Is Sensodyne Pronamel Vegetarian?

There's a new toothpaste product on the market called Sensodyne Pronamel which touts itself as a an especially effective way to counteract the demineralization caused from the consumption of acidic food and beverages.

But is it vegan or vegetarian? A quick look at their website--referenced in the link above--is not all that forthcoming. The FAQ section foregoes the usual part about ingredients and dietary issues and instead is primarily further advertisement of the benefits conferred by using their product.

To be fair, they do have a prominently placed link from which to contact them, but then they demand quite a bit of information. There is no kosher pareve or vegan/vegetarian symbol or note on the packaging of the toothpaste. So, it's fair to guess that the glycerin in the paste is animal sourced.

Which leads to the broader topic: the shifty nature of many food, drink, or other comestible companies in reporting the vegan or vegetarian status of their product. The demand is there from a sizable number of vegetarians, along with those with dietary restrictions on allergen or religious grounds. Yet companies to do not make a policy of stating vegetarian status--usually when their product is not vegetarian. If their product does not source from animals, they will readily label the packaging to make that clear. However, if they do use animals in the production, then they will hide this information.

Not only is that dishonorable, but it just makes being a vegetarian--much less a vegan--that much harder.



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History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:
The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel.

Vegetarian Sources of DHA Omega-3.

From reducing the risk of cardiac arrest or strokes, to supporting vision, to preventing dementia, the benefits of consuming omega-3s are extraordinarily numerous. One form of omega-3, the long-chain omega-3 called DHA (for docosahexaenoic acid), is particularly important as it is a primary component of properly functional brain cells. The brain is largely fat (lipids) and water, and much of that fat is DHA. A sign of its value, DHA is found in high quantities in human milk.

And yet the largest sources of DHA omega-3s are from fish. Many of the remainder sources are from non-vegetarian animal products. Even bovine milk, which many vegetarians find ethical to consume, does not have much DHA--higher intelligence is not such a pressing issue for cattle. Egg yolks have some DHA, but there are often ethical issues about egg consumption for vegetarians--barring ovovegetarians, of course. There are many cases of eggs actually being fertilized and unborn chicks being discovered from eggs bought from the supermarket.

The most useful natural source of vegan DHA seems to be from marine algae, which is where fish get their high DHA content (the fish consume the DHA and it builds up in their bodies as the fish grow, similar to mercury buildup except beneficial). However, the amount of seaweed that would have to be eaten per week would be enormous. Additionally, ALA omega-3, a short-chain omega-3, can be converted by the body into DHA, although the conversion factor can be a measly 2%. So to obtain a single gram of DHA, you would have to eat around 50 grams of ALA.

Yet again, having a properly tuned body is extremely difficult for a vegetarian. DHA is one of those vital nutrients that vegetarians often do not receive from their diets. To help vegetarians obtain a moderate amount of DHA, here are some vegetarian (lactovegetarian) sources of DHA:

• Silk Soy Milk with DHA (around 32mg per cup).
  
• Horizon Milk with DHA (around 32 mg per cup).
  
• DEVA marine algae derived DHA capsules (vegan, 200 mg per capsule).
  
• Martek DHA products (amounts vary).
  
• Flax Seed Oil (ALA, take into account conversion factor could be as low as 2%).
  

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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:

The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.

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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:
The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel.

Is Food from Hemp (Cannabis) Safe to Eat?

Recently came into possession of a carton of hemp milk (akin to soymilk), and wondered whether or not all these hemp products which have proliferated in recent years in the food industry are safe to eat--that is whether or not consuming hemp foods would be narcotic or addictive or both. So, scrounged around on the Internet, and here's a bit of what have found from respectable sources.

For a short answer, it seems that hemp or cannabis foods are safe, but depends on which strain of hemp/cannabis is used. What gives marijuana its narcotic attributes is the chemical THC. Canadians growing industrial hemp are required to prove to the government that their crop has low levels of THC.

Pro-hemp sites seem to be fond of touting how all of the G7 big, developed countries except for the United States have legalized hemp/cannabis farming (Germany, the UK, and Canada only relatively recently). However, in other developed states, such as Australia, cannabis/hemp cultivation is illegal.

Chiefly, hemp foods are safe because they consider only minute amounts of THC. The indica subspecies of Cannabis sativa (hemp) is used for drugs. Other varieties seem to have much lower levels of THC in them. Thus, foods made from these other strains of the plant would not be that much of a threat.

A diet rich in hemp foods supposedly would still not put enough THC into a human's system to register on a drug test.

A comparison is made with poppy seeds, which contain trace amounts of opiates, but are obviously not considered a narcotic.

However, as a human who is reluctant to consume too much chocolate for that food's mildly narcotic traits, personally would be even more reluctant to eat hemp foods. But if you are willing to load up on cocoa and poppyseeds, there's little reason for you to abstain from hemp foods. They aren't dangerous nor would they be considered to be particularly narcotic. And they are chock full of ALA omega-3 essential fatty acids.

--------
Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:

The Science Fiction Channel.

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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:
The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel.