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Originally Posted by MichaelMaxwell  I havent too thoroughly researched this but it I think it does stand to be looked at further if you are planning on pursuing a vegetarian diet or raising children vegetarian. I.e. are there amino acids, or something else, in meat that you cant find in other foods and that is important for brain function and development? |
There are NO amino acids in meat that you cannot obtain from other sources. Most aminos we can make ourselves from molecules in our diet. There are a few we cannot ("essential" aminos), but all of these are present in plant foods.
And the beautiful thing about our body is that we can make any of the proteins we need, as long as we have the building blocks (the aminos). Where do you think a cow or horse gets what he needs to build all that muscle? Horses dont eat meat. Yet there are some human bodybuilders who are convinced they need to eat the cow's muscle to give
them muscle. The truth is that when you eat animal or plant, those proteins are broken back down into basic amino acids during digestion. There is no mystery protein or magical power that meat possesses.
For every study the pro-meat people put together, I can find one that supports the theory veg'ns are as smart as or smarter than the meat-eating general public.
BBC NEWS | Health | High IQ link to being vegetarian "A Southampton University team found those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10. "
I can tell you personally I've been meat free for over half my life. Yet still somehow I manage top test scores and have been holding a 3.98 GPA. For entrance into my school's program last winter, I scored in the 99% percentile nationwide (meaning only 1% people did better). I am not trying to brag; I say this only to illustrate that nobody "needs" meat. I have vegan friends who are equally successful, both in their academic lives and in their careers. I know of vegans who even run marathons or who body build. The only thing a meat-eater does better than a vegan is statistically have higher rates of cardiovascular problems, stroke, and some kinds of cancer.