According to a new study, vegetarians and vegans are six times more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage than meat eaters.The link was discovered after scientists at Oxford University ran memory tests, physical checks and brain scans on 107 people between the ages of 61and 87, and then retested them five years later.
Researchers speculate the loss of brain mass in vegetarians and vegans is due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, which is found in meat, fish and eggs. This type of brain atrophy is linked to Alzheimer's Disease and other cognitive failings.
The decision to eat meat is often attacked by veggies, but it now seems as though these kinds of affronts may just be a product of small-mindedness.
... and a few celebrities who went naked for their animal cause:
Celebs Who Strip for a Cause
Because it's Pamela Anderson, it doesn't take much to visualize this PETA ad without the lettuce.
PETA
There isn't trace of "Without a Trace" star Roselyn Sanchez's clothing in this PETA PSA.
PETA
PETA
Amanda Beard wasn't able to add to her seven Olympic medals during a disappointing 2008 summer games, but her decision to pose nude for PETA didn't leave her male fans disappointed.
PETA
PETA
PETA
Playing up the "Lolita" role that made her famous, Dominique Swain become PETA's youngest anti-fur spokeswoman when she struck this naughty school girl pose at the age of 21.
PETA
Alicia Silverstone's movie career may have slowed, but you can still see a lot of her in this PETA ad.
PETA
Being that Holly Madison is a professional nude model, that really isn't much of a sacrifice.
PETA
These days Naomi Campbell and PETA are at odds over the supermodel's habit of wearing fur. Evidence from happier times still exists.
PETA
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Monday 15 September
By Alex
No wonder people from PETA are so dumb.
Reply
Tuesday 16 September
By Dotts
BS. sample group
BS. Vitamin Research (full protein diets are most sought after by vegetarians)
BS. Age Justification
and personally i am offended because i never care what other people eat or kill and this horrible excuse for a research paper is just giving more people reason to poke and tease me for my diet choices and i am sick of it.
Tuesday 16 September
By Jeffrey
As a vegan I have to say that I find PETA rather embarassing. That being said this test fails to mention that the meat eaters were/are far more likely to be dead within time of the test. I'd rather be stupid than dead. At that age what does it matter anyhow.
Thursday 18 September
By Ryan
Aww poor baby! Maybe we make fun because your diet is an insult to Darwin himself, evolution says that we are omnivores by nature, hence the cuspids and bicuspids.. oh and the third molar aka wisdom tooth that is there so we can bite through tough meat.
Tuesday 07 October
By Peace
This has been proven though our evolution. The two organs that use themost nergy are the Brain and the stomach. The body hacan only use and store enough energy for one to be large. Meat prodvides more energy known as calories than vegitables and it is easier to digest. Even our closest realtive the champanzee eats meat. And, remmebr Even plants are living creatures. So if meat is murder so is eaing any food.
Thursday 09 October
By Will
erm... Dotts, it was vitamin B12, not protein...biig difference. and yes, the brain takes the most energy, it runs how we breathe, regulates the heart and everything. its only natural for the brain to be smaller with less energy. and as for jeffrey... drooling at 65 and being unable to remember your family is a lot worse than being dead at 80 while you still can smile at your grandchildren/great grandchildren while still remembering WHO they are...
Monday 15 September
By Joseph
this article is bullcrap. I've been a vegetarian for about 50 years now, and I'm still sharp. I remember everything, and nothing has changed. I'll be 85 in December.
Reply
Tuesday 16 September
By chris
LIES! Old people don't use the internet...
Tuesday 16 September
By Aliver
Joseph, you're 86.
Tuesday 16 September
By mikeChemicalEngineer
Im sure your personal example is statistically significant. Its the equivalent of a 90 year old smoker justifying that smoking is good for you. Humans evolved bigger brains because they ate more meat and bone marrow.
Thursday 02 October
By Sydney
this article is bullcrap. I've been a vegetarian for about 50 years now, and I'm still sharp.
--------------------------------------------------
Let's not talk about this particular subject for a moment but on the nature of scientific inquiry. Anecdotal accounts, like yours, are not scientific in nature. We all know that individual variations allow for people to be different. For instance, I am female but I know that tests show that men are better wired for directional abilities. It is just a scientific fact. Now does that mean that there aren't individual cases where some women are sharper than men in this area, while some men are weaker than women in this area? No. Of course this is the case. But this is anecdotal in nature. Experiments and studies (based on experiments) have shown that MOST men are better wired, not ALL men.
It is the same with this issue. The article did not say that EVERY VEGAN is going to have smaller brain mass. Just that there is an overall statistical difference in the brain mass - over time - between the two. The study is only looking at one issue also, not at whether or not meat eaters are healthier in other areas. Certainly, within the carnivore's diet, certain meats are better than others in terms of overall health. We know that leaner cuts help with choletorol, for instance, and that fish with omega 3 is healthier than some other meat products. One might therefore argue that many Americans make poor choices in terms of which meat cuts/products they eat on a routine basis (and God knows a lot of us eat too much sugar and processed food and too little vegetables and fiber). In fact, just like your mama told you, a health diet seems to be a good combination of the healthier choices in the different food groups, with too much sugar being detrimental.
But to say that this or that is not true because it doesn't fit me personally has nothing to do with scientific inquiry.
That said, I am personally very pleased to hear you are 85 and doing so well. Good for you!
Monday 15 September
By Mar
" memory tests, physical checks and brain scans on 107 people between the ages of 61and 87, and then retested them five years later."
no offense but old people START LOSING THEIR MEMORY at that age. i think this is just another dumb study to justify eating meat =/
Reply
Tuesday 16 September
By DungeonB
i think you mustve made an error while skimming, i do that once in a while too; but this is a test retest subject based statistical study based on the same persons being tested twice- the variable being measured isn't the overall loss or gain of memory in general (everyone loses memory) but the rate at which the memory loss happens. I.e.- persons are tested then retested 5 years later. walter remembered 200 digits but then could only remember 90 later on, John could remember 90 but then can only remember 86. Therefore, John's rate of mental degeneration is significantly less than walter's. the correlation between diet and rates are strong, so although a cause and effect relationship can not be certain, it is highly possible that a relationship could exist. Mostly because walter's eating nothing but cauliflower and tofurkey. lolz.
Monday 15 September
By jreule
Any diet requires attention to potential nutritional shortfalls. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan ways to get Vitamin B-12. But yes, PETA can sometimes give us sane vegetarians a bad name.
Reply
Tuesday 16 September
By DungeonB
i feel you brother (though I actually am a meat eater), extremists do everyone wrong on all subjects.
Monday 15 September
By DoctorBob
I believe this article is probably true. My girlfriend is vegetarian, and she is dumber than a box of rocks.
Reply
Tuesday 16 September
By no-extremist
the research says, vegetarian tend to forget stuff, not become dumb. Let me rethink who is dumber, you or your girlfriend?
Friday 19 September
By Dogmeat
of couse she is as dumb as a box of rocks... she IS dating you after all
Friday 26 September
By Cindy
"Dumber than a box of rocks." What a sweet boyfriend you are. Of course, she chose you, so what does that say?
Sunday 12 October
By MeRBS
Funny --- your girlfriend's dumber than a box of rocks, but she's not too dumb for you!