you are not at a greater risk for brain atrophy than non-vegans. In fact, your risks for most food related diseases DECREASES immensly. 9.1% of all medical bills are obesity related and that's expected to increase to over 20% in the next 7 years. http://www.diversityinc.com/article/7530… Cardiovascular diseases costs $1,000,000,000,000+ per year. Federal Budget defecit for 2009? $1.5 trillion.

You're ignorant, do your research and you'll find that every single vitamin you miss from being Vegan WITHOUT DAIRY OR MEATS is because you're not eating simple things like FORTIFIED CEREALS AND SOY MILK which is extremely inexpensive compared to the COST OF DAYS FROM YOUR LIFE EATING:

Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium from ANIMAL PRODUCTS.

It's like saying "Hey I'll get all the nutrients I need from eating human baby fetus!"

Is there an age where brain health *isn't* important? I'd suggest perhaps not believing everything you read.

You're not a murderer. You're also not a vegetarian.

no

Unfortunately one example of a vegan woman being tired should NOT be enough to sway you into thinking a vegan diet is unhealthy. A lot of meat eaters have heart disease and diabetes because of their diet but we often blame other sources like genetics...

Regardless - a vegan diet will not cause brain atrophy. It is more likely that the brain will rot from mad cow disease (which is not uncommon and some research shows that many cases of Alzheimers is actually from the human version of mad cow disease - which comes from infected cattle).

It is important for anyone to make sure to get the right amount of nutrition. The only vitamin which one CANNOT get from plants is B-12. A deficiency in B-12 can cause neurological problems. So the only non-vegan thing I take in is B-12.

Vegan & Healthy

The study showed that people who had lower B-12 had more risk of brain atrophy. We all know that B-12 is an important vitamin for neurological health. B-12 supplements and B-12 fortified foods are, for most people, an adequate source for a healthy diet.

By the way, it's not entirely clear who you're concerned about, since except for your the lady your wife worked with, you don't mention you or anyone else (your wife, your wife's mother, or your mother's wife (sic)) being vegan.

First off, remember to always be a bit skeptical of articles that you read online. Always take into account the source, the "professional" behind the study, who the study was done for, the actual results, etc.

From what I have seen, most of these "studies" actually refer to a low level of b12 being the cause of brain atrophy. However, an intelligent person would also know that it is perfectly possible to obtain an adequate amount of b12 in a vegan diet. Therefore it would seem as if this study is simply taking the data that a low level of b12 may effect the brain, and applying it to the myth that vegans do not get an adequate amount of b12, and then writing an article.

Also, just b/c your wife worked with one vegan who appeared weak and fainted does not mean anything. This seems to be an example of "causation does not imply correlation". I also know a woman who is sick quite a bit. She eats meat, and she also does not eat organic food. Another example of "causation does not imply correlation" would be that since she eats meat and non-organically this must be the reason she is ill. There are many people with weakness and fainting spells and the vast majority are not vegan.

Your wife's mother is an adult that is capable of making her own choices. If she wants to eat as a vegan, than the most you can do is support her. If you don't feel as if she is intelligent enough to balance a diet than seek the help of a dietitian.

If that's the case, then my current level of intellect is showing what the low-end of my abilities are. I have degrees in Equine Science (Pre-Veterinary), Equine Management, and Mathematics, and I am currently in school to obtain my Veterinary degree (DVM). I'm 24, and have been a vegan since age 10.

Imagine what Albert Einstein's possibilities would have been had he not been a vegetarian! </sarcasm>

What I'm getting at is... a healthy, balanced, and nutrient-rich diet of any type can be perfectly healthy. Deficiencies are possible in *any* type of diet, which can lead to issues affecting brain development. However, if one truly takes care of oneself... there's nothing to worry about.