BABY ALLEGEDLY FED RAW VEGAN DIET, ALLEGEDLY DIED FROM MALNUTRITION
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>From The Scotsman - UK
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/health.cfm?id=108668
The third child of Garabet Manuelyan, 45, and his wife Hasmik, 44,
became a victim of her parents' obsession with "Natural Hygiene", a
lifestyle regime that shuns all drugs, believing the body will heal
itself and thrive on a restricted diet of uncooked fruit and
vegetables.
Born in Armenia, the couple moved to Britain, where Areni was born and
placed on a diet to prevent the consumption of any harmful toxins. The
parents ignored the warnings of doctors, nutritionists and social
workers. Fearful of Areni's failing health, the couple moved to a
Spanish vegan commune in the belief that additional vitamin D from the
sunshine would cure her, however in July they returned to see an
alternative medicine specialist in Harley Street. The child was 11lb,
5lb under the weight of a typical healthy girl of that age, and the
doctor insisted they took her to a hospital. The couple, incredibly,
said they would think about it, but the next morning Areni was dead.
In the court case, which ended last week, their solicitor insisted they
had researched the diet carefully, but had read misleading studies and
unsafe literature.
The Vegan Society, along with the government, advocates breast milk as
the healthiest option; however, Areni Manuelyan's mother was herself
suffering from a poor diet and her milk lacked necessary nutrients.
Although the society insists a well planned diet can be healthy,
independent researchers say some vegans and vegetarians can lack
necessary nutrients such as B vitamins and iron.
Calcium deficiencies are also common, as the vegetables that contain
calcium do so in lesser quantities. Protein can also be a problem.
Nutritionists say protein should make up at least 15 per cent of our
daily diets, and although protein can be found in soya, tofu, nuts and
cereals, it is of a different quality than from animal sources.
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>From The Times - UK
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001241679,00.html
A baby girl died of severe malnutrition after being fed a fruit-only
diet. The parents of Areni Manuelyan, who was nine months old, admitted
a charge of child cruelty when they appeared at the Old Bailey
yesterday.
Garebet Manuelyan, 45, and his wife, Hasmik, 44, were accused of
killing Areni after she died in July last year of a chest infection
brought on by malnutrition.
The Armenian couple, who live in Staines, Surrey, allegedly made their
child live under a strict dietary regime comprising only uncooked
fruit.
A fruitarian diet has been growing in popularity in recent years as a
more extreme offshoot of veganism.
Doctors have expressed fears that a strict diet of fruit fails to
provide carbohydrates necessary for good health, such as contained in
brown rice or potatoes, and is low in protein and energy. A leading
exponent is the American David Wolfe who recommends that he eats about
80-90 per cent of fruit of all different varieties. He claims to have
gone three months on a diet of 100 per cent fruit without ill-effect.
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Dr. Bernarr
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