Q&A – Oxidation, Vitamin B12 Foods, Casein and Veganism

Q: I have been told that you can negate any oxidative effects if you consume enough fruits and vegetables in your diet and get enough anti oxidants, together with complete proteins, and experience fat loss as well. Is it true?

A: Anti oxidants can not really negate any oxidative issues effectively. This myth seems to be everywhere. Free radicals have an important role in our body. They are like the ‘safe guards’ of our cells, regulating them constantly. When they are high in numbers (due to toxics, animal food, high calorie diet, chemicals, whatever reason), bad things happen, and cancerous processes begin. The best way to avoid that is to consume a low calorie vegan diet. Period. Fighting free radicals with anti oxidants is ridiculous, as there is no reason to fight them in first place. They are an important part of our human body, but keeping them in low amount is essential, and that can be done with a proper diet.

Q: I heard that Casein is one of the best proteins that you can because it slowly digests and contains some highly muscle sparing properties. Is it true?

A: Regarding Casein, This protein has some satanic characteristics. This protein is so acidic, that it takes so much calcium out of your bones, to just bring the acidness levels of your body back to normal. This is the reason why although milk products contain a high amount of calcium, a much higher number of Osteoporosis and bone breaks have been reported in milk consuming societies. Any animal protein is highly acidic, but Casein stands out as the worst. Similar thing happens with the Arctic Eskimos, who live on a diet containing around 2000mg of calcium per day, most of it out of fish sources, but there are a few multiples times more bone breaks and Osteoporosis cases among these people, than the 250-300mg calcium per day consuming Asian vegan tribes in China.

Q: Can you get vitamin B12 out of  a full vegetarian diet? I always thought only animals produce this vitamin.

A: The truth is that B12 is originated in a a soil bacteria, which means that every plant on earth, be it a vegetable or a fruit, contains it to some extent. You can certainly get all of the B12 vitamin benefits out of a vegetarian / vegan diet. The only thing to make sure is that you buy organic fruits and vegetables and consume them unwashed, as this vitamin easily washes away with water, because it is ‘exterior’ and is inside the outer shell of the plant.

Consuming large amounts of animal foods rich in vitamin B12 is a two edged sword. While you can certainly get more than enough B12 out of these sources, the health drawbacks are huge. These foods usually come with a lot of saturated fat, a high profile of cholesterol, cancer provoking protein, due to its amino acids order and molecules structure, and a hefty amount of chemicals and hormones that were given to the animal, in case that you do not eat organic meat.

Take this knowledge and decide for yourself. Do your research. I do not want you to dogmatically follow these advices, but to constantly try and learn more and more in the area of nutrition and health. This is what keeps us alive.