PEOPLE NOW HAVE ACCESS to scientific information like never before. However this surfeit of information often includes few details and more opinions, leading to faulty inferences and sensationalisation. Information relating to diet and food are often conflict-ing and create controversies. Now vegetarianism seems to be under the scanner. A recent study published by some Mumbai based researchers claims that vegetarians are at higher risk for developing coronary artery disease.

This is because vitamin B12, a vitamin found in animal foods only like dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, fish etc. helps keep Homocys-teine levels low. Homocysteine is an artery damaging amino acid. And its high proportion may cause coronary heart disease. Vegetarians, by that logic, have low vitamin B12 levels and there-fore are “at risk”. However, what the study does not tell you is that Ho-mocysteine levels are also sen-sitive to Riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Folate, found primarily in vegetables, fruits and nuts. Inadequate intake of these vi-tamins can raise Homocys-teine levels in blood. The title of the study seems to suggest that those who eat fruits and vegetables are at in-creased risk of devel-oping heart diseases, while non-vegetarians stand protected.

It is these unquali-fied claims that leave people confused. Firstly, when we over-simplify any “cause and effect” relationship, we lose perspective. Coronary artery disease is a multi-factorial disease: which means that there are several risk factors, which singly or together can increase risk of the disease. These include family history, smoking, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, high levels of Ho-mocysteine, lack of exercise, faulty diets etc.

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