are vegans healthy

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.

my 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."

my brother researched it plenty and talked to a few people well-educated in the vegetarian/vegan diets... my brother is definitely not one to just turn around and say okay fine i'll eat turkey/chicken... he's a very stubborn individual who likes to know all of his info and facts prior to doing anything he doesn't like..

Secondly, go to any doctor or hospital waiting room and you will find many examples of people with illness caused by or made worse by their poor diet - vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

I've often heard people giving anecdotes about people who were sick and pointing out that they were vegetarian or vegan and implying or stating that that was the cause of their problems. I could give dozens of examples of sick people that I know/knew and tag on the end of it 'and he was a meat-eater like you too, so you better be careful'.

Meat and dairy are unnecessary in the human diet. Vegans are healthier and have WAY more energy than those who eat meat. I'm currently a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and my goal is to become a full vegan by the end of the year. Our digestive systems are not designed to digest meat. Take a look at a lion's digestive system and then a humans. Our stomach has to cover ingested meat with mucus and then work very hard to turn it into a liquid in order to be digested while a lion's system does a lot less work to digest the same animal product. Not to mention all the ammonia that beef and chicken is washed in, along with the ridiculous amount of hormones injected into the animal. Did I mention hemorrhagic e coli? Look that up, it will scare you! Want to know how our animal friends are treated and slaughtered? Watch the documentary "Food Inc." and show your boyfriend the conditions these animals have to live in and then imagine what it's like to be a pig in a group that are SMASHED against a wall to kill them, or a chicken kept in a dark house pumped full of hormones so that it can't even walk, or a cow who is knee deep in feces being pushed around by a fork lift! Eating meat is not only unnecessary, it is cruel.

Since a lot of vegans are also picky eaters, a lot of them are not very healthy.

Since a lot of vegans are also picky eaters, a lot of them are not very healthy.

he had a well balanced vegetarian diet, he was very particular of getting everything he needed, and he researched plenty and talked to people educated in the field.. prior to being sick..


***once he started eating turkey and chicken.. he slowly started to get better...

Specifically which nutrients did he need to get from the chicken and turkey? If you can find out, I'll find out where to get them in a vegan diet.

are you talking about finding that nutrient in a food, or a suppliment?.. it could be because he chose not to take the suppliment that was suggested.. either way i'll see if i can find out..

That is a loaded question. I think you first need to define what healthy is. If you are taking into account energy levels, blood work, etc. then I think vegans can be "healthy"....but it's rare. The amount of time and effort you'd have to put in to make sure you are getting complete proteins (complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids) would be almost impossible for most people. Essential amino acids are just that: essential. The ONLY sources of complete proteins are animal proteins...plant proteins are lacking 1 or more. You'd need to combine specific foods with each other, eat them at the same time as each other, and make sure you are getting the right amount of grams of protein to do so. That being said, vegetarians can be completely healthy. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein you can get. It is true most dairy is crap, but that goes the same for meat as well. When it comes to animal products people should be eating organic, properly fed, cage free, etc. Dairy can be great for putting on size (if that's your goal), but it's not necessary in a diet. Animal protein, in my opinion, is. I grew up ovo-lacto vegetarian and recently started eating chicken, turkey, fish, etc. I spent years studying nutrition and the more I learned the less information convinced me vegan is a good choice, especially if you're an athlete (which I am). The amount of energy I have now compared to what I had 5 years ago has changed drastically and my blood work is also perfect....hope that helps

I always find these threads (and the question/assertion) that starts them amusing.

Look at the rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, osteoporosis, joint disorders (related to too much weight), Type 2 diabetes.

Now - "Do you think it's possible to be healthy eating meat and dairy"?

Well, yes. If you eat them in small amounts and have tons of veggies and fruits and raw foods.

Is it possible to be a healthy vegan?

Well, yes. If you eat a balanced diet, supplement with B12 every now and then.

Is it possible to eat like crap no matter what your diet?

You betcha. Exhibit one - see above (rates).

Next.

IMO True Vegans can be healthy but it takes a concerted effort. My sister, age 52, has been vegetarian...she allows eggs and cheese .... for 30 years. She is the picture of health and all her lab values are perfect.