48 March 28 • 2019
jn
Essential tips, especially for teens going meatless.
health
Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev (BGU) researchers have
found that the age puberty hits
is based on the gap between
the parents’
and child’
s ultimate
height, not genetics.
In the study, published in
the PLOS ONE journal, Dr.
Yehuda Limony and Dr. Michael
Friger of the BGU Faculty of
Health Sciences, together with
Slawomir Koziel at the Polish
Academy of Sciences in Warsaw,
discuss the significance of this
“height gap” and their new pre-
diction model for determining
onset of puberty.
“We found that the age a child
reaches puberty is based on how
the body responds to the child’
s
individual growth needs,” Dr.
Limony says. “When a ‘
tall’
child
seems to be exceeding a parent’
s
height, he may begin puberty
earlier than his fellow peers to
slow his growth and ensure that
his final adult height is in the
‘
target’
range.
“The opposite is also true:
‘
short’
children don’
t reach
puberty until later than the soci-
etal average because their bodies
are giving them extra time to
grow to reach a parent’
s height.”
The researchers said that
while there is a wide variation
for what is considered a “nor-
mal” age for puberty to begin,
scientists have not been able to
validate the prevalent assump-
tion that genetics plays a major
role in determining when an
individual will begin puberty.
“
A child who hits puberty ear-
lier than his peers, but at a time
consistent with a parental height
gap model, should be consid-
ered ‘
healthy,’
” Dr. Limony says.
“We believe having the ability
to determine normal ranges
more accurately will reduce the
need for unnecessary diagnostic
procedures and help doctors
better explain the emergence of
early- or late-onset puberty to
concerned parents.” ■
Onset of
Puberty
Studied
Essential tips, especially for teens going meatless.
NO INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH STACY GOLDBERG/SAVORFULL IS INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR
OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATION OR NUTRITIONAL, HERBAL OR HOMEOPATHIC SUPPLEMENT, OR ADOPTING ANY TREATMENT OR IMPLEMENTING NUTRITIONAL
ADVICE FOR A HEALTH PROBLEM.
B
y definition, a vegan diet excludes
all forms of animal products and
focuses solely on plant-based
foods and beverages.
Fundamentally, vegan-
ism is rooted in avoiding
harm and cruel conditions
for animals in food and
lifestyle choices, including
clothing and personal care
items.
Vegetables, fruits,
grains, legumes, nuts and
seeds, tofu and tempeh are permitted; ani-
mal protein, eggs, dairy, honey and animal
fats as primary or additional ingredients
to foods are not allowed on a vegan diet.
Generally speaking, this differs from a
vegetarian diet in that vegetarians often
consume eggs, cheese and other dairy
products. Vegan diets have gone main-
stream as many well-known pro athletes
like Venus Williams and celebrities like
Beyoncé are now following strict ani-
mal-free diets.
The penetration into everyday lives
reaches to younger generations more than
ever with the connectivity of social media.
Regardless of the reason and rationale,
understanding crucial tenants of main-
taining a well-rounded, calorically stable
diet is essential to prevent adverse health
effects — especially in young athletes.
PROS AND CONS
Vegan diets present many health benefits.
A “cleaner” diet with increased con-
sumption of fruits, vegetables and whole
grains can assist in weight maintenance,
enhanced digestion, restful sleep, and
reduce the risk of heart disease, type II
diabetes, high blood pressure and even
certain cancers. Plant-based proteins
can create a diet complete in all essential
amino acids necessary for growth, devel-
opment and daily function when well
planned. Paired plant proteins create a
complete protein option, such as combin-
ing 100 percent whole wheat bread with
peanut butter. Net protein balance must
be achieved to compensate for the mus-
cular breakdown and use during physical
activities and the muscle growth from
training in the athletic population. If teens
do not consume enough protein, the body
shifts to burn other body stores, which
can result in weight loss and preservation
of fat-free mass.
With a proper plant-based diet, ideally
there is an increased intake of antioxi-
dants, vitamin C and E, as well fiber-rich
carbohydrates. If vegan diets are not struc-
tured and well planned out, there is a risk
for deficiencies in protein, vitamin B12,
vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium and iodine.
In either case, multivitamin supple-
mentation is necessary. Omega-3 fatty
acids found in seafood sources should be
compensated for by intake of flaxseed oil
or walnuts, or a plant-based supplement.
Iron-based foods and supplements should
be taken with or consumed with vitamin
C to enhance absorption. For example,
add an orange to your meal after eating a
bowl of vegan bean chili.
VEGAN DIET TRAPS
When embarking on a vegan diet, there
is often a tendency to increase carbohy-
drates and empty calories. Many people
mistakenly swap out protein for carbs
and they increase foods such as pastas,
breads/bread products, potatoes, rice
and other snack foods. Some of these
can be healthful choices, but many
options that vegans lean on are empty
calories, empty carbs and can pack on
pounds.
Additionally, many new vegans lean
on “vegan junk food” such as frozen
and packaged vegan foods as their new
replacement diet options. They look to
vegan sausage, burgers, patties, frozen
meals and other prepackaged foods to
replace their animal proteins and calo-
ries. These foods can have high amounts
of sodium, preservatives, added sugars
and added fats that can also make it dif-
ficult to lose or maintain weight.
Lastly, some vegans equate a vegan
diet with weight loss or lower calories.
This is not always the case. People
assume that because vegan options
are “healthier,” they can eat unlimited
portions of grains, veggies (especially
starchy vegetables), nuts, seeds and any-
thing else vegan. This can also contrib-
ute to weight gain or lack of weight loss.
In summary, it is possible to have a
healthy vegan diet as a teenager. With
proper planning, guidance and research,
this can be an excellent dietary lifestyle.
However, it is important to consider
all the points mentioned above before
hastily embarking on a vegan diet, just
because your favorite pop star or ath-
lete has had success. Consulting with
a nutrition professional can also be of
great benefit to evaluate if a vegan diet
is right for you and your teen. ■
Stacy Goldberg is a nationally recognized nutri-
tional consultant, registered nurse and CEO of
Savorfull (savorfull.com), a Detroit-based com-
pany that sources healthy, allergen-friendly foods
and provides nutrition-consulting. Savorfull is part
of the Quicken Loans Family of Companies.
Stacy Goldberg
Columnist
Vegan Diets
Vegan Diets