A new reason to raise my son vegan...

[veggiemom22]

My son (almost three) has been vegan for a couple months now. When I decided to raise him vegan I did alot of research and learned about the nutritional benefits of veganism as well as the benefits of things such as unprocessed foods and non-hydrogentated oils, etc. These things were also important since alot of the family members on my mom's side died of heart attacks and cancer. So, I've been really making an effort to change my son's diet for the better to make sure he develops healthy eating habits so he doesn't suffer the fate that my uncles and gradfather did. Then today I found out from my mom that the reason my six uncles and grandfather died so young from heart attacks/cancer was not due to cholesterol or blood pressure but, due to excessive amounts of iron! So, I did some online research and found that if you're of northern European decent (and particularly if you are male) you are at high risk for having a disorder called hemochromatosis, which means you store too much iron which can cause heart disorders, cancer, diabetes, as well as other diseases. Because of the presence of rapidly absorbed heme-iron in meat it isn't good for people who have hemochromatosis. I'm going to have my son get a DNA test done to see if he has the gene for this condition but, until then it's good to know that I was already doing the best thing possible for his health.

P.S. Apparently this is the most common genetic disorder in America but, I've never even heard of it until today. Anyone here know anything about it or know someone who has it?

[Christa]

I don't know a lot about this disorder, but I do understand that men are more prone to excess iron b/c they do not menstrate. Having him donate blood regularly (when he is old enough), can also help keep iron levels lower & thus reduce the risk of heart attack, etc. Play up the benefits of being a good samaritan by donating blood :)!

[jmksesholtz]

You have all the right reasons for raising your son vegan in the first place and as well as living and eating cruelty free (PETA.org) can only push you harder. I do not know anything about the disease, but you are doing the right thing. A great read would be "Fit for Life" by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. You can find this at any book store.

Kathy

[dal]

I've heard of this -- fairly recently. Unfortunately, a few months ago, I found out that it runs in my family. I have an aunt and an uncle with it and my sister is considered borderline, so I need to be tested. In case I do have it, it's a good thing that I'm vegan and have been for several years, and barely ate any corpse at all for years before this. I'm a bit worried because when I was in labour, a standard blood test revealed that my iron levels were well above normal. Hopefully it was just because I took care to eat an excellent diet throughout my pregnancy. Fortunately it can be dealt with very well if diagnosed early. One thing I'm doing, until I'm tested, is not taking any more multivitamins with iron and limiting my consumption of iron-fortified cereals.