This is an update of an article I published in 2011. I affirm that animal products are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat and that vegetarians and vegans are at risk for multiple nutrient deficiencies. I have included up-to-date research and expanded the list of nutrients that are often lacking in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Maybe you have considered going vegetarian or vegan for the health benefits. Or maybe you know someone who feels strongly about it as an ethical choice, and you wonder if they can really follow the diet in a healthy way. I respect these reasons and appreciate anyone who thinks deeply about the social and spiritual impact of their food choices—even if my own exploration of these questions has led me to a different answer.
But many choose a vegetarian diet because they’re under the impression that it’s a healthier choice from a nutritional perspective. It is this last reason that I’d like to address in this article. For the last 50-plus years, we’ve been told that meat, eggs, and animal fats are bad for us and that we’ll live longer and enjoy superior health if we minimize or avoid them. This idea has been so thoroughly drilled into our heads that few people even question it anymore. In fact, if you asked the average person on the street whether a vegetarian or vegan diet is healthier than an omnivorous diet, they’d probably say yes. But is this really true?
If You Want Nutrient-Dense Foods, You Need to Eat Animal Products
Plant-based diets emphasize vegetables, which are quite nutrient dense, and fruits, which are somewhat nutrient dense. They also typically include large amounts of cereal grains (refined and unrefined) and legumes, both of which are low in bioavailable nutrients and high in anti-nutrients like phytate. Most importantly, vegetarian and vegan diets eschew organ meats, other meats, and fish and shellfish, which are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. (1)
Followers of vegetarian and vegan diets, beware: You could be missing out on B12, iron, calcium, and other key nutrients. Is it time to rethink your diet plan and add meat back to your plate? Find out. #nutrientdensefoods #paleocure.
Vegan diets, in particular, are almost completely devoid of certain nutrients that are crucial for physiological function. Deficiencies can take months or years to develop, and many are easily missed because they are not routinely tested for in primary care settings. Several studies have shown that both vegetarians and vegans are prone to deficiencies in:
- Vitamin B12
- Calcium
- Iron
- Zinc
- Long-chain fatty acids EPA and DHA
- Fat-soluble vitamins like A and D
Let’s take a closer look at each of these nutrients.
Vegetarian and Vegan Diets Don’t Provide Enough Vitamin B12
B12 deficiency is especially common in vegetarians and vegans. To properly evaluate B12 status, total serum vitamin B12 isn’t enough. A better marker for vitamin B12 is holotranscobalamin II, the biologically active fragment, which should be measured along with total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid. Low B12 is correlated with low holotranscobalamin II, while homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are usually increased in later stages of vitamin B12 deficiency. (2) The most recent studies using more sensitive techniques for detecting B12 deficiency have found that up to 77 percent of vegetarians and 92 percent of vegans are B12 deficient, compared to just 11 percent of omnivores. (3, 4, 5)
Vitamin B12 works together with folate in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells. It’s also involved in the production of the myelin sheath around the nerves and the conduction of nerve impulses. B12 deficiency can cause numerous symptoms, including:
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Memory loss
- Neurological and psychiatric problems
- Anemia
- And much more …
It’s a common myth among vegetarians and vegans that it’s possible to get B12 from plant sources like:
- Seaweed
- Fermented soy
- Spirulina
- Brewer’s yeast
These plant foods don’t contain B12. They contain B12 analogs, called cobamides, that block the intake of—and increase the need for—true B12. (6) Researchers have identified purple laver nori (seaweed) as a plant source of bioavailable B12; however, it could contain high levels of cadmium and arsenic. (7, 8, 9, 10) More studies are needed, but there is a potentially serious problem with relying on purple laver nori for adequate B12.
If You’re Vegan, You Might Be Missing out on Calcium
You know that calcium is important for bone health, but did you know it’s essential for muscle and nerve function and that it’s involved in blood clotting? On paper, calcium intake is similar in vegetarians and omnivores (probably because both eat dairy products). Vegans, however, are often deficient. (11, 12, 13)
Calcium bioavailability from plant foods is affected by their levels of oxalate and phytate, which are inhibitors of calcium absorption and thus decrease the amount of calcium the body can extract from plant foods. (10) So while leafy greens like spinach and kale have a relatively high calcium content, the calcium is not efficiently absorbed during digestion.
One study suggests that it would take 16 servings of spinach to get the same amount of absorbable calcium as an eight-ounce glass of milk. (14) That would be 33 cups of baby spinach or around five or six cups of cooked spinach. There are a few vegetables listed in this paper that have higher levels of bioavailable calcium, but it’s important to note that all of the vegetables tested required multiple servings to achieve the same amount of usable calcium as one single serving of milk, cheese, or yogurt.
This suggests that trying to meet your daily calcium needs from plant foods alone might not be a great strategy. For those who don’t tolerate dairy well, fish with edible bones like sardines are great sources of calcium on a Paleo diet.
You’re Also More Likely to Be Iron-Deficient on a Plant-Based Diet
Vegetarians and omnivores often have similar levels of serum iron, but levels of ferritin—the long-term storage form of iron—are lower in vegetarians than in omnivores. (15, 16) This is significant, because ferritin depletion is the first stage of iron deficiency.
For example, this study of 75 vegan women in Germany found that 40 percent of them were iron deficient, despite average iron intakes that were above the recommended daily allowance. (17) Among Australian men, iron intake among vegetarians and vegans was 29 to 49 percent higher than omnivores, but their serum ferritin concentrations were barely half that of omnivores. (18) Despite similar iron intakes, another study published this year showed vegans and female vegetarians having low ferritin levels. (19)
Why would this be? As with calcium, the bioavailability of the iron in plant foods (nonheme iron) is much lower than in animal foods (heme iron). Plant-based forms of iron are also inhibited by other commonly consumed substances, such as:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Dairy products
- Supplemental fiber
- Supplemental calcium
This explains why vegetarian diets have been shown to reduce nonheme iron absorption by 70 percent and total iron absorption by 85 percent. (20, 21)
Red Meat, Fish, and Poultry Are Your Best Sources for Zinc
Zinc is important for the immune system, cell growth, and wound healing. You won’t usually see overt zinc deficiency in Western vegetarians, but their intake often falls below recommendations, probably because red meat, poultry, and fish are the best sources.
This is another case where bioavailability is important; many plant foods that contain zinc also contain phytate, which inhibits zinc absorption. Vegetarian diets tend to reduce zinc absorption by about 35 percent compared with an omnivorous diet. (22) Thus, even when the diet meets or exceeds the RDA for zinc, deficiency may still occur. (23) One study suggested that vegetarians may require up to 50 percent more zinc than omnivores for this reason. (24) A meta-analysis of 34 studies found that both zinc intakes and serum zinc concentrations were lower in vegetarians than non-vegetarians. (25)
You Might Be Missing out on the Benefits of Essential Fatty Acids
Plant foods do contain linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3), both of which are considered essential fatty acids. In this context, an essential fatty acid is one that can’t be synthesized by the body and must be obtained in the diet. However, an increasing body of research has highlighted the benefits of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These fatty acids play a protective and therapeutic role in a wide range of diseases: (26, 27)
- Cancer
- Asthma
- Depression
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- ADHD
- Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
While it is possible for some ALA from plant foods to be converted into EPA and DHA, that conversion is poor in humans: between 5 and 10 percent for EPA and 2 and 5 percent for DHA. (28)
Although no official recommendation exists, the daily suggested intake of combined DHA and EPA is around 250 to 500 mg. In theory, this means vegans and vegetarians would need to consume between five and 12.5 grams of ALA per day to obtain 250 mg of DHA. In reality, vegetarians and vegans consume merely 0.97 g/day and 0.86 g/day of ALA, respectively, according to a study of over 14,000 Americans. (29)
Vegetarians have 30 percent lower levels of EPA and DHA than omnivores, while vegans have 50 percent lower EPA and nearly 60 percent lower DHA. (30, 31) Moreover, the conversion of ALA to DHA depends on zinc, iron, selenium, and pyridoxine—nutrients that vegetarians and vegans are less likely than omnivores to get enough of. (32, 33, 34, 35) Eating 12 to 16 ounces of cold-water fatty fish per week remains the best way to get adequate EPA and DHA. The fish will also provide bioavailable protein and selenium.
Vitamins A and D: What You’re Missing
Fat-soluble vitamins play numerous and critical roles in human health. Vitamin A promotes healthy immune function, fertility, eyesight, and skin. Vitamin D regulates calcium metabolism, regulates immune function, reduces inflammation, and protects against some forms of cancer.
These important fat-soluble vitamins are concentrated, and in some cases found almost exclusively, in animal foods like:
- Seafood
- Organ meats
- Eggs
- Dairy products
Some obscure species of mushrooms can provide large amounts of vitamin D, but these mushrooms are rarely consumed and often difficult to obtain. This explains why vitamin D levels are often low in vegetarians and even lower in vegans. (36, 37, 38, 39)
The idea that plant foods contain vitamin A is a common misconception. Plants contain beta-carotene, the precursor to active vitamin A (retinol). While beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in humans, the conversion is inefficient. (40, 41) For example, a single serving of liver per week would meet the RDA of 3,000 IU. To get the same amount from plant foods, you’d have to eat two cups of carrots, one cup of sweet potatoes, or two cups of kale every day.
Moreover, traditional cultures consumed up to 10 times the current RDA for vitamin A. It would be nearly impossible to get this amount of vitamin A from plant foods without juicing or taking supplements. And if supplements aren’t consumed with a fatty meal, the actual absorption will be low. (42)
Like what you’re reading? Get my free newsletter, recipes, eBooks, product recommendations, and more!
Vegans and Vegetarians, You Could Be Missing These Key Nutrients
If you don’t eat meat or other animal products, you could also be missing out on:
- Choline
- Creatine
- Taurine
- Methionine
- Glycine
- Selenium
Choline
Vegetarian and vegan diets, along with the Standard American Diet, pose risks of choline deficiency. (43) Choline is required for:
- Healthy cell membrane function
- Methylation
- Cognitive development in children
It’s so important that the FDA recently set a daily recommended intake of 550 mg for men and 425 mg for women, which should increase to 450 mg during pregnancy and 550 mg during breastfeeding. Recent research suggests that only 8.5 percent of women meet the daily choline requirement. (44) With egg yolks and organ meats as the most potent sources of choline, it’s not surprising that even omnivores are not getting enough. This is another reason I encourage giving organ meat dishes another try.
Creatine
Creatine plasma and muscle levels are usually lower in vegetarians than in omnivores, as meat provides the richest source of creatine. (45) Creatine may play an important role in cognitive function. A randomized controlled trial found that six weeks of oral creatine supplementation significantly improved vegetarians’ performance on tests of fluid intelligence and working memory. The difference in scores between groups was enormous. (46)
Another study found that creatine supplementation in vegetarians improved memory, while having no effect on fluid intelligence or working memory in meat-eaters. (47) These results suggest that vegetarians’ baseline scores may have been impaired due to low creatine intake.
Taurine
Taurine has a central role as a neurotransmitter, promotes the development of the central nervous system, and upholds the structure of cell membranes. Although the body can synthesize small amounts of taurine, vegetarians and vegans often still have low plasma and urinary taurine levels because taurine is found primarily in animal products. (48, 49) Low plasma taurine in newborns is associated with lower scores on mental development and arithmetic tests at age seven, suggesting that dietary taurine aids in neural development. (50)
Methionine
Methionine is another amino acid that is restricted on a plant-based diet. Low methionine intake has been linked to longevity in scientific research. However, methionine is still an essential amino acid, and too little methionine may impair detoxification and reduce fertility. (51, 52) After being activated using ATP, methionine becomes the universal methyl donor.
On the flip side, too much methionine can also pose problems. After methyl donation, methionine becomes homocysteine and must be recycled back to methionine by B12, folate, or betaine (derived from choline). Because meat is high in methionine, diets heavy in muscle meats but low in connective tissues can result in increased homocysteine levels, a risk factor for CVD.
That said, studies have shown that vegetarians and vegans have significantly higher homocysteine levels on average than omnivores. (53) In one study, the average homocysteine level among vegetarians was 13.9 nmol/L and among vegans, 16.4 nmol/L, compared to 11.3 nmol/L for omnivores. (54) This puts most vegetarians and vegans in a range that carries significant risk of CVD. In fact, according to one study, the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia among vegetarians may actually be higher than that among non-vegetarians already diagnosed with heart disease. (55)
Glycine
Vegetarians and vegans don’t consume as much glycine as meat-eaters, as the richest sources are the “odd bits” of animal foods, like: (56)
- Skin
- Bones
- Collagen
- Gelatin
Glycine is one of the building blocks of collagen, found in our connective tissues. In addition to its structural role, glycine can also act as a neurotransmitter, plays a role in blood sugar regulation, and stimulates the production of glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant. (57, 58, 59, 60)
Some Paleo dieters can be susceptible to low glycine intake, too, if they are eating tons of muscle meat and ignoring the “nose-to-tail” philosophy. Glycine helps balance out methionine levels, in part by acting as a buffer for excess methyl groups. Low choline and glycine intake, common in vegetarians and vegans, can further contribute to high homocysteine levels and increased risk of CVD. Eating bone broth regularly can help balance glycine/methionine levels.
Selenium
While a few studies show no difference in selenium status among diet types, most research shows lower intake and/or levels in vegetarians and vegans compared to omnivores, including one study that measured glutathione peroxidase, a selenium-dependent enzyme and an excellent marker of active selenium status. (61, 62, 63, 64) Selenium has a role in immune function, supports thyroid hormone synthesis, and protects the thyroid from excess iodine damage. (65, 66) Selenium also helps prevent mercury toxicity. (67)
Selenium deficiency is also common in those with digestive health issues like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease. (68, 69) The best sources of selenium include:
- Brazil nuts
- Crimini mushrooms
- Some sea foods
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Lamb
- Turkey
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
Eating Animal Products Could Also Help Your Thyroid Health
Thyroid hormone synthesis requires iodine, a nutrient that can be lacking from omnivore and plant-based diets alike. Most iodine comes from the sea; the soil—and therefore vegetables grown in soil—usually contains very little. In a typical mixed diet, the highest sources of iodine are iodized salt and animal products like:
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Seafood
Vegetarians and vegans are at risk for low iodine intake. (70)
In the Boston area, urinary iodine levels in vegans were barely half that of vegetarians, and vegans were at high risk of iodine deficiency. (71) Several studies of Scandinavian populations confirm that vegans finished last in iodine intake and/or urinary iodine levels. (72, 73, 74) To make matters worse, isoflavones found in soy products, which are sometimes consumed in large quantities in vegan and vegetarian diets, may exacerbate iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism. (75)
But even those following a Paleo template can be at risk for iodine deficiency if they are not regularly consuming seafood. (76) Sea vegetables, especially kelp, are the highest sources of iodine ounce for ounce.
Your Kids Need Nutrient-Dense Foods to Thrive
Because of the prevailing idea in our culture that vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy, more and more children are being raised from birth (and even from conception!) on meat-free diets. Both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and USDA have said that vegetarian and vegan diets are safe during pregnancy, but critical analyses by several researchers have questioned whether these recommendations are based on sufficient evidence. One review remarked that “the evidence on vegan–vegetarian diets in pregnancy is heterogeneous and scant,” suggesting that more research is needed to answer the question of whether they are, in fact, safe during pregnancy. (77)
Vegetarian and vegan diets for children carry significant risks of nutrient deficiencies that can have dire health consequences. (78, 79, 80)
Studies have shown that kids raised until age six on a vegan diet are still B12 deficient years after adding at least some animal products to their diet. One study found an association between B12 status and measures of intelligence and memory, with formerly vegan kids scoring lower than omnivorous kids. (81) Devastating case studies have reported B12 deficiency in young vegan children that have led to neurological damage and developmental delays. (82, 83)
Low nutrient intake extends beyond vitamin B12. Other case studies have attributed hypothyroidism in young children to a maternal and/or childhood vegan diet. (84, 85) Compared to omnivores, breast milk from vegan mothers had lower levels of DHA and EPA, which are vital for brain development, especially in the first year of life, when a baby’s brain literally doubles in size. (83) In short, just like adults, children on vegetarian and vegan diets often have lower intakes of iron, iodine, vitamin A, zinc, and more.
Your Best Choice for Optimal Nutrition Isn’t a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet, but a Paleo Template
With care and attention, I think it’s possible to meet most of your nutrient needs with a vegetarian diet that includes liberal amounts of pasture-raised, full-fat dairy and eggs, with one exception: EPA and DHA. These long-chain omega fats are found exclusively in marine algae and fish and shellfish, so the only way to get them on a vegetarian diet would be to take a microalgae supplement or bend the rules and take fish oil or cod liver oil as a supplement. (86) Still, while it may be possible to obtain adequate nutrition on a vegetarian diet, it is not optimal—as the research above indicates.
I don’t think it’s possible to meet nutrient needs on a vegan diet without supplements—and quite a few of them. Vegan diets are low in:
- B12
- Bioavailable iron and zinc
- Choline
- Vitamins A and D
- Calcium
- EPA and DHA
It’s worth pointing out that there are genetic differences that affect the conversion of certain nutrient precursors (like beta-carotene and alpha-linolenic acid) into the active forms of those nutrients (like retinol and EPA and DHA, respectively), and these differences may affect how long someone will be able to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet before they develop nutrient deficiencies. This explains why some people seem to do well for years on these diets, while others develop problems very quickly.
Is It Time to Rethink Your Diet?
From an evolutionary perspective, is difficult to justify a diet with low levels of several nutrients critical to human function. While it may be possible to address these shortcomings through targeted supplementation (an issue that is still debated), it makes far more sense to meet your nutritional needs from food.
This is especially important for children, who are still developing and are even more sensitive to suboptimal intake of the nutrients discussed in this article. Like all parents, vegetarians and vegans want the best for their children. Unfortunately, many are not aware of the potential for nutrient deficiencies posed by their dietary choices.
I hope this article can serve as a resource for anyone on a plant-based diet, whether they choose to start eating meat (or animal products, in the case of vegans) again or not.
There are 5 “Blue Zones” in the world. These zones define the longest lived people on our planet. Only 1 of these communities are vegetarian and 4 eat meat . just saying! 🙂
Actually most are vegetarian and some eat fish (mostly sardines)
Actually the Sardinians diet is the only full vegetarian blue zone, the rest are semi vegetarian meaning they consume meat but there diet is still built around veggies, the Okinawan diet is a perfect example of semi vegetarianism as they eat mainly veggies but they do eat small amounts of fish and squid daily and they also eat pork as delicacy of sorts on ocasion and if you look at another blue zone which is in Costa Rica they consume beef, chicken and eggs every day and even have a high consumtion of fried food such as plaintains and eggs but they eat alot veggies to round it all out. The one thing all these blue zone diets have in common is the high consumtion of legumes
I just wanted to clarify the Costa Rican diet. We don’t really eat a lot of vegetables. Most of our diet is starch-based, and we love to fry our food. You can do a google images search for “gallo pinto costa rica” and “casado costa rica” to see what our main breakfast and lunch/dinner dishes are. The Blue Zone in Nicoya eats the same diet as the rest of us do throughout Costa Rica. It is thought that perhaps the reason for the Blue Zone in Nicoya is actually because of the mineral-rich water, since their diet isn’t any different than the rest of CR.
The people in the Loma Linda community who were profiled in Blue Zones were all vegan or vegetarian, including Ellsworth Wareham, the heart surgeon in his mid-nineties who had been vegan for thirty years. I recently read an update on him; he’s now 100 and still going strong as a vegan.
Your information is incorrect. Sardinians eat more meat then all the other blue zone groups, namely pork. I’m not sure if any of them are fully vegetarian and certainly not vegan. I also just recently read someone who said they were from Sardinia, and they had this to say, which I was surprised by and it makes me want to visit there myself and find out what’s actually true “The whole low on meat aspect is actually pretty inaccurate. I’m Sardinian and there wasn’t a single day we didn’t have meat, and in central Sardinia it is normal to eat whole roasted bores at least once a week. Fatty meats are essential for a healthy nervous system. Also, we don’t eat much pasta. That’s an Italian thing — and we aren’t Italian. Grain products such as breads and pasta cause inflammation of the arteries which leads to heart disease. Cholesterol is a must in a diet and is needed to repair such damage, but when eaten in conjunction with damaging grains, the cholesterol keeps piling on to fix the damage causing clogging of the arteries. Also, the sudden blood sugar spike pushes cholesterol into the fat cells which otherwise would be used to maintain the brain and nerve functions. Seafood is also a big part of the diet on the coast as well as local wild plants and fruits. But you won’t see a meal where chicken, or pork, or beef, or donkey, or horse isn’t on the menu.”
I read that they are a frugal people, making simplistic meals and having a fun perspective of the world, time having less meaning and stress being rare.
I honestly think diet has less and less to do with health, in comparison to mental health. If you’re wanted and loved or stubborn, you’ll live longer. Which is why all those cultures have family, camaraderie and usefulness no matter the age in common.
Unwanted people die sooner regardless of a good diet. Being apart of a community and being social.
The mind has a lot of power, for all we know many of the effects of any diet might be placebo considering placebo can have an effect on actual health, not just feeling better.
On the subject of diet though, I think any diet that requires supplements is not optimal.
But like I said, I think the brain has a lot more power on health then food does, considering it controls all the signals that make us healthy, or unhealthy including cortisol, insulin etc.
To add, because I couldn’t find the edit button, another Sardinan said this “To the man who claims he’s Sardinian. I am Sardinian, born and raised and I cannot relate with any of the statements you made. No bread or pasta? We’re not italian??? LOL So when exactly did Sardinians seperate from Italy? Why didn’t they send me a letter? Nobody told me. I’ve been living a lie for 63 yrs, wow. All this time thinking I’m italian and yet the whole time I wasn’t. Why did they teach us italian in school, it was a mandatory class. We had to learn Sardo and italian. How peculiar. Pistoccu, Pane Carasau, Su Coccoi, these popular and ancient sardinian breads that I’ve been eating since birth must have been a figment of my imagination. I can’t really remember eating donkey or horse, mostly porccedu, lamb, and fish, even lumachi. I have family in the north and I reside in the south, yet we seem to eat more or less the same things, differing slightly. Very bizzare.”
Which still suggests that being vegetarian is not a thing there. But it does pose confusion on the actual diets. I would love to visit there and see it for myself.
Vixxi, the tiny Sardinian community with unusual longevity that was profiled in Blue Zones is not reflective of Sardinia as a whole. It is a tiny mountainous community where even fish consumption is rare. They are not vegan but are nearly vegetarian. Read the book; I think you’ll find it very interesting.
I agree with you that diet is not the entire reason some people live longer. You touch on something very important there. The people in all the Blue Zones are an active, appreciated part of their communities into their 90s and beyond. And they are physically active all their lives., not by going to a gym, but by climbing mountains, farming, etc. However, the dietary factors common to all the tiny Blue Zone communities is that they eat mostly whole foods, including lots of beans, whole grains and vegetables, and not a whole lot in the way of animal protein.
(They’re probably eating boars, not bores, although I do understand the temptation.)
WRONG!!!!
Except for the Sardinian diet, the majority of food consumed is derived from plants:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Vendiagram.gif
My previous post was directed to Kevin
Can you please at some point comment on this new alleged vegan D3? I’m withholding judgment about whether it is truly D3, but my attempts to google it only yielded articles questioning whether it was truly vegan.
The vegan D3 comes from lichen and is approved by the vegan society. Here is a paper providing evidence that some varieties of lichen produce D3
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=133512&fileOId=624375
Flamed. My position is both flexible and examined sufficiently to be unshakable! On the one hand the decision will more and more be taken out of the hands of individuals as the price of meat continues to go up and the big new money invests in meat replacements. Meat is simply unsustainable on so many levels and the way information travels now the back door secrets that kept it looking clean are out of the bag. But I just don’t think most people who defend it are aware. You can still easily avoid knowing about the industry. If you do learn about it there is no way you can’t begin to try to make the switch. This country runs on the endless silent scream of animal abuse – millions of sentient creatures a day suffering and being tortured silently and without pause or recourse. It’s interesting – you can see by the 1000 comments here it is the hottest topic around. I feel hopeful. Slightly. In the meantime I also hope for the end of mankind! 🙂
You hope for the end of mankind? Humans are sentient beings too. To hope for the end of mankind is to hope for the end of billions of sentient beings.
Nice comment Ramon. As always vegans consider the whole and meat eaters talk about themselves. For people eating McDonalds Paleo is a great advance but it’s largely a money making concept for a few of it’s promoters. Vegetarian, or preferably vegan, eating is conceptually worlds ahead as it takes into account the economic and spiritual whole and not just the needs and preferences of the individual. This is the key fact that people who eat meat simply cannot wrap their heads around. Their comments are always about “I”. It’s why there is no ability to dialogue.
I absolutely agree Erica.. and you will likely only get flamed for such comments as anything else will force a person to look in the mirror and truly see their choices for the darkness they represent. Most do not realize it was choice made for them while they were infants and to awaken would mean to admit wrong and to do the same onto their parents.. Interestingly, it is of no shame to be caught up in the status quo when information was harder to discern, but today, such is NOT the case.
and btw..dropping any comments here will increase your spam content dramatically.. if you enter a real eddress.
There were no hunter gatherer vegetarians.
Are we to believe the musing of a man who eats the same, or tries to eat the same diet as our ancestors did over 5000 years ago? Despite all the science humankind has uncovered, technological advances and the whole wealth of food we have available today he still thinks a caveman diet is optimal? Does he not realise that caveman had no nutritional knowledge at all and simple scavenged around and pretty much ate whatever he could find? Which was by the way mostly a whole foods plant based diet with little meat if he could get his hands on it. Personally I prefer to look to the future not the past for my dietary needs. I have been vegan for 20 years, vego before that and have never broken a bone or been to the doctors or had any health issues whatsoever. My eyes are perfect, blood test showed no deficiencies so to say that vegans are deficient in all these nutrients and minerals is inaccurate. In the interests of full disclosure, I do take B12 and D, not that I was deficient as I wasn’t, more of a precautionary top up and its so cheap.
Then stop taking B12 and D if you are so healthy.
I have been eating bacon and eggs every morning for breakfast for over 30 years straight. All my bloodwork shows the body of a much younger man. I’ve never been sick or gone to the doctor for health issues. Nor broken any bones.
By the way, evolution does not work the way you seem to think.
No kidding. Please explain to us how Evolution works.
animals around the world have no knowledge of nutition (as per our hunter gatherers) yet they eat what is optimal for their survival?? You think modern processed foods are superior to old fashioned non-processed foods?
Ramon didn’t say anything about processed foods, Kevin. I’m not sure where that came from. And hunter gatherers ate what they were able to find, which varied from one region to another. They didn’t (and many couldn’t) in some magical way eat what would be optimal. Evolution only cares that a species stay alive long enough to procreate, not that it live a long life.
Congratulations on your good health and sensible outlook.
ANY diet can be missing crucial macro and micronutrients. I wish folks that practice carnism would also write articles on the negative health benefits of animal by-products and how a carnivorous diet also leaves a lot to be explored. There are always articles arguing one way or the other, but what everyone should be arguing for is better education on what our bodies need and not some stupid social tug-a-war over personal choices and lifestyles. There are tons of resources out there about the proper way to live vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, but not too many on how to eat animal by-procucts in a proper way aka not over doing meat consumption because it is just as harmful to have too much of certain nutrients as it is to have too little.
Totally agree that it doesn’t matter what diet you eat just as long as you don’t get too little or too much of the nutrients. I think a vegetarian or vegan diet is the way to go as it’s ethical but you have to do your research and not just cut out meat products. Organic foods also have more nutrients than non-organic so that has to be taken into consideration. Cronometer.com is a great website to measure the nutrients you are eating and is based on the best research out there – not all research is perfect yet but it is a good guide to give you an idea.
Wow — I have been vegan over 25 years. Raised three healthy kids to adulthood, (all still vegan) nursed them a total of 8 years. At every stage, they were healthier then any of their non-vegan peers. They have never had antibiotics, never broken any bones, They are intelligent, athletic and kind!
But what I want people to know is this: I had health challenges along the way — for example, at one point, for almost a year, I developed chronic fatigue, no surprise my first concern was that it was because I was vegan…but I was simply not willing to consider giving that up, so I searched for other things to try — it turned out, I had a root canal from years ago, that had failed. Thankfully a good dentist helped me figure it out, and once it was all cleaned up, I fully recovered.
So glad that I did not give up my healthy vegan diet mistakenly!
I
I have eaten meat for 58 years and have also enjoyed perfect health. No antibiotics etc! well done.
Was that sarcasm I sensed? If so, you really ought to look back on that comment. Her point was that you can be just as healthy, while also being ethical, with a vegan diet. Of course, the slight implication that a vegan diet is superior to a normal diet health wise is silly, but the rest is perfectly logical.
Kevin, funny how vegans care so much about the planet eh? meat eaters can rejoice as the world revolves around themselves… If a meat eater actually considered that animals have consciousness, considered his own jaw chews and grinds side to side rather than snapping up and down, considered the impact of the meat industry on our environment and finally considered anything beyond “I”, just perhaps they wouldn’t write a farcical article like this to justify and console other meat eaters into a belief that actually it’s ok. To Mr Grayman “I eat bacon and eggs every day”. Why not use the less poetic approach? remove the camouflage and absorb the fact you’ve been eating slices of slaughtered pig corpse, the unfertilized chicken embryos were probably free range so you can feel better about that right?
“unfertilized chicken embryos”
You do realize that there are no chicken embryos in unfertilized eggs, right?
This may in itself be a valid reply Prometheus68. However it does not address the point in question and adds nothing of real value. You do realize that your pedanticism “speaks volume”, right?
This is true… they are actually a hen’s menses.
Been to the Dr lately? Had the ol’ cholesterol checked?
Angela, thank you for sharing your experiences, which have been similar to mine. My two older children, raised vegetarian, were healthier than most of their peers, and my youngest, vegan since conception, at age ten has been even healthier than her siblings were. No antibiotics, no stomach issues (throwing up? what’s that?), never misses school. It’s not genetic, as my husband and I were both frequently sick as kids.
We can all argue the nutritional science until we’re blue in the face, there are studies that obviously show benefits of living an animal or plant based diet either way.
The one fact that you can’t ignore is that a living being must be bred, fed and intentionally kept alive in order to kill it, how would you like it if your execution had been planned before you were born.
I turned Vegan a couple of weeks ago after becoming fully aware of the inhumane and unfair suffering that we put on animals not to mention the environmental damage that is now being caused by animal agriculture and population increase.
Whether the nutritional science is for or against it, we as fellow species on this planet with finite resources will need to change our eating habits in the years to come to avoid the environmental costs that future generations will have to bare.
In my mind my selfish reasons for following an animal based diet are not justification enough anymore to be part of the torment, torture and environmental damage.
It’s worth finding a way to get all that we need from plants.
You may want to watch these documentaries, as they may help you to take a different look at your decisions:
Didn’t know links worked here. Thanks for posting that 🙂
Hopefully one day soon, synthetic meat can be produced and bypassing the biologically expensive requirements of growing everything else present day livestock requires, would be a great benefit to everyone.
Animals would not need to be farmed for their meat. The resources used to grow the meat would be used more efficiently. There would be no moral or ethical dilemma. We would all eat to satiation and live long, fruitful and happy productive lives.
One day…
The problem with ur statement of how someone would like it if he is bred to be killed doesn’t count when animals aren’t self aware like humans are. plus, the selfish reasons for killing animals to eat meat are justified something with there is a physical or emotional need for it and if u try to make the killing as painless as possible. Desth is natural
I went vegan for a year a few years back. Decided I would eat vegan from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st, and just see how I felt. I am a woman in my early 60s now. Anyway, I researched for months everything I needed to know about being vegan – prior to starting – and felt very comfortable with the eating changes I would be making. My observations are this: I wasn’t as tired on the vegan diet, I actually spent less money on food on the vegan diet, and overall I think it was okay. There were two problems I, personally, had with it. First off, I had tremendous cravings for meat, eggs, milk, dairy. These were easy to deal with, for the most part….but it did bother me. However, more importantly – again, in my opinion – I was sick constantly. And I mean constantly – colds, flu, sinus infections, bronchitis, more colds and upper respiratory infections, and then more colds and flu. I was sick more that one year than the previous 10 years combined. So….I quit. And, have only been sick once since. I added back meat, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt to my diet. Overall, I learned a ton being vegan – and believe it or not – I would recommend it to anyone to try for at least one year. For me, it just didn’t work. I learned so much though – and I still eat many of the new dishes I learned to make/cook when I was vegan.
With respect, and thank you for a thoughtful discourse, but you were not experiencing sickness, you were experiencing your body ridding itself of a lifetime of toxins.
Every acidic body experiences this, the severity of which depending on the level of toxicity. Tis a shame you gave up without better understanding the internal cellular processes. You were getting close! To be alkaline is the key to health.
How, then, does your “detox” hypothesis explain Martha’s remission after she reintroduced animal products back in her diet?
As for your opinion that she should have continued this diet in spite of the ill-effects it was having on her, the following Einstein quote comes to mind: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
It you re-read my comment without bias or without need to protect that which you are used to, the answer is clear:
Once the body starts to detox, and STARTS is the key here, the exiting toxins will manifest in what mainstream would identify as dis-ease. After many decades of poor health decisions, do you expect any body to shed a lifetime of ills quickly?
A return to the status quo simply shutdown the detox process, that is why dis-ease disappeared. It is very elementary once you see it.
And make no mistake, proper nutrition is only one part of a multi-faceted approach to true detox.
I have a son who was being fed a healthy vegan diet for the first 2 and 1/2 years of his life. I let my son experience chronic colds, sinus infections, bronchitis and eczema without me even realizing that it might be extreme nutritional deficiencies causing this.
And yeah, I am completely sure now, that it wasn’t detox because that poor child of mine had no previous ‘lifetime of toxins’ period since he was fed such an excellent diet since childbirth.
He is 6 years old now and he is still calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and B6 and B12 deficient! Thankfully, he is not so sick like he used to be anymore.
With my daughther I decided to take a different path and feed her liberal amount of animal products, especially the ones that come from our own family farming.
Luckily my daughter is stronger, taller and calmer than my son and what is more important is that she is rarely sick. How does that make sense with this crazy detox idea?
let me guess: fully vaccinated, surrounded by electricity, covered in sun-block, fed non-organic food.
Kids these days barely stand a chance on being healthy with the extent of the lack of knowledge coupled with the zealous need of everyone to defend the status quo.
I was vegan for first 4 years of my life and extremely HEALTHY. For various reasons I then transitioned to ovo lacto vegetarian and am now eating primarily vegan again and couldn’t be happier than the couple of years where I did introduce more animal products into my diet.
hey Drew, since you’re making us BC boys look bad with your comments here, maybe it’s better to back up what you say with some scientific references. Open the door for us, don’t ask to blindly trust a random dude on the internet. Nothing of what you say resonates with me on any level, not a single word; it all sounds like horse sh*t. So if you want to convince anyone of your hypotheses, send us some info (keep the naturalnews, realfarmacy, mercola, etc. to yourself).
If you have enough energy to comment here, you hopefully have enough energy to go this extra step. Otherwise just keep your comments to yourself next time.
Geez whiz Gerald, given your thoughtful, kind and polite nature, i am sure i will take the time to help you.
And what’s more, i am sure i will filter ALL my sources to fit to a mainstream library, where all the nonsense lives.
At least my profile is public. Feel free to come to my wall and ask direct, polite and thought-out questions.
As for the off-hands rude comments, you only reflect your own bias and negativity with such displays. Cheers.
EXACTLY what I wanted to say. Oh and yes, we should totally toss vaccs out the window because you know, who the HELL wants to protect their children from diseases that killed and harmed so many? Why protect our children from the sun and how dare we feed them wholesome animal AND vegetable foods? —– seriously Drew, you are probably a really nice guy but I think you read too much pseudo-science on the interwebss. 😉
I agree with Drew. You were detoxing.
Liver cells have a lifespan of approximately 150 days. How can somebody have these “detox” symptoms for an entire year?
Liver cells can regenerate.
the cravings for milk and cheese are because cows milk has a chemical in it that acts as an addiction for the calf, making it want to suckle as much as possible… you get the same effect on the human body, EXCEPT THAT YOU’RE NOT A CALF
Should totally Detox within 7 days, heavy metals within 3 month’s, 12 months to detox? we change out our entire body’s immune system, blood, not to mention the vast intakes of water/fluids, and shedding of skin, 6 months your hardly the same you, detoxing for a year that is In-sain,
I became extremely sick as well on a vegan diet, mostly with severe chronic fatigue and depression. Considering Blood Type, it was not for me. I now eat a mostly vegetarian diet and some animals that are ethically raised and treated. I realized there is a balance that needs to happen and I got back in touch a bit with the food chain and how the universe really works. Besides that, some of the vegans I know are some of the most extreme personality types, obsessive, and condescending types I’ve ever met and I frankly got tired of listening to them all the time. I get veganism, I do. But it didn’t work for me and I hate how they look down on everyone who eats a little animal protein here and there or gives up on the vegan diet because it’s not right for them. As well, I have to say that not many of my vegan friends looked very healthy at all – sallow, prematurely aged complexions on most of them. Some of them already showing signs of ostea spine curve. Cutting out so much from my diet caused me to crave more and more carbs and pretty soon I was making myself sick from too many grains, legumes, corn, and starches. There were only so many nuts I could eat and soy products don’t agree with me, nor does wheat gluten. You may have become sick from the grains. Some of them do not agree with a lot of people. I am a book-seller and kept selling this one book, Dangerous Grains. I never read it but will at some point.
The blood type diet theory was debunked last year in a study at the University of Toronto.
I had been afflicted with gallstones and kidneys stones at 17 years old. My parents, poor as we were, couldn,t afford the expensive $3,500.00 operation back in the ’70’s. So I struggled with the pain. I asked GOD for help. Show me, lead me, open the path for me. HE did indeed. It came in the form of 2 books, 1 on fasting and the other on a specific diet.
I tried the diet first which helped to alleviate the pain, but I wanted to dispel the stones. I did 4 consecutive fasts. After the fasting, the stones were no longer present which shocked or amazing the quack of a doctor that I was seeing at the time. At that point, I decided to stay with the diet which evolved into a vegetarian diet. I had asthma at the time also and it was no longer present. I was a vegetarian from 1973 to 2006. Long time huh!? Somehow, I took to using drugs and now everything is much worse!!! I’m planning on going back on the vegetarian diet by the Spring of 2015. I’m going to gradually re-introduce myself to this excellent regimen.
Why? Because it’s the best alternative to taking a pharmacy full of medicines and going “Under the Knife”!
Well the next time you get into a car accident *bless that you may not*, instead of going to the hospital, tell your parents or friends that you’re gonna pray to God and eat some green leaves. I bet that’s gonna help you a whole lot!
Ah man! Isn’t it obvious by now …?!
People are not machines or clones of each other. ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison’ and all that. We each need to eat what’s appropriate for us as individuals. Therefore, ALL of the comments here are ‘true’ for some of the people some of the time, but they are NOT true for all.
Consequently, any generalisations made from cherry-picked studies (and all of us have a tendency to cherry-pick studies whose conclusions align with our personal biases) are, ipso facto, false. And any prescriptions any of us might want to make for the entirety of humankind based on our personal biases would result in poor health for all those people who don’t thrive on the same diet as us. Where’s the compassion in that?!
I have a small organic farm where volunteers can come and work for a while. I don’t farm animals for meat but I do keep poultry for eggs. I eat a predominantly vegetarian diet with occasional locally-sourced, traditional and individually-reared animals. I have yet to have a single vegan volunteer who had the power, strength and stamina to do the work. So it strikes me as wickedly ironic that if missionary vegans had their way (and there seem to be an unfortunate prevalence amongst vegans of people who’s sole mission in life seems to be to brow-beat the rest of humanity into their totalitarian utopia), then it’s unlikely there’d be anyone left actually capable of growing the world’s food …!
“Consequently, any generalisations made from cherry-picked studies (and all of us have a tendency to cherry-pick studies whose conclusions align with our personal biases) are, ipso facto, false. And any prescriptions any of us might want to make for the entirety of humankind based on our personal biases would result in poor health for all those people who don’t thrive on the same diet as us. Where’s the compassion in that?!”
This is a wonderful example of the appeal to balance fallacy. When you say that there can be NO prescriptions applicable to the whole of humanity, what you are really saying is that there is NOTHING that *everyone* shares in common. This is false, both with respect to biology, and with respect to everything else.
I respect the notion that we should avoid “over-generalizing,” but we’ll all gain more of truth by us each attempting to justify whatever generalizations we make, so that our multiple perspectives remain focused on the same viewed object of the world.
you say don’t lump everyone in together, because one mans this is another mans that… yet you lump all vegans into a weak, lazy group?? there are many vegan athletes, and many many many weak and lazy meat eaters
perhaps the vegans lacked the motivation to help you because they didn’t agree with what you were doing… just a thought… remember, vegan is not a ‘diet’, its a lifestyle, based on ethics and morals
Neda,
Read my comments below. Check out Dr Ritamarie Loscalzo, The Vegetarian health Institute, Dr. Michael Klapper…. You just need some information. You can add iron to your diet by using a cast iron pan, by adding acids such as lemon to vegetables, by chewing more completely, by supplementation. But you don’t want too much iron either, as it ioxidizes or “rusts” in your body, in essence. Go to http://www.vegetarianhealthinstitute.com where you can find this informaiton in very simple short form. Or just google your questions “How to get more iron from a vegan diet.”
The author was never a vegan. That’s for sure! Probably too scared to try. I say, “fine”. Go on eating and promoting your carnivore lifestyle. Then when the joint pains, high blood pressure, and related sickness begins, take prescription medications- and go on laughing at all of your healthy vegan friends who keep on looking younger and healthier than you and your stupid doctors.
I was a vegetarian for 45 years but recently switched over to vegan 24 months ago and never felt better in my life. My digestion is great, metabolism is normal without food cravings, emotionally happier, doing lots more exercise including 200+ push ups a day. I’m 63, male, 5’11, 185 and have a 331/2 inch waist.
Doing just fine, my carnivore friend. While you’re following your doctor’s advice for pain and inflammation, I’m playing golf, tennis, going to parties and enjoying living.
Here are the flaws within your argument: 1. You are using anecdotal evidence. Congrats, you claim you feel great on a vegan diet. That is not science. 2. You imply, without evidence, that omnivores need pain medication, have high blood pressure, feel unhealthy, etc. These are just your assumptions and emotions talking. Did you not read the study mentioned in the article? Both vegetarians and omnivores are likely to have similar longevities provided they are health-conscious. There is a way to eat a clean, nutrient-dense, fresh food-dense, unprocessed diet that involves salmon and meat. Unfortunately, the standard American diet includes a myriad of fast food, junk food, and desserts. Maybe that’s the cause of some health problems, no? 3. You fail to acknowledge that all humans are different. While you may thrive (or at least claim to thrive) on a vegan diet, there is evidence that plant based diets can cause chronic illnesses. I am exposed to these cases all the time, since I am one of them. I know giving up meat is both addictive and rewarding, but remaining so emotionally close-minded and assuming everyone else is unhealthy is unfair, biased, and destructively dogmatic. It also sounds like you didn’t read the article. I wish you the best.
Great way to be a snooty, condescending vegan. Maybe vegans should work on that – not stepping on everyone else’s feelings, while they are being kind to animals, by taking cheap pot-shots at people for not being vegan. You catch more flies with honey than putting others down.
Rima – Check out resource Vegetarian Health Institute where you can find very simple information on cooking, food combining to avoid nutritional deficiencies – things like how to get more iron and calcium out of your food, how to combine food, best choices in sweeteners, breads, alternatives, recipes. It’s a wonderful resource. Also check out Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo. I think her website is drritamarie.com. She has beeen vegan for 25 years and has raised both her children as vegans. She just knows what she is doing. This topic has over 900 comments, many from people who are in a rage. One thing I notice which is why there is no concensus – vegans are talking about ethics and the whole and meat eaters are talking about themselves. All the nutrirional issues people bring up about veganism can be easily resolved with some focus and attention. The resources I mention above are a great start. The problem is veganism is simply more advanced and most people aren’t interested in a commitment that goes beyond their own immediate desires or they aren’t able to manage the focus and change required. That’s all their anger really speaks to. Yes people have tried to take on vegan diets without much information but that information is available now. There are also now very advanced cookbooks on making vegan cheese, dairy, etc (The Gentle Chef) or try Yoram Ottolenghi’s amazingly sophisticated cookbooks Plenty and the newly released More Plenty. As you focus you will realize you have to give nothing up to not participate in the horror we perpetrate on sentient beings whether we let them eat grass or not. Ah, also try ordering the vegan chocolate caramels with sea salt from Amella in CA!! Good luck!!
Even if animal products are good for your health, as the author claims, you have to pay a fortune for grass fed/organic butter, meat, cheese. I have made up my mind, I am going vegan and trying to make good choices for my children (9 and 5 years old).
Any difference between a vegan diet for adults and a vegan diet for children.
Thank you
You do not have to pay a fortune for grass-fed meat, especially if you eat 1-2 servings a week. Please do not make assumptions.
It is REALLY important for your children to be getting good levels of fat for brain development. If you need to ask on a blog comment section about the difference between a vegan diet for children and adults then I suggest you hold off on making that change for your kids. Keep them on their whole fat milk , cut out processed foods. Buy ethical meat – it does NOT need to be eaten each day. Maybe 3 times/week. Some free range eggs, healthy greens and whole grains.Toss out the Mac n cheese, Pizza Pockets and white bread. Throw away the Koolaid and fruit juices, give them whole fruits and lots of fresh water.
In the meantime, YOU become vegan if you wish and after a period of time , after you’ve learned the ins and outs of veganism and figured out how to prepare healthy meals that include all the nutrients you need, THEN see about how to extend that to your children if you really feel you want to take them off of meat/dairy/eggs.
It’s a big commitment and please for your kids health, make sure you have learned what you need before changing their diets.
You might find that doing the above – throwing out the processed carbs, sugars, artificial colours etc might be enough. Being vegan isnt healthier if you are still going to keep in all the other junk. Just something to keep in mind.
Don’t force your children into doing what you think is right.
This is just BS. Is anyone dumb enough to believe this? Has anyone used their common sense? It is not natural for any animal to drink breast milk after infancy. Especially the breast milk from a cow, that milk is for baby cows, not humans. Our NUMBER 1, 2, and 3 killers are linked to eating animal products. This article cites references of old data and is just an old way of thinking. I would not be surprised if this originated from studies done by the meat or dairy industries. You can find data to back up any claim you want, but the NEW science is proving the vegan diet is the most healthy diet you can be on. It can reverse heart disease (number 1 killer), diabetes 2, and more. I went vegan because I was on an omnivore diet after a check up. My blood test were very bad. A year after being vegan, my blood work was PERFECT. I have more energy, my face cleared up, my joints stopped hurting, my hair got really healthy looking and I feel GREAT. I had digestive problems my whole life and now I am “normal” for the first time ever. I have vegan food that is fortified with B-12, my almond milk has twice the calcium as dairy milk without the fat and hormones and without making my blood acidic. Today’s animals raised in factories don’t get B12 because they don’t eat in a pasture. They are fed GMO cheap soy feed filled with antibiotics and hormones and are given B12 supplements so meat eaters get their B12 second hand. The iron you get from meat is not the good iron. Please educate yourselves. This data is weak, it used small samples, it’s old and it is just not good science. Another thing to consider is that an omnivore diet is not sustainable. We are destroying our planet and our resources raising animals for food and it won’t last forever. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. Water is getting scarce. Animal agriculture contributes 51% of our greenhouse emissions. We are eating our way to a dead planet riddled with diseases, illnesses and cancers, and let’s not forget, the medications we take and our healthcare cost. There is but one solution. A vegan diet.
Where are those studies? At least the author made the effort of providing citations. If you believe those are outdated, erroneous or biased, you should prove it wrong by providing alternative literature.
Hi
Its near a year that I am in plant based diet and I get problem with iron deficiency , my hair falls alot and my teeth is near to crack , please help me I love being plant based but I dont know what to do?
Hemp seed and pumpkin seed have a ton of iron, only need a few servings to get your DRI
dark leafy greens 🙂
Always consume plant-based iron with a food high in vitamin C to ensure absorption. Beans, dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and nuts are all good sources of iron.
Corn, wheat, and soy are killing the environment. Grass fed animals, rather, have a beneficial impact.
“Corn, wheat, and soy are killing the environment” ..
And where do you think a VAST majority of this crop goes? Given the starving nations in the world, is sure as shit isn’t them.
.. It is to the animal agriculture business. Wake the hell up.
Not true. Grass-fed cattle emit even more methane than grain-fed.
Exactly my thoughts. Especially because, even if all the points made by the author would be true (which I doubt, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt since he does provide references and he has done his research, although it might be outdates) they would all be invalidated by the fact that animals GET supplements themselves. “While it may be possible to address these shortcomings through targeted supplementation (an issue that is still debated), it makes far more sense to meet nutritional needs from food.” good morning sunshine, go tell it to the cows who get calcium and B12 added to their feed. Where is the twisted logic, that we eat animals who got (huge amounts of) supplements themselves, or that we consume (collectively smaller amounts of) supplements ourselves? You have done some research. Do some more. And use your logic better.
Good one! Your point makes a lot of sense!
hm, maybe you should compare the nutritional composition of a Deer, Elk, Moose or other wild game with a cow and tell me why the cow is not higher in vitamins then? If indeed as you say, meat is only more nutrient dense due to vitamins put in the feed. Wild game has no additional vitamins added to their food. Just leaves, berries etc.
What about long chain fatty acids? or any of the other nutrients?
Please research your facts before making such incorrect statements.
Factory farmed animals need vitamins for the same reason vegans need vitamins: their diets are unnatural and inevitably deficient.
Also, we’ve bred dairy cows to give obscene amounts of milk. It makes sense that they couldn’t possibly keep up with their increased calcium needs from diet. Modern cows need calcium supplements because of what we’ve done to them.
B12 I’ll give you, isn’t that bacteria based from what animals eat though not produced by their actual meat?
The rest is so flawed it’s unbelievable.
Agreed, this is something the meat or dairy industry would put out there. The references were using small samples and the research was old. 1999, 1994,etc. The NEW science and research is proving that a healthy vegan diet is the healthiest there is. It can reverse heart diseases and diabetes among others. Not only that, an omnivore diet is not sustainable. If people stick to this diet, we will use up all of our water, land, and oceans to find ourselves a medicated, ill society with a polluted world. Not to mention the cruelty involved in a meat diet! How can you NOT take that into consideration? It’s not morally right to harm animals like we do if it is not necessary.
So true!
well my doc said, people will either die of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. But “you” will live forever. Been an vegan all my life. 56 and strong bones, had 8 kids, dn’t drink dairy, eat lots of leafy greens. Who ever wrote this article is stupid
“Who ever wrote this article is stupid” — What a really insightful comment. Why don’t you look into all the research done yourself and then you can also call all those researchers stupid as well and feel REALLY great about yourself.
I agree with Peony…..that is because anyone can take the research which begins with bias to begin with and then reduce it to whatever they want…..read Kris K’s article on baking soda…..now there he is totally wrong in my book and you will find half the research in favor of what he says and half totally the opposite…..pick whatever you want…but in my book…..murder is murder…..we live in modern times … we can get vegetarian food all year round..eating flesh is just plain murder and violent……if you don’t know that then you are just not very evolved…..sorry…….
Murder is technically unlawful killing. Its why when people say “Thou Shall Not Kill” in regards to biblical referencing they are a bit off.
Killing that’s not against the law is not murder.
Now law as a concept is completely man made so if its a law to you personally I guess you could call it murder under your “law”, but I don’t personally agree so its not murder to me.
I think people likely do eat more meat than they need, and eating less is a good idea. I don’t believe eating none is necessary or useful though. I think its much easier to stick to a diet that includes Fish/Seafood, Meat, Nuts, Seeds, mostly non starchy vegetables, small amounts of fruits and little to no grains.
Large amounts of unused carbohydrates is what creates most of the health problems not animal foods.
There are plenty of perfectly healthy people that eat animal foods. There are even some who do well with almost all animal foods just as there are those that do well with mostly plant foods.
I think it boils down largely to different ancestral makeup. Some have ancestors that ate more meat and some less and their systems are used to the different combinations.
I still think it pretty interesting I have yet to have any vegan/vegetarian actually refute or explain the reason why every animal except for humans who are meant to eat plants and only plants like herbivores change most of the plant matter into fats which is than used for fuel.
Humans do convert to some extent, but don’t have as large or complicated digestion to allow for most of their energy needs to be from fats converted from plants.
Humans who eat large amounts of starches or fruits derive most of their energy from carbohydrates and not the conversion of carbohydrates into fats through fermentation in either multiple stomachs or fermentation vat intestines like Gorillas have.
I’m a vegan and recently got my blood tests done. I’m free from any deficiency and attribute it to a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. I do not take any supplements. You could be vegetarian, vegan or a meat eater and still have deficiencies if you don’t eat a balanced diet and lead a healthy lifestyle and you could also be any of these, have a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle and not have any deficiency.
Cherry picked data. Do your own research from several sources including the American Dietetic Association which notes that a well balanced vegan diet may be the most healthful.
Where are those studies? At least the author made the effort of providing citations. If you believe those are outdated, erroneous or biased, you should prove it wrong by providing alternative literature.
Are you paid by the author to respond to all people questioning his article?