Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/-I3_f7U00RU   The Impossible Burger, Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage, and Tyson’s Raised and Rooted Chicken Nuggets are all the rage.  Besides the debate about the taste and the genetically-engineered content of these plant-based products compared with the meats they replace, a UK nutritionist sounds the alarm in the British Medical Journal that exclusive use of meatless foods threatens a choline deficiency that could cause brain damage.   Choline is an essential brain-building nutrient that our bodies cannot synthesize in sufficient quantities, and most of us obtain it from meat and fish.  It is necessary for brain health and particularly critical for the developing fetal brain.  The minimum daily intake is 425 mg for women, 550 mg for men, and 450-550 mg for pregnant and breastfeeding women.   Pregnant women should avoid plant-based meat and fish fakes in order to maintain a healthy choline intake.  They and those of us who do use the plant-based products can boost our choline in