Dangers of Vegetarian & Vegan Diets Long-Term

tigersword

Why don't we all just walk around in grizzly or lion country and see what happens. Prey or be preyed upon.

Because, unlike the grizzly or lion, the human is capable of reasoning, compassion and empathy. Hunting is all the grizzly or lion knows, whereas the human is capable of stopping, and thinking, and changing.

People love to talk about how much higher humans are than other animals with our brains and speech and all that nonsense, but somehow when it comes down to food it's suddenly cool to compare ourselves to animal instincts.

Humans are animals. Always have been, always will be. Animals eat other animals. It has nothing to do with "reason." You do know that if the entire worlds suddenly went vegan, most of humanity would starve to death, because there is nowhere near enough fertile land on this planet to support that much agriculture.

blueandigo

Vegetarian >>>>>>Vegan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

daffodilsoup

All of the animals i eat are vegatarians, so i am very sympathetic to the cause..........

Awww, did you spend all this time making that up?

rwa3457986

RAW vegan here. I switched my diet because i saw so many healthy looking raw vegan fruitiarians. I'm 53 and feel the best i ever have. Do i slip up, sure i do, but i stick to my diet the best I can. I'm losing weight and feeling great!

tigersword

Plant based protein is so much better for your body and easier for your body to digest. It's basic biology, and you can't argue that

Actually, animal proteins are the scale for protein bioavailability. The only plant based protein that comes close to being as easily digested as animal protein is soy.

Elizabeth_C34

Vegetarian >>>>>>Vegan>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I wanna dance!

daffodilsoup

Humans are animals. Always have been, always will be. Animals eat other animals. It has nothing to do with "reason." You do know that if the entire worlds suddenly went vegan, most of humanity would starve to death, because there is nowhere near enough fertile land on this planet to support that much agriculture.

Our ability to reason differentiates us from other animals.

Besides, if the whole world went vegan, maybe we could take some of that 30% of the world's land used to graze cattle. Or some of the 16 pounds of grain fed to each "food" animal and feed it directly to people.

Or people could, ya know, stop having so many goddamn kids.

skywa

I think that if you know how to properly supplement your diet, a vegan/vegetarian diet is fine.

however i know for a fact that men and woman respond to vegan diets very differently.
woman require more fats than men do. vegan diets include little to no fats.
which is why a lot of woman that go on vegan diets often will have a host of health problems including the loss of there period, dry skin, hair loss, brittle nails, ect. there have also been studies showing that woman on low fat diets for extended periods of time were more prone to dizzy spells and fainting, even on a reasonably high calorie diet.

I think every body is different though. And everyone has the right to control what they want to eat. weather it be for ethical reasons or just personal taste.

i don't think vegan or vegetarian diets are especially healthy, in comparison to a diet that fully encompasses all healthy aspects of every food group. but thats just my opinion.

janessafantasma

The poster who said she's never seen a healthy looking vegetarian made me laugh. I rarely meet a healthy looking meat-eater (or really any kind of eater) nowadays. Most people are eating too much processed crap and dealing with the consequences - fat, sluggish and sick. The whole-foods vegetarians I know have the most beautiful skin! I myself am a whole-grain eating, vegetable-loving omnivore who rarely eats red meat, and really only eats animal proteins a few times a week - and that is what works for me. A healthy diet is what's required for good health. There are many healthy foods, both meat and non-meat. People who eat a diet well-balanced in nutrients and low in saturated fats, funky chemicals, and processed sugars should be fine. Mind your own diets, people!

I don't know anyone who is vegetarian or vegan or an organic whole foods eater that isn't in great shape. Apparently except for me, but that's because I've just recently switched over to a diet of organic and whole foods. Before I dabbled in organics but now I try to be as much organic groceries as possible. My issue with meat isn't the eating of it, but the way animals are treated. I think people can be just as healthy with meat as without.

angelashay42

I became a vegetarian 2 years ago. I've never really liked the idea of eating dead flesh. It has always grossed me out but I (ignorantly) thought that it was the only way. That's how my family ate, so that's how I ate. However, as I learned more, met new people, and did some research about healthy alternatives, I realized that I could have a balanced, full diet without the blood and the flesh and carcasses of animals who deserve to live just as much as I do. Pigs are as intelligent as dogs. They have feelings and they families. Would you eat your dog?

I think it's ignorance and poor upbringing that leads most Americans to blindly eat burgers made of questionable meat by-product served by a scary clown man.

queenpushycat

I don't want to draw fire from vegans and vegetarians but I've never met a really healthy looking one! I always assumed that they just weren't balancing their meals right. But maybe it's because strictly vegetarian eating goes against that fact that we are meat-eating animals.
If you are healthy and a vegatarian more power to you. BUT isn't it a good idea to keep an open mind particularly when it comes to your health? Also I'm not against vegetarian meals..I find them delicious and eat them a lot.

Then you should meet me :P
I'm healthier than my boyfriend who LOVES meat and thinks vegetarianism is stupid. Other than me being a bit heavy, I'm perfectly healthy; no heart problem, no high blood pressure... no women's problem; my TOM always on time I'm proud to be a vegetarian !

albinogorilla

Humans are animals. Always have been, always will be. Animals eat other animals. It has nothing to do with "reason." You do know that if the entire worlds suddenly went vegan, most of humanity would starve to death, because there is nowhere near enough fertile land on this planet to support that much agriculture.

Our ability to reason differentiates us from other animals.

Besides, if the whole world went vegan, maybe we could take some of that 30% of the world's land used to graze cattle. Or some of the 16 pounds of grain fed to each "food" animal and feed it directly to people.

Or people could, ya know, stop having so many goddamn kids.

so you are against kids too? you must really flip your lid over veal then...............

jaymek92

Also, question for the vegetarians. Are you vegetarian for health reasons or because of moral ones? If you lived on a farm and knew your cows and such are being treated right and fed right and all that jazz, could you eat those animals?

more so moral than health, because when i first went veg, i wasn't exactly eating healthy (but i also wasn't eating healthy before). i'm eating healthy now and if you compare me to the rest of my family (all of whom eat meat), i am a lot healthier than the rest of them. although i did inherit a clotting disorder from my father, i have no problems with blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, no sleep apnea or trouble sleeping, no problems with my thyroid, gallbladder, kidneys, or saliva glands. i don't have allergies and i rarely get sick, even though i would get strep every year like clockwork when i was younger. the worst of my health problems are that my period has never fallen into a regular schedule and my protein s deficiency, passed on to my sister and i by our father. i don't know how much of that comes from me being young, active, and eating well versus being vegetarian, and i don't care to eat meat to find out.
as for your second question, absolutely not. if a human lived a long and healthy life and then was murdered, would you eat him? i don't eat anything with a face. it's not so much about the life (although i do believe that animals should be free, not jammed into cages and treated so cruelly), it's about the death. if i was willing to eat free range animals that were treated and fed right, i would. but i'm not, which is why i'm a vegetarian. and at this point, i've figured out how to get enough protein to serve my purposes and i don't have a problem with anemia, so i have no reason to eat meat from either an ethical or a health viewpoint.

amoeba15

I don't want to draw fire from vegans and vegetarians but I've never met a really healthy looking one! I always assumed that they just weren't balancing their meals right. But maybe it's because strictly vegetarian eating goes against that fact that we are meat-eating animals.
If you are healthy and a vegatarian more power to you. BUT isn't it a good idea to keep an open mind particularly when it comes to your health? Also I'm not against vegetarian meals..I find them delicious and eat them a lot.

We are not carnivores. We are omnivores. We are made to consume both plants and animals and it is possible to be perfectly healthy and vegan. It is even possible to be a completely obese fatass and vegan (like me).

albinogorilla

I became a vegetarian 2 years ago. I've never really liked the idea of eating dead flesh. It has always grossed me out but I (ignorantly) thought that it was the only way. That's how my family ate, so that's how I ate. However, as I learned more, met new people, and did some research about healthy alternatives, I realized that I could have a balanced, full diet without the blood and the flesh and carcasses of animals who deserve to live just as much as I do. Pigs are as intelligent as dogs. They have feelings and they families. Would you eat your dog?

I think it's ignorance and poor upbringing that leads most Americans to blindly eat burgers made of questionable meat by-product served by a scary clown man.

so now people that eat meat are ignorant and have a poor upbringing............I am loving this topic!!! Good thing you guys care so much for the poor little animals, and think so little of your fellow man..........

plushkitten

I am vegetarian. I have also eaten meat for years. And I also maintained a healthy vegan diet for two years, several years ago.
They're are benefits and drawbacks to all three.
What is the universal benefit of all three is that if you have the access to your needed nutrients there are a variety of ways that you can meet your nutritional needs. We are lucky to be animals that have the privilege in determining what and how we eat considering our culture, environment, and the number of variables we must adapt to given our situations.
:flowerforyou:

daffodilsoup

I think that if you know how to properly supplement your diet, a vegan/vegetarian diet is fine.

however i know for a fact that men and woman respond to vegan diets very differently.
woman require more fats than men do. vegan diets include little to no fats.
which is why a lot of woman that go on vegan diets often will have a host of health problems including the loss of there period, dry skin, hair loss, brittle nails, ect. there have also been studies showing that woman on low fat diets for extended periods of time were more prone to dizzy spells and fainting, even on a reasonably high calorie diet.

I'm sorry, what?

plushkitten

I am vegetarian. I have also eaten meat for years. And I also maintained a healthy vegan diet for two years, several years ago.
They're are benefits and drawbacks to all three.
What is the universal benefit of all three is that if you have the access to your needed nutrients there are a variety of ways that you can meet your nutritional needs. We are lucky to be animals that have the privilege in determining what and how we eat considering our culture, environment, and the number of variables we must adapt to given our situations.
:flowerforyou:

OMG BRITNEY SPEARS CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH???

;D ;D ;D

Prestonofcourse

im glad to see that while losing your 7 whole pounds you have become both a historian and a nutritionist! i have been a vegetarian for 3 years and many health problems i had prior to becoming one disappeared. this article is dumb, and copying and pasting an article on here is dumb (thats what facebook is for)

daffodilsoup

And what would you guys do if we where in the ice age??? Where vegen sources weren't really available? you're "natural" instincts is what will drive you.

Thankfully I live in 2012 in non-ice-age conditions, so this point is irrelevant.

skywa

I think that if you know how to properly supplement your diet, a vegan/vegetarian diet is fine.

however i know for a fact that men and woman respond to vegan diets very differently.
woman require more fats than men do. vegan diets include little to no fats.
which is why a lot of woman that go on vegan diets often will have a host of health problems including the loss of there period, dry skin, hair loss, brittle nails, ect. there have also been studies showing that woman on low fat diets for extended periods of time were more prone to dizzy spells and fainting, even on a reasonably high calorie diet.

I think every body is different though. And everyone has the right to control what they want to eat. weather it be for ethical reasons or just personal taste.

i don't think vegan or vegetarian diets are especially healthy, in comparison to a diet that fully encompasses all healthy aspects of every food group. but thats just my opinion.

Id also like to add that humans have digestive enzymes specifically designed for digesting protein. I assume thats for a good reason. :P

I can kind of sympathize with the veggies though. I was raised vegan till i was 14, and still can't stomach a glass of milk due to the fact I'm lactose intolerant. Which i assumed was caused by being raised vegan.

kbw414

Vitamin A is only in animal foods, huh? Lol.
Tell me then how I ate only plant foods yesterday and logged in over 600% daily value in Vitamin A. Ever heard of kale? Carrots?

And vitamin D? Technically you don't need to consume it in your diet if you get outside frequently enough. Your skin can produce more than you need in one day after only 10 minutes of sun exposure.

If you want to consume animal products, that's your right and your business. But it's foolish to post an inflammatory and inaccurate post to attack others who choose to eat differently than you do. I don't see why people on MFP are always attacking vegans and vegetarians--I don't usually see vegans and vegetarians attacking those who choose to eat meat...

southernpurplevegan

:grumble:

TheNewDodge

The inability in animals to reason is why they do not have rights. I wish vegans cared as much about human beings as they do about my food supply.

angelashay42

I became a vegetarian 2 years ago. I've never really liked the idea of eating dead flesh. It has always grossed me out but I (ignorantly) thought that it was the only way. That's how my family ate, so that's how I ate. However, as I learned more, met new people, and did some research about healthy alternatives, I realized that I could have a balanced, full diet without the blood and the flesh and carcasses of animals who deserve to live just as much as I do. Pigs are as intelligent as dogs. They have feelings and they families. Would you eat your dog?

I think it's ignorance and poor upbringing that leads most Americans to blindly eat burgers made of questionable meat by-product served by a scary clown man.

so now people that eat meat are ignorant and have a poor upbringing............I am loving this topic!!! Good thing you guys care so much for the poor little animals, and think so little of your fellow man..........

Have you every seen a cow rape and pillage and torture other pigs then burn a village to the ground?

Anomalia

You know you're not going to change anyone's mind so why bother posting this? Are you just bored or something?

jenilla1

...however i know for a fact that men and woman respond to vegan diets very differently.
woman require more fats than men do. vegan diets include little to no fats.
which is why a lot of woman that go on vegan diets often will have a host of health problems including the loss of there period, dry skin, hair loss, brittle nails, ect...

I know for a fact than there are other fats besides animal fats! Nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, flax, etc... :noway:

skywa

And what would you guys do if we where in the ice age??? Where vegen sources weren't really available? you're "natural" instincts is what will drive you.

Thankfully I live in 2012 in non-ice-age conditions, so this point is irrelevant.

it amazes me how you go out of your way to be so exceptionally *****y.

LPCoder

Animal protein can be broken down in the body to form all amino acid groups. It is a complete protein.

Plant proteins are not as complete. Vegetarians need to vary the type of plant proteins they ingest in order to get the full compliment of amino acids that the body needs. Beans and rice is a popular staple in many cultures, because the proteins found in them complement each other and form a complete protein. Be cautious that the quality of the plant proteins is important as well. If the plants are refined, or the plants are cooked in such a way that the process strips it of nutrients, then there is a danger of not satisfying your amino acid requirements.

Likewise, the hormones injected into US meat supply, and the practice of fish farms, often leads to other problems for the body.

There is nothing wrong with choosing either lifestyle; I see it more as a spiritual, religious, or mental health choice. If going vegan/vegetarian feels right to you, do it! If you prefer a bit of meat, go for it! Just make smart choices and eat only what your body needs.

WanderingMe

I eat meat, but am a very big supporter of vegetarian/vegan diets IF the person has educated themselves in how to get all the nutrients they need. I know that those diets can be detrimental if someone hasnt done any research on how to go about it properly, but if they have, then the benefits of such a diet can be substantial