Can You Safely Raise Your Baby Vegan?

A UK mother got a lot of criticism online after sharing she is raising her 7-month-old baby on a vegan diet. Some opposed to her decision have gone as far as to suggest CPS be called! Dr. Anthony Porto, author of “Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers,” weighs in on the trend of parents raising their babies vegan, and whether or not it’s safe.
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About The Doctors: The Doctors is an Emmy award-winning daytime talk show in its 14th season. The Doctors helps you understand the latest health headlines, delivers exclusive interviews with celebrities dealing with health issues, debates and investigates health and safety claims, explains the latest viral videos and how you can avoid emergency situations, and serves up celebrity chefs to share the hottest and healthiest recipes and foods.

[@Grande-Dame]

This is coming from the doctors who said bacon was good for you.

[@bristlefist]

From what I understand it's nitrates that are bad for you

[@frillylily8005]

Not all bacon is bad. People in the 50s used to eat bacon eggs a toast for breakfast a there health was much better then most Americans today who eat more starch/sugar then they do meat. Besides saturated fat. Bacon has B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12. Balance is key

[@AC-LING666]

Not all bacon is bad? type in the YT search. why are pigs called pigs. then come back and say "not all bacon is bad" 🙄🙄

[@spiet7380]

No bacon is bad. Nitrates are not even bad. Bacon is goooood! 😋

[@spiet7380]

No bacon is bad. Nitrates are not even bad. Bacon is goooood! 😋

[@MatiasHamreSveen]

Veganism is not a diet, nor a trend. It is a growing movement and a principal that being against animal abuse, murder and exploitation is the moral baseline. You can't be 80% vegan. You can be 80% plant-based. And getting the right nutrients for you and your child is not a vegan/plant-based issue only. Non-vegans can also easily get deficiencies if they don't know where they get their different nutrients.

[@QueenLaQueefa]

Your existence contributes to animal death and cruelty. You home takes animals natural habitats, your school, shopping centers etc. Plus billions of wild animals die during crop harvest every year. Wild animals are killed to protect crops. Wild pigs, deer, Fox, raccoons, prairie dogs, birds, mice, bunnies, coyotes.

[@infini_ryu9461]

The atrophy away from Veganism is also growing, it is unsustainable. It'll hit you eventually, too, it always does. Humans evolved to consume high fat large ruminants, you cannot change that fact. The science is in, your epidemiology cannot save you. Veganism is a delusion, created by Seventh Day Adventists.

[@danirabinowitz5049]

“Non-vegans can also get deficiencies” is deliberately obtuse. Yes, they CAN, but are *less likely* to be deficient in protein, B12, iron, etc. All super important, and *especially* important for growing children. Yes, the animal product industry is cruel. That should change. This is true AND it’s true that it’s much harder to get all the nutrients you need with a plant-based diet for the vast majority of people.

[@BJ-Niggashaw]

Plant based agriculture and deforestation kill more animals than any slaughterhouse, not so vegan is it? Also you think flying avacados around the world so you can have them in December is better for the environment than having cows farting?

[@Sssssssslf]

👏👏👏

[@cadriver2570]

Sounds like she doesn’t understand the definition of the word.

[@andreadoolan416]

I really wouldn't take any advise from this doctor who has said bacon is good for you.

[@honkymonkey9568]

Bacon has a good ratio of healthy fat to protein. It IS good for you.

[@andreadoolan416]

@@honkymonkey9568 🙄

[@kaplingnag7267]

Lmao the doctor is right though bacon is good food. Yeah most store bought bacon is bad these days but it's good​@@andreadoolan416

[@mitziballs]

Fun facts: countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest levels of osteoporosis, those with the lowest dairy consumption have the lowest levels of osteoporosis. Calcium coming from dairy binds to and leeches the calcium from your bones, plant based calcium doesn’t do that. Dairy comes with animal hormones and mammalian estrogen, antibiotics, puss, and blood. B12 comes from soil and a B12 supplement is at any drugstore. Omegas come from algae, not fish. Skip the middle, get these nutrients straight from the source, and you can bypass the cholesterol and all of the other harmful things that come from eating animals and their secretions. When fed properly, humans of every age can thrive on a plant-based diet. Veganism is for the soul, plants are for the body.

[@gracepearson5905]

Preachh

[@noddingbart6915]

Breast milk is super low protein anyways. Never heard vegan haters rip into breastfeeding

[@itsirish9582]

​@@noddingbart6915But it actually has all the essential amino acids you need unlike vegan protein. Most people vegans included have no clue what amino acids are let alone how to make sure they get enough from all different types of food. Usually they dont need to since you could just eat meat and have all essential fats and amino acids lol

[@bristlefist]

@mitziballs I'm sorry, this is insanely reductive logic at best. It's actually just plain wrong. Just as there are healthy and unhealthy sources of plant foods the same is true for animal products. There are many downsides to plant based diets that vegans never mention, possibly because they just don't know. You can become seriously nutrient deficient on a vegan diet purely based on the state of your gut health, I actually don't know any long term female vegans that don't have hormone issues and I know more long term vegans than the average person. I'm not saying that eating meat is better. It's not that simple. It's about where your food comes from and your own diet history, the state of your microbiome and many other factors. You could eat loads of oats and fake meat substitutes, nut milks, "super foods" and make yourself really really sick. There are indigenous tribes that can live off animal milk and blood for long periods of times and retain very good health, is it gonna work for you? In countries where the highest dairy consumption comes from do people consume minimally processed dairy? Do you think those same people will consume minimally processed vegan foods if they were to make the switch? Vitamin/mineral deficiency and Dysbiosis cause malabsorption not calcium from dairy. Most people who've been eating supermarket food won't even be able to process and absorb the calcium from plant sources, if there even is any nutrients left in the plant sources available to them.

[@bristlefist]

@@gracepearson5905 Yeah, this is specifically the problem with Vegans. Too much preaching, too little information.

[@suvaranasalvi3122]

We can't say non vegan diet gives guarantee for best physical and mental health of new borns. There are so many abnormal kids examples in non vegan families too.

[@mitziballs]

So basically, be educated. Educate yourself before figuring out how to feed your baby.

[@melt7891]

I saw a paediatrician when my twins were born, to enquire about this..and the message was definitely NO. Some people who don’t understand about protein, might think to feed a baby rice milk, which will lead to the baby’s death, as the protein is in no way sufficient. Be very careful.

[@theantiveganchannel3596]

no such thing as plant proteins if you think i'm wrong look up nitrogen-to-protein conversion factor (NPCF). also humans don't have the Physical digestive system for plants... so yeah plant sludge consumption is debunked

[@melt7891]

@@theantiveganchannel3596 Yes

[@charlesfuller2998]

I have been vegan since I was born. My family is all vegan. I wrestled with some of the best in the world. I competed at a very high level. Im jacked and in great shape. Plant protein is just fine. I know many Olympic athletes personally that are vegan.

[@gracepearson5905]

It is completely safe to raise a baby vegan as long as you’re regularly consulting with professionals and being very meticulous with what you’re feeding them which any parent should be doing anyway whether their kid is on an omnivore diet or a plant based one

[@d.c.4706]

Big Tech, Big Pharma, and the Food industry are all in bed together. These doctors will NEVER tell you the power of a healthy diet. With all of the VISIBLE proof of what they do in the meat industry--I totally understand why parents would prefer not to feed their children chicken, pork, beef, and fish that have been utterly contaminated before landing on the dinner table.

[@rohitgogoi3222]

I didn't eat eggs, meat and fish until age 5-7.

[@akosimumutv8792]

Genesis 1 29 God said, "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food. This is the manual from the manufacturer.

[@baconcraving3259]

Ah yes. Cherrypicking the bible is the best advice you can give. Yikes

[@orlandocantu8436]

Didn’t jesus give fish and bread to 5,000 men plus women and children with food being left over?

[@akosimumutv8792]

@@orlandocantu8436 yes He did bro. The bible verse above was addressed to Adam, at a time where killing of any life is not even on the wildest imagination of Adam. Thus the only food for him and Eve. Jesus fed fish yes, but what is allowed and what is best is completely different. Is eating fish not as bad as eating pork? Yes. But is better that what the original diet which was commanded? Of course not. Even your car manual tells you only what kind of petrol you're suppose to put in it.

[@justanother240]

Raising toddlers on vegan diets should be a crime.

[@vikaziza1506]

Somebody should tell this A. Silverstone that a two months old can be a vegan since the only thing the kid can eat at that time is breast milk.

[@J276]

Saving you five minutes by answering this NO.

[@gracepearson5905]

Thanks for all the evidence you provided in your comment to explain your reasoning, that was very insightful I feel so educated

[@J276]

@@gracepearson5905 you’re welcome.

[@EngineersQuest]

80% plants and 20% animals is not a vegan diet.

[@sfpv8491]

“This is child abuse” -Isaac Butterfield

[@infinatiAM]

Mad, I would be!

[@angelalujan8154]

I'm not vegan,but I truly believe kids can be raised vegan, IF DONE PROPERLY. A lot of people who jump on the vegan train don't do research, they are doing it as a fad. There are vegan/ plant based certified nutritionists that specialize in raising a plant based baby. I personally would trust them as that is their specialty,meanwhile doctors are taught very little about nutrition during their medical school time.

[@theantiveganchannel3596]

these kids you speak of have the Physical digestive system for plants? do you have a mentaI iIIness?

[@J0lker]

I don't believe you can supplement everything in the pill form and call the diet a healthy one. It doesn't have anything (and not as well absorbed) in the plants. It will create sugar addicted junkie from young years.

[@angelalujan8154]

@@J0lker I never mentioned supplementing EVERYTHING with a pill. I'm not big on synthetic vitamins. There are other ways to make sure kids get enough iron, calcium, vitamin C, zinc, etc etc. Plant foods are high in vitamins needed. The B6 and B12 would need to be supplemented though since there is no meat in the diet. Your hypothesis is highly unlikely. If the kids are being fed a whole foods/ plant heavy diet...it is unlikely they would become sugar addicts. However, you are entitled to your own opinion.

[@J0lker]

​@@angelalujan8154 The problem is you can't eat a perfect diet eating only plants. Vitamin D? Omega 3? Iron Calcium Zinc? Also remember that if a plant food contains those the absorption is highly doubtful. Just like with plants protein. Not mentioning the omega 6:3 ratio which is screwed. But sure, let's keep on repeating the vegan diet is a healthy diet.

[@carmay3600]

Angela there are adults who have been vegan for over 10 years deciding that the vegan diet has not been good for them. They complain of bone and tooth loss, muscle weakness, mental decline, digestive problems, diarrhea, depression and all around basic malnutrition. Why would anyone want to place any of that on their children? Children need a balanced diet of good fat, vegetables and protein.

[@marylovesshires1002]

I want to raise my future kids as vegans, but i'm worried if this will affect their development and growth, I read that the Dutch are tall and strong because of their diet which consists of a lot of cheese, dairy, meats, etc, I also want my kids to be tall and strong but I also want to teach them to be vegan and respect animals

[@QueenLaQueefa]

Don’t go vegan. U will run into deficiencies. No plant has b12. B12 can deficiencies can lead to severe anemia and death. Synthetic b12 supplements have a low absorption rate of about 50%...if u double the dose even less is absorbed. No plant has taurine, a vital nutrient for brain health. No plant has heme iron. Plant iron has an absorption rate of 5%...heme is around 35%. A pound of beans will not have the nutrients a handful of quality meat has.

[@jessa5388]

The Dutch are tall because of their genes lol. The French eat tons of dairy and they're still short because of their genes. Starvation will stunt growth but people with adequate nutrition can still be shorter and healthy

[@infini_ryu9461]

Stop. You're going to stunt their growth for years to come. The Dutch are just genetically taller than most, but their nutrient dense diet allows it to occur. Some people can last a while on the diet due to genetics, but eventually it will hit them, too. It is impossible at present to account for the lack of nutrients using modern medicine. People can take supplements and still wind up with various diseases on Veganism. The Dietetics Association was founded by extremist vegetarian Christians. The paper saying Veganism was adequate for all stages of life was made by 3 vegans. There is a clear conflict of interest. They didn't even do any research on the lack of EPA/DHA in Vegan children, they just hand waved it away. Fat soluble vitamins are going to be almost completely barren from their diet when they need it most. Once their stores run out it's downhil from there. The human body is very limited in what it can do with plants and plant nutrients. In order to convert plant nutrients into animal nutrients you need to induce bile acid into the small intestine, and that is exceedingly difficult on the Vegan diet, nvm the efficiency is low and many are locked behind Fibre. You couldn't even consume enough plants to get everything you need. Humans aren't designed for them. We have intestine volumes similar to cats and dogs.

[@rachhh_xoxo]

Simple. Do you care more about your children or animals?

[@charlesfuller2998]

It’s fine. I was raised vegan and so were my kids. I wrestled at a Olympic level and so are my kids now. No growth stunted. My son is jacked also. Constantly beats people who eat meat in the Mat

[@J0lker]

Great video. This way of eating doesn't provide anything that human needs BUT if you supplement everything then it's super healthy! Congrats, no logic. Stop promoting such unhealthy BS.

[@Greens.crossing]

Early❤️⚡️

[@radhikab83]

Stupidity.... Cow's milk(A2) is very important.. You may skip the Meat, eggs, fish.... But what's life without milk? I want to know how the cholesterol and ultimately hormone levels are of vegan adults?

[@animalrights777]

the only milk we need is our mothers. we don't need to breastfeed from other species, thats ridiculous

[@theantiveganchannel3596]

@@animalrights777 animal have no rights.. btw a federal judge all ready ruled on this matter in the Naruto v. Slater (PETA) case that was the second federal case loss peta had in regards to such. also go get help for your mentaI iIIness humans can't even Physically digest plants ... if you think i'm wrong please tell me where the physical 4 chamber or cecum is (remember to note that cecum animals eat their own poo)

[@infini_ryu9461]

Cow's milk is not important. Milk is actually not as nutritious as many seem to believe because milk runs under the assumption said consumer has large reserves(The baby gets a reserve from their mother), hence it's good for a few things that need to replenish daily or weekly but not so for others. Vegans only last so long on this principle, they have large reserves from when they consumed animal products but evenly those will run dry, and they always do. Vegans claiming to be doing it for 50 yrs are all liars or cheaters. Meat and animal fat from large ruminant animals is the natural diet of human beings. This has been proven unequivocally and will provide every nutrient the human body will ever need. Many human cultures have been doing it intergenerationally for thousands of years(Inuits, Maasai, etc.) Man-made fruit and vegetables are completely unnecessary.

[@theantiveganchannel3596]

@@infini_ryu9461 it has nothing because the vitamins are cooked away RAW milk is much better why do you think they made it illegal is 47 or 48 states...

[@infini_ryu9461]

@@theantiveganchannel3596 They made it illegal because they're anal about pathogens, even though most food poisoning comes from plant produce. If you want to argue raw milk is more nutritios than pasteurized milk, that's fine, but milk straight from the breast cannot be a complete profile of nutrients in those quantities otherwise it would kill the mother. lol So whatever argument for raw milk being better is still marginal and doesn't disprove anything I said.

[@cgriff1489]

Incredible how they frame it initially as "vegan diet bad for baby" and then end it with "do your research". Plant based is beyond healthy for a child if you're smart and not neglecting your Childs nutrition, and I would say the same about an omnivore diet. I would argue most vegan children are far healthier than non vegan children given the mountains of processed crap, both animal and plant based, kids are fed these days.

[@sashasg11]

Im fine with veganism bt not for babies and children, great for adults but children should only be allowed to go max vegetarian so they get ethical dairy \ eggs.

[@williamshanks8959]

If it is bad for kids than why is it OK for adults? Can u explain why?

[@funnyworld9609]

.

[@dgtalmjaydean]

no dead beings for a growing child. we do not want our loved ones consuming out of cruelty drepression and living beings that went through traumatizing process of the animal industry. consume by doubling or triple times plant based food is perfect

[@baconcraving3259]

When you eat your plants, remember billions of animals died to get it to your plate. You're no more vegan than me when Im eating a grassfed steak.

[@othmanshah9949]

....

[@jusmecatalina]

I personally don't like my peds pushing cow's milk on my child.

[@melt7891]

I gave my children goat’s milk as it’s much easier on the digestive system.

[@gmnotyet]

We've consumed cow's milk for 1000s of years.

[@jusmecatalina]

@@gmnotyet it depends on who "we" is. Cows are not native to all countries.

[@theantiveganchannel3596]

@@jusmecatalina Sorry humans don't even have the Physical digestive system for plants if you can Show me where the fermentation 4 chamber is or cecum (btw cecum animals eat their own poo)... you do know animals get killed still so you can have [insert your favorite plant here] [ your car ] [your home ] veganism is fake lady.... 100% health scam ... also when you "fast" or "fasting" you're consuming your own animal meat saturated animal fat cholesterol and muscle mass... everything vegans claim to be "unhealthy" this is exactly the point of vegans having a mentaI iIIness

[@J0lker]

@@gmnotyet but not in this unnatural form- it's all without bacteria it's basically a sugar juice with some protein. I don't think current market cow's milk is healthy.

[@tonyfauci9963]

The baby can survive, but animal products are just the best most nutritious foods possible

[@infini_ryu9461]

Survive? Maybe. Thrive? Never. Artificial nutrients are so worthless for many people in the world who are unable to absorb them properly or at all and there is no way to tell until it is too late. Humans are hypercarnivores that lack any dedicated fermentation chamber in their colon to be proper hindgut fermenters like our primate cousins. To feed a cat a vegan diet using supplements is animal abuse and to feed a human child a vegan diet is child abuse, plain and simple. We will never be herbivores for so long as we are human.

[@charlesfuller2998]

Not true what so ever

[@tonyfauci9963]

@@charlesfuller2998 then what is the most nutrient dense food? What aside from animal products provides micronutrients, proteins, fat and essential vitamins, to the degree animal products do? You say “not true whatsoever” without proving it, and it is not even a debate . Just google it. I’d love to see what you say. Kale? Tofu? Blueberries? Almonds? Avocado? All great food but not very sustainable . Look up the vitamins and nutritional content of just simply chicken breast. Not to mention oysters, fish, bone broth, eggs, raw milk, organs etc etc..

[@charlesfuller2998]

@@tonyfauci9963 there’s junk food that has large amounts of nutrition. Your view of health and food is skewed. Just because something is nutrient dense doesn’t means it’s always good. Some Motor oil have carbs fats and proteins a with vitamins. Should we drink motor oil? Look up the cholesterol and sat fat in all those foods you listed.

[@QueenLaQueefa]

@@tonyfauci9963 don’t bother with the vegans. They’re delusional. A handful of beans doesn’t have the nutrition of bioavailability as a handful of quality meats especially organs. Organs are the one if the most dense superfoods .

[@tarheelking2515]

This is clearly child abuse

[@J0lker]

and the consequences will be the child's rest of life- growing up is super important to being healthy in the rest of the life.

[@cloro1238]

Bullshit, raising your child with a nutritionally optimal diet which allows them to make an informed decision when they are old enough if they want to eat corpses. Not child abuse at all.

[@J0lker]

@@cloro1238 yeah bla bla keep on repeating this pseudo science while in real you cannot eat OPTIMAL DIET eating only plants. You're so detached from your true human it's amazing, please just spread your misinformation somewhere else.

[@charlesfuller2998]

Lol but not animal abuse ? Stfu

[@Sssssssslf]

😂😂😂🤦🏼‍♀️

[@EnchantedSmellyWolf]

This a made up trend that makes no sense. We are omnivore special. Balance is thr key. You got to have some meat for more energy.

[@MeghanBrowning-cy3tm]

This is child abuse!