Any vegetarian/vegan out there ever donated blood?
Yes- I donate regularly and I'm a "gallon donor" a few times over. :-) Sorry to hear that your experience was horrible. What happened? Did you feel bad? I actually have low iron (issue that plagued me long before becoming vegan) and I always have to have my blood sample spun in the little machine. During the days leading up to the donation, just make sure you eat some additional iron. Raisins, almonds, spinach, etc. You also want to rest after you donate. I carve out time for a nice long nap in the late morning/early afternoon after I donate. Did you drink plenty of water before hand? You should probably drink about 16 oz worth. Also, it's not a good idea to donate immediately before of after your period. That might have complicated some things... Sounds like everything else is in place. I wish you luck next time!
Are there any longterm effects in multiple generations of humans restricted to a vegan diet?
Diet does not change your genetic make-up, so there would be nothing particularly different about future generations of vegans. There is no cumulative effect. The child of two vegans is an omnivore just like the parents and able to eat a plant-based diet.The only related thing I can think of is that if a mother is vegan and has some deficiencies due to an inadequate diet, the milk she feeds the newborn would also be less nutritious. Also, being breast fed longer probably helps store up more of the important vitamins. But this is true also of non-vegans. An adequate vegan diet can easily be maintained, and there are many vegans raised vegan from birth e.g., Olympic skier Seba Johnson.Proper studies on long-term vegans are limited. Contributions to research come from marginal groups like Seventh Day Adventists, 1-2% of whom are vegan and 30% are vegetarian (probably lacto-ovo), and isolated individuals. The book "Becoming Vegan" has a list of studies on vegans on page 16, including 10 studies on vegans of all ages that show the overall adequacy of diets (studies from 19954 to 1999). The common types of deficiencies are well known and can easily be addressed in a balanced diet and with supplementation, like B12.As for "any form of vegetarianism", you can look at cultures in Asia where various forms of vegetarianism are common and have been for probably 2000+ years.Keep in mind that nutritional deficiencies are much more common in non-vegans. In fact, iron, calcium, and vitamin D deficiencies are common in non-vegans. Lots of people also get too much protein, too much bad cholesterol, too many unhealthy fats, etc. What are the effects of multiple generations of that sort of diet?
Vegetarians/Vegans: Are you hungry all the time?
Not hard for me. I intermittent fast, which means I eat dinner as the only "meal" of the day. I find that meal frequency has a bigger effect on hunger than meal contents, though a meal with high protein is always the best to stay full the longest. Since I have not regularly eaten breakfast or lunch in ~7 years, my body has adapted to the low meal frequency and does not produce the chemical effects associated with hunger. So long as you make sure you're eating enough, there's little reason to feel weak or frequently hungry. What stuffs me the most is a bowl of rice or a bowl of black beans and kidney beans. I can barely finish the bowl without feeling like I'm overeating, which means I usually don't feel hungry again for another 8+ hours.
Is it ok for a girl going through puberty to become vegetarian or vegan?
That's nonsense. Vegetarianism is healthy for anyone of any age. I went vegetarian when I was 12 and I'm a cheerleader and play tennis. I have plenty of energy. My mom was freaked out about the iron thing also, and repeatedly got me tested or anemia. But I was completely fine every single time. As long as you're eating a variety a food and you're not eating garbage all day, vegetarianism is extremely healthy! Vegetarians who are too skinny are the ones who don't eat. I'm a vegetarian and I'm about 5 pounds overweight. Being thin is related to how many calories you eat, not your dietary preferences.
Does anyone know alot about Vegan diets? Do Vegans get all the nutrients they need?
This sounds like a homework assignment. I'll just touch upon the most important and most misunderstood aspect. Are all proteins equal in value? No, but it doesn't really matter as long as you get enough of all the amino acids. Plants are the original sources of amino acids and all the ones we need are in plants (just not in ONE plant). Legumes and grains together contain all the amino acids we need. The body makes proteins from amino acids based on its own genetic code (DNA). All food proteins (meat, beans, veggies, anything) meet the same fate - breakup into amino acids and reassembled according to HUMAN specifications. So really, it's a fallacy to say "you need animal protein". The body needs human protein, and you can't eat it, you can only MAKE it. It doesn't matter what you use to make it - plants, fungi or animals.
Fruitarianism/vegan and their skin?
I know many vegetarians and vegans, and there are only a couple I've known who fit that description. A lot of them have clear healthy looking skin. My experience is that the ones whe were pale tended to be the people who do not eat very much for whatever reason, and are underweight too. One of them didn't like vegetables, which I thought was odd for a veg. It's possible they weren't getting enough iron because they were barely eating anything. I don't think I've ever met a fruitarian though. I know a raw vegan who has darker skin than I do. I've also known meat eaters who are very pale and sickly looking. Maybe people need to stop watching t.v. and playing video games, and go out in the sun a little more during the spring and summer. I've been a vegetarian and vegan for a very, very long time, and I have excellent skin. I'm a tall, well-built 205 pound male. When I first went vegetarian, it actually cleared up a skin condition I had. But like anything else, it's important to eat healthy! I make sure I eat right. Both a person who eats nothing but meat and a lot of cookies, or a veg who eats nothing but cookies are going to look sick after a while-- because they are.
Why do vegan diets cause depression?
Why do vegan diets cause depression?Thank you for the question.Having been a strict vegan for a 4 years, and a strict Lacto-vegetarian for 12 years, so I feel qualified to answer this question.Low nutrients in some areas on the vegan diet can take years or even decades to show up. By the time you find out you have a deficiency, your body can be very damaged, or even permanently damaged.Please note that many things can cause depression, and not just diet.Long term low B12 deficiency. This is one of the main things that causes depression on the vegan diet. I am not sure if a B12 pill truly compensates for the missing B12 in animal food product.Long term low taurine deficiency, can contribute to depression.For some people, low iron. Some people on the vegan diet find it hard to absorb the iron in plants. Many vegans (and vegetarians), do not eat enough dark leafy greens, high in iron like parsley.Cholesterol is important for healthy brain function. There is none of this nutrient in the vegan diet.Low chain of fatty acids, including omega 3, EPA, DHA, ALA.Please note that some people find it hard to absorb omega 3 from plant foods, like walnuts and flax seed.Low zinc in the vegan diet, can contribute to depression.Some but not all, vegans get low calcium due to lack of sun light combined with lack of dairy.Low protein in the vegan diet. I think that the vegan diet does not contain enough protein to be a healthy well balanced diet.If you are vegan, I think that it is a good idea to get tested by a health care practitioner at least every 6 months, for a lack of nutrients.I hope that this response answers your question.