During the first half of 2009, the Vegan Done Light newsletter ran what turned out to be its most controversial series to date... A hard-hitting, no-holds-barred, analysis of the research on vegetarian nutrition and supplements.
Dear Health Advocate,
Here's how it went down. I'd asked Michael Rae, once a vitamin industry insider, and himself a long-time vegetarian (though not a vegan), whether he'd be willing to embark on this monumental task.
(He's been dishing it out in drips and drabs for years through his writings at his previous employ and via the Calorie Restriction Society's mail groups, so he was a natural and logical choice. Further, I respect his opinion.)
He agreed to take up the gauntlet and proposed a three-part split.
I don't think either of us expected it to wind up so time-consuming and comprehensive. In the end, with a missed deadline and an extra segment thrown in for good measure, a full five months of dedication had gone into it!
Who Is Michael Rae?
- A fellow member of the Calorie Restriction Society (CRS). Indeed, a far more serious practitioner thereof.
- A former employee of a major supplement company, where he helped with the formulation of their main, since discontinued, vegetarian product.
- A vigilant and well-respected advocate for life extension research, most notably in his work with SENS, focused on "regenerative biotechnology," and his co-authorship with Dr. Aubrey de Grey of Ending Aging.
To be fair, about the "controversy," the articles received just as many — actually, MORE — complimentary email responses than angry ones. The thing is Michael brings no biases to the table or axes to grind (his is plenty sharp already!), so he spoke objectively and candidly to the findings, and that apparently didn't sit well with everyone.
In this 94-page document, you will discover...
- How to analyse your diet for imbalances
- The best food sources of Iron, Calcium, B12, and many more
- The one nutrient he asserts you must take in supplement form
- The full story on the Omega- fatty acids
- A slew of "conditionally essential" nutrients (and what those conditions are)
- Pages upon pages of references for your further study and debate fodder.
This seriously has to be the definitive guide to the all-important topic of vegetarian nutrition and supplementation. If you were to purchase this type of detailed research through one of the journals, you'd easily pay upwards of $45 (and that for limited access). As you can see, we're not asking nearly that much.
