It is so sad that so many people do not understand the importance of BALANCE in their diet.
Too many people, esp. women and children, fall short of balanced nutrition when they give up beef, and as a result, suffer from chronic anemia and low iron (4 million children are iron-deficient in U.S. and childhood iron deficiency is associated with behavioral and cognitive delays). What’s more:
Research demonstrates that iron-deficient children have lower motor scores when tested in infancy, at age 5, and in early adolescence. Anemic new mothers who took iron supplements experienced a 25% reduction in depression and stress. Incredibly, 84% of children studied who suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) also suffered from low iron stores; in fact, those with the greatest iron deficiency had the most severe ADHD symptoms. Iron and zinc-rich foods, eg: beef, are important first foods in infants, especially for breastfed infants. Finally, overweight toddlers, aged 1-3 years, NOT in daycare, seem to be at a greater risk for iron deficiency.
In addition:
More and more studies confirm that lean red meat does NOT increase cardiovascular risk factors; it can improve bone health and contribute to bone health, esp. in middle-aged and seniors; help COMBAT obesity in toddlers, children, and teens; improves cognitive ability; helps against postpartum depression in women; is a natural SOURCE of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that appears to have CANCER-fighting properties as well as positive effects on cardiovascular disease, body composition, insulin resistance, immune function, and bone health….
A review of 54 studies provides SUBSTANTIAL evidence that trimmed, lean red meat does not raise LDL or total blood cholesterol and does not increase cardiovascular risk factors.
And for those dieting, dietary protein is far more satisfying and capable of reducing anxiety in dieters than carbohydrates and fat.
More about these various studies can be found in the following periodicals: the JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, the ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, the JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, in PEDIATRICS, and in NUTRITION.
