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Thread: Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia

  1. #1
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Default Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia

    From http://www.european-vegetarian.org/e...1/siberia.html


    "Healthstudy in a Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia
    by Prof.Dr.Irina Medkova

    from EVU News, Issue 1 /1998 - Espa?ol


    Prof.Dr.Irina Medkova
    About three years ago the largest vegan settlement in Russia appeared in Siberia, where people were united by common religious beliefs. Their way of life attracted the attention of the officials who were worried about the health of the vegans. The Medical Centre for Practical Work and Research of the Vegetarian Society in Russia together with the Institute of Medical Problems of the North decided to send an expedition to the settlement to carry out a comprehensive study of the way of life, the health status and the eating habits of the vegans. The medical team included doctors of different specialisations and laboratory specialists.

    The settlement is situated on the banks of a mountain river in a picturesque place in the virgin forests of Siberia. The only neighbours are some local people in a small village.


    The study included a diagnostical check-up, blood counts, urine tests, ultrasound check up. The way of life, eating habits and the type of food eaten were studied during the talks with the people and through questionnaires. 110 people were involved in the study: 84 were vegans and 26 were villagers who use a traditional diet including meat, fish, dairy products. The latter served as a control group. The vegans were divided into four age groups: 18-39, 40-59 and 60-74.

    Formerly, the vegans belonged to an urban population, 55% of them are college and university graduates, they have various professions but at present they have to do a different kind of work ? they are engaged in agriculture, construction, handicrafts. Although the living standards in the settlement are rather low, there prevails a positive emotional atmosphere and great enthusiasm.

    The members of the vegan group have been vegans for 0.5-5 years; the average term ? 2.2 years; they kept to a vegetarian diet for a longer period: from 1 to 20 years. They became vegetarians for religious and ethical reasons. The vegans stick to a healthy way of life: they do not smoke or take alcohol. Most of them do physical work. Previously, 21% of them were smokers and 76% occasionally drank alcohol. The change in their way of life benefited their health: they lost extra weight, their sleep improved (12% of the vegans formerly suffered from insomnia and took pills), they became more fit. 65% of the vegans state that they became more balanced emotionally and their family relations improved. Most of the people attribute this to the vegan diet.

    The diet of the Siberian vegans includes rye bread, often home-made; wheat bread is seldom used. The diet includes also various cereals: buck-wheat, millet, rice etc. They also eat beans, peas, lentils, soy. Most of them (91%) do not use pastas. The people in the vegan settlement not only eat without fats or butter but they seldom use oil (sunflower or olive oil), 86% do not use even these. They use such vegetables as potatoes, carrots, beet-root, radish pumpkins, cabbage onions, garlic, tomatoes, squash, sweet pepper. They also widely eat the greens: parsley, fennel and others.

    People in the vegan settlement

    Of berries they eat strawberries, black currants, blackberries; they have such fruit as apples, sometimes oranges and lemons also dried fruit. Mushrooms, honey, herb tea and nuts are also part of their diet.


    Vegan children in Siberia
    The studies showed that the vegan diet improved the lipid metabolism in the vegans (their cholesterol level is very low) and normalised their weight and their cardio-vascular systems. No Vitamin B12, deficiency and no iron deficiency was found in their blood. On the other hand a calcium deficiency was observed, evidently, due to the lack of dairy products in their diet.

    Some disturbances of the liver and pancreas were observed as well as of the renal system both in the vegan and in the control group, which can be attributed not so much to diet as to ecological factors ? the mineral content of the drinking water. On the whole the health of the vegans is better than that of the control group ? the local population living on a mixed diet.

    Prof. Dr. Irina Medkova
    Vegetarian Society of Russia,
    39, bl.3, flat 23 Volzhsky Bulvar, Moscow, 109462 Russia,
    Tel/Fax: +7 (0)95 170 70 29"

    I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.

  2. #2

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    Yeah, I'm sure the calcium deficiency had to do with lack of cow's milk. *rolls eyes* Obviously, whoever wrote this paper wasn't very educated.

    Looks like those "vegans" need to quit eating honey and eat some yummy kale instead.

  3. #3
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    The page was found at a vegetarian site, not a vegan site.... Still, it is interesting to see that some of these people were calcium deficient, Calcium deficiency is easy to avoid when being vegan - if you know what to eat; how to reprogram your eating habits.

    None of these vegans were lacking B12, but they had only been vegan for max 5 years. B12 needs calcium for absorption... someone, send them this list!

    Soy or ricemilk, commercial, 8 ounces 150-500
    calcium-fortified, plain

    Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 357
    Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 342
    Tofu, processed with calcium
    sulfate* 4 ounces 200-330

    Calcium-fortified orange juice 8 ounces 300
    Commercial soy yogurt, plain 6 ounces 250
    Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 249
    Tofu, processed with nigari* 4 ounces 80-230
    Kale, cooked 1 cup 179
    Okra, cooked 1 cup 176
    Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 175
    Sesame seeds 2 Tbsp 160
    Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 158
    Tempeh 1 cup 154
    Mustard greens, cooked 1 cup 152
    Figs, dried or fresh 5 medium 135
    Tahini 2 Tbsp 128
    Almonds 1/4 cup 97
    Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 94
    Almond butter 2 Tbsp 86
    Soymilk, commercial, plain 8 ounces 80

    (from http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm)
    I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.

  4. #4
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Here's another one:

    http://www.interlog.com/~john13/recipes/calcium.htm

    "Good Vegan Calcium Sources



    Just for fun I looked up the nutrients in these foods in Food Values of Portions Commonly Used by Jean A. T. Pennington.




    White/Wholemeal bread, Taco Shells, Oats



    White bread:
    30 mg of Ca per slice

    Whole wheat bread:
    18 mg of Ca per slice

    Taco shell:
    16 mg of Ca per slice

    Instant oatmeal:
    163 mg of Ca per packet




    Soyabeans, Tofu, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds



    Soy beans, mature, boiled:
    175 mg of Ca per cup

    Tofu, raw:
    130 mg of Ca per .5 cup (258 mg for firm tofu)

    Almonds, 24, dried:
    75 mg of Ca

    Brazil nuts, 8, dried:
    50 mg of Ca

    Pistachios, 38, dried:
    38 mg of Ca

    Sunflower seeds, dried:
    33 mg of Ca per oz



    Sesame Seeds, Flax Seed, Carob



    Sesame seeds, kernels, dried:
    10 mg of Ca per Tbsp (88 mg for whole seeds)

    Flax seed:
    not listed

    Carob flour:
    359 mg of Ca per cup




    Beet Greens, Collards, Dandelion Greens, Mustard Greens, Spinach



    Beet greens, boiled:
    82 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Collards, boiled:
    148 mg of Ca per cup

    Dandelion greens, raw:
    42 mg of Ca per .5 cup (73 if boiled)

    Mustard greens, boiled:
    52 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Spinach, raw:
    28 mg of Ca per .5 cup (122 mg if boiled)



    Turnip Greens, Watercress, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, Garlic, Parsley



    Turnip greens, raw:
    53 mg of Ca per .5 cup (99 mg if boiled)

    Watercress, raw:
    20 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Broccoli, raw:
    21 mg of Ca per .5 cup (89 mg if boiled)

    Carrots, raw:
    19 mg of Ca per medium carrot

    Carrots, boiled:
    24 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Cabbage, green, raw:
    16 mg of Ca per .5 cup (25 mg if boiled)

    Cabbage, red, raw:
    18 mg of Ca per .5 cup (28 mg if boiled)

    Garlic, raw, 3 cloves:
    16 mg of Ca

    Parsley, raw:
    39 mg of Ca per .5 cup




    Spirulina, Chives, Seaweed, Cauliflower, Okra, Cassava



    Spirulina:
    no data for Ca

    Chives, raw:
    2 mg of Ca per Tbsp

    Agar, raw:
    54 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz

    Agar, dried:
    625 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz

    Irishmoss, raw:
    72 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz

    Kelp, raw:
    168 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz

    Laver (nori), raw:
    70 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz

    Wakame, raw:
    150 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz

    Cauliflower, raw:
    14 mg of Ca per .5 cup (17 mg if boiled)

    Okra, boiled:
    50 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Cassava, raw:
    91 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz



    Figs, Papaya, Rhubarb, Molasses



    Figs, raw:
    18 mg of Ca per medium fig

    Figs, dried:
    269 mg of Ca per 10 figs

    Papaya, raw:
    72 mg of Ca per medium papaya

    Rhubarb, frozen, raw:
    266 mg of Ca per cup

    Molasses, barbados:
    49 mg of Ca per Tbsp

    Molasses, blackstrap:
    137 mg of Ca per Tbsp

    Molasses, light:
    33 mg of Ca per Tbsp

    Molasses, medium:
    58 mg of Ca per Tbsp



    Foods left off the original list:



    Azuki beans, boiled:
    63 mg of Ca per cup

    Amaranth, boiled:
    138 mg of Ca per cup

    Canned baked beans, veg:
    128 mg of Ca per cup

    Beans, refried, canned:
    188 mg of Ca per cup

    Black beans, boiled:
    47 mg of Ca per cup

    Black turtle beans, boiled:
    103 mg of Ca per cup

    Burdock root, boiled:
    62 mg of Ca per cup

    Butter beans, canned:
    40 mg of Ca per cup

    Butterbur (fuki), boiled:
    59 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz (what is this?)

    Cabbage, chinese (pak choi):
    79 mg of Ca per .5 cup, boiled (37 if raw)

    Cardoon, boiled:
    72 mg of Ca per 3.5 oz (don't know this either)

    Chickpeas, boiled:
    80 mg of Ca per cup

    Hummus:
    124 mg of Ca per cup

    Chickory greens, raw:
    90 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Blackeyed peas, boiled:
    42 mg of Ca per cup

    Cranberry beans, boiled:
    89 mg of Ca per cup

    French beans, boiled:
    111 mg of Ca per cup

    Great northern beans, boiled:
    121 mg of Ca per cup

    Kale, boiled:
    47 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Kidney beans, boiled:
    50 mb of Ca per cup

    Lambsquarters, boiled:
    232 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Lima beans, boiled:
    32 mg of Ca per cup (52 mg for baby limas)

    Lupins, boiled:
    85 mg of Ca per cup

    Mung beans, boiled:
    55 mg of Ca per cup

    Mungo beans, boiled:
    95 mg of Ca per cup

    Navy beans, boiled:
    128 mg of Ca per cup

    Pigeon peas, boiled:
    72 mg of Ca per cup

    Pink beans, boiledd:
    88 mg of Ca per cup

    Pinto beans, boiled:
    82 mg of Ca per cup

    Natto:
    191 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Tempeh:
    75 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Acorn squash, baked:
    45 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    Butternut squash, boiled:
    42 mg of Ca per .5 cup

    White beans, boiled:
    161 mg of Ca per cup

    White beans, small, boiled:
    131 mg of Ca per cup

    Winged beans, boiled:
    244 mg of Ca per cup

    Yellow beans, boiled:
    110 mg of Ca per cup "
    I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.

  5. #5
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Information on this Siberian vegan settlement is also to be found at PubMed, here:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entre...tool=iconabstr

    and, an update from 1999, here:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entre...tool=iconabstr
    I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.

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    Default Re: Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia

    So, have they all died from horrific B12 and calcium deficiency by now?

    Best regards,
    Andy

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    Default Re: Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia

    Are they still there? I might visit for a year or so.
    I might write to the professor.
    OK, I found a list of Russian "alternative" settlements.
    Problematic is waking someone whom pretends to sleep.

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    Default Re: Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia

    Hi Whalespace,

    if you speak Russian, try to find out more!

    I also found that 'list of alternative settlements', and it could be the one in Timberkal, but the article is about 86 people, while the Timberkal group seems to be around 2000 (apart from appearing - on the outside - as a bunch of religious nuts).

    If you have access to the original scientific article in Russian and are able to read it, it might tell you more....

    Best regards,
    Andy

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Vegan settlement in Siberia, Russia

    My Russian language experience is limited to nine short lesson compact discs, and some children's picture books. I will look around though. I just assumed that vegans in Russia were isolated individuals.
    Problematic is waking someone whom pretends to sleep.

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