I have to correct an erroneous statement mad by one of our members, that the foods fortified with vitamine b12 come from animal sources.

I did some web surfing, and this is what I found:

Origin of B12 in Supplements and Fortified Foods:

Streptomyces griseus, a bacterium once thought to be a yeast, was the commercial source of vitamin B12 for many years.8,9 The bacteria Propionibacterium shermanii and Pseudomonas denitrificans have now replaced S. griseus.10 At least one company, Rhone Poulenc Biochimie of France, is using a genetically engineered microorganism to produce B12.11.

Now I'm not that concerned about this anyway. Being a lacto-vegetarian (I eat dairy), I realize that some of the cheese I eat in restaurants has rennet which comes from cow intestine. My purpose in being vegetarian is to live in a way that I cause as little suffering as possible within practical limits. I don't wear a mask to stop bacteria from entering my mouth like many Jains do.

As I have asserted before, longevity is a good indicator of a health benefit. If a dietary choice adds a year or two to one's life, it is unlikely that it would make people weaker or think less clearly.

It wouldn't surprise me if not everyone on the star athlete list of vegetarians wasn't vegetarian every year of their life or that one or two would have a health problem. I don't even think that being vegetarian gives an athlete an edge. Most of the greatest athletes of all time were omnivores. But there are athletes in the top of their field who have chosen to be vegetarian and haven't suffered from decreased performance. Just like vegetarians need to be careful to get certain nutrients. Meat eaters, who have a propensity to get much more protein and fat than necessary, need to be extra careful to get foods with anti-oxidant vitamins. Most research I have heard about indicates that those who take anti-oxidant vitamin supplements don't receive any benefits, that the anti-oxidants must come from food sources.

As a musician, I have chosen a good vibes profession. I live to make others feel better. I think that the vegetarian diet is a good vibes diet. I spare many animals the pain of slavery and violent death. I leave life sustaining resources for my fellow earthlings to benefit from. I believe in "Live simply so that others may simply live."

Beakybird