On this blog I try not to make a huge point of my veganism, yes it is in the name of the blog, but that does not mean that I want to push it on any of my readers, I merely would like to provide a source of information for those who choose a similar life styles while still providing useful content for those who simply like to run. However today I plan to make a slight exception to that rule in order to bring an important piece of information to the attention of the vegetarians out there who read my blog, specifically the dietary deficiencies that may result from eating a non-meat diet while continuing to consume dairy products. 

While most people think of dairy as an important source of nutritional it can in fact be responsible for iron deficiencies in those who daily consume dairy products, especially milk since in its unprocessed for it is more readily metabolized. In 2002 the medical director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Community Health Center, Dr. Louis Kazal wrote:

"In infants, the introduction of cow's milk in the first year of life is the greatest dietary risk factor for the development of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. Cow's milk is low in iron, and its iron is poorly absorbed. In addition, it decreases the absorption of iron from other dietary sources. Therefore, the strict avoidance of cow's milk in the first 12 months of life is essential in preventing iron deficiency anemia..."   

While the affects of cow's milk are most dangerous for young children there is also a risk to those of us in later stages of life, especially athlete who require proper levels of iron to perform well and vegetarians who are not getting extra iron through red meat to compensate for the iron lost through consuming milk. In 2008 the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine released a statement explaining the process by which dairy leeches iron and advocated for a vegan lifestyle as a solution to dietary anaemia.

"The vitamin C in vegetables and fruits enhances iron absorption, especially when eaten together with an iron-rich food... Few people are aware that cow's milk is very low in iron and can induce a mild, chronic blood loss in the digestive tract, which can reduce iron and cause an increased risk of anaemia."