Plant-based - PB Nutrition

27/11/2023

A recent review of different countries' health authorities on vegan diets for infants and children highlights the conflicting views. (Table #1 provides a good summary.) Note all that say a vegan diet can be adequate emphasise that the diet needs to be well-planned, supplemented appropriately and it is generally stressed that assistance is sought from a suitably-qualified health professional. I agree with this!

The scientific discourse on vegan diets for children and adolescents primarily involves referencing position statement papers from different scientific and professional organizations, including paediatric associations. Over the past two decades, specialized associations have issued official statemen...

27/11/2023

This video introduces Dr Amanda Benham, a plant-based dietitian based in Australia who has been vegan for over 40 years.

28/09/2022

In-office consultations are back in Brisbane! Dr Amanda Benham is now available for consultations in Red Hill, Brisbane, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. More info and booking link:

I provide evidence-based nutritional and dietary advice based on up-to-date scientific research and decades of experience. Consultations are available in-office (inner Brisbane) or via tele-health (online video or phone) for people living anywhere in Australia and New Zealand. Click below to have yo...

17/06/2021

There are many different vitamin B12 supplements, and choosing one can be confusing. There are 5 decisions to be made. The first three are:⁠
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1. The physical form of the supplement:⁠
Oral supplements can be tablets, lozenges or liquids (eg sprays) and all have found to be effective. Injections are generally unnecessary (1) and not recommended for prevention of deficiency.⁠
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2. The formulation: ⁠
Some other nutrients that can be present in multi-nutrient supplements (including vitamin C, thiamine and copper) can inactivate vitamin B12, rendering the supplement ineffective (2). Therefore we recommend taking a single-nutrient vitamin B12 supplement.⁠
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3. The form of vitamin B12:⁠
Vitamin B12 exists in several chemical forms. The forms that are used in our bodies are adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin, but these may not be very stable in supplement form, which would decrease their effectiveness. The cyanocobalamin form of B12 is the most widely studied and has proven to be able to be converted to both methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin in the body, is stable in supplement form and can prevent and reverse deficiency (3). ⁠For this reason it is the form generally recommended by evidence-based health professionals and researchers.⁠
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(1) Kuzminski, A. M., Del Giacco, E. J., Allen, R. H., Stabler, S. P., & Lindenbaum, J. (1998). Effective treatment of cobalamin deficiency with oral cobalamin. Blood, 92(4), 1191-1198. Retrieved from http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/bloodjournal/92/4/1191.full.pdf⁠
(2) Kondo, H., Binder, M. J., Kolhouse, J. F., Smythe, W. R., Podell, E. R., & Allen, R. H. (1982). Presence and formation of cobalamin analogues in multivitamin-mineral pills. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 70(4), 889-898. ⁠
(3) Thakkar, K., & Billa, G. (2015). Treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency-methylcobalamine? Cyancobalamine? Hydroxocobalamin?-clearing the confusion. Eur J Clin Nutr, 69(1), 1-2.

15/05/2021

Just posting to let people know that we have created a FREE course in vegan nutrition on Instagram. It’s and starts with the post “PB Nutrition course starts here now”. (Best to start reading from the beginning!) Follow to get 3 posts per week covering micronutrients, macronutrients, supplements, meal planning etc etc. Created by Dr Amanda Benham, a vegan Accredited Practising Dietitian with almost 30 years of specialising in plant-based nutrition.

16/04/2021

After seeing thousands of clients seeking help with their diet and nutritional health, I have no doubt that the three aspects of people’s diet that most commonly need attention are:⁠
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1. Micronutrient intake⁠
There are 30 essential micronutrients and it is not uncommon for unplanned or poorly planned eating patterns to contain insufficient amounts. If we don’t get enough of one or more micronutrients, sooner or later a deficiency will develop, resulting in negative health consequences. Later in this course we’ll outline the essential micronutrients most commonly overlooked or under-consumed and describe ways of ensuring an adequate intake.⁠
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2. Macronutrient intake⁠
The macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate) are available from various sources and in various forms, and poor choices can contribute to poor health. ⁠
Later in this course we’ll look at the pros and cons of getting protein and fats from animal vs plant sources and why some sources of fats and carbohydrates from plants are better than others. ⁠
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3. Intake of colourful vegetables⁠
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Green and other colourful vegetables are important sources of essential and beneficial nutrients yet few people (even many vegans) consume anywhere near enough of them. The recommended intake of vegetables in Australia is 5-6 serves per day for adults, yet the Australian Bureau of Statistics national Health Survey of 2017-18 revealed that only 7.5 % of adults met this recommendation, with the mean intake of vegetables amongst adults being less than is recommended for a two-year old! A survey I conducted of over 1500 women on a vegan diet in Australia (results soon to be published) found that even amongst vegans, only a third met this recommended intake of vegetables. This is concerning because arguably, people on a vegan or other plant-based diet should eat MORE vegetables than the amount recommended for the general population. ⁠
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The take home message is to pay attention to macronutrients, choose macronutrient sources based on potential health consequences and eat more colourful vegetables!

14/04/2021

12/04/2021

Every. Single. One.⁠
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These healthy issues are not always caused solely by diet, but diet can be the sole cause or a contributing factor in all of them. ⁠
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Here's the list again: coronary heart disease, stroke, ⁠constipation, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer (some forms), dental caries, Type 2 diabetes, infertility, depression, anxiety, gallstones, liver problems, gout, underactive thyroid, recurrent infections, hair loss, dry skin, intellectual impairment, paralysis, poor wound healing, dark circles under eyes, brittle nails, dry hair, impotence, sore tongue, cracks on corner of mouth, brittle nails, kidney problems, headaches, insomnia, poor memory, osteoporosis, eye twitches, acne, fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, low IQ, blindness/vision problems, PMS, deafness/hearing problems, tinnitus, incontinence, oily skin, poor sense of smell, noise intolerance, muscle pain, stretch marks, dementia, tiredness/fatigue, sensitivity to cold, irregular menstruation, psychoses, bleeding gums, confusion, impaired reflexes, burning sensation in feet, swollen legs, loose teeth, fever, itchy red eyes, cracked lips, anaemia, atherosclerosis, bruising, painful joints, cracked heels, premature greying.⁠
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09/04/2021

What we eat has a huge impact on our well-being and health, both in the short and long-term. It affects both our quality and quantity of life, our productivity and how we feel and look too. Poor nutrition can have a negative impact on both physical and mental health.⁠
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Here are some quotes related to diet-related health issues in Australia: ⁠
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“Poor diet is responsible for over 50% of premature deaths in Australia.” (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2012)⁠
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“Unfortunately, diet-related chronic diseases are currently a major cause of death and disability among Australians… The major causes of death, illness and disability in which diet and nutrition play an important role include coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, atherosclerosis, obesity, some forms of cancer, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, dental caries, gall bladder disease, dementia and nutritional anaemias.” ⁠
(National Health & Medical Research Council, 2015)⁠
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Here at PB Nutrition we want everyone to feel and be their healthy best and thrive... on plants!⁠
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07/04/2021

There are 3 main reasons why so many people are adopting plant-based diets: For many, it is because they have realised that consuming animals and animal products is unnecessary and causes suffering and death to animals. They have decided they want no part of the animal exploitation industries and withdraw their support by avoiding consuming animal products. ⁠
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For others, finding out how unsustainable and damaging animal farming is to the environment (including land degradation, water use, fossil fuel use, pollution, climate change etc) compared to growing plants for food, results in them moving to a plant-based diet to help minimise their negative impact on the environment.⁠
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And finally, as more research emerges on the potential health benefits of consuming plants rather than animals and animal products, many people are embracing plant-based eating because they want to feel good and live long and healthy lives. The evidence that eating a healthy plant-based diet can not only help prevent but in many cases even reverse chronic diseases such as heart disease , diabetes, obesity etc has motivated many to explore plant-based eating as a way of addressing these debilitating health conditions.⁠
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There are other reasons that people become interested in plant-based eating, and whatever your reason, we want to assist you to gain a sound understanding of how to help ensure you experience the benefits of plant-based eating and avoid any potential negative⁠ consequences. ⁠
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What motivates YOU to eat plant-based?⁠
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05/04/2021

As you can see, this course is divided into 5 modules, designed to provide the important information needed to understand the principles of plant-based nutrition, so that by the end of it you will have the knowledge you need to recognise and plan a HEALTHY plant-based diet.⁠ ⁠
Tag any friends you know who might be interested in learning more about plant-based nutrition!⁠
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02/04/2021

As promised, we've created a course in plant-based nutrition to deliver free on Instagram. It's designed to help anyone interested in plant-based eating to have a better understanding of the basics of healthy plant-based eating. It's NOT designed to qualify you as a plant-based health practitioner (as that takes years of full-time study) but it WILL help you have a better understanding of plant-based nutrition and help you to improve your own eating pattern. ⁠
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The course was created by Dr Amanda Benham who is an Australian Accredited Practising Dietitian with a PhD in nutrition from Queensland University of Technology. Amanda has been helping people adopt healthy plant-based eating patterns for 30 years. She is also a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and a fully qualified Paediatric dietitian. ⁠
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Course content starts Monday!⁠
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31/03/2021

There is lots of debate out there about soy and whether it’s good or bad for us and how much we should be eating. Given this, we have decided to create a FREE factsheet which debunks some myths about soy. The factsheet can be found on our website under the ‘Free Downloads‘ section. The link is in our bio.⁠
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29/03/2021

We all know that there’s more to being healthy than the number on the scales. However, science tells us that carrying too much weight or being too underweight can negatively affect our health and wellbeing. Whether you’d like to lose or gain weight, we have some tips on how you can do this in the ‘Free Downloads’ section on our website. The link is in our bio.⁠
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26/03/2021

We have created a FREE downloadable checklist for plant-based eaters to help ensure that they are getting enough vitamin B12. It is available through our website under the 'Free Downloads' section. Our website link is in our bio. ⁠
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There are 12 checkpoints and the goal is to be able to tick them all off! ⁠
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