vegan diet benefits brain and central nervous system

Arguments

1. Diets High in Cholesterol, Saturated Fat and Total Calories and Low in Fiber, Vegetables and Fruit increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease
2. All animal foods are included among the high risk foods for triggering a migraine. Of the plant foods, only citrus, nuts, peanuts, bananas, tomatoes, onions, corn and apples are included in the high risk category and many plant foods can help to treat migraines (ginger and feverfew especially)
3. Bovine Spongyform Encephalopathy and other diseases can be spread to humans throught the ingestion of brain tissue.
4. Vegetarians are smarter than non-vegetarians (!)
5. Citrulline, found in plant foods such as watermelon, may decrease the development of Parkinson's disease

Objections

Nil

References for the Arguments

1. http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/diet_alzheimers.html Luchsinger JA, Tang M, Shea S, Mayeux R. Caloric intake and the risk of Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol 2002;59:1258-1263.Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL et al. Dietary fats and the risk of incident Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol 2003;60:194-200. Ortega RM, Requejo AM, Andres P et al. Dietary intake and cognitive function in a group of elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;66:803-809. Simons M, Keller P, Dichgans J, Schulz JB. Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease. Is there a link? Neurology 2001;57:1089-1093. Mizuno T, Nakata M, Naiki H et al. Cholesterol-dependent generation of a seeding amyloid B-protein in cell culture. J Biol Chem 1999;274:15110-15114 Misonou H, Morishima-Kawashima M, Ihara Y. Oxidative stress induces intracellular accumulation of amyloid B-protein (AB) in human neuroblastoma Cells. Biochemistry 2000;39:6951-6959. Lethem R and Orrell M. Antioxidants and Dementia. Lancet 1997;349:1189-1190. Rockwood K, Kirkland S, Hogan DB et al. Use of lipid-lowering agents; indication Giem P, Beeson WL, Fraser GE. The incidence of dementia and intake of animal products: preliminary findings from the adventist health study. Neuroepidemiology 1993;12:28-36.
2. http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/migraine.html Egger J, Carter CM, Wilson J, Turner MW. Is migraine a food allergy? A double-blind controlled trial of oligoantigenic diet treatment. Lancet 1983;2:865-9. Millichap JG, Yee MM. The diet factor in pediatric and adolescent migraine. Pediatr Neurol. 2003 Jan;28(1):9-15. Ernst E, Pittler MH. The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review. Public Health Nutr. 2000 Dec;3(4A):509-14. Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJ. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine. Br Med J 1985;291:569-73. Murphy JJ, Heptinstall S, Mitchell JRA. Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention. Lancet 1988;2:189-92. Thys-Jacobs S. Vitamin D and calcium in menstrual migraine. Headache 1994;34:544-6.Thys-Jacobs S. Alleviation of migraines with therapeutic vitamin D and calcium. Headache 1994;34:590-2.
3. http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/mad_cow_disease.html http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/bsefaq.html Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA. 2000 Nov 8;284(18):2322-3. Walker KD, Hueston WD, Hurd HS, Wilesmith JW. Comparison of bovine spongiform encephalopathy risk factors in the United States and Great Britain. JAVMA 1991;199:1554-61. Marsh RF. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: a new disease of cattle? Arch Virol 1993;7(Suppl):255-9. Prusiner SB. The prion diseases. Scientific American, Jan 1995, pp. 48-57. Bleem AM, Crom RL, Francy B, Hueston WD, Kopral C, Walker K. Risk factors and surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States. JAVMA 1994;204:644-51. Collee JG. A dreadful challenge. Lancet 1996;347:917-8. Steelman VM. Creutzfeld-Jakob disease: recommendations for infection control. Am J Infect Control 1994;22:312-8. Bleem AM, Crom RL, Francy B, Hueston WD, Kopral C, Walker K. Risk factors and surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States. JAVMA 1994;204:644-51. Miller LD, Davis AJ, Jenny AL. Surveillance for lesions of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in US cattle. J Vet Diagn Invest 1992;4:338-9. Robinson MM, Hadlow WJ, Huff TP, et al. Experimental infection of mink with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. J Gen Virol 1994;75:2151-5. Marsh RF, Bessen RA. Epidemiologic and experimental studies on transmissible mink encephalopathy. Dev Biol Stand 1993;80:111-8. http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/05/bg0166.htm Foster PR. Prions and blood products. Ann Med 2000;32:501-13.
4. Refs needed here: IQ studies from Vegan communities, historical list of talented Vegans, comparitive IQ studies of Vegos and non Vegos.
5. http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/parkinsons.html

References for the Objections

This article is based on a GNU FDL Vegan Wikia article: Brain_and_Central_Nervous_System

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