Dutch nutrition center calls Green Happiness diet "dangerous"

The Green Happiness diet - a plant-based diet without meat, fish and gluten - has serious shortages that can cause irreparable damage, a spokesperson for the Dutch Nutrition Center said to BNR. "The most important is the amount of proteins in the daily menus the prescribe, which is very low", the spokesperson said. "Much lower than what a normal adult needs. If you eat too little protein for an extended period, your bod breaks down muscle tissue. Weakened muscles and reduced resistance may result." Other problems include a lack of calcium, which is necessary for bone formation. And the fact that a vitamin B12 supplement is not recommended. B12 only appears in animal products. The two dieticians behind the diet, Tessa Moorman and Merel von Carlsberg, had a meeting with the Dutch association of dieticians NVD on Tuesday following this critique, bu they cancelled it, according to RTL Nieuws. An email the NVD sent to its members states that the meeting was postponed "because Tessa and Merel take all criticism from the media very seriously and would like to prepare for the Meeting with the NVD, for which they need more time." The meeting will happen next week, according to the email.