Possibly the most famous vegetarians are the Hunzas in the Himalayas that are strict vegetarians with a reported lifespan often reaching 100 years. In the Indian subcontinent, vegetarianism has been common for over two thousand years, and still today, 70% of the world’s vegetarians are in India. In 2003, 4% of Canadians were vegetarians and 2.5% of Americans avoided meat. The popularity of such diets is increasing and the choices both in supermarkets and in restaurants for vegetarians are improving. It is the position of the American and Canadian Dietetic association that such diets can meet all nutritional needs and that well planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. There are several advantages to vegetarian diets. On a nutritional level, they contain far less saturated fat, cholesterol and of course animal protein. They also provide higher levels of fiber, carbohydrates, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamin C and E. A higher intake of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes and nuts has been linked to a lower risk of several chronic diseases and reduces mortality risk. Vegetarians are less prone to cardiovascular problems, suffer less from obesity, have lower levels of blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and are less likely to develop diabetes or colon and prostate cancer. Furthermore, vegetarian lifestyles are considered to be one of the most effective ways of reaching sustainability of food and proper nutrition worldwide. Indeed, 40% of the current world grain production is fed to animals and it is estimated that half of that grain would be enough to feed all the hungry people in the world. Land requirements for the production of animal protein is 10 times greater than the land needed for plant based protein production. When it comes to nutrition ecology, vegetarianism is a good choice.

On the other hand, several beneficial nutrients are not readily available to vegetarians and such diets carry the risk of marginal intake of several nutritive elements. It has been reported that vegetarians are more likely to suffer from anemia and that vitamin B12 status for example is easily compromised in this subpopulation. In a study performed in Thailand to assess the blood parameters of vegetarians in comparison to non-vegetarians, it was found that vegetarians had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, neutrophils, serum ferritin and serum B12. 19% of the tested subjects suffered from iron deficiency and 40% suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency.

So what constitutes an optimal diet? Are vegetarian regimes better? Well, that is difficult to say, but what has been established in recent years is that health can be maintained through both a meatless and a meat containing diet. However, vegetarians appear to be more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies whereas meat-based diets tend toward excess; both scenarios are clearly detrimental. The benefits need to be compared to the risk. As for all areas of human health, the most desirable diets come from maximum benefits with minimal risks. In this case, Joan Sabaté proposes, in a paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that the risk of deficiencies in a meat based diet are as important as the risks of deficiencies for vegetarians. Indeed, plant based diets are rich in phytonutrients whose effect on health are still poorly understood but it is though that they play a significant role in the prevention of an unknown amount of cancers, cardiovascular problems and other degenerative disorders. Phytonutrients have several demonstrated health benefits including immune stimulation, the reduction of inflammation, and antioxidant capacity. For example, lutein makes corn yellow and protects the eyes, lycopene makes tomatoes red and is beneficial for the prostate and carotene makes carrots orange and is important for vision. Unfortunately, such phytonutrients are not considered essential for health like other classic nutrients such as vitamin B12. The author proposes that diets largely based on plant foods should be seen as improving health and not as increasing chances of deficiencies and disease.

This is not to say that vegetarians do not need to be vigilant. Deficiencies are common in plant based diet regimes. Several studies have demonstrated that vegetarians tend to lack some nutrients important for health and it is clear that some beneficial nutrients are largely unavailable to vegetarians. However, this nutritional gap may easily be filled through proper supplementation. Vegetarian Booster was formulated to provide the necessary nutrients to prevent nutritional deficiencies associated with meatless or low-meat diets.


L-Cystine
The body can break down L-cystine to L-cysteine when required. L-cysteine is a conditionally essential amino acid. Supplementation with L-cystine spares methionine, an amino acid commonly deficient in vegetarian diets. Methionine raises homocysteine levels, which is why supplemental Cystine is preferred. The use of cystine instead of methionine thus makes up for a common vegetarian dietary deficiency while avoiding the homocysteinogenic potential of methionine.

Cysteine easily enters most cells. Once in the cell, it is incorporated into glutathione. Cysteine deficiency is rarely seen except in vegetarians that do not eat cysteine-containing vegetables. Cysteine is present in proteins and small amounts are found in plants. Studies have shown that hepatic glutathione levels are largely dependant on dietary cysteine.

In mice and guinea pigs, cysteine supplementation has increased lifespan. Cysteine is one of three amino acids that form the important antioxidant Glutathione. Supplementation with cysteine helps ensure adequate glutathione synthesis and protects from the oxidative damage produced by free radicals. Cysteine is usually the rate limiting substrate in the formation of glutathione. Glutathione is fundamental for health. It is an important antioxidant and detoxifier. It protects the liver for toxins such as alcohol and guards the body against oxidative stress.


Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid unlike others because it is not involved in the production of structural proteins. Although it has no structural role, the amino acid has significant functional roles and is the most abundant free amino acid found in platelets, the nervous system and muscle. Taurine is conditionally essential; humans can only produce a very small amount of the amino acid and estimates vary from 50-125 mg/day. Dietary Taurine comes mainly from animal sources.

Taurine is involved in the formation of bile acid conjugates in the liver, which helps in detoxification and prevents the formation of cholesterol type gallstones. Taurine is important in the development of the central nervous system; it is also an antioxidant and can stabilize membranes. It is the most abundant amino acid in the lens of the eye and is important for cataract prevention.


L-Carnosine
Carnosine is a natural antioxidant comprised of alanine and histidine covalently bonded. It has the ability to quench a wide array of free radicals in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic environments. Dietary sources of carnosine include meat, poultry and fish. It is an important nutrient that has the ability to protect tissues from protein glycation, a naturally occurring process that leads to tissue damage and dysfunction and thought to play a significant role in the aging process.

Carnosine is found in high concentrations in the brain and in muscle tissue. It plays a significant role in muscle contractility; its presence prevents muscular fatigue and lactic acidosis. In the heart, Carnosine appears to control the heartbeat through its effect on calcium ion channels. In culture, Carnosine was shown to reverse cellular degeneration. Cultured cells were able to divide for several more generations if they were in a solution containing Carnosine and stayed youthful until the end of their lifecycle. Research suggests that carnosine levels drop significantly with age and long-lived animals produce more of this anti-aging compound.

Animals receiving Carnosine had a longer lifespan, and most surprisingly, maximum life expectancy was also increased. Carnosine supplemented animals were much more resistant to signs of aging such as hair loss and spine curvature. The supplement also prevented the loss of cognitive function.


Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is a non-protein amino acid found in animals, and in much lesser amounts in plants. It is synthesized from arginine, glycine and methionine. It is transported to skeletal muscles where 95% of it is found. It is also present in the heart, brain testes, retina, kidneys, liver and pancreas. Once in those tissues, creatine is converted by creatine kinase to phosphocreatine, an energy storage molecule that can be converted to ATP when cellular energy is required. Higher levels of phosphocreatine can increase the amount of energy available for short bouts of exercise. Vegetarians who have lower levels of creatine to begin with are more likely to respond to creatine supplementation. Also, early evidence suggests that creatine may be helpful for the treatment of muscular dystrophy.


L-Carnitine Tartrate
Carnitine is found in almost every cell of the body but food wise, it is exclusively present in animal products. It has two major functions: it allows long chain fatty acids to enter the mitochondria and removes short chain fatty acids from the mitochondria. Long chain fatty acids are processed in the mitochondria where they are broken down for the production of energy in the form of ATP. Short-chained fatty acids may accumulate in the mitochondria and interfere with normal energy production and cellular function. Carnitine may be deficient in cases of poor hepatic synthesis, hypoglycemia, skeletal myopathy and multiple organ dysfunction. Carnitine also supports detoxification in the liver. Carnitine can increase energy stores in the heart muscle, which makes it useful in cases of coronary heart disease and angina.

Carnitine may be used to improve recovery after a myocardial infarction, supplementation decreases infarct size, angina attacks and heart failure. Some studies have reported that Carnitine increases oxygen uptake in athletes.

Whether you have chosen vegetarianism for ethical or health reasons, supplementation with beneficial nutrients that are only or mainly available through animal products is beneficial. Vegetarian Booster is animal free and was designed to complement vegetarian diets.

References

• Waldmann A, Koschizke JW, Leitzmann C, Hahn A. Dietary iron intake and iron status of German female vegans: results of the German vegan study. Ann Nutr Metab. 2004;48(2):103-8. Epub 2004 Feb 25.

• Murphy SP, Allen LH. Nutritional importance of animal source foods. J Nutr. 2003 Nov;133(11 Suppl 2):3932S-3935S.

• Sabate J. The contribution of vegetarian diets to health and disease: a paradigm shift? Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):502S-507S. Review.

• American Dietetic Association; Dietitians of Canada. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: vegetarian diets. Can J Diet Pract Res. 2003 Summer;64(2):62-81.

• Pongstaporn W, Bunyaratavej A. Hematological parameters, ferritin and vitamin B12 in vegetarians. J Med Assoc Thai. 1999 Mar;82(3):304-11.

• Meister A. Strategies for Increasing Cellular Glutathione. Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York

• Lu S.C. Regulation of Hepatic Glutathione Synthesis: Current Concepts and Controversies. USC Liver Disease Research Center, Los Angeles, USA

• Carter AL, et Al. Biosynthesis and metabolism of carnitine. J Child Neurol. 1995; 10(S2): 3

• Goa KL, Brogden RN. l-Carnitine. A preliminary review of its pharmacokinetics, and its therapeutic use in ischaemic cardiac disease and primary and secondary carnitine deficiencies in relationship to its role in fatty acid metabolism. Drugs. 1987 Jul;34(1):1-24. Review.