Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Research

IQ in childhood and vegetarianism in adulthood: 1970 British cohort study

BMJ 2007; 334 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39030.675069.55 (Published 01 February 2007) Cite this as: BMJ 2007;334:245

Rapid Response:

Diet Effects IQ

I once viewed a comparitive MRI cross-section of a vegetarian and a
meat-and-potato-fast-food diets. The vegetarian cross section showed open
vessels and lean muscle mass while the non-vegetarian demonstrated fat-
marbled muscle mass and associated fatty-lined vessels. Circulation of
blood appears to be necessary for growth progress of intelligence peak.

Intelligence potential is directly correlated with healthy blood
circulation inversely related to chronic dietary protocols associated with
high-normal blood pressure, and are inversely related to stroke and
ischemic heart disease. The vegetarian diet appears to generate blood
circulatory health that may permit intelligence quotient to reach maximum
potential.

Ophir et al. (1983) concluded that the protective antihypertensive
factor in the vegetarian diet is the presence of high amounts of
potassium. Ninety-eight (98) confirmed adult vegetarians were examined
against a matched group of nonvegetarians living in the same urban
environment in order to evaluate the prevalence of arterial hypertension.
The average blood pressure was 126/77 for the vegetarians and 147/88 for
the control group (p less than 0.05). Significantly lower blood pressure
was found in every decade of age. Only 2% of the vegetarians had
hypertension (higher than 160/95) as compared to 26% hypertensives in the
nonvegetarians. These differences in blood pressure were maintained also
when individuals with the same "relative weight" were compared. Family
history of hypertension was similar in both groups.

Joshipura (1999) examined the dietary habits of 75,596 women aged 34
through to 59 for 14 years and 38,683 men aged 40 through to 75 for nine
years. Eating five to six servings of fruit (or vegetables) daily was
found to lower the risk of stroke risk by 30% in middle-aged people.
Subjects who consumed five to six daily servings of fruit or vegetables
had 30% less chance of experiencing a stroke compared to those who ate two
and a half to three servings a day. Eating more than six daily servings
provided no additional protection, but eating just one extra serving of
fruit or vegetables daily reduced stroke risk by 6 percent. Cruciferous
vegetables, green leafy vegetables and citrus juice provided the most
protection.

Ovesen (2005) associates an increased intake of about 800 g per day
vegetables (and fruit) with a 20% reduced risk of developing ischemic
heart disease and concluded that an increased intake of a mix of fruits
and vegetable reduces the risk of IHD.

The MRI cross section reference may therefore present a dramatic
"picture" of how diet choices effect blood circulation and the potential
gain of or deterioration in the progress for realizing optimal
intelligence quotient.

References

Ophir, O., et al. Low blood pressure in vegetarians: The possible
role of potassium. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37(5):755-762,
1983.

Joshipura K. Journal of the American Medical Association.
292(13):1233-1239, 1999.

Ovesen LF. [Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces
the risk of ischemic heart disease.] Ugeskr Laeger. 167(25-31):2742-2747,
2005.

Bill Misner, Ph.D.
AAMA Board Certified Alternative Medicine Practitioner

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

06 January 2007
Bill D. Misner Ph.D.
Nutrition Consultant
Spokane, WA USA 99205