The mucus that the intestinal membrane secretes on its surface—and through which all
nutrients must pass to be absorbed—will be optimized for absorbing fats, cholesterol, and
minerals from the fiber-less, fast-food slurry that is presented to it. The enzymes in the intestinal cells—responsible for the absorption of amino acids,
minerals, vitamins and other essential substances into the bloodstream—become the most
efficient for absorbing those nutrients from a high-fat, low-fiber food stream. The enzymes in the liver cells are induced to create the optimal balance needed to best
metabolize that “animal-rich” nutrient mixture in the bloodstream.It is not difficult to visualize that if a person eats this “Standard American Diet” (SAD)
throughout his or her childhood, adolescence and young adulthood—usually for decades—the
digestive system may “set” in the mode that is most efficient for digesting and absorbing the
above-named nutrients from the highly-processed, high-fat, low-fiber food stream.With a daily diet that is over-the-top in calories, fats, protein—and an absorption system that
has adapted to become highly efficient at absorbing those dense energy sources—the SAD-diet
eaters often become overweight, and then ill with a host of blood vessel and obesity-related
diseases.If, at the age of 20, 30, 40, or later, the person reads a book, attends a lecture, sees a program, or
meets a person who extols the virtues of a vegan or vegetarian diet, the individual may decide
that he or she also wants to nourish him- or herself on completely plant-based foods. In
adopting a “healthy” vegan regimen, based upon unprocessed grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables,
nuts and seeds, this person is effectively doing a near 180-degree reversal on many of the major
qualities of their previously-eaten food stream, which was in many cases up to 90% or more
nutrient-poor foods: Instead of being high in fat, it is now low in fat.
Instead of being high of protein, it is lower in protein.
Instead of being low in complex carbohydrates, it is now high in complex carbohydrates.
Instead of easily absorbed minerals, the zinc and magnesium are firmly bound to plant fiber.
Very importantly, animal-associated molecules like omega-3 fats, 157 carnitine, and creatine,
needed for energy metabolism and muscle function respectively, which used to come into
the body pre-formed with meat products, are now suddenly absent. Consequently, the liver,(^157) Ann Nutr Metab. 2008;52(1):37-47. Epub 2008 Feb 28.Very low n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status in
Austrian Vegetarians and Vegans. Kornsteiner M, Singer I, Elmadfa I. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Life
Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.