Come visit The Vegetarian Resource Group/Vegan Journal booth at the Rhode Island VegFest on Saturday and Sunday, February 3 and 4, 2024, 12 PM to 5 PM. VIP tickets available for 11 AM admittance.
Location is WaterFire Arts Center in Providence.
For details, go to https://www.rivegfest.com/2024

Cajun Chick’n Nuggets photo by Rissa Miller

In a previous issue of Vegan Journal Chef Jay Staten shares vegan recipes that can be made using an air fryer. But don’t worry, if you don’t own an air fryer, he also includes oven directions. Enjoy preparing Crispy Broccoli, Vegan BBQ Ribz, Jay’s Black Bean Burgers, Maryland Seasoned Fries, and Cajun Chick’n Nuggets.

Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue2/2022_issue2_air_fryer.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Lemongrass Soup

If you visit Spice and Dice in Towson, Maryland north of Baltimore, be sure to request their extensive separate veggie menu. We greatly enjoyed their crispy eggplant salad and lemongrass soup. We also sampled several curries.

Crispy Eggplant Salad

For more information see: https://www.spiceanddice.com/

To see VRG’s online veggie restaurant guide for the USA and Canada, go to https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

photo from American Heart Association News

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The Portfolio Diet is a vegan or near-vegan diet that contains foods and nutrients known to lower blood cholesterol levels. It includes plant protein from legumes, particularly from soy; a type of fiber called viscous fiber which is found in foods such as oats, barley, eggplant, okra, apples, berries, and psyllium; plant sterols from fortified foods or supplements; nuts; and plant sources of monounsaturated fats such as avocado and olive, canola, and soy oils. This diet has been used successfully in randomized controlled studies to lower blood total and LDL cholesterol (1, 2). For example, in one study subjects following the Portfolio Diet had a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels that, for many participants, was similar to what would be expected with statins (a type of medication that lowers blood lipid levels) (3). These good results were seen even in subjects who were already eating a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet before the study started. These positive results were seen in relatively short-term studies, with the longest lasting 6 months.

Recently, researchers set out to examine long-term adherence to a Portfolio Diet and see if this offered benefits (4). They did this by looking at the diets of more than 160,000 women and more than 40,000 men who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Study subjects’ reported diets were scored for the amount of plant protein (legumes), nuts and seeds, viscous fiber sources, phytosterols, and plant monounsaturated fat sources. The more of these foods that were eaten, the higher the Portfolio Diet Score was.

After as much of 30 years of follow-up, participants with a higher Portfolio Diet Score had a 14% lower risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke compared to those with lower scores (4). It’s important to note that these results were seen in people who were eating more of the foods that are included in a Portfolio Diet but were not, strictly speaking, following a Portfolio Diet, nor were they vegan.

The researchers noted that only small amounts of some foods recommended in the Portfolio diet were eaten, even in the group with the highest Portfolio Diet Score. This suggests that even partially adopting the Portfolio Diet pattern is beneficial. It’s likely that even greater benefits would be seen in those who adhere more closely to the Portfolio Diet.

References

1. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Faulkner D, et al. A dietary portfolio approach to cholesterol reduction: combined effects of plant sterols, vegetable proteins, and viscous fibers in hypercholesterolemia. Metabolism. 2002;51:1596-1604.
2. Jenkins DJ, Chiavaroli L, Wong JM, et al. Adding monounsaturated fatty acids to a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia. CMAJ. 2010;182:1961-1967.
3. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, et al. Effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods vs lovastatin on serum lipids and C-reactive protein. JAMA. 2003;290:502-510.
4. Glenn AJ, Guasch-Ferré M, Malik VS, et al. Portfolio Diet Score and risk of cardiovascular disease: Findings from 3 prospective cohort studies. Circulation. 2023;148:1750-1763.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

For those of us who are experiencing cold winter months right now, warm beverages are a must early in the morning. Below are two hot drinks you can prepare quickly in your microwave. These recipe are from Vegan Microwave Cookbook, by Chef Nancy Berkoff. You can purchase this creative cookbook from The Vegetarian Resource Group in the USA only: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
(Serves 4)

1 quart soy or rice milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate powder (about 4 Tablespoons)
¼ cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a 2-quart container or bowl and stir. Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes or until hot. Stir and serve.

Moscow Tea
(Serves 3)

1 teaspoon orange juice concentrate
½ teaspoon organic sugar
2 Tablespoons instant tea (powdered)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups water

In a small cup mix together all the ingredients except the water. Stir well to combine and set aside. Place water in a large container or 2-quart casserole and boil. (This should take 3-4 minutes, depending on your microwave.) Stir tea mixture into water until well blended. Pour into individual cups.

Nitrogen in manure from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is one of the major sources of water pollution. The major form that nitrogen takes when it is in water is as the ammonium ion (NH₄⁺).

In drain or window cleaner, liquid ammonia exists as an ammonium ion, too. However, when in contact with the air, ammonia gas (NH₃) forms. You know it by its choking fumes. Ammonia in gaseous form is a source of air pollution.

You may not know that ammonia generated from manure is also a leading source of particulate matter air pollution, commonly called PM_2.5 air pollution. Solid particles 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter, PM_2.5 pollution is a silent killer responsible for over four million deaths annually.

In this article, we examine the fate of CAFO ammonia. We focus on how ammonia contributes to PM_2.5 pollution in the air we breathe.

Where does ammonia come from?

Ammonia is formed in nature by microorganisms during their physical and chemical breakdown of organic matter (dead plants and animals). The amount of ammonia naturally present, usually in rainwater, from these processes is 1-5 parts per billion (ppb).

Ammonia is also a major industrial chemical synthesized from fossil gas. It is used to make numerous products including chemical fertilizers. As a fertilizer, ammonia or similar substances such as urea, are sprayed on farm fields or injected into soil.

Because of the great inefficiency – up to 80% – in the grain:meat conversion process as we detailed in a previous article, animals excrete waste products high in nitrogen. As microbes decompose the feces and urine, ammonia is released. In CAFOs, ammonia emanates from animal housing, manure lagoons, or the manure sprayed on fields, becoming an air contaminant.

In this article, we use the word manure as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) does: “…the combination of manure (i.e., the mixture of feces and urine), water directly or indirectly used in animal production activities…, and other wastes (e.g., hair, bedding, soil, feed) that are mixed with manure.”

Here is an infographic taken from the UK government website showing how ammonia cycles through the environment:

infographic taken from the UK government website

How much ammonia comes from agriculture in the United States?

According to the 2020 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) Report (under the 2020 NEI Updates tab at that link, slide #10), the total amount of ammonia generated from agricultural fertilizer increased 60% in 2020 over 2017 levels (1.8 million tons vs. 1.1 million tons).

This fertilizer is applied to all conventionally grown crops, the large majority of which is animal feed.

How much ammonia comes from livestock in the United States?

The Ohio State University Extension Service compiled USEPA statistics on ammonia release by various animals from 2004 in a pie chart depiction:

Here is a general overview of 2004 data arranged by USEPA showing a 71% contribution by livestock to national ammonia emissions. Note that an additional 14% is due to agricultural fertilizers, a comparatively smaller portion of which is used for crops consumed by humans. So, roughly 85% of all ammonia emissions in the U.S. in 2004 was derived from agriculture.

We located a 2004 USEPA document that projected livestock ammonia emissions through 2030. Here is a screenshot of that table:

We notice from this projections table that USEPA predicts ammonia emissions between 2020 to 2030 will increase for beef and poultry, stay roughly the same for dairy, and decrease for pigs.

How much does livestock contribute to ammonia emissions in other countries?

In 2016, animal agriculture was responsible for 88% of ammonia emissions in the United Kingdom.

You can see China information at: https://acp.copernicus.org/preprints/acp-2021-439/acp-2021-439.pdf

In China, ammonia emissions came from the sources depicted on the pie chart for 2016. Their breakdown is much more detailed. Ammonia emissions from all fertilizer-related, agricultural, and livestock sources is roughly 91%.

How does ammonia form PM_2.5 particle pollution?

Fine particle pollution PM2.5 forms by chemical reactions between gaseous ammonia and sulfuric or nitric acids. These two acids are derived from sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides (common air contaminants noted as SO_x and NO_x, mostly from gas- or diesel-powered vehicle exhaust or power plants). The reactions result in ammonium sulfate, ammonium bisulfate, and ammonium nitrate. These compounds exist in the solid state as extremely small yellow or white crystalline particle pollution in air.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Dairy Science found that ammonia from CAFOs is responsible for, on average, 5-11% of all PM2.5 pollution. The percentage varies widely with higher amounts in the vicinity of CAFOs or downwind from them. It’s also higher in cooler weather. In some areas at certain times of the year, it could be up to 20% of total PM2.5.

Does ammonia cause nitrous oxide to form?

Ammonia is used to manufacture nitric acid, a primary ingredient in fertilizers. That chemical transformation releases nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions.

Nitrous oxide – also used by dentists as laughing gas – is a potent greenhouse gas, contributing to the climate emergency. Most nitrous oxide emissions (74%) come from agricultural soil management which includes:

• Fertilizer application
• Cropping practices
• Manure management
• Burning of agricultural residues

A pie chart on N2O emissions from Inside Climate News based on 2017 data from USEPA can be seen at https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11092019/nitrous-oxide-climate-pollutant-explainer-greenhouse-gas-agriculture-livestock/

What are the health effects of PM_2.5 air pollution?

Fine particle pollution known as PM_2.5 can reach alveoli deep in the lungs. It may settle there or enter the bloodstream. The pollution particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and damage the central nervous system. Some of the human health effects associated with PM2.5 air pollution include:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Respiratory conditions
• Lung cancer
• Stroke
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Premature death
• Low birth weight

What can I do to reduce PM_2.5 air pollution caused by agriculture?

Experts say that the more cost-effective way of mitigating agricultural PM_2.5 pollution is to reduce ammonia emissions compared to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. Doing so will lower the number of premature deaths attributed to PM_2.5 and ease environmental harms. It will also go farther in achieving the goal of the Colombo Declaration: halving global nitrogen release by 2030.

So to reduce your personal contribution to agriculturally-produced ammonia, the most important step you can take is choosing a diet that doesn’t include any animal products. However, since all conventionally grown foods rely on some form of fertilizer, the use of which causes ammonia emissions, it will be impossible to eliminate your personal contribution to ammonia pollution completely.

Since the production of chemical fertilizers contributes to greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide) emissions, choosing food grown with natural instead of synthetic fertilizers is preferable. These are foods certified USDA Organic. Note that some natural fertilizers, such as fish meal, are not vegan.

If you grow your own food, or rely on a farmer practicing veganic agriculture, you can best ensure your fertilizer is vegan, optimally applied, and well-timed so as to minimize ammonia volatilization. Then there would be little to no ammonia emissions that could lead to the formation of PM_2.5 particle pollution.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

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Winter is a terrific time to roast veggies and fruit! An article titled Roasting Vegetables and Fruit by Debra Daniels-Zeller previously ran in Vegetarian Journal. It features vegan roasting recipes including Roasted Kale Chips, Roasted Roma Tomatoes, Simple Roasted Root Vegetables, Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Maple-Cinnamon Apples, Quinoa Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon-Dijon Sauce, Balsamic Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, and Orange Roasted Pineapple with Chocolate and Coconut Sorbet.

Find this article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue1/2015_issue1_roasting.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is an essential vitamin that plays important roles throughout our bodies where it supports the growth, development and function of body cells. It also is involved in turning the food we eat into energy to power our activities and in fat and protein metabolism. We need to get adequate amounts of riboflavin from foods and/or supplements to stay healthy.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for riboflavin is:

Birth to 6 months: 0.3 milligrams/day (this is the Adequate Intake rather than the RDA)

7-12 months: 0.4 milligrams/day (this is the Adequate Intake rather than the RDA)

1-3 years: 0.5 milligrams/day

4-8 years: 0.6 milligrams per day

9-13 years: 0.9 milligrams/day

14-18 years: 1.3 milligrams/day (male); 1 milligram/day (female)

19 years and older: 1.3 milligrams/day (male); 1.1 milligrams/day (female)

Pregnancy: 1.4 milligrams/day

Lactation: 1.6 milligrams/day

Many whole plant foods supply us with riboflavin.

12 Good Sources of Riboflavin for Vegans

1. Nutritional yeast, fortified, 9 milligrams of riboflavin in 2 heaping Tablespoons (varies by brand; check the product’s label)
2. Vegan breakfast cereals fortified with 100% of the Daily Value for riboflavin, 1.3 milligrams of riboflavin in a serving
3. Kale, 0.5 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup cooked
4. Fortified plant milk, 0.4 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup (varies by brand; check the product’s label)
5. Spinach, 0.4 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup cooked
6. Tempeh, 0.4 milligrams of riboflavin in a 3.5-ounce serving
7. Almonds, dry roasted or almond butter, 0.3 milligrams of riboflavin in 2 Tablespoons
8. Green peas, 0.2 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup
9. Collards, 0.2 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup, cooked
10. Quinoa, 0.2 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup, cooked
11. Edamame, 0.2 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 cup, cooked
12. Apple, 0.2 milligrams of riboflavin in 1 large apple

7 Fun Facts About Riboflavin

1. Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin so when foods are boiled in a large amount of water and the cooking liquid is discarded, much of the riboflavin in the food is lost. Steaming or microwaving foods helps to minimize riboflavin losses.
2. Very little riboflavin is stored in our bodies. When we take in more riboflavin than we need, either we don’t absorb the excess amount, or it is excreted in urine
3. Riboflavin is stable to heat which means that it is not lost when foods are cooked (except in the cooking water). In contrast, riboflavin is not stable when it is exposed to light so foods that supply riboflavin such as dairy milk and fortified plant milks are generally sold in opaque containers.
4. Riboflavin deficiency is very rare in the United States. Signs of a riboflavin deficiency include cracks or sores at the corner of the mouth and swollen and cracked lips. A riboflavin deficiency is diagnosed by testing blood and urine.
5. When whole grains are refined, B vitamins, including riboflavin, are removed. Some B vitamins, including riboflavin, are added back when grains are enriched. This should be indicated on the product label.
6. Riboflavin has a yellow color, so it is usually not added to enriched white rice because the yellow tinge is considered unattractive (1).
7. There is some evidence that riboflavin supplements can reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches in adults and children. Some, but not all, of the few small studies conducted to date have found evidence of a beneficial effect of riboflavin supplements on migraine headaches in adults and children (2).

References

1. Mangels R, Messina V, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets, 4^th ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023.
2. Holland S, Silberstein SD, Freitag F, et al. Evidence-based guideline update: NSAIDs and other complementary treatments for episodic migraine prevention in adults: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. Neurology. 2012;78:1346-1353.

To read more about riboflavin see Riboflavin Fact Sheet for Consumers (from National Institutes of Health; contains vegan and nonvegan sources of riboflavin)

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Are you searching for vegan “fish” alternatives? If so, here’s a list of some products you might want to try out. Many of these items are now sold in stores and online.

Akua Krab Cakes

Gardein Golden Frozen Fishless Filet

Gardein Mini Crispy Crabless Cakes

Good Catch Crab Cakes

Good Catch Fish Sticks

Good Catch Fish-Free Tuna Naked in Water

Good Catch Mediterranean Fish-Free Tuna   

Good Catch Olive Oil and Herbs Fish-Free Tuna

Good Catch Salmon Burgers

Jinka Tuna

Loma Linda Tuno in Three Varieties

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Fish

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Golden Fish Fillet

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Crab Steak

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Salmon

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Scallops

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Shrimp Ball

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Tuna

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Squid

Lily’s Vegan Pantry Vegan Lobster

Lily’s Vegan Panty Vegan Red Spot Shrimp

Mind Blown Coconut Shrimp

Mind Blown Crab Cakes

Mind Blown Dusted Shrimp

Save da Sea Salmon and Tuna Salad

Sophie’s Kitchen “Fish” Products