are vegans healthy

hilarytwilary

So many people here repeating "common knowledge" that they don't know any scientific information about. The question should be, can meat eaters be healthy? Take a look at the overwhelming evidence and come to your own conclusions; don't trust regurgitated info from message boards. (Including this post :P)

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/

Harvard study: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2012-releases/red-meat-cardiovascular-cancer-mortality.html

The China study: http://www.thechinastudy.com/

Harvard Nurse's Study: http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/?page_id=197

And a fun infographic: http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/uploads/2011/09/11.09.01-veganism-debunked-infographic-01.png

PercivalHackworth

http://www.veganstrength.org/

This guys looks pale. His color is not good. Every vegan/fruitatarian whatever that I see in youtube videos or online has bad color. That says something to me.

Vegan myself, this is not that lifestyle which makes one unhealthy and deficient at some point. Lack of knowledge and self-education do. As for the question "Are vegans healthy ?" I reply : "veganism here is not the determining factor when it comes to health, again, it's the self-education ".
Yes you can live a long and healthy life without meat and dairies - that whole "meat deficiency mania" has only in equal measure the poor quality of animal products most consume

PercivalHackworth

So many people here repeating "common knowledge" that they don't know any scientific information about. The question should be, can meat eaters be healthy? Take a look at the overwhelming evidence and come to your own conclusions; don't trust regurgitated info from message boards. (Including this post :P)

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/

Harvard study: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2012-releases/red-meat-cardiovascular-cancer-mortality.html

The China study: http://www.thechinastudy.com/

Harvard Nurse's Study: http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/?page_id=197

And a fun infographic: http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/uploads/2011/09/11.09.01-veganism-debunked-infographic-01.png

great ressources, thank you!

hilarytwilary

great ressources, thank you!

You're welcome! I always prefer to have some corroboration to go along with my "opinions".

FlaxMilk

I'm vegan and very healthy. I had bloodwork done recently, and the doctors were very pleased with the results. Anyone who eats mindlessly without any thought to good nutrition can be unhealthy, vegan or paleo or standard American diet. A lot of obese people are actually malnourished. If you want to try it, research the nutrition to pay attention to in vegan diets and go for it. :flowerforyou:

psuLemon

You can be healthy with any diet you choose. I know plenty of vegans who eat like crap, didn't get their nutrients they needed and ended up in the hospital. Going vegan alone won't make you healthier. It's when you educated yourself and understand how to achieve the macro and micro nutritional needs is when you get healthy. Heck my bloodwork severely improved just from educating myself, losing some weight/fat and exercise. I have eliminated all processed meats and gone to a more paleo diet (because my wife has to be gluten free), I am sure I will continue to improve my numbers.

psuLemon

So many people here repeating "common knowledge" that they don't know any scientific information about. The question should be, can meat eaters be healthy? Take a look at the overwhelming evidence and come to your own conclusions; don't trust regurgitated info from message boards. (Including this post :P)

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/

Harvard study: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2012-releases/red-meat-cardiovascular-cancer-mortality.html

The China study: http://www.thechinastudy.com/

Harvard Nurse's Study: http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/?page_id=197

And a fun infographic: http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/uploads/2011/09/11.09.01-veganism-debunked-infographic-01.png

My only issue with some of these studies is they are looking at those who eat a lot of processed meats. I would be interested to see a study looking at those who follow a paleo type diet (lean meats, not processed foods). I would agree that eating processed meats, especially those found in fast would and then add on top of that lack of exercise would increase the chances of cardiovascular issue.

In all reality, how many super fit guys/gals do you know having cardiovascular issue?

LottieLou13

You can be a healthy or unhealthy meat eater. Healthy or unhealthy vegetarian....and the same applies to being a vegan. Why wouldn't it?

hilarytwilary

So many people here repeating "common knowledge" that they don't know any scientific information about. The question should be, can meat eaters be healthy? Take a look at the overwhelming evidence and come to your own conclusions; don't trust regurgitated info from message boards. (Including this post :P)

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/

Harvard study: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2012-releases/red-meat-cardiovascular-cancer-mortality.html

The China study: http://www.thechinastudy.com/

Harvard Nurse's Study: http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/?page_id=197

And a fun infographic: http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/uploads/2011/09/11.09.01-veganism-debunked-infographic-01.png

My only issue with some of these studies is they are looking at those who eat a lot of processed meats. I would be interested to see a study looking at those who follow a paleo type diet (lean meats, not processed foods). I would agree that eating processed meats, especially those found in fast would and then add on top of that lack of exercise would increase the chances of cardiovascular issue.

In all reality, how many super fit guys/gals do you know having cardiovascular issue?

Well, there seems to not be a lot of research done on the paleo diet, I guess because it's relatively new on the scene. It stands to reason that people eating leaner meats and unprocessed foods and no dairy will obviously be healthier than people eating the Standard American Diet, which most of the studies on veganism are comparing to. However, I'd be interested in a well-constructed study researching the health outcomes of a vegan versus a paleo diet.

Other than health, however, there are many other reasons that a vegan diet is optimal, including environmental, animal welfare and sustainability reasons. When you include the health reasons on top of that, at least in my mind, it comes out on top as the best way to nourish oneself and the planet.

CkepiJinx

While I am not a vegan I don't see any reason why someone who is wouldn't be healthy as long as they do their research! I think people need to stop take a breath and educate themselves.

alanbluecat

are non-vegans healthy?

Go ahead and generalise. It depends on the individual.

SueGremlin

are non-vegans healthy?

Go ahead and generalise. It depends on the individual.

Vegans AND non-vegans can be healthy. I think vegans are often perceived as healthier because they have to pay careful attention to what they eat. Anyone who pays careful attention is going to have a better diet than someone who doesn't think about what goes into their mouth.
I am not a vegan nor vegetarian, but I am a billion times healthier now than I was two years ago when I didn't pay attention.

alanbluecat

are non-vegans healthy?

Go ahead and generalise. It depends on the individual.

Vegans AND non-vegans can be healthy. I think vegans are often perceived as healthier because they have to pay careful attention to what they eat. Anyone who pays careful attention is going to have a better diet than someone who doesn't think about what goes into their mouth.
I am not a vegan nor vegetarian, but I am a billion times healthier now than I was two years ago when I didn't pay attention.

Absolutely right!

I've been vegetarian for the last 15 years. In that time I've eaten a load of rubbish and was very unhealthy and at other times I paid attention to what I ate and was very healthy. Prior to that I was an occasional meat eater and had healthy and unhealthy periods just the same. Nowadays I'm vegan and I'm very healthy. You can also find people on a vegan diet who are unhealthy.

It is all down to the individual and what they do in their life in terms of diet and exercise. You can't really answer the question 'are vegans healthy' as there is so much variation and individual choice.

If the question was asked 'CAN vegans be healthy?' then the answer is undoubtedly 'yes'.

Yogi_Carl

Quick question: My boyfriend doesn't think that vegans can be healthy, and that you have to get your nutrients through meat and dairy. What does everyone else think?

Meat and dairy are potential sources of heart disease and various cancers if eaten to the extreme.

Vegans are able to find all macro and micro nutrients required easily for healthy eating and are less prone to a lot of dietary diseases that omnivores are.

Of course that all depends on whether the vegan in question is careful to eat a vareid diet. You can be vegan and live on Smokey Bacon crisps but it's not healthy!

AimersBee

my half brother was a vegetarian all of his life, very intelligent guy, knew what to eat.... but then he got sick, lost a ton of weight, had to go to the hospital... after all the testing they did, the doctor said that he needed to start getting certain proteins that were only in meat such as turkey or chicken.


now... after being a non-meat eater all his life.. he now eats chicken and turkey every so often, been healthy and back to normal ever since....

he was 40 when he got really sick, he is now 43...


just a little tidbit of info... of course this doesn't happen to all vegetarians/vegans... but something to take with a grain of salt...

Yogi_Carl

http://www.veganstrength.org/

This guys looks pale. His color is not good. Every vegan/fruitatarian whatever that I see in youtube videos or online has bad color. That says something to me.

Vegan myself, this is not that lifestyle which makes one unhealthy and deficient at some point. Lack of knowledge and self-education do. As for the question "Are vegans healthy ?" I reply : "veganism here is not the determining factor when it comes to health, again, it's the self-education ".
Yes you can live a long and healthy life without meat and dairies - that whole "meat deficiency mania" has only in equal measure the poor quality of animal products most consume

How do you know it's the guy's real colour and not a colour problem or bias on the photograph. Anyone can turn the red and yellow pantones down on a photograph to make someone look anaemic!

CoderGal

Sorry vegan friends but I had to share this hehe...





Also, I don't think being vegan makes you unhealthy, I think it's harder to be healthy. For example. it's easy to be oblivious and chuck fast food into you and get all your amino acids...you have to be more aware of things when you're vegan.

Sarauk2sf

Quick question: My boyfriend doesn't think that vegans can be healthy, and that you have to get your nutrients through meat and dairy. What does everyone else think?

I think if someone is educated, they can eat a healthy vegan diet

Agreed, just as a non-vegan can be unhealthy.

lachesissss

Short answer yes. If you bother to work out how eat a complete diet (in terms of macros and nutrients) and enjoy that particular lifestyle, then of course. If you use it as an excuse to just eat carbs and eschew the well rounded portion of the diet, then no. Search Vegan Zombie on YouTube - a good example of a very healthful and healthy vegan who is educated about the lifestyle and has lived it for an extended period of time.

shaynak112

Quick question: My boyfriend doesn't think that vegans can be healthy, and that you have to get your nutrients through meat and dairy. What does everyone else think?

Meat and dairy are UNHEALTHY. They are just easy way to get all nutrients together. Think about it - a cow eats a well balanced diet. You eat the cow. Therefore, you're eating a well balanced diet. I mean, it isn't QUITE that easy but it's pretty close!!!

So basically, cut out that "middle man" (aka the cow). Eat a well balanced diet yourself. Veggies, beans, grains, nuts, fruits, seeds, etc. I am vegetarian (although I eat a 75-80% vegan diet, I do allow myself dairy on occasion but I do avoid it as much as possible. I eat a lot of veggies and beans and tofu.

I think it's a lot easier to eat healthy as a vegan than as a non-vegan. I mean, you can't eat a lot of fast foods because they have some sort of meat or animal byproduct in them (dairy, egg, lard, etc.). You can't eat many snack foods. You can't eat unhealthy meats, cheeses, milk. You really have to eat veggies and beans and nuts and stuff. I mean yeah, you can buy vegan veggie burgers and stuff. I do this on occasion too. But having those once in a while isn't nearly as bad as eating all the non-vegan stuff.

FlaxMilk

my half brother was a vegetarian all of his life, very intelligent guy, knew what to eat.... but then he got sick, lost a ton of weight, had to go to the hospital... after all the testing they did, the doctor said that he needed to start getting certain proteins that were only in meat such as turkey or chicken.


now... after being a non-meat eater all his life.. he now eats chicken and turkey every so often, been healthy and back to normal ever since....

he was 40 when he got really sick, he is now 43...


just a little tidbit of info... of course this doesn't happen to all vegetarians/vegans... but something to take with a grain of salt...

Did your brother see someone who is knowledgeable about vegetarian diets? If he prefers being 100% vegetarian for ethical or other reasons, it couldn't hurt to talk to a doctor who is well-educated in this particular area. Some, not all, doctors say some really crazy stuff to vegetarians. A dentist told me I'd have bad teeth because of eating nuts and seeds. My dentist today said, "Yeah, no. You're fine."

KS_4691

PALEO!

BR3ANDA

You can be unhealthy no matter what nutrition plan you pick. I only know 1 vegan (well 2 if you count her husband), they are very healthy, but they also make sure they meet their macro nutrients every day. Meat is not the only source of protein, and dairy is not the only source of calcium. I prefer to eat meat, dairy, eggs, fish, etc, but I dont assume someone isnt healthy if they choose not to eat. Just like I dont assume someone IS healthy if they do.

guardian419

holy bro-science... I was gonna chip in, but I'm leaving before someone cries into their salad and I get removed

JessicaMorganC

http://prime.peta.org/2012/03/moremyths

CoderGal

Quick question: My boyfriend doesn't think that vegans can be healthy, and that you have to get your nutrients through meat and dairy. What does everyone else think?

Meat and dairy are UNHEALTHY. They are just easy way to get all nutrients together. Think about it - a cow eats a well balanced diet. You eat the cow. Therefore, you're eating a well balanced diet. I mean, it isn't QUITE that easy but it's pretty close!!!

So basically, cut out that "middle man" (aka the cow). Eat a well balanced diet yourself. Veggies, beans, grains, nuts, fruits, seeds, etc. I am vegetarian (although I eat a 75-80% vegan diet, I do allow myself dairy on occasion but I do avoid it as much as possible. I eat a lot of veggies and beans and tofu.

I think it's a lot easier to eat healthy as a vegan than as a non-vegan. I mean, you can't eat a lot of fast foods because they have some sort of meat or animal byproduct in them (dairy, egg, lard, etc.). You can't eat many snack foods. You can't eat unhealthy meats, cheeses, milk. You really have to eat veggies and beans and nuts and stuff. I mean yeah, you can buy vegan veggie burgers and stuff. I do this on occasion too. But having those once in a while isn't nearly as bad as eating all the non-vegan stuff.

I have no problem with vegans, I've thought of it myself...and then I don't want to be associated with the above poster. I'm not even going to go near all the problems I have with that post...But to many people think vegans are not only bean eaters, but infact nuts.

And one for the season:

slocketti

Gorillas are vegan and they are lean, mean muscle machines! Have your boyfriend read The Beauty Detox Solution by vegan celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. I became a vegan after reading this book and am finally in the best shape of my life!

Sarauk2sf

Quick question: My boyfriend doesn't think that vegans can be healthy, and that you have to get your nutrients through meat and dairy. What does everyone else think?

Meat and dairy are UNHEALTHY. They are just easy way to get all nutrients together. Think about it - a cow eats a well balanced diet. You eat the cow. Therefore, you're eating a well balanced diet. I mean, it isn't QUITE that easy but it's pretty close!!!

So basically, cut out that "middle man" (aka the cow). Eat a well balanced diet yourself. Veggies, beans, grains, nuts, fruits, seeds, etc. I am vegetarian (although I eat a 75-80% vegan diet, I do allow myself dairy on occasion but I do avoid it as much as possible. I eat a lot of veggies and beans and tofu.

I think it's a lot easier to eat healthy as a vegan than as a non-vegan. I mean, you can't eat a lot of fast foods because they have some sort of meat or animal byproduct in them (dairy, egg, lard, etc.). You can't eat many snack foods. You can't eat unhealthy meats, cheeses, milk. You really have to eat veggies and beans and nuts and stuff. I mean yeah, you can buy vegan veggie burgers and stuff. I do this on occasion too. But having those once in a while isn't nearly as bad as eating all the non-vegan stuff.

Lol - there are so many logical fallacies and inaccuracies in this post I do not know where to even start.....and I am a vegetarian!

FlaxMilk

Also, I don't think being vegan makes you unhealthy, I think it's harder to be healthy. For example. it's easy to be oblivious and chuck fast food into you and get all your amino acids...you have to be more aware of things when you're vegan.

I have to strongly disagree with this, at least in today's culture. There are a few pitfalls to watch out for when vegan, like B-12. But in today's society, even junk food vegans are likely to get things like calcium and B-12 supplemented in their milk or meat substitutes.

Junk food non-vegans have pitfalls as well--if not B-12, some other vitamins or problems with excess fat (in the foods).

Healthy vegan and healthy non-vegans are aware of what they put into their bodies and why. It doesn't happen accidentally, for anyone.

I'm not making this into a vegans are healthier; I am making this into a "Both vegans and non-vegans should be equally diligent and educated in order to eat a well-balanced diet."

In fact, in very young adulthood, I've been both a "junk food vegetarian" and a "Junk food vegan." I was healthier as the junk food vegan. As I got older, I got more interested in the health and fitness aspects of my diet, and I'm now a very healthy vegan.

wrevhn

this thread could spell trouble.


I'm biting my tongue on this one and sitting back to watch this.