It’s one of the most frequent questions I get from blog readers: How do we respond to people who insist that they require meat in their diets?
I know very well that some vegans struggle with their health, because I hear frequently from those who are looking for help. Most who contact me are animal advocates who are experiencing nutrient deficiencies (diagnosed through blood work) or they simply don’t feel well.
These are not people who are eating junk-food vegan diets. Anyone who gets sick from eating a diet based on potato chips and cookies will usually have a fairly good idea of why they got sick, and they also know how to take some steps to fix that. Instead, those who write to me are usually eating what they believe to be a healthy diet, based on whole plant foods. They are also very motivated to stay vegan.
Writer Sayward Rebhal describes that motivation in a recent blog post about her experience with failing health. She was determined to make a vegan diet work, to reclaim her health without abandoning her commitment to an ethic that she describes as the “cornerstone of my life.”
Not everyone expends as much effort. The latest blogger to bail on her vegan diet is Alex Jamieson of Super Size Me fame. I remember seeing that movie quite a few years ago and rolling my eyes at Alex’s observations about nutrition. I had pretty much the same reaction when I read her story about why she returned to eating meat. She claimed that her cravings for meat were a sign that she needed to be eating it. Jack has some comments on that in his post on the topic.
With the exception of those who have extensive intolerances to numerous plant foods—leaving them with few plant food choices—I believe a vegan diet is a safe option for everyone. But, I can’t know that for an absolute fact because it’s something that is impossible to prove.
Instead, the burden of proof lies with those who say that a vegan diet failed to support their health. And so far, I’ve not yet heard a story from any ex-vegan that sounded convincing. I was not convinced by Lierre, or Tasha or Alex. Again, it’s not to say that I know that they could have recovered their health on a vegan diet. I don’t know what they were eating and I didn’t see their blood work. It’s just that their stories are all so flaky and misinformed and filled with holes, that they invite skepticism. So, until someone actually presents some evidence to the contrary, I continue to believe that vegan diets are safe for everyone.
But yes, some vegans struggle more than others to stay healthy. Nutrient needs vary among individuals so some people may need to work a little bit harder to obtain everything they need. And some vegans are not getting enough of what they need because they are eating diets that are too restrictive and/or they are not taking appropriate supplements. My initial recommendations for someone who is craving meat or dairy are these:
- Add umami to your diet.
- Eat more concentrated sources of protein—soy, seitan and beans.
- Add some healthy fats to your meals—nuts, avocado, and foods cooked in small amounts of vegetable oils.
- Check your diet against the Plant Plate which summarizes information in Vegan for Life and Vegan for Her.
Most of the claims against veganism can be countered with a few science-based observations, but it’s not so easy to change the minds of those who firmly believe that meat is a dietary essential. Probably the best we can do is to make sure our own diets are health-supporting and that we share good evidence-based nutrition information with other vegans.
I love you. That is all.
Love you, too, JL!
^What JL said.
Thank you, Krista!
I think a lot of vegan and vegetarians problems is that the soil in this country is completely depleted of nutrients. It makes it harder to get the vitamins through food. I’ve been vegetarian for 13 years, if I can kick my sugar habit I could be vegan. I watched a video on how if we would use rock dust (ground up rock) and dried seaweed we could put all the nutrients the human body would need back into our food. The person relating the info used the example of a bowl of raw spinach leaves in the 1950’s had 158 milligrams of iron compared to today, same bowl 2.2 milligrams of iron. For that reason and others I plan on having my own garden this year with heirloom organic seeds. I hope.
I’d be very surprised if a bowl of spinach had 158 milligrams of iron in the 1950s. If the soil had been that iron rich, plant foods would have been dangerous to consume! At any rate, a study published just this month in England showed that the decline in iron content of the soil since the 1930s has been negligible. So, I don’t think this is a problem for iron nutrition. Using heirloom seeds wouldn’t make a difference since it wouldn’t affect the nutrient content of the soil. (Although, I love using heirloom seeds in my garden, too. 🙂
more info on iron and absorption inhibitors, https://www.google.com/search?q=spinach+inhibits+iron+absorption&oq=spinich+inhibits+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2.10910j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
As a former soil sampler and crop consultant I can assure you that todays soil’s are in no means nutrient defficient.farmers spend alot of money to ensure this doesnt happen.
Shell, I’m curious why it is you said you could be vegan if you could give up sugar.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending upon your view) sugar is vegan, thought may not be ‘good’ for us.
I still like and eat some sugar sweetened foods.
Actually, sugar is often processed with bone char. I mean for all intents and purposes it is vegan, but it’s kind of not… it’s a slippery slope!
Don’t be so hard on yourself! When you run out of your current bag of sugar, maybe you could try buying Fair Trade sugar (e.g., Wholesome Sweeteners) that also doesn’t use bone char. I mention Fair Trade because I like eating compassionately towards human animals too :). You can also look for vegan recipes that use different sweeteners: maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut sugar, sucanat, etc.
And if you’re not quite there yet, but you’re concerned about giving up sugar, save it for last–that’s what I did! Honestly, once I stopped eating dairy and eggs, giving up things like bone-char-processed sugar was relatively easy!
My guess is that, in all likelihood, even though they’re eating the right foods, they’re not eating the proper balance of those foods.
I do not comment much, but I read faithtfully (found you through Gena and JL) and this post really resonated with me. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with both Celiac (or gluten-intolerance – my tests were faulty as a result of a naturopath’s bad advice) and many nutritional deficiencies, the later most likely as a result of malabsorption. Soon after, I attempted to go from a gluten-free/dairy-free/egg-free/still eating fish diet to completely gluten-free vegan, and, because I had been also been diagnosed with gallstones and possible gallbladder problems stuck to a fairly low-fat diet most days. Within a few months I came apart – my nutritional deficiencies got worse instead of better (despite tons of supplementation), my cholesterol dropped to what my new and more-useful doctors characterized as “getting so low that you are close to the level of compromising brain and neurological function,” I was cold all the time, and even more fatigued, and in some ways felt worse than before I had found out gluten, dairy and eggs were problems from a health/intolerance standpoint.
I briefly went back to eating fish and trying duck eggs (I have an egg allergy), but here’s the kicker – I did not feel much better at all and, emotionally, felt really conflicted. I had not been vegan for long, and it had initially been more for health, which is why I was swayed back to eating fish and trying duck eggs, but neither felt right and, more importantly, neither were really solving anything. I went back to the drawing board with my doctors and they listened in two ways – suggesting I up coconut products and fat in general as well as vegan protein powder and vegan protein sources AND swap out my vit d and magnesium supplements from pills and liquids (I had tried many, to no avail), so a topical application, ie to absorb through skin to bypass the digestive system altogether, since clearly, I was not absorbing them despite diligently taking my supplements. The naturopath also upped my digestive enzymes to help me digest all those fats and not compromise my gallbladder further (I occasionally have gallbladder discomforts, particularly with IBS C flare-ups, but otherwise am generally ok). With those changes, I went back to eating vegan, emphasizing proteins and fats.
Long story short, within a couple of months, my numbers slowly started getting better and, in hindsight, my health problems had little to do with switching to a vegan diet, and much more to do with pre-existing malapsorption issues, perhaps aggravated by the lower-fat diet I was sticking to. It’s been a couple of years since that crisis and massive course correction, and it has been worth it, as my veganism is now much more ethics-based as well as health-based, and I honestly could not imagine not being vegan.
These days, I often try to tell my story to people who say they tried veganism and it did not work for them, as I think it is easy for people to assume it’s veganism, rather than something else that is causing the issue. Also, I eat completely gluten-free (eventually another test made the Celiac diagnosis far clearer) as well as vegan, which is why I have very little sympathy for people who eat gluten-free who tell me it is just too hard to be vegan.
So thank you for this post 🙂
Thanks for your story, Val. I think this is something that probably happens to many people–that they don’t realize that better vegan choices are just as helpful for restoring health as switching to animal foods.
I am having similar issues and would seriously appreciate some advice. Due to severe reactions to several foods I cannot tolerate grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy, corn, and by choice I have been vegan for the better part of 13 years. I’ve been sick most of that time due to eating the grains, etc. I can’t eat those foods without having a reaction and lately I have had intense cravings for red meat and specifically rare red meat. Which of course just grosses me out. I have no idea what to do. I feel really lost and really need help. I always ate nuts and legumes, but I can’t do that anymore. I’m also sensitive to night shades so no tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplants either. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The reason you are craving meat is because your body requires it. Your ethics will not out way the biological make up of the human body that is omnivorous. But I guess if you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the cause, then so be it and accept the consequences.
This is bogus advice. Jessica, you need to have testing done for malabsorption and a consult with a Vegan Dietician.
ahh yes. Due to my ancestry (and everyone is different), I had to go back to eating meat. I eat it maybe 2x a week. What a balanced charge I get. Everything fires my in system wonderfully. I wish I had understood this sooner. I love venison especially…due to the fact that so many deer die of cold and starvation in the winter here, I feel that hunting a deer is not so bad. I study shamanism so I know to connect with the animals and thank them…and then someday I will die, that is ok with me too. It is all about balance. We are all different.
PS sorry this comment got so long. Thank again.
I’m having a health crisis right now and I appreciated your mini-blog sized comment!
I wonder if one of these ex-vegans will ever actually post what their vegan diet say over the course of a week (even if what they gave us had no proportion sizes it would come as something). I find it interesting how Alex’s story says things like “my truth” when she’s talking about how food interacts with her body… which in the end all boils down to a physical reality of a sort. When will these people learn that a “my truth” sort of idea applies to something psychological like a political experience, or a social experience of (dis)favoritism of some sort, or something plausibly ambiguous, but has little credibility in the physical world, where even though we have vast complexity, we have much less ambiguity?
Yes–great observation! And I certainly agree that it would be so interesting to know what some of these ex-vegans were actually eating. I wonder if it would remove or reinforce my skepticism.
Best to listen to the body. Due to my ancestry (and everyone is different), I had to go back to eating meat. I eat it maybe 2x a week. What a balanced charge I get. Everything fires my in system wonderfully. I wish I had understood this sooner. I love venison especially…due to the fact that so many deer die of cold and starvation in the winter here, I feel that hunting a deer is not so bad. I study shamanism so I know to connect with the animals and thank them…and then someday I will die, that is ok with me too. It is all about balance. We are all different.
FWIW, Lierre Keith was never vegan. She admitted that she often binged on eggs while she “was vegan”. For all she knows she could have contracted one of the many diseases that factor farms produce
http://beforewisdom.com/blog/veganism/the-vegetarian-myth-by-lierre-keith/
Kristen Suzanne, a raw vegan with a very active blog, went back to being an omnivore due to health reasons. You can read her food blogs online, so knock yourself out. She did everything right you can possibly do right on a vegan diet and yet failed. Veganism is NOT for everyone and our bodies ARE different – just accept it and stop pointing fingers at people who choose to put health (that of their children more than their own in most cases) before animal rights.
Hanna, how do you know she did everything right? Her blog post on why she returned to eating meat shows such a poor understanding of nutrition that it helps to make my point.
If your point is that meat and dairy are of no use to humans, there is more research that needs to be done here. We are all different.
Chill out there, Hanna.
I stumbled on both Ginny (and through a link, Kristen’s) blogs today. What I can say is that Kristen’s case for giving up her veganism (ethical veganism, no less) is completely lacking in justification. I can understand concern regarding her children’s nutrition, but she goes on about how her butt looks? Similar ramblings persist, none of it very substantive or convincing. Frankly you would expect a lot more from someone who claims their diet choice was founded in a deep ethical framework.
It makes someone who did not their hide their primary motivation being animal rights/ethics to come across as ultimately nothing but self-serving and self-involved. Did I mention her concern about her butt? That’s called vanity, plain and simple. Not exactly a higher virtue. Nor did she simply integrate a tiny bit of animal protein into her diet as some do, to minimize the exploitation of animals but make a “necessary compromise” for her health. She went full-on Weston Price/paleo cultist mode with a smorgasbord of flesh.
But hey, she pumped out 12 raw books and hasn’t changed the portions of her website that peddle raw vegan living, despite the fact she’s completely disowned it. I can only wonder how long until she hocks a cookbook slamming veganism and hopping on the laughable (yet sadly trendy) paleo/primal diet.
But to my estimation, the saddest part is how a once-ethical vegan would completely disown that lifestyle that justify it through rationale such as “ancestral diets”. This is not forward-thinking, it’s a nose-dive into the knuckledragging past.
Conversely, I found Sayward’s account of self-discovery and truly sticking to her principles in figuring out her diet (below) very inspiring. Kristen’s? Glib, superficial, lazy and very reductionary.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2013/01/facing-failing-health-on-a-vegan-diet/
Sharing this information on my website. Thank you for your continued rational, intelligent and informed responses to all the hoopla regarding “needing meat” in order to be healthy. I, like you, am very skeptical when I hear people give impassioned testimonials to why they had to return to eating meat, because there really is no evidence backing up what they are saying. Thank you for all that you do.
Thank you for putting this into words. I had much the same reaction to these recent posts, but the language in my head was a little more … colorful. I appreciate your reasoned response, and I may steal your sentiment (and some of your words) when I talk to others about this very issue.
>And some vegans are not getting enough of what they need because they are eating diets that are too restrictive and/or they are not taking appropriate supplements.
And unfortunately, many many vegans push these restrictive / non-supplemented diets, leading to many more animals dying to be eaten.
Ginny, I think one of your most important insights is this: “People who adopt vegan diets for health reasons never seem to be satisfied with just being vegan. They’re inclined to pile on more restrictions like no added oils or no cooked foods, or only whole plant foods, or even no nuts and seeds. – See more at: http://www.theveganrd.com/2010/11/how-the-health-argument-fails-veganism.html#sthash.VTr77Y3j.dpuf)
If we could stop being concerned with glorifying veganism, repeating every myth that comes along, the animals would be much better off.
Agree–I think we’d have far fewer ex-vegans if people weren’t so focused on these restrictive approaches.
“People who adopt vegan diets for health reasons never seem to be satisfied with just being vegan. They’re inclined to pile on more restrictions like no added oils or no cooked foods, or only whole plant foods, or even no nuts and seeds.”
That is a nice way of articulating it. They are always looking for the next bigger thing to do. If they aren’t trying something new and demanding promising to deliver a big hit they try something more restrictive. Sounds like orthorexia.
I (personally) have seen just as much evidence of orthorexia (“allergies” and restrictions) among AR-centric vegans as I have among health-centric vegans.
“never seem to be satisfied with just being vegan”
This is not my experience at all. PCRM, for example, appears to me to be a good example of an evidence-based approach.
[…] If you read only one link that I provide this week, please make it this one from Ginny Messina: Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? […]
Thank you so much for all you do! After having a history of significant endometriosis and uterine fibroids, I am quite anemic. Had a complete hysterectomy, and was taking iron supplements ( have plenty of energy, by the way, go figure, but some hair loss). Subsequent testing showed that I was still at the very bottom of iron counts, so I was puzzled. Then, I got your book. The information about how and under what ideal conditions iron is absorbed floored me. I’d been taking the supplements with food, and rather enjoyed drinking coffee or tea with it. No wonder the supplements didn’t seem to be having an effect! So, I’ve been following your guidelines as well as taking vitamin C after meals. Next month I will get another blood count, but I’m quite optimistic that this may be successful (hair loss has decreased, by the way).
Karen, the hysterectomy could be part of the explanation for the hair loss, but yes, getting your iron a little higher could definitely help. I’m really glad to hear that it has. (Hair loss is distressing!)
I am not a total vegan although I’m working on it. I don’t know if blackstrap molasses is vegan or not but years ago I learned that a teaspoon a day would raise iron count in just three days. I heard it from a nurse who worked at a blood or plasma donation clinic. A woman kept being denied donating because of low iron, she came back three days later, her iron was up to normal by taking black strap molasses each morning. I took it because iron pills made me sick.
Yes, blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of iron. But I don’t think it would raise anyone’s iron count in 3 days. Iron deficiency is treated with supplements.
Actually, by far the quickest and best way I’ve ever raised my iron is via iron transfusions. 6-8 weeks of a weekly 20-minute drip made me a new person. (I felt considerably better by the third week) I also found Floradix iron + herbs to work pretty well. Love your blog!
So, I forgot to add: many folks tried to convince me that my low iron counts were because of my animal free diet, even though I had tended toward anemia when I was a meat eater in my 20’s. birth control pills ( with resultant lower blood loss each month) were what kept my iron counts normal in my 30’s and 40’s, when I was vegetarian. Had to quit using them at 49, with resultant major blood loss prior to hysterectomy. Sorry about the TMI, but, this is why I knew people were misinformed regarding the causes of anemia in relation to medical conditions as well as diet. Ginny’s book is what helped me figure out the rest of the puzzle.
> … and foods cooked in small amounts of vegetable oils.
Can you please explain what do you mean by “small amount”? And if I’m going to eat a cup of cooked spinach, for example, how much oil should I add to improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins?
Thank you
It doesn’t take much; I think cooking 2 cups or so of vegetables in 1-2 teaspoons of a good quality oil is enough to enhance nutrient absorption and flavor.
> 1-2 teaspoons of a good quality oil
Do I understand correctly that it is 5-10 grams of fat? If so, can I replace the oil with the nuts or seeds? For example, 2 English walnuts contains about 5 grams of fat.
I found that 3-5 grams of fat per meal sufficient to ensure carotenoid absorption: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/carotenoids/#metabolism. But for vitamins K, E and D, I did not find this information.
The issue of nutrient absorption isn’t all that clear since it depends on other factors as well–whether the food is cooked, whole versus pureed, etc. And as you noted, we don’t have good information for nutrients like vitamin K. I think it takes relatively small amounts of fat, though, to ensure adequate absorption, and eating nuts would very likely provide all the fat you need. Some people might find that cooking vegetables in small amounts of oil produces a more satisfying meal, though, so for those who are struggling with veganism, it’s important for them to know that it’s not harmful to do this.
Hmm, I’d be inclined to accept that vegans who dump the diet are telling the truth at their current level of understanding as they try to work out why it didn’t work for them. They might not have the knowledge base to work out scientifically defensible theories, so they might come over sounding flaky. Bloggers who go public also tend to condense and simplify their experience, which means that information gets left out. Also, as in my own case, identifying with certainty what the problems are could take years, especially if you don’t have the medical or research resources and you’re isolated. And if you’ve been feeling sick and miserable for a long term, and then feel better when adding ASF, fear of getting sick again could be paralyzing.
Being shamed and scorned by the vegan community calls up the defence mechanism – as Sayward said, she found her anger!! The more shame and scorn heaped on the person, the more s/he is treated as a traitor, defaulter, and moral weakling, the less likely s/he is to want to try to tweak the diet to suit his/her physiology and the deeper and longer-lasting the anger will be, which shuts off the ears and the mind.
If approached with compassion and understanding for his/her very real illness and feelings of failure and guilt, s/he might well be willing to work back toward veganism. I found Sayward’s compassion for others who experience plummeting health as committed, intelligent vegans, very compelling.
Ginny, I am puzzled by what I see as a contradiction in your post, and apologize if I have misread it. You say that you can’t actually judge whether the defaulter is genuinely sick, and their understanding of why they got sick, without seeing their labwork and medical history, and getting a complete picture of exactly what and how much of each food/nutrient they were eating. Then you go on to do just that, describing all lapsed vegans’ published experiences as flaky and full of holes…
Finally, truth is a slippery thing. It is true for me that I cannot convert betacarotenes to retinoid vitamin A with high efficiency. This statement may not be true for another person, whose statement that she digests beans really well is totally false for the person whose trigeminal nerve is hyperirritated by legume tannins, resulting in shattering migraine attacks. I can see how I could say, My truth, about my personal situation, and make a series of statements that would contradict somebody else’s truth, yet both of us would be totally truthful and transparent!
Suzanne, in saying that the lapsed vegans’ stories are flaky, I’m merely pointing out that the stories I’ve read are always filled with so much nutrition misinformation and are so generally vague, that I find them implausible. It doesn’t mean that I doubt that these ex-vegans were sick; it means that they have bought into some misinformation that has caused them to believe that they can’t be healthy on a vegan diet. I’m not saying that it’s their fault–it just means that none of these stories have convinced me that they needed meat.
Thank you for that explanation! so you’re not judging their stories, just their conclusions that they need meat or other ASF in their diets.
I have worked hard and long (24 years) at understanding why I personally got so sick as an ovolactovegetarian, and crashed so catastrophically as a vegan. I know now, but didn’t back then, that I am gluten-sensitive, hypoglycaemic, can’t eat legumes and nuts, don’t do the vitamin A conversion well, don’t retain vitamin B12 well, etc, etc. I couldn’t show you all my labwork, because much of it was done in South Africa 24-14 years ago and it simply never occurred to me to ask for copies and cart it all with me to the USA! Some of it is personal observation, like the unpleasant fact that every time I eat legumes, I get a migraine attack. I fingered this one 5 years ago, during the 8 months I was in a chronic pain clinic and had to track everything I ate, while nuts got the axe 2 years ago, but I only found out two weeks ago about the tannins/trigeminal nerve link. However, there is good medical evidence supporting these observations, so I think they’re sound conclusions. I don’t know if there even is a lab test for this, and I’m obviously not allergic to legumes or nuts.
Jack Norris said very truly that it is not the lingering spirit of eaten ASF that improves health, but the molecule or combination of molecules found therein, and that if that molecule or combination can be found outside of an animal’s body, there’s no need to eat that ASF. However, for some of us, it could be a very difficult, protracted, painful, and expensive process to find out which molecules are problematic, and could mean massive supplementation. Then there’s human hypervariability to take into account! The optimal amount of calcium for person A could be four times that of person B’s requirement. It may well be true that many, even most, people can do well as vegans, but as you say, it may well be a lot harder for some than for others, whose biochemistry is less demanding.
I made the decision to optimize my health and have a high quality of life through eating what is provably good for me, and that includes ASF as complements to my plant-based diet. I eat very large quantities of low-glycaemic-index veggies, moderate amounts of low-glycaemic-index fruits, and sufficient quantities of ASF – humane-certified whenever possible.
My decision is are obviously incompatible with veganism and will probably draw serious flame from those who cannot accept my valuing my life higher than that of any other sentient being, and that’s understandable even if disrespectful and noncompassionate! Having owned a smallholding for seven years, on which I produced much of my family’s food, I know that there is no way, short of hydroponics in a sealed biodome, of producing human food without concomitant non-human animal deaths, and acknowledge that my life directly or indirectly causes their deaths.
I hang out on your site not to be contrary, but because I’m genuinely interested in nutrition, health, and evolutionary perspectives, and you offer good stuff.
Wow Suzanne, I’ve never even heard of legume tannins, much less causing trigeminal irritation. How did a Dr or ND figure that out? In sure most allopaths would have just prescribed migraine medication.
I wish Alex would have sought nutritional support from one of the expert plant based MDs, or RDs, before choosing to return to meat eating.
Apparently the linkage between tannin ingestion and trigeminal nerve stimulation has been known for a long time! It’s also been known for some time that the excruciating pain of migraine is caused by inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. It’s also very well known that many migraineurs are triggered by legumes and nuts so it’s pretty standard advice to avoid these because it was suspected that the tannins were responsible, but nobody ever told me exactly what the tannins did. I only had the aha moment because I’m taking a class in the Human Dietary Niche (I’m an Anthro major student) and one of the prescribed readings mentioned this effect in passing, so I hit PubMed and Google Scholar.
I was diagnosed with migraine when I was 6 and come from a family of chronic migraineurs – it’s horribly heritable. Over the years, I have been prescribed and tried everything in the allopathic arsenal, but never with marked success. The triptans work well if I catch the attack early enough, but the side effects are appalling. I’ve also tried Botox, naturopathy, acupuncture, learned biofeedback techniques, chewed lavender buds, taken feverfew extract…and my condition just kept getting worse. Fortunately my allergy to morphine saved me from implantation of a morphine shunt, which was suggested at one point!
The chronic pain clinic helped a lot because of the pain diaries we had to keep. We were also presented with many many pages of information including lists of known triggers. It didn’t take too long before I tumbled to the legume connection, but I was furious about it because I love pulses, so I refused to believe it. A couple of experiments, however, proved it beyond doubt. Since I read the research, I’ve been wondering if I could try the very pale legumes, which probably have minimal tannins, but I’ve just come out of a bad migraine so my fear outweighs my curiosity…I’ve reduced my pain days from 200/year to 65, so I’m not eager to reverse the trend – I have a life now and I want to live it!
I don’t know Alex, having seen her only in her appearance in Supersize Me, when I thought she looked very pale and rather too thin. It may well be that her diet was deficient in vital elements, but I don’t want to guess. I was accused of being a closet anorexic when I was eating like a whole rugby team but unable to absorb nutrients because of the damage to my gut.
I do know from my own experience that when you’re sick all the time, hungry all the time, and racked by cravings, it can be very hard to see beyond the day. The relief of finally feeling well and being able to function is a wonderful experience. I have seen it put down by vegans as meatgasms, which annoys me because I’ve heard vegans uttering orgasmic moans as they chew on chocoate-coated candied cherries or suck up buckwheat pasta with mushroom sauce… sauce for the goose…
In my case, the vegan nutritionist I saw was simply angry and frustrated because my diet, so perfect on paper, was obviously highly detrimental to my health. It was a quarter-century ago, and I don’t think there was the sheer volume of information available about human hypervariability and digestive conditions as there is now, so she may simply not have known what to do. Perhaps her sighs and eyerolling were involuntary?
Last year I ran across a vegan nutritionist – we fell into conversation at a gathering – who first tried to convert me to veganism then, when I said that I had been very ill as a vegan, told me I couldn’t have done it properly. I gave her a friendly challenge – here are my conditions, what vegan diet would you design for me that would meet my nutritional needs? Silence was followed by a burst of rage in which she slashed my character.
Unfortunately, the comments on stories by vegans who revert to omnivory show that this is a very common response. Some of those comments are really scary! Tasha received death threats directed not only at herself but at her pets and her children, for instance. I think it possible that some people whose health worsens on a vegan diet, especially if they’ve been poster children, might actually be afraid of consulting vegan professionals and try to work it out for themselves.
Sure, but the orgasmic moans that come with eating pasta with mushroom sauce are due to the fact that the food tastes so good; it has nothing to do with an actual need for that food or for chocolate-covered cherries! I’ve never heard any vegan claim that it does.
And the fact that Tasha claims that she received death threats doesn’t mean that she did.
Ginny, I’ve seen, with my own eyes, some really hateful comments on nutrition blogs, directed against omnivores by vegans, and I’ve seen some made by vegans against ex-vegans. A couple of years ago, a vegan replied to a post I made about the higher nutritional value of grassfed meat with the comment that I deserve to see my dog hung up by one leg, have his throat slashed, and then be skinned alive.
Your comment that vegans don’t make health claims about the food eliciting pleasurable moans may be true for you. I have frequently heard this kind of thing: God, this mushroom sauce is so good and it’s just so incredibly healthy! Nobody needs meat!
I think we should all be allowed to admit that we enjoy our food!
Why can’t it just be true that people are diverse, not just psychologically, but, physiologically. Some people need meat, or, animal derived products. Some people thrive on a vegan diet, or a vegetarian diet, & some people thrive on a diet that includes meat. This diversity seems quite logical to me.
So, Suzanne, what nutrients exactly are you getting from meat/dairy that are solving your nutritional dilemma? Protein? What is in meat/dairy that is so vital for your survival?
I’m curious.
Sorry to take so long to reply, I had deadlines and midterms! I have a lab report due tomorrow and a paper due on Thursday, so I’ll have to come back to this question later. The short answer is that I can’t eat nuts or legumes. I can’t eat grains in more than very small quantities, even if they’re whole. It would be very difficult to get a full range of amino acids from plant foods in sufficient quantity without the usual nuts/legumes/grains supplements used by vegans. I don’t convert carotenes to retinoids with any degree of efficiency. When I don’t eat meat, even when I’m supplementing with iron and eating foods very rich in vitamin C, I become severely anaemic even though I had a hysterectomy nearly 20 years ago. This is a puzzle, as when I’m eating red meat, and not taking iron supplements, while eating the same C-rich foods, my iron consistently comes in at the lowest end of normal! I have to get out of the door within 3 minutes, and I’d love to continue talking with you.
Could you PLEASe go easy on some of us former vegan/vegetsrians. I tried, I really did. 3 times for about 2 years each. I developed nerve damage (lack of B12), anemia ( from iron deficiency), GLAUCOMA!!! ( IM 28!) insomnia, and heart palpitations. each time believing I must be not eatong healthy enough I read becoming vegan for nutritional advice and dozens more blogd/webdites when the book failed me, everyday i would count up my b12, iron, zinc from my plant sources to make sure they added up; believing I was super healthy. But more importantly RELIEVED that I wasn’t hurting any living thing. Soymilk, organic brown rice protien, seaweed, chiaseed, sublingual b12 (heads up : nutritional yeast is judt brewers yeast with b12 added, plus its a neuroexciter which means its killing brain cells, please research this) hempseed( i followed brendan frazers program) etc. I ate and tried ot all notonly did I develop all above ailments, but my weight went up, even with calorie resyriction eventually added in. I HATE that I cant be a vegan/vegitarian, I feel guilty after each animal product I eat.If your able to eat that way and be healthy, thank god because lives are spared because of this. But militant vegan/vegitarians need to realize that we are not all blessed to be able to eat this way and next time your talking to someone who says I used to be vegan/vegetarian please dont automativally associate them with flaky, quitters. As some people may hate that they have to survive off the death of something else. I apologise for spelling errors,this was typed via a cellphone.
Did your palpitations go away after eating meat, if so how long did it take?
“She claimed that her cravings for meat were a sign that she needed to be eating it.”
I think we need to widen the discussion to properly respond to these cases. It is about more than nutritional science in a narrow sense. We also need a psychology of eating linked to what Melanie Joy calls the dominant ideology of carnism. Being vegan can bring anger from others and anxiety about being different. We know from so many other areas where some are in minority that social psychological mechanism can bring about negative projection in people. Combine that with real bodily difference in terms of allergy, metabolism and uptake of different substances, and we can have something that will pull the person strongly back to meat. We need to pry apart the social psychological factors and the purely nutritional factors.
When someone goes from vegan to a bacon-meat-cheese-milk-every-day diet it is mostly not about nutrition, but psychology.
I have been vegetarian for 13 years because I got sick on meat three times in 2 years and the last time I couldn’t eat for nearly two weeks. But I noticed at times I don’t crave meat but the idea occurs to me to eat meat, I will think it’s good but once in front of me I can’t stand it.
Then I realized it’s like sugar or drugs, I can avoid it if there’s absolutely none in my diet, if I crave it then I accidentally consumed some meat product like broth in a dish I didn’t expect it to be in. Especially eating out. Same thing with sugar and baked goods my down fall. If I can make it a few days with out it then I’m good, made it one time for several months but one bite of baked goods or something with sugar I’m hooked. It the main thing keeping be from being vegan. Plus cheese.
Have you ever listened to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s podcast, Food For Thought? She has some great tips about cheese, if it’s something you’re interested in eating less of. The rest of her podcast episodes are also just awesome, and really informative, in general :).
Thank you for a great read.
Thank you, oh thank you!
Nice post! I think leading by example is the best thing I can do! But of course, when people ask me because they are curious about veganism — that is the best opportunity to tell them all about it! 🙂
Since humans, like all animals, are so individual, I believe that there are people who are unable to be vegan.
My father is one. Many food intolerances, including legumes and most beans, make his diet extremely restricted even with animal products.
My husband is my shining star of someone who has persevered.
In spite of many allergies and intolerances, he has maintained a vegan diet except for a very short time in which he ate some eggs (he was losing weight rapidly and was extremely exhausted. We tried eggs for one month –believe me– I was SO careful where I got them from– did a ton of research)– well, he tried eggs– I stayed away from them, but it didn’t seem to make a difference and he quickly gave them up. Shortly thereafter he was given a stage 2 colon cancer diagnosis followed by 2, huge surgeries and all of the complications, thanks to the medical community.
Anyway, in spite of not being able to have soy, any amount of salt, gluten, citrus, berries and several other good foods, along with us both being on the Nightshade diet (which has completely resolved arthritis pain), he’s stuck with the vegan plan– now over 17 years. And he and I literally became vegan overnight. Plus, he was a hunter.
Yeah, I’m kinda proud of my husband of almost 40 years….
However, I do believe that there are cases of people who need to supplement their diet with animal products. But I also think that it’s up to them to cause the least amount of harm possible.
The best rejoinder I read to Jamieson’s new ex-veganhood was on vegan.com’s FB page. One of the commentators there said like Jamieson he too listened to his body and it said “Thank You for being vegan”
Ginny,
If someone has a nutritional deficiency, s/he goes to a competent MD and the MD orders test is it the case that it will be found?
Is there any such thing as a mysterious nutritional deficiency that will not be detected by competent medical personnel?
There are definitely nutritional deficiencies that are difficult to assess. Zinc is one that comes to mind. So for those who don’t feel well, but have normal blood tests, eating more zinc-rich foods might be helpful.
What kinds of symptoms would low zinc cause?
Things like poor immunity and slow wound healing. But zinc is needed for so many reactions in the body, that marginal status might turn up in ways we really don’t understand.
[…] Norris, RD., To Quit or Not to Quit Veganism. And The Vegan RD, Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? Similar topics, with Jack and Ginny, the two author’s of Vegan for Life discussing the […]
A somewhat related question: is there any evidence to support the claim that some individuals *must* consume dietary cholesterol?
I ask because I recently skimmed this article:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20051001/rosebraugh.html
From the first paragraph:
“He does not eat meat, and until he was diagnosed three years ago with dangerously low cholesterol, he was a practicing vegan. He did not eat any animal products whatsoever, including milk and cheese. Now, on the advice of his doctor, he eats one organic egg and a few shavings of organic cheese every week.”
This smells odd to me. I thought that all humans produce all of the cholesterol they need?
It smells odd to me, too. There are genetic defects that cause problems with cholesterol production, but these are rare and would be evident at birth. And if someone has dangerously low cholesterol, it’s not too likely that they will raise it by eating one egg and a few shavings of cheese per week. Why doesn’t he just consume some plant-based saturated fats I wonder?
I agree with your sentiments. I believe that people could not feel well on both vegan and non-vegan diets, and that changes to their diet might have to be made. The scientific evidence is overwhelming that we don’t need meat, so adjusting one’s diet while remaining vegan is the strongest option!
Hey Ginny! I’m a meat eater and fellow RD and not anti Vegan/Veggie in any way. I love to support peoples dietary choices!
Just a question though, if a person is having to supplement their diet as they are not able to meet their needs through food (and I’m not saying they shouldn’t) do you think that it is a sign that a vegan diet is inadequate for that individual? Interested to hear your thoughts!
Helen 🙂
Helen, as long as they are maintaining good health with a supplemented diet, I don’t think it’s a sign that they shouldn’t be vegan. After all, the fact that much of the world’s population needs to supplement with vitamin D isn’t a sign that we should all be living closer to the equator. 🙂
Haha, No I am sure it isn’t a sign we should be living closer to the equator! 🙂
However, it can be a sign in many circumstances that people’s sun exposure is inadequate, with supplementation being a solution to the problem at certain levels.
I don’t disagree with your point and of course if people are happy and healthy on a supplemented vegan diet, that’s great. But (like with vitamin D) if we have to rely on supplements, then isn’t that a sign of inadequacy? In the case of a vegan having to supplement, caused by dietary choices?
I’m not saying you can’t be healthy on a vegan diet but some may find it more difficult than others. Age, sex physical activity ect all impact on our nutritional needs and may make it more challenging to meet our requirements via a vegan diet. Obviously, inadequacy can occur in none-vegan populations too, but may be possible to fix without supplements if dietary choices are not restricted.
Helen 🙂
Yes, but in many parts of the world, it’s really not possible to make adequate vitamin D all year long. So, supplements are definitely required for people who choose to live in many parts of the world. Just like supplements of vitamin B12 are required by many–or perhaps most–people over the age of 50 regardless of the diet they are eating. Vegans need to supplement with B12; that’s a small issue given the tremendous benefits for our world when people choose veganism. I did note in my post that some people–regardless of their dietary choices–have to work harder to meet nutrient needs than others. We just have to make sure that people have the best information so that they can eat a diet that is responsible, ethical and healthy.
Hi Ginny! I’m new to your site and I’m so grateful to have found it. I wanted to ask about the “need” for B12. I’m a longtime vegetarian who recently decided to try veganism. To support this switch, I started taking a daily 1000 mcg sublingual VegLife Vegan B12 vitamin. Unfortunately, my face has been breaking out into rashes and when I sought medical advice my doctor suggested this may be from the B12. I discontinued it yesterday but my face is still discolored/splotchy. Have you ever heard of or observed this type of reaction? If B12 is somehow not compatible with my system, is there some other supplement I should use instead? Thanks!
Yes, very high levels of B12 can cause skin breakouts in a small number of people. You’re taking a pretty high dose, though. You need only 25 to 100 micrograms per day, so I would look for a supplement that provides a much smaller dose and see if that helps.
I love the claim that every person’s physiology is unique and that’s why we can’t all thrive on the vegan diet and why we shouldn’t generalize. And yet every person that makes this claim somehow finds the same American meat based diet to be the panacea in spite of all of their bodies being 100% unique.
These are attention seeking and ego feeding behaviors (and surprise, several of those attention seekers have blogs). I suspect that once the attention received for practicing the unique, vegan diet wears off, they need to move on to something else to get the attention fix again and to remind everyone else that they are special.
The problem with your position is that if you find a single ex-vegan who does not eat diets of which more than 50% is meat, it falls apart. I eat a plant-based diet supplement with small amounts of animal source products, and I personally know several ex-vegans whose meat intake is either non-existent (they eat eggs and/or dairy in small quantities) or minimal (1 can of sardines/day or 3 3oz servings of meat/week). Of these people, not one has a blog, and they don’t proselytize their diet at every opportunity. Sure, we talk among ourselves, but don’t vegans talk to each other about their diets and swop recipes and experiences? Food is very much a part of the human experience and central to culture!
Among the ex-vegan bloggers, Denise Minger eats huge amounts of raw fruit and veggies, and small amounts of animal source foods. Chris Masterjohn’s diet is not based on enormous hunks of meat. Melissa McEwen gets several meals out of a duck breast and several more out of the rest of the carcass. Tom Billings uses small amounts of goat milk in his otherwise vegan diet.
Hence, your argument that EVERY ex-vegan claims a meat-heavy diet to be a panacea is shown to be flawed.
As to the comments trashing the psychology and characters of ex-vegans, how do vegan bloggers, who tend to share the same kind of improvement of health through vegan diet story, stack up? Are their blog posts attention seeking and ego feeding behaviours?
I consider that when you find thousands of people, of different ages, living in different countries, with different cultural backgrounds, who don’t know each other and who haven’t all read the same books, but who report similar experiences, are telling the truth when they say that their health improved after adding small amounts of meat or other ASF to their diet – just as I believe that thousands of people are telling the truth when they say that their health is excellent on a longterm vegan diet.
I know that these comments are over a year old but Suzanne, I think that everything you have said is spot on. I am in a similar position as you – just coeliac, not all the other intolerances luckily, and through blood tests it was shown that I was dangerously low in iron (despite actively consuming high amounts of plant based foods high in iron). This was also impacting on my thyroid gland causing it to have to work extremely hard to produce to right amount of the thyroid hormone. This paired with a vitamin D deficiency was making me lethargic, tired and generally unwell. Between meals I would feel shaky and light headed and it was making me generally unwell. All this despite a “healthy” vegan diet and making sure I consumed enough broccoli, nuts, mushrooms and other leafy greens to keep my iron up.
When I made the switch to gluten free and began taking iron supplements my blood started to level out but after 6 months it was still low in nutrients, and although I felt better than before, I was still feeling very tired and getting shaky between meals – I had to be eating almost ten meals a day to not get this.
When I finally made the decision to begin eating meat again (beef, lamb and seafood) I began to get intense cravings for meat – I couldn’t get enough, and I don’t even like the taste of meat very much! My iron levels were raised as the iron in red meat is much easier for the body to absorb than the iron that comes from plant sources. Even eating red meat I still have to take iron tablets but my iron levels are at a normal level now, and my thyroid is back to functioning properly. I feel 100% better than I did on a vegan diet, I have so much more energy and am able to concentrate so much better than before.
So are some people just meant to eat meat? YES! I strongly believe the evidence is in my own experience, even though I know this is not enough ‘evidence’ for most of the extremist vegans out there, and looking through these comments I see a heap of uneducated and ignorant responses from them – but there is plenty of evidence out there to support this.
Even looking at the blood work from both my mother and younger sister who both eat exactly the same diet (both meat eaters) – while my mothers iron levels were on the low side of normal, my sister had enough iron for all us combined! Peoples bodies are all different, and some cannot absorb nutrients as well as others. This is just a fact.
Suzanne, your post is a few years old now, but I agree. I have gone through a few rounds of health issues from eating an extremely healthy plant based diet. I mainly stay vegan due to ethical reasons. I also think that more plants is a better way of eating but possibly not 100% plants for every single person. I don’t like meat either. I prefer the taste of vegan food. But every few years I end up with depleted vitamin D, B12 and low iron despite valiant efforts, medical grade supplements, and even shots. It sucks because the pure, true vegan camp condemns and the non-vegans get overboard with the “I told you so” garbage. No middle ground really. I am normally repulsed by the sight of meat, eggs, etc but when I start having weird weight fluctuations, extreme fatigue, brain fog, joint pain and other generally not-well feelings and find myself craving a sunny side up egg – I know. Then after about a month of including eggs in my diet I just can’t stand them again. If it gets really bad, I crave sardines. But that usually goes even quicker. I think that some people are in top health with a vegan diet. I think some of us need the random egg or sardine. Thanks for sharing this.
Not true… you are generalizing. I eat in a primarily Vegetarian manner, but, will occasionally eat meat, when my body guides me to. I think there are many people like me out there.
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“My initial recommendations for someone who is craving meat or dairy are these…”
What a shame that Alex doesn’t know about those… ~sarcastic tone~ I think it’s really funny how even though Alex doesn’t go into detail about everything she tried, the hard-hitting vegan bloggers out there are absolutely sure she didn’t try anything at all before giving into her ‘debasement’– in fact, after a decade of health and nutrition coaching, she’s some dumb newbie vegan who just doen’t know any better. The arrogance around this particular subject, in which you are certainly doing your part, is astounding.
Vegans… all about compassion… for animals.
Anyone can position themselves as a “health and nutrition coach.” It doesn’t mean they actually have any credentials or knowledge. In Alex’s case, she chose to eat more foods like green juices and hempseeds to get more “concentrated protein” into her diet. That’s a good indication that she didn’t understand some basics of vegan nutrition.
And my point was exactly what you’ve stated here–that she didn’t go into detail about everything she tried. She said that her cravings indicated a need for meat and she shared some info about something she tried, which suggested she didn’t know how to meet nutrient needs on a vegan diet. If you read my post, then you know that I said very clearly that I don’t know for a fact that she didn’t need meat–but stories that are packed with misinformation and vague observations about “cravings” leave me skeptical.
And I don’t know how drinking a green smoothie would help a craving for meat! Perhaps she should have eaten some vegan foods that taste….meaty?
I use to eat anything slower then me , i met my wife and she is a vegetarian. I stopped eating meat for her and as i learned more about it , it was for the animals and the planets health and well being .
I started to feel better , have more energy and enjoy what i ate and cooked more. there are so many vegan substitutes for meat ( hotdogs , chick patties , burgers) not to mention dairy, butter and chesse substitutes that even taste better out there .And there made with soy or okra or other healthy non animal products .
I guess my point is not only do you not have to eat meat i beleive that you and the rest of the world will be in much better health if you dont. More then half of the health problems are found in people that eat meat, especialy red meats . Veganism is more of an awardness of your world and your health caring about not only what you eat but the world in which you live in . Its more mental then health reasons that people eat meat , you get more protien from a bean sprout then a steak .
I guess in a long winded way im saying , no the human body not only doesnt need animal products, its healthier not to consume them .
if you balance your meals, there is NEVER a reason to eat an animal product and keep good health , and i was the the worst carnavor of them all , but my eyes are opened now. I think ginny would agree.
I have to say, it always strikes me as odd that these sorts of discussions often seem to result in many concluding that people may in fact need a wide variety of diets to satisfy their unique biochemistry. It strikes me as very odd, given that we aren’t terribly different. Yes, certainly things like lactase persistence exist, but we’re basically the result of shared ancestry. As such, shouldn’t our “optimal diet” be pretty similar? Put another way: Let’s say we’ve got 10 of animal X in captivity. We would basically feed them all the same diet, right? We wouldn’t insist that we needed to do “what worked for them”. Certainly, we wouldn’t insist on the variance that some people claim is required among humans.
Alex, there is enormous variability in humans, far more than in any other species. This is due to our wide radiation into many and very widely varied environments, and several bottleneck events, as well as ongoing evolution. For example, hunter-gatherers whose traditional diet is low in starch have many fewer copies of the gene expressing salivary amylase than those whose diet is starch-rich. There’s been a lot of gene flow, but it has not homogenized us, and that is why we are the world’s dominant mammal and dominant primate. No matter where groups of people went, whether fruit-rich tropical zones, or fat-rich northern latitudes, or carbohydrate-rich temperate zones, those individuals on the digestion efficiency continuum who had the luckiest gene combination had much higher lifetime reproductive success. Those on the other end gave birth to fewer infants, who were less likely to survive weaning and puberty. In carbohydrate-and-legume eating cultures, for example, the hypoglycaemics were winnowed out early, but never completely bred out of the gene pool. The same kind of situation as with lactase-persistence is found with wheat, so populations longest exposed to wheat have the fewest caeliacs and gluten-intolerants – those unfortunates died. In England, with less than 3000 years exposure to wheat, caeliac disease runs at 1% of the population, while in the Middle East, with about 10,000 years exposure, there’s only about one caeliac for every 6,500 people. It takes about 400 generations to fix a gene in a large population: 8,000 years. Then there are the allergies: Some people will die if they kiss somebody who recently ate a peanut, while others can eat peanuts till they come out of their ears. Others can’t eat oranges, or shellfish, or soy, or corn. Some people have little to no intrinsic factor and need high amounts of B12.
Further, it’s been well-known for many centuries that it is not true that all other animals thrive equally on the same diet. In farming parlance, some animals are “hard doers.” Some pigs just don’t grow as fast as others, on the same diet and under the same management as their litter-mates. In zoos, some chimpanzees (overly “good doers”) become obese and diabetic on the same primate chow eaten by their age-mates. Mice with few copies of the BAF60C gene remain scrawny on the high-carb all you can eat diet that turns their more richly endowed siblings into butterballs sprawling on tiny legs.
Variance in humans, as with other animals, is a simple fact of nature. I strongly recommend Roger Williams’ paper, Nutritional Individuality, published 1978 in Human Nature, for a good overview of the astounding degree of this individuality. Just one example: some people produce 20 times as much pepsin and hydrochloric acid per day as others! Pubmed.gov is a good source of studies.
Hello Suzanne – I know that your comments were made a few years ago and this is a long shot but I am floored by the inelegance of your answers and am dealing with a ton of allergies myself that each have their own restrictive diets but combined are leaving me with hardly anything to eat and remain healthy on a vegan diet. I am emotionally upset about the whole thing, as I don’t want any animals to suffer for my nutrition but I don’t think it makes sense to constantly feel ill and debilitated by these problems either. I think it can be very easy for vegans who do not face these issues to dismiss vegans who leave the community as lazy or flakey and it’s actually really insulting and insensitive to dismiss people’s real struggles both with health and the emotional impact of choosing to eat meat again as flaky – as if that individual doesn’t already feel like a failure enough. There is more I would like to talk about if we could have a conversation per email? I am still currently keeping vegan but getting sicker and more demoralized day after day and it would be lovely to be able to talk to someone who understands this struggle as well. Please email me at pianofurniture@gmail.com or let me know where I can email you if you are comfortable. Thank you 🙂
Agreed 🙂 I’m all for good information to support a lifestyle choice. I guess what I am trying to say, is if people are struggling to meet their needs and quality of life is affected by their dietary choices and lifestyle ideals, maybe they would be happier and healthier if they did eat some meat. I know as a vegan you will probably disagree with me! 🙂
I enjoy your blog, it is certainly helpful for a non-vegan RD to have insight into the vegan world from a professionals perspective. I am sure it will help my practice in the future when dealing with Vegan patients/clients. 🙂
Only those who have had heart or ilium surgery AND have been proven to NOT absorb B12 from Vegan sources need to avoid the Vegan diet. In those cases, I would recommend adding Salmon once in awhile. The B12 shot has been proven to be lethal for heart patients, so is not recommended by Medical doctors.
Other people who can’t go Vegan are those with an unusual combination of food allergies such that the Vegan diet would restrict them too severely and/or prevent them from getting all the required nutrients. I am 99% Vegan. I add Salmon only 6 times year for variety because I react to so many Vegetables and dairy. I’m Allergic/Intolerant of the entire Mustard/Cabbage family, Allium family and Mixed Greens.
Why go Vegan? Meats, Avian and Fish has been suspect in causing Alzheimer’s. See Dr. Neal Barnard’s latest research using his own family. His family ate pro-hunters diet in Fargo, North Dakota and has a Alzheimer’s rate. Meat and Avian has been linked to causing Kidney Damage. Vegan diet has been proven to reverse Diabetes.
So, why Vegan? It is healthier in over 95% of the cases.
By “the Vegan diet would restrict them too severely”: I am referring to the people who would be limited to 10 different foods or less or can’t get all the nutrients from a balanced Vegan diet. Think those with mega food intolerances/allergies. Thanks!
I’m very amused by the fact that a person who had built her entire career on the notion of being a “cravings whisperer”–that is, someone who coached clients in how to resist the lure of refined sugars and junk foods, replacing them with more wholesome choices–is now holding her “craving” for meat up as sacrosanct. The idea that meat cravings are somehow sacred, whereas cravings for sugar (or gluten or soy, two other foods that are criticized somewhat reflexively and erroneously in Jameison’s work) are faulty and hollow, is an absurd contradiction.
I certainly believe that serious and persistent food cravings can often lead us to recognize and address a food that’s missing in our diets, but it’s very seldom that the actual thing we crave is precisely what we “need.” A person craving meat persistently might be craving umami, as you point out. There are ways to address a craving that do not involve taking it literally. If I were to obey all of my cravings by the letter, I’d be seeking out a pack of Camel Lights every day by this time.
Wonderful post, as always, Ginny.
I was hoping for some facts, some explanation, a lesson about nutrition, an answer to the question posed in your title.
Instead, I feel like I just read a whole bunch of bashing on ex-vegans.
What is the point in singling out Jamieson, calling her story flaky, telling us that it had you “rolling your eyes”? That’s just mean. And you don’t even take the time to explain what you didn’t like about the story, and why. You make a reference to her cravings. That’s it. That tells me nothing.
So what if Jamieson is eating meat again? How does this hurt you? Why should it illicit such a negative reaction?
I just don’t get how criticizing others choices is informing your readers of anything. You come off as very mean to me. That’s all.
For the record, I went vegan in 06. I only started eating minimal dairy and eggs a year or so ago.
My comments here do not stem from any sort of dietary alliance. They stem from a HUMAN alliance.
Don’t be judgey.
“So what if Jamieson is eating meat again? How does this hurt you? Why should it illicit such a negative reaction?”
Because she is hurting nonhuman animals, so it does harm someone.
I think it’s fair to be skeptical when someone presents an argument with very little sound evidence that is going to cause harm to others (in this case to nonhuman animals).
Perhaps Jamison could clear things up by being a little more specific and providing some more detailed information about her condition? If there is some scientific clout to her claims, I’m sure vegans would be more accepting of her condition and her choice.
Not trying to play with fire here…but… I agree that the restrictive approach of many of those who go vegan and then become ex-vegan is largely to blame for the 360 effect. It is also notable that we DON’T know what anyone’s particular vegan menu consists of; it’s just as easy to eat poorly while vegan as while being omnivorous. That being said, however, my personal testament of omnivore-vegan-omnivore is a little different. I ate a well-balanced and informed vegan diet for a time (it’s maybe worth mentioning that I am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nutrition, too), and was having relatively severe health problems, which all resulted from a lack of iron. I am not at all a fan of supplements, and during my vegan days I maintained healthy Vitamin B12 and D levels throughout. Iron was a struggle, though, and as I said- my health was suffering. I fought an internal battle re: taking supplements and finally decide to supp with iron. My iron levels continued fall and were significantly lower after eight weeks of supplementing than they were prior to supplementing. I promise you I was eating as much as was possible of all vegan sources of iron while maintaining the best balanced diet that I knew how. It just was not working, and I was suffering due to being severely deficient. So, long story short- I have chosen to eat enough meat (i.e. heme iron) to sustain proper circulating nutrient levels while remaining supplement free.
So, there you have a testament from a different angle. 🙂
Kristen,
first of all, I have to wonder why your doctors did not recommend an iron transfusion (???) That helps very quickly. Also, did your doctors determine why you are anemic in the first place and rule out things like internal bleeding, malabsorption, etc? Is the heme iron helping? There are plenty of anemic meat-eaters too. Hopefully this will only be a temporary “solution” for you. Good luck.
There was no internal bleeding, no malabsorption. Literally no anything except ferritin deficiency. I wanted to eat food to address the problem. That was my choice. I am not anemic now, nor was I then. My RBC were and are unaffected. MCV, HCT, everything normal. Again, I chose to eat to address the deficiency. I realize this was a choice I made, and it was by no means thoughtless.
I’m in the same boat, a nutrition student who’s vegan diet is causing health issues. Supplements are not working, I eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, proteins and fats to no avail. I want to believe the human race can survive on a plant based diet, but I now think a modest amount of the population is unable to sustain optimal health on plants alone, purely down to the simple fact we are all built differently.
Min, I would recommend Ginny and Jack Norris’s book “Vegan for life”. There are alot of important points in there on getting the right kinds of fats and proteins, and also being sure to supplement with adequate doses of vitamin D, iodine, B12, and DHA. Some people’s diets are not adequate in zinc or calcium, and may either change their diet to ensure adequacy or take small supplements of these. Then there is the iron issue.
We are all heterogeneous genetically but if all micro and macronutrients are covered from a combination of a well-balanced vegan diet and supplements, the number of people who fail to thrive on a vegan diet can be greatly reduced (perhaps not altogether reduced to nothing though).
Love the vegan life!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love the vegan life
This is one of the best responses I’ve seen. So many other vegans or vegetarians like to call those who couldn’t/didn’t/etc stick to veganism or vegetarianism “weak” and to me, that doesn’t do vegetarianism or veganism any favors. I prefer to provide people with evidence that vegetarianism and veganism is a good thing health-wise, environmentally, and for animals (if appeals to animal welfare might help convince the person).
Thank you once again for a kind response.
i am always fascinated by craving for meat claim. i’ve been to meet ups where someone will remark this. i actually don’t crave meat at all. i crave certain flavors and textures but never meat. sometimes i crave bbq. so i eat something plant based with bbq sauce and my craving is gone. if i crave something fatty at breakfast. where i would prevegan had a scrambled egg i have tofu or avocado mashed with s&p. i do think some people struggle with being vegan. particularly people who do not eat a variety of plant based foods with good fats. i do find it hard to believe anyone craves the blood and flesh of another being. i think we crave flavor, texture and familiarity. we should address those cravings but in a compassionate way. also, most doctors take so few nutrition classes that i would always get a second and maybe third opinion when it comes to how to address nutrition deficits. that said, my doctors are supportive of a vegan diet and me getting all my nutrition from plant sources and/or supplements. if your doctor or nutrition professional is selling you any diet as a magic bullet i would be suspicious.i think a doctor should support your diet choices because every diet is a choice and give you practical information about how to meet your needs from a variety of sources and within your value system. when i see a food pyramid and it does not include a variety of plant sources{because that is what’s important to me} i know that doctor is not for me.
Beyond the fact that the ex-vegan stories are so flaky sounding, another thing I always find curious is that they always tend to return eating pigs, cows, fatty fish, etc. For someone that was previously concerned with animal suffering, these seem like really odd choices when there are alternatives that would be more humane. For example, bivalves lack brains (never understood why vegans avoid these) so would clearly be the more humane choice. Whenever someone tells me they *need* to eat beef for iron and can’t get it from plants, or that vegan diets aren’t natural because you have to supplement with b12, or other typical things….I tell them about bivalves (they are very rich in iron and b12). Yet strangely….none of them seem to want to do a vegan diet + bivalves….
Regardless, people will always find a way to justify what they want to do to themselves.
I do not absorb iron well from supplements, so I eat the meat that has the highest amount of iron. I am being completely honest with you when I write that I tried everything to stay vegan. I just couldn’t do it. There are the lazy ones who give up, and there are the people like me who really want to, and genuinely struggle. I’ve watched the slaughterhouse videos, I feel sick about it, trust me. But, the alternative for me is to get violently ill. I can’t let myself die. I am not that selfless, unfortunately.
[…] cravings have anything to do with your body’s physical needs, the simple answer is no. Read The Vegan RD‘s piece on animal product cravings and Sayward Rebhal‘s beautifully honest account of […]
I wish it was that easy! I tried every suggestion listed above, including some others (i.e. Natto, supplements, more whole quinoa, etc). Needless to say, I ended up optimizing my diet with one serving of organic pastured meat each night.
Dunno if this is well-known but Alex Jamieson is the author of two vegan-related For Dummies books: Living Vegan for Dummies and Vegan Cooking for Dummies.
I didn’t read Alex’s large explanatory post so I’m not sure if she mentioned that or not…
I couldn’t do it, and it depressed me, greatly. I care so much about the plight of the animals that go through hell just to land on our plates.
Yet, I’d been diagnosed with allergies to tomatoes, safflower, soy, dairy, peanuts, and cashews. I was already cutting out several things that I saw in cream-based vegan dishes, and we all know that tomatoes are in anything. I dropped weight, and my hereditary low white blood cell count and low platelet count worried me. I had low iron and low D. I could eat a ton, very balanced, carefully planned vegan diet, and take high-quality supplements, and I just felt awful. So, I switched to all liquid vitamins. All the while thinking that feeling just a little awful was a small price for me to pay for the animals.
Finally, my health gave out. I struggle with inflammation and fibromyalgia, and the stress of trying to eat this way, while struggling to get enough nutrients to fuel and heal myself without getting dizzy was too much.
I’ve sinced switched to eating a small amount of grass-fed meat with vegetables and low carbs. I eat little/no sugar, and I pray that these poor animals can forgive me. I basically hate myself over it, but I honestly feel so much better, saner, and healthier (my blood sugar was a huge issue as a vegan, I couldn’t keep it under control very well, even with protein snacking) eating a bit of meat, that I have to do it. Yet, I still support the vegan movement, and really admire and understand the people that do because they can. I think it’s awesome. I still donate to causes, however hypocritically, because that’s where my true heart lies. My body just doesn’t seem to be able to follow suit. Now, my significant other is a vegetarian and it works for them. No problems, but they are healthy and can eat anything, so they get a good variety.
I am looking for some advice. 48 year old woman, vegetarian for 12 years, vegan for 2 years. Hair loss started about 3 months into the vegan diet. Ran through the usual causes: perimenopause, heavy bleeding/ low ferritin – resolved those issues through supplements and medication. Hair loss continued, insomnia developed, belly fat issues, physical anxiety symptoms (revved up feeling.) I was not a junk food/pasta vegan. My diet consists of lots of spinach, beans, lentils, nut yeast, vega shake, tofu, tempeh, brown rice, whole grains, quinoa and loads of veggies.
In a little under two years on a vegan diet I have now lost about 30% of my hair, and gained about 15 lbs. After consults with GP, OB GYN, dermatologist and dietician a naturopath finally ran some hormone tests and to our surprise my estrogens are fine, my androgens are too high. Fits all my symptoms, great, now I have my answer. However the treatment is a grain free and low starch diet. I have attempted to do this on a vegan diet, and I find it next to impossible. The days I spend a lot of time planning and prepping are fine, but the days that I am busy, or running late, or didn’t get to the store are not so fine. I am frequently hungry and exhausted.
I decided to add wild seafood and eggs to my diet to try to resolve this. To be clear, I am not sure that the vegan diet caused this issue, I think it was a contributing factor along with a stress and other issues coming together all at once to throw my hormones out of balance. But at this point I don’t how I can resolve it while sticking to a vegan diet. Given that hormone balance is involved I am not too keen on increasing my soy intake – I eat a tofu/tempeh based dinner twice a week.
Any suggestions?
I’m not really sure why your doctor would prescribe a low-carb diet to treat elevated androgens. Some research suggests that vegetarian and vegan women have higher levels of a protein that reduces blood levels of androgens. And higher saturated fat intake could affect intestinal microbes in a way that increases androgens. The key is to eat whole plant foods and perhaps increase your intake of beans and plant yogurts to improve intestinal bacteria. And soyfoods wouldn’t affect androgen or estrogen levels so you can eat those if you like.
I assume you had your iron and thyroid tested? Those would be culprits for hair loss.
Anyway, I would stick with a well-balanced vegan diet. Your diagnosis is definitely not a reason to start eating meat!
Well … increased insulin levels do trigger androgen production no? I’m not questioning that a low starch diet is the correct one for my condition, I have researched that and it fits with my diagnosis. What I am saying is that I have found getting a balanced, filling, vegan diet without grains and starches is incredibly difficult.
Yes I have had everything tested. My hair has been falling out for close to two years now. I was eating a well balanced vegan diet – it didn’t work. That’s the problem…
Yes, you’re right that high insulin levels are associated with higher androgen levels. But the evidence suggests that vegans and vegetarians have better insulin sensitivity, despite their higher carb intake. The key is really to emphasize carbohydrates that are very slowly digested, like beans, sweet potatoes, oats and barley. So, I’d suggest using those as your carbohydrates, and then–if you still want to limit carbs a little bit–get the rest of your calories from things like tofu, tempeh, seitan, nuts, seeds, avocado.
Despite what research suggests it seems it is not applicable in my case, I don’t seem to have better insulin sensitivity. Besides the hormonal issue the near constant bloating that I just accepted as part of a vegan diet disappeared completely when I gave up grains – despite the fact that I eat black beans and spinach for breakfast every day. 🙂 So going back to eating grains just isn’t an option for me at this point (I do eat quinoa). Anyway – thanks for your input I will take it into account and think on my next steps. I get that the vegan diet is the basis of your practice. I guess I’m just not 100% convinced that from a health perspective a totally vegan diet is the best option for my personal situation at the moment.
[…] or not to quit veganism – Jack Norris Facing Failing Health As A Vegan – Sayward Rebhal Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? – Ginny Messina Being Fearless Vegan – Ginny Messina You’re Not Hardcore Unless […]
I am trying to move from hardcore carnivore to a more vegetarian diet. My only problem is that I have a problem with my iron stores. I have been told in the past to make sure I eat red meat every 3 days for health (I admit I eat way more than that). My vegan naturopath told me that.
My body does not store iron and iron supplements do not work. Are there any really good sources of iron that act like the iron in beef?
I will feel sick and dragged out when I don’t eat red meat. I feel better within an hour of eating 4-5 ounces. My energy levels really perk up.
I know its not B12, Vitamin D or protein because I supplement with these regularly.
Any suggestions would be very helpful.
The fact that you feel better in a few hours after eating meat means that this is not an issue with iron. When your iron levels are low enough to cause symptoms, it takes a relatively long period of high supplementation to correct that. Eating 4-5 oz of meat would have no effect. I would get another opinion from a different doctor and have your iron tested. I doubt that you’re unable to store it. And eating lots of grains, beans, and leafy greens along with vitamin C rich foods is a great way to boost iron.
I am so happy I stumbled onto this page. I am in the middle of a social psychology course and our prof I’m pretty sure is a vegan. He designed an online interview which was required for the course having to do with how we feel about animals and if our eating habits reflect that. The carnivores are raising holy terror because they feel judged and attacked even though this is an experiment. The interesting thing though is that scads of them, scads say this, “I used to be vegetarian (or vegan) and then had to eat meat for health reasons.” There must be an epidemic attacking vegans of Titanic proportions. Having spent many decades as a non-meat eating person, a person with autoimmune disease and a host of other problems related to crummy genes, I know if I hadn’t been eating the way I do, I would be dead. My docs confirm this for me. So, it is with real eagerness I read this blog to see if I could actually glean what epidemic was taking place. Rather than say, “Hey I like to eat meat you have a problem with that,” they say they have health problems. I don’t believe I have the right to judge what other people eat, just like I don’t want them to judge what I eat. It does rankle me though to hear things like this – maybe there are some people who can’t metabolize certain plant proteins and they might have to eat meat, but that’s as rare as a vegan being hospitalized for having too low of a protein. When a serving of potato chips has 2 grams of protein, we don’t really need to worry.
I have been vegetarian for 14 years (I occasionally eat dairy and eggs). I am mid-thirties and was diagnosed with very advanced hodgkin lymphoma last year, completed 8 months of chemotherapy and am in remission as confirmed by all the scans and medical controls. I think my disease may be from genetic predisposition (my brother had leukemia) in addition to chronic occupational exposure to cancerogenous chemicals, as I have worked 15+ years in research labs, pathology labs, analytical chemistry etc. Impossible to prove but it’s a fairly reasonable guess. I think it’s nearly impossible that this disease would be attributed to vegetarian/vegan diet and my oncologist is certain it is not related. I’ve always had a very big appetite and eat a very diverse and nutrionally sound diet, at least based on my knowledge and all my readings over all those years. I also ate 100% vegetarian during treatment (except for a few days when I was hospitalized). After completing my treatments last Spring, I started getting quite sick with debilitating skin problems, rashes, eczema, general fatigue and joint pains that cannot be easily explained by chemo. It was found by my oncologist and dermatologist and recently confirmed by allergy testing that I am allergic to needles and the surgical implant I had for my cancer treatment. Patch tests revealed a severe allergy to metals and it seems I also have developped additional sensitivity to nickel and histamine from food sources. I was instructed by the immunologist to try and follow a very low nickel diet and avoid foods with high levels of histamine or that are histamine-liberating at least until this issue is resolved and my immune system is “de-primed”. It was a big shock when I was given the list of foods to avoid as they are basicly all of the plant foods I normally eat. Following a vegan diet is impossible, even a vegetarian one. Excluded: beans, pulses, soy, nuts and seeds, extensive restrictions on vegetables and fruits especially citrus and those high in vitamine C, wheat and some other grains, eggs, cheese, sea food, most fish etc etc etc. Allowed: most fresh meats, some dairy, some fruits and vegetables and some grains. No metal cooking pots etc. We are really hoping that this is a temporary condition and that I can go back to my normal eating habits once my immune system is in better shape and that my body is detoxified so to speak. I am very commited for many different reasons to eating minimally a vegetarian diet and was naturally leaning towards a vegan one but I am lucky enough to have survived the cancer now I must do what I must do to save my life. It is also counter-intuitive in the sense that the foods I believed would help to restore my health are the ones making me sick. It also extremely difficult and actually painful to have to eat meat, and I must pay extra attention to specific needs such as increased protein needs, B12 and iron to restore bone marrow health among other things. But so far my condition has improved dramatically, I have been able to stop most of my anti-histamine medication and cortisone cream, and I am confident I am on the path to health again. In a few months time I will go back gradually to eating mostly plant foods in a trial and error manner. Diet is one component of health, a big one, but not the whole story. And I do very strongly oppose to animal suffering and factory farming, and eating flesh is completely repulsive, But it has become a matter of managing those emotions while I do my very best to lead the “second chance” at life I have as intelligently as possible. It is complex emotionally and medically and most content meat-eaters would think I see problems where there is none! Anyways… peace and health to all.
I think that you have answered the question very well with the statement ” they are not taking appropriate supplements” these are supliments to replace the nutritional elements missing from a omnivore diet.
Don’t judge.
I’ve been told my zinc, iron and B12 levels are all through the floor. Add to that I’m also hypotensive (pre-existing) and my health is through the floor.
I’m not going to eat meat (more that I don’t like the taste than out of principal) but I could see why people do.
In a effort to get healthier I went vegetarian for 6 months and made sure to eat a variety of different fruits and veggies including protein and some healthy fats… i went to the doctor at the end because I was getting sicker and sicker (pain, headaches, muscle issues, intestinal troubles, liver swelling ) and found out that I had a enzyme imbalance that could not be corrected while eating just plants… the addition of 4 to 6 oz (lean) of meat a day corrected this issue and within a week i started to feel better and within a month I was completely normal… so yes for some people meat is necessary, to those who say otherwise…. i think i will trust the doctors and specialist that told me I have to eat meat.
HI! I am a new mother, my baby is 8 months old & I’m breastfeeding her. I was Vegan and started eating meat early in my pregnancy because it was the only food that sounded ok when I had terrible nausea.. It was very odd! I have always been considered underweight & have never been a big eater. I am currently eating small portions of meat to keep up with the caloric demands of lactation. I would love to be vegan again since I do not want to kill animals. I don’t digest soy or dairy well. I also have trouble when I eat large quantities of grain on a regular basis. Seitan & beans are also difficult in abundance. any good books or blogs would be appreciated. I have a lot of willpower, but I don’t have too much time or free hands to do a lot of food prep daily with baby. Love to all who are trying to make this world more peaceful.
I was a whole foods vegan for 3 & 1/2 years and it wrecked my health. All the while I thought I was doing something good for myself, that is, until I started developing allergies and sensitivities (which I’d never had before), began losing my hair, developed hyperparathyroidism, and osteoporosis. I was following the “Forks Over Knives” routine but it really didn’t work for me. I e-mailed them about it at their website when the sent a thing out asking people for their stories but they never replied (apparently they didn’t want to hear that anyone had probs). And I really wanted to be vegan–still do–but I have to face it that it didn’t work for me. I’ve switched to paleo (more specifically, “the paleo approach” which is stricter) and feel MUCH better. I’ll be getting blood work done in a couple of days and I have high hopes (because of the way I’m feeling) that it’ll show that things are getting better. Not only do I feel better, but my incipient glaucoma, which my doctor has been monitoring me for for years, has reversed and the eye pressure is now well within the safe zone and I won’t have to take drops. Additionally, I have a mild case of Meniere’s disease (affects your balance) which got worse as a vegan but now seems to be getting better. Read the Loren Cordain’s online document, “Cereal Grains: Humanities Double-Edged Sword.” It’s a real eye-opener.
I do rather enjoy this blog due to the analytical viewpoints. Personally, although I have a vegan family member and vegetarian friends, don’t
have any particular interest in declaring meat consumption to be “wrong” from an ethical/moral, environmental, or health viewpoint.
Arguments can be made that we (humans) are part of an ecosytem in which carnage and survival of the fittest is paramount. Like the majority of the population, who are not vegan, our genes got here because we fought to survive, and we can infer that man Vs animals is part of that cycle. I interestingly have observed, that statistically, the vegan minority tends to reproduce less overall, and some are pro choice which seems to defy their passion for (all) animal life, their own species in particular. In short, before this century of IV infusions, labwork, and man made dietary supplements and processed functional foods,veganism for most (but certainly not all) would have been maladaptive and perhaps incompatible with life and sucessful reproduction. But I digress.
Remember that I personally do not have any moral understanding as to why eating/using animals is wrong. I am against factory farming, and direct cruelty, however I see nothing wrong with me shooting (arrow) a deer in the woods for meat, giving it a much more clean death than if I were to sit there and watch it get mauled in agony by wolves or starve during a bad season. Do I shoot the wolves to save the deer? Do I starve the rabbits and the deer by not letting them eat from my garden? What about animals that eat those fattened rabbits and deer to survive? Which do we help if we’re all equal? It becomes an illogical
tangled mess. A familiar argument is that humans “know better” and can consciously choose to avoid suffering. But then logically that “proves” we are not playing the same field as animals.
Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that plants do indeed experience “pain” and can even anticipate “pain” reflexes before harm comes to that. Perhaps bacteria we take antibiotics for also suffers to. It was thought not long ago that neither animals nor fetuses feel pain. We now know this is not scientifically valid. I am not looking to debate classification of “pain” and it’s relevance, just making a point. Do plants have a right to life? Animals? Human animals? Bacteria at least serves a purpose in the ecosytem yet we kill pathological bacteria against it’s will every day.
It has been shown that farming veggies and grains can produce as much environmental impact as meat. Other studies have shown that meat production (as much as I detest factory farms) is actually not that environmentally damaging as most vegans claim (animal welbeing is another issues).
Some have suggested farming grains directly for humans and not livestock. But here is my tie in point-if these animals are sick and unhealthy from the mass unnatural grain feeding, what makes them a good choice for human consumption? Feeding large human populations on grains, leaving out the additional health issues I’m
getting to, typically involves GMO seeds, pecesticides, and fertilizer.
In addition, people need to eat for their genes if they want to be healthy, few exceptions (congrats to those hearty genes people). While health is my primary interest, even ethical/moral vegans I assume value human health as we are animals too.
I can completely agree with those who are vegan as meat makes them sick (physically and/or psychologically), those who follow religious beliefs, etc. But the other arguments, health in particular, falls flat. Hence why veganism is a minority group and is likely to remain such despite good intestine.
Humans are unique in a number of ways. Our immune systems are quite complex, for reasons x, y, z. There are lots of published medical studies linking grains, legumes, nightshades, soy, and other dietary components to autoimmunity and inflammation, which can cause any number of serious diseases from Multiple Sclerosis to Lupus to thyroid disease. These are published medical studies. Does that mea
ALL must avoid these triggers? No. But genetically, some certainly should, or perhaps MUST if they have “maladaptive” genes to a primarily vegan diet. In fact, they often do better on a plant/paleo diet. Dr. Terry Whals, an MD, reversed her MS with such a diet. She is no longer in a wheelchair and continues to practice medicine.
Vegans have to understand that for every vegan whose genes thrive on veganism, another may suffer. Biology of our genes is like it or not, not a moral fight.
I have Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome 1 since infancy. I have been in and out of hospitals since I was a baby with life threatening seizures (from severe Type 1 diabetes, the rare autoimmune rapidly fatal kind), severe swings in thyroid and adrenal hormone levels, etc. I also have a thankfully mild form of cystic fibrosis. Although my overall “good” genes (other than my recessive mutations) protected me from my early
predicted death in my 20s, I was extremely ill and low functioning with no quality of life.
I ate the typical “normal” so called healthy diet preached for good health. Complex grains, lean proteins (vegetarian options good), etc. I was a mess.
After becoming deathly ill (yet again), I was diagnosed with Celiac as part of my APS 1 syndrome. I had to beg to be tested, and low and behold my bloodwork and biopsy showed that my daily oatmeal was killing me (I am HLA DQ8, the 10% of Celiacs who also react to even pure oats). My allergic shiners since childhood now developed into anaphylactic reactions. I slowly found that dietary antigens, both animal and non animal sources, were the “triggers” for the instability of my
genetic syndrome. For the first time in my life, I went from knowing I was going to die soon to being able to stabilize my
condition that every specialist could not.
My diet restricts foods that impact my autoimmunity and incorporate high protein and high good fats for my CF (it’s hard got me to maintain weight and normal protein/vitamin levels, which is typical in CF patients with pancreas insufficiency,
Foods that cause severe sudden unpredictable rapid extreme swings in blood glucose that are uncontrollable for days (even trace amounts):
-Coconut, agave, any rice except wild rice, beef, almost all gluten free “grains”, including quinoa, tapiocca. I have always had
very insulin sensitive and prone to episodes of needing little insulin. Now by avoiding my triggers, although I will always need an insulin pump, I have more frequent periods where my
antibodies are reduced and/or I erratically make my
own endogenous insulin.
The trigger for my extremely unstable thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s and
Grave’s, as well as possible heterophillic antibodies) is soy. Once I cut out all traces of soy after a thyroid hospitalization, my levels stabilized
for the first time since childhood. I will always need medication, but at least I don’t worry about thyrotoxicosis and coma.
A medical journal (search Pub Med) article indicates a woma
with premature ovarian failure reversed it (likely she only had FSH receptor antibodies) with a diet excluding eggs, nightshades. (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant), legumes, and citrus fruit among others. I did the same and I’m now pregnant (was supposed to be in menopause in my 20s). And FYI, yes I did use genetic testing to ensure my child will be healthy (carriers of my mutations don’t develop the conditions).
My diet is unprocessed, Med/paleo/raw specific to my
food “allergies”. I eat for my genes period,
regardless of the source (animal or not). Lots of anti inflammatory oils, avocado, nuts, quality meat (no beef), fish (diabetics and thyroid patients can’t convert Omega 3s from flax), veggies, fruits, etc, No dairy due to anaphylaxis (it’s linked to autoimmune diabetes interestingly as
well). No beans, lentils, or nightshades due to their links with autoimmunity. I eat about 4000 kcal daily to keep my nutritional status and weight up as I am naturally/genetically very thin plus a cystic fibrosis patient. I do take antioxidants but find I am healthy for the first time on this diet.
So while we can all agree a clean wholesome diet with lots of plant foods is beneficial to most, vegans need to remember that not everyone’s genes are the same. Perhaps a better argument would be to promote humane farming practices rather than assume all humans should automatically strive for a vegan diet as a whole. Veganism is a new concept with few exceptions throughout history. Just because your ancestors thrived on grains doesn’t mean my body will or can.
Interesting subject, to say the least.
Very well said. Many of your words opened my eyes….and ears. Thank you.
I went vegan for about a year and a half when I was in the military, I felt much better for the first 3-4 months before I started having health problems. I could not keep weight on and my military schedule and situation simply did not afford me the opportunity to proper nutrition. Once I was in California I continued on a vegan diet but despite working with a vegan nutritionist and doctors for the next year or so I could not maintain my weight despite consuming 4-6k calories or more a day. Eventually I discovered a mild intolerance to soy, chickpeas and peanuts. (I won’t go into details but it was unpleasant). Once I got off of those my condition improved some and I stopped losing weight but I couldn’t gain weight. I was 6’2″ and about 140 lbs. I desperately needed to gain weight. My doctor finally recommended I try adding fish back into my diet. I started gaining weight again and eventually added some chicken as well. I gained about 30-35 lbs over the next 2-3 months. I occasionally will eat meat but usually regret doing so as I feel like I swallowed a brick and get sick afterwards.
Vegan isn’t for everyone. I think it is a great choice for many but not for all.
Hello.
I can not go vegan.I had been vegetarian for 12 years. Slowly over the course of 4 months I took dairy, eggs and honey out of my diet. I replaced exactly what i took out, and began enjoying soy butter and non dairy yogurts.
I had to eat alot of food but I was doing it right. I ate 8 varieties of beans, 3 kinds of long grain rices, every fruit and vegetable i could buy.avocados, flax seeds, nuts, hemp seeds, various milks, , i ate oats and cereals.
I was losing energy, weak and irritable all the time. I started to get tell tale signs of nutrient deficiencies notably iron, but others as well. I was taking multivitamins, some b vitamins,fresh untreated sea salt, sprulina and eating the right amount of calories… I started sleep walking., then sleep running, then some thing called sleep hunting where the brain tried to find protein and feed it self. I woke up the next afternoon exhausted and covered in furniture and paintings that I had piled on top of my self in my sleep. . It was aweful. My life turned into a sickly, exhausted hell. And the sleep violence my body was doing was really scary for me. I went to the Dr and a nutritionist , they diagnosed me as anemic, nutrient deficient and protein deficient. they told me I could eat some meat or get an animal protein injection.
I decided to eat meat.
Though you are not supposed to jump back into eating whole meat so fast and you are supposed to stage up with broths I had my first steak in 12 years the next day and have eaten meat/ or dairy once or 3 times a week and have had no more issues with sleep walking, or sleep hunting. When ever I cut them out again I have major problems.
If there is some one who wants to tell me how I can be vegan PLEASE TELL ME. <3 I want to be vegan. My body does not.
Exuse me if someone else has mentioned a similar reply.
I went vegan in the 90’s and was not eating a very good vegan diet. But it was fair. I craved meat eventually and added it back into my diet.
I ate lots of veggies and my health seemed to be the same as ever. Depressed and fatiqued, lots of anxiety.
I started working with a naturopath around 2002. I got rid of excess sugar and ate a lot of veggies but still had meat in my diet. I also had non gluten grains. I began to feel really good except I felt deprived and I kicked up an old eating disorder. My eating ranged from very healthy (with meat) to bulimia.
I finally stabilized about 9 months ago, no bulimia. About a year ago I tried going vegan again, this time with my naturopaths help. I have been diagnosed with Lyme disease, chronic epstein bar and other viruses.
I still struggle with depression, fatique and anxiety. The vegan diet lasted about 4 months ( and I was good about omegas, b-12 etc) I had horrendous gas and fatiique again.so back to meat I went. I felt better.
But I have noticed that now despite the meat, I do not feel better. I still get gas and so Ai am wondering if the meat really made a difference.
I am now attempting to wean myself off animal products again.
No meat so far, or dairy for 3 days.
I take oxbile and adrenals for energy and digestion and will try to find substitutes.
I write this because I really think there should be more compassion for those of us who clearly care for animals, want to be vegan. But struggle to do so. Believe me when I say I am doing my best. I think there could be more understanding for people and what they eat and it would be more inviting to people who feel intimated by the vegan movement if they are not perfectly vegan.
Perfectionism is not a helpful trait that I find in myself or in others.
I do appreciate the nutrional advice of vegan rd. It is helpful. I do not appreciate any form of shaming or moral high ground tones in some of the vegan voices out there. It has never helped me to be a better vegan.
Paula from above, sounds like you have really worked to take responsibility for your health. I have chronic Lyme’s and am on my second diagnosis of toxic heavy metals. My naturopath, who is also an M.D. saved my life. Regarding veganism, I tried, long before Lyme’s etc. to give up meat, and did not have any red meat specifically for long stretches. Unfortunately, no matter what else I tried to replace the B enzymes, nothing worked, there was gross fatigue, muscle spasms, rashes, massive week long headaches etc. the easiest to notice is that no matter what I eat, or supplement with, to compensate for NOT eating red meat, there is a particular headache type I get that, usually by the third day I give in, and a small portion of red meat will eliminate the headache within the hour. Some of my doctors were vegetarian advocates and still said “you really need to eat more fatty red meat more often.” So, I try to vary my diet, locally grown and organic as much as possible, and that includes small farm, local meats grown responsibly. My most recent bloodwork analysis in conjunction with the metals tests showed that the ONE thing that had saved me from complete submission to the metals…the even small amounts of red meat in my diet. It had balanced back an anemia as well as was explained to me to be keeping at least one of the metals from collecting even more so and sparing my liver and kidneys from some of the ill effects. My metals accumulation though, may be due to a genetic switch for filtering them out that I do not have. So now, I have to limit my fish intake and make sure that I eat a small portion of red meat at least 2 times/month. Even another “tried and true” bit of advice so many like to put out there of drink more water does NOT work for my body, I store it like a camel. My doctors have specifically stated that I MUST not overdrink and consider my fruit, soup, other drinks because I will cause mineral dehydration more quickly than most. Most recently adding a small dose of pink salt water daily has helped. My point is that as far as advocating the same dietary needs for everyone, perhaps taking into consideration that many of us HAVE investigated different life choices and, even against what we might prefer, found (not just subjectively, but objectively through medical and naturopathic testing) that our bodies function better, and more eloquently, with certain lifestyles. Just a thought, because what works in my body, may not work in yours:)
Ex-Vegan here.
I will say a few things:
1. I miss how good I felt when I was vegan
2. I was eating cleaner (rare take out, mostly raw veggies) when I was vegan, which is really the trick, no greasy or processed foods. At minimum, you shouldn’t eat it every day.
3. Even with eating a lot of nuts and seeds and flaxmeal (so much), I became weaker, and too much soy made my chest bigger/softer, I was also trying to follow a mostly raw vegan diet. Unfortunately I’m not too fond of avocado.
4. For people who are having trouble, there’s nothing wrong with keeping a few things in your diet you like. If 80% of the time you’re eating a vegan diet with plenty of veggies, you’ll be ok. Life doesn’t have to be an all or nothing thing. Just cutting back on the amount of meat you eat and processed food will be what helps you feel better, not an all-or-nothing diet. Also Oreos = vegan, just in case you didn’t know
5. If you’re vegan, thank you, and I’m still trying, but time and money don’t go well with inconsistent schedules and veganism.
6. What are good (cheap) sources of vegan protein? Also, the protein needs to be varied, correct?
[…] Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? […]
[…] Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? […]
[…] It’s true that there are a few ex-vegans out there (who are, unfortunately, very vocal on the internet) who went vegan for weight/health issues, couldn’t make it work, and then made a big noise about how their body needed animal products again (which is highly unlikely). […]
I eat a plant-based (vegan) diet and got my blood results back from the doctor. I have extremely high levels of copper in blood, to where she said she is surprised I am not hallucinating. After some research, I found that the same foods I was filling myself with to build muscle (vegan proteins- nuts, beans, tofu) are all extremely high in copper. This also causes a zinc deficiency; it’s a ratio. I am unaware of what to do, and haven’t heard many other vegans with this issue. From what I’ve read I have 2 options: eat red meat or eggs, or try a supplement.
Hello,
I was a vegetarian, going to vegan for eight years in all, I was sick a lot, passing out at work (airports), routinely waking up in an ambulance with horrifically low blood pressure. I was under very close care of my Dr, it was a horrible time.
One day I woke up in an ambulance and the lovely medic who had seen me before, many many times. Asked me if I had eaten, I was taking great care over my died and when through my nutritionally complete breakfast including vegan supplements. He said your o negative, you can’t be vegan, later on a ward the same information was relayed to me by my DR’s, I was given meat derived supplements to fill in the dietry gap if I couldn’t bring myself to eat meat, which for a year or so more I couldn’t.
I however still struggle, I don’t want to eat mean, I would prefer an ethical existence, but I was told this in hospital by my team of Dr, like this was obvious. Most of my vegan friends knew about this deficiency, so if it isn’t true, what is?
I can’t actually find any information about this on line, But I know what I was told, yet I was brought up not to blindly believe in my DR’s opinion.
Please help.
I need some help. I started eating vegetarian about 2 years ago. A year later, I went to a vegan diet. I eat a balance of all food groups. An example meal would be quinoa, lentils, mixed veggies (squash, broccoli, carrots, etc.), sunflower seeds, cashews, liquid amino, cooked in olive oil. I rotate various foods within each group. Another meal would be oatmeal, plant protein powder, and a nut butter. I make a conscious effort to vary my food intake. I also eat organic foods (unless the rare “eating out” happens). I also do a lot of weightlifting (bodybuilding/powerlifting) over the last 10 years.
The last 6 months I have felt terrible. Physically, I’ve had very low energy. My joints and tendons are always sore. I don’t recover from my workouts like I once did. My hair is falling out/breaking more than usual. Emotionally, I have had an increase in anxiety and fear, depression and irritability. Something is definitely off. I had a full blood panel ran, with added iron, b-12 and vit-d. (Before I went in for bloodwork, I started taking a B-Complex vitamin because I was feeling so bad, I had to do something).
Vitamin B-12 211 – 946 pg/mL (385)
Folate >3.0 ng/mL 14.8
Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy 30.0 – 100.0 ng/mL (26.5)
TIBC 250 – 450 ug/dL (425)
UIBC 150 – 375 ug/dL (388)
Iron 40 – 155 ug/dL (37)
Iron Saturation 15 – 55 % (9)
Ferritin 30 – 400 ng/mL (7)
Values are in parentheses. Clearly I am deficient in iron. This is a second set of labs, after I started to incorporate eggs into my diet. The first set was even lower. I eat several oranges a day, so supplementing with vitamin C is not making a difference in absorbption. I don’t want to eat animals. With these health issues and the way I’ve been feeling, the thought of having to eat meat is killing me. I’ve been struggling with the remote idea. I am a mess. Is there any other options?
My friend says she has to eat meat because the absorption of proteins cannot occur properly in her body unless it is from meat… Something to do with sisilates? She does have lactose and wheat intolerances. Some internationally famous nutrition expert told her about the having to eat meat thing… But Is there a better alternative for her? Thanks.
I know this article is a couple years old, and I may be late to the party, but here goes…. One of my dogs recently had surgery for bladder stones, and I believe all her vegan snacking off our plates contributed to the condition. Lately, I am reading a lot about calcium oxalate stones in the urinary tract. I came upon a wealth of information about low oxalate diets to prevent recurrence, but they restrict things like spinach, soy, nuts, many beans (including tofu and soymilk), whole grains, and most baked goods. Most meats and daily have no/low oxalate content. This sounds like an impossible diet to do vegan.
[…] Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? | The Vegan RD – I don’t disagree with your point and of course if people are happy and healthy on … what you eat but the world in which you live … Do Some People Need to Eat … […]
I’m rewatching a video by Dr. Michael Klaper about why people have a hard time giving up meat sometimes. He goes into a theory of how it becomes addictive. it’s quite interesting. It sounds plausible. One day science will overwhelmingly support the adoption of a plant based diet as optimal for the planet and humans.
To sum up all I’ve read here…. I don’t know if anyone can 100% say… That a vegan diet is right for every human on earth… All I know is its worked for me, my 2 daughters and numerous of my spiritual friends who practice the same meditation as me… But I feel like possibly there could be a lot of misinformation coming from the medical field/drs./nurses/professionals… I think its possible that it could be psychological why some people have a problem on a vegan diet, you know the placebo effect? What I really KNOW is THIS…. Animals got everything they have from a plant source… And yes their bodies have already synthesized them into what their bodies need, cows DO have 4 stomachs RIGHT??? And possibly we have gotten too used to eating from sources that our bodies DON’T have to do the break down work of those necessary nutrients and possibly we’ve become adapted to this…but you CAN have better absorption by getting a good amount of sunlight on your skin… Even if its cold, it won’t kill u to go outside for 5-20 mins and get some sunlight… Even through the clouds u still get rays… Also I recently became aware of how the mineral silica helps with absorption of minerals, like calcium, iron, magnesium and minerals in general, it turns out its a basic building block of minerals and so our minerals are more absorbed/synthesized when we have more of it in our diet… You see a lot of people seemed to be talking about not getting enough minerals, and it also has been stated by many Dr’s that MOST chronic diseases, almost ALL occur in those who have mineral deficiencies… And it so happens that a very basic building block of all minerals IS silica which is very rare to find in any dietary sources… At least not reliably… People who have taken DE short for diatomaceous earth, which is high in silica, iron, calcium, and magnesium usually, but always high in silica, when taking it in some water daily or regularly, have benefitted from many health improvements… I tried it and it helped me in several ways… My pms was way inmproved with emotional well being, general comfort and less pain, and more energy, my periods were lighter and shorter, i need less sleep, got sick less… Also the DE kills any and all parasites in our bodies, because of the silica which cuts them n dries them out but is harmless for us, so our bodies can focus and use energy more for regenerating n healing over fighting off parasites…some thing u should think about trying for better mineral absorption n much more… And I don’t mean to offend anyone who honestly has truly tried… But regardless of what anyone says here… Because ultimately you never know if these are even REAL people… Maybe they could be what I’ve heard some people call trolls? Its possible… If they’re NOT I fully empathize with them about their issues… And honestly hope they can find the source of why the v. Diet didn’t work for them… But to all those reading THIS please DO try for YOURSELF and do all your BEST to make it work… Just know there’s more than enough protein in veggies and plant foods to supply us with 8-12% max protein we need daily for our daily value needs… And that is a FACT you can research yourself… I like Michael bluejays’ vegetarian resource site… He answers EVERYTHING most people question and dispute about veganism… And YES you can get COMPLETE proteins which is ALSO A FACT… There are numerous ways to absorb nutrients better too… I’ve mentioned 2 here already..sunlight and DE, u can even do a body cleanse or a fast now n again which can help increase absorption too…BUT now matter what anyone says…
Between the environment, sustainability, resource waste, health concerns (diabetes, heart disease, cancers, etc.)pollution, economic, world hunger, rainforest, global warming, and humane issues surrounding eating animals products you would be wise and it IS the best diet to try, going Vegan… There’s NO doubt that everyone should give it their all… And I hope that due to doubt or laziness, or addiction to meat and dairy, which is absolutely addicting and that has been even proven through some research and studies done… That you wouldn’t hesitate to give veganism your all out best shot… Because the proof is in the pudding… Our mindset and thinking I believe is very important it would make sense to find a vegan professional for your health concerns as who would know better and be more compassionate… I’m certain that if a vegan professional could not source your problem or remedy they would not let you get overly sick while they try to figure it out… They have compassion that’s why they’re vegan and they take accountability for their actions… Yes there are some vegans out there making it an us against them game, and that’s WRONG… It shouldn’t be about that it should be about all if us working together to figure out how it can work for everyone… I would say that our thinking and truly having an honestly open mind to the vegan diet and a commitment to making it work is very important… Its true that people can make themselves sick with worry or negative thinking… I just can’t imagine how putting cruelty and the flesh of dead innocent living creatures that got all of their nutrients from plant foods themselves can offer us anything that plant foods couldn’t… And I’ve given you some advice on absorption and be sure to get enough water and stay away from junk that will deplete your vitamins… I think it makes sense to take a multivite in case, it can’t hurt… And I prefer the methylcobalamine over cyanocobalamin which as far as I understand is made in the lab… I wish all of you who are looking to start a vegan diet the best and hope you will find the real deep rooted truth to all your questions, needs, n concerns… And if you truly tried your best to be vegan and it honestly some how isn’t working… I would do what you have to do, but try again now and again and see if maybe your body has adapted to it better now, and I empathize with your suffering and challenge, maybe you can even pray that God will help u to be well on the vegan diet, I pray it does help… That’s all… Love and peace to all… 🙂 <3
Also I bought cast iron pans which u also can do. You’re illness could come from any number of things though… Even bad water or pipes or moldy house or something that was already ensuing or stressful traumas, toxins you’re using in cleaning or beauty products etc…
I know this post is from years ago, but it and some of the comments do not take into account the health issues that SOME people face with a vegan diet. The cravings that Alexandra is chastised for were most likely not the cravings that most of us experience with sugar and other processed foods as Alexandra had been a vegan for years. In my own case, I went happily Vegan and did not have a single craving for meat or other animal products. I was loving my food and had no intentions of ever eating meat products again – I didn’t even like fake meat products. After just a few months, my body rebelled. I ended up having allergic reactions (hives in my mouth plus redness and swelling of the face) with every fruit, vegetable, bean, legume and grain. I couldn’t even eat coconut products. This made it impossible to eat vegan as the only things my body didn’t reject were meat, dairy, animal fat and eggs. After three weeks on an all meat products diet, I began to get some vegetables and fruit back in moderation. This is still where I am at. I have to listen to my body and feel for the “sting” in my tongue which tells me that my body has had too much. This is still the stage I am at, so I am hoping to get a full range of vegetables and fruit back so that I can minimize meat, dairy, and eggs. After rounds and rounds of tests, the doctors have no idea why this happened to me. I want to be vegan, but it seems my body won’t allow me to be. I would be interested in any suggestions about being vegan again under my circumstances. My vegan diet was definitely a whole foods diet without processed food. Per day I was eating a couple of fruits, multiple cups of vegetables both raw and cooked, whole grains, legumes beans and/or soy, and healthy fats.
[…] Do Some People Need to Eat Meat? | The Vegan RD – It’s one of the most frequent questions I get from blog readers: How do we respond to people who insist that they require meat in their diets? […]
I really don’t buy your view point. Veganism is not a diet to be generalized for everyone. Everybody’s biological and physiological bodies are different. Biologically speaking, our stomachs are made to digest meat. There is no argument to that. Only predators and humans have hydrochloric acid in their stomachs to digest meat. Except that predator’s hydrochloric acid is a lot stronger because that’s all they eat and humans are omnivorous.
Veganism is glamorized to be the best diet, the healthiest, and the most ethical of all diets. I can be perfectly healthy and I am perfectly healthy being omnivorous. And I do eat a well balanced diet by the way. I also do love vegan food as a matter of fact. It just expands my options to what else I can eat.
I speak for myself and some people when I say that I would never sacrifice myself for a cause to harm to my health. Just to think about it is stressful. My health would decline, like the stories I’ve read, along with the stress. I don’t need to stress myself about what I should eat. At the end of the day, it’s me or the animal. And I choose me. Yes, I do agree that it sad that animals do indeed have to be killed in order for us to eat. But I believe that it is the circle of life. One has to take life to live, which is a continuous cycle. And it’s not like only we do it, but animals in the wild do it as well, if not worse. What separates us from the animals is that we do have the ability to think, reason, and empathize. Yes not everyone empathizes with animals, but just because we have that ability doesn’t justify why we shouldn’t eat meat. This takes back to our biological/physiological bodies.
In the beginning when one becomes vegan, it’s to save the animals. But then when they get all hardcore into it, it becomes about purity. Saving the animals gets lost in translation somewhere. I don’t want to generalize everyone, but a lot of them are.
I have friends and family members who are vegan and love them. But the only thing that I ask is to respect my meat eating habit beliefs as they want to be respected for their plant based eating and animal ethic beliefs.
Just choose the lifestyle that is best for you and not judge each others eating lifestyle. This what’s great about the USA, you can choose to eat and believe whatever you want. We are just no one to judge anyone because we are all far from being perfect at all.
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods. This article reviews the current data related to key nutrients for vegetarians including protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12. A vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, supplements or fortified foods can provide useful amounts of important nutrients. An evidence- based review showed that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than non vegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals. The variability of dietary practices among vegetarians makes individual assessment of dietary adequacy essential. In addition to assessing dietary adequacy, food and nutrition professionals can also play key roles in educating vegetarians about sources of specific nutrients, food purchase and preparation, and dietary modifications to meet their needs.”
“With the exception of those who have extensive intolerances to numerous plant foods—leaving them with few plant food choices—I believe a vegan diet is a safe option for everyone. But, I can’t know that for an absolute fact because it’s something that is impossible to prove.” – Please*. Actually it already HAS, by far more sources that the organization I shared above. They are by no means pro – vegan, and do not give out such advice without hard science to back their statement. Have you read the new plant based diet recommendation for doctors from Kaiser Permanente? Also, no one has so many allergies that they cannot eat a plant based diet. Fruit is actually our natural food as humans, and you are far from being open enough to accept that kind of information into your more narrow minded viewpoint. The 80 10 10 raw vegan diet *is actually the healthiest possible diet.
A vegan diet can not only be safe for anyone, but is far healthier for all. You are honestly the last person I would send someone to for good diet advice as a vegan. Telling people to eat more protein, and even to eat oil, is *very bad advice indeed. The main reason people fail on vegan diets is due to *lack of healthy calories from *lower fat, lower protein, whole plant based foods. Yes, carbs, not oil, or higher protein food. Your advice is actually very irresponsible. I would strongly recommend the advice of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, as well as Drs.; Esselstyn, McDougall, and Michael Greger over yours. None of these individuals are recommending more oil or a higher protein content, and neither is Julieanna Hever RD. On that one, you are speaking from pure ignorance. I am sorry.
I am allergic to nuts & soy. I can’t eat high oxalate foods. I have celiac disease. I can not eat beans without having migraines and feeling ill for 3 days after, during which time I can hardly eat at all. I also get violent migraines after eating avocado. Believe me I’ve tried and tried all of these foods but my body rejects them all. I am now malnourished. I’ve cut out wheat/gluten 5 weeks ago but desperately need nutrition. I eat tons of vegetables and I eat plenty of organic fruit. I never ever eat sugar. Every time I eat a processed food I get sick. I start feeling unwell from dairy also. Not surprising but I can no longer exist on just apples and greens. So your suggestions would be great for people with perfect health that can ingest all that stuff, even though soy has female hormone mimicks- not something I’d want to mess with anyway. But not everyone can eat those things. You make it sound so simple. Plus I HAVE to buy and cook meat for my cat. It’s organic, it’s free range. He would die otherwise. And I am getting sicker and sicker. You can’t paint everying with the same brush. Saying , weil this works for me, is immature.
Add umami to your diet.
Eat more concentrated sources of protein—soy, seitan and beans.
Add some healthy fats to your meals—nuts, avocado, and foods cooked in small amounts of vegetable oils.
Check your diet against the Plant Plate which summarizes information in Vegan for Life and Vegan for Her.
@Emilie: “Also, no one has so many allergies that they cannot eat a plant based diet. Fruit is actually our natural food as humans, and you are far from being open enough to accept that kind of information into your more narrow minded viewpoint. ”
lol, I know many people on many different forums that DO have so many intolerences that they can’t get enough nutrition on a vegan diet. I am one of them. Again, someone who is saying “Well *I* don’t have so many allergies that *I* can’t be vegan so anyone who says that is a liar” immature mentality. I can not eat any nuts, seeds, eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soy, asparagus, many fruits, tomatoes, avocado, coconut &many others. When I do I get massive migraines, vomit for 2-3 days, feel poisoned, and occasionally have anaphalactic shock. Those are just some of the foods. I can eat only a few berries at a time. I’m pretty sure it is because of antibiotics which I would NEVER touch again and maybe stress but I can’t undo that now. I would LOVE to be vegan. I have tried and tried and tried and end up barely able to function. If you CAN be vegan I’m honestly happy for you and envious. Don’t take ANY medicines so that you can stay healthy. But many of us are getting sicker eating only plants because we can eat so few of those that we can’t get fats and nutrients. Maybe now that I know the gluten was harming my small intestines if that heals I will be able to be vegan and eat all of those foods. I have not started eating meat, but I’ve started having some eggs and I started feeling a little better, like my brain was functioning again. I think from the fats. I don’t WANT to eat any meats but I don’t know what to do. I’ve lost way too much weight and feel weak. Do I just keep eating greens and fruit and water and then slowly starve to death? Or till my organs get weakened and I have a heart attack or something?
I forgot to say I also ate blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, kiwi, sharon fruit, pineapple, bananas, dates sometimes, prunes sometimes, summer fruit & many more… All organic.
I know this was posted some time ago but I’m hoping to get some advice and guidance. I recently became vegan. Its been nearly two months now. At first, I did really feel exhilarated from my new diet. I loved actually observing what foods were going into my body and thinking about the nutrients that I needed. However a few weeks in I experienced indigestion, bloating and worsening skin conditions. The only thing I could think of that I had added to my diet were beans. Previously, beans were never part of my diet. Perhaps because of my Korean background, or because my mum never liked to cook with them much… beans have always been a rare occasion in my diet. Additionally, I already knew that I am very allergic to soy. I had been eating mainly veggies when I first became vegan mostly because I didn’t know what to do with beans. But after a while, I could feel myself losing energy and I realised I needed more protein. The addition of beans was wonderful at first, I felt full again and full of energy but soon after I could feel my gut having a hard time and my skin has been breaking out in the worst way possible. So I’ve just stopped eating them. Now, I am worried about my protein levels… Will i be missing out by a lot if i eliminate beans from my vegan diet? … not just protein but all the other nutrients beans offer? and is there anything I can substitute beans for? and when I say beans I mean legumes – black beans, chickpeas, lentils… all wreak havoc on me.
if you pay for my blood tests and any supplements/vitamins you think I’ll need, I’ll prove to you that I must eat meat to recover.
I’ll follow any diet you recommend and you can document and write a book about it.
I have adrenal/HPA-Axis problems, and though I would love to eat only vegan or even vegetarian, it simply doesn’t work for me.
Email me if you accept and want to experiment, so that you can learn some people have health issues that require the consumption of meat.
My reason for not going vegan or even vegatarian is due to stomach problems and mental illness
I have been diagnosed as highly sensitive as a child so I’ve always had trouble with finding foods to eat or clothes to wear
so my current diet is about 10 different foods, 4 of which are meat, 2 are non vegan (excluding candies and chocolates) which gives me about four foods to eat and it’s not like plants will be ripe and meet my specific standards all year round and fruits give me stomach aches if i eat more than about half a peach’s worth and I have stomach aches regardless but fruits make it worse, maybe even throw up, but never with meat.
Hi.
I followed a long term vegetarian with eggs and cheese.. but i’ have brain problems cognitive ones, and bloat problems to.
I’m very tired sometimes.
What i discover recently, is that i need to stick to small portions in order to have more energy, and i recently add sardines, because the omega 3 ( Ala ) in nuts, chia and flax, don’t give me the brain power that i need.
I’m trying to discover if this will produce any effect on my brain, because i can’t concentra-te myself in nothing.
I eat whoole foods normally, fruits, veggetables, lentils, beans, weetabix, dark chocolate, walnuts, almonds, seeds, soymilk, eggs, cheese, and i recently add sardines ( Started yesterday ).
I’m doing this lately and i’m doing better, but my brain ins’t sharp.
1 source Carbs + 1 source Protein + 1 source Fat
What i’m doing is likely this ( With sardines now )
Breakfast: 2 Biscoits of weetabix + 250ml of Soymilk + Frozen Red fruits + 1 tablespoon of Flaxseed
Lunch: 1 cup of Whole Pasta + 1 Can sardines + 3 Nuts
Dinner: 1 cup of Lentils + 1 Egg + 1 Handfull of Almonds + Spinach
Snack usually..
(option) 1 small square of dark chocolate + 1 handfull sunflower seeds
(option) 2 Whoole bread + 2 pieces of Cheese
etc..
I think my problem of my brain is not the protein, carbs, but the lack of omega 3.
Things that eggs, don’t have in abundance.
When i ate meat, fish and all things i didn’t have this problems, but sometimes my brain wasn’t to sharp.
I remember, that once, my mom gave me cod liver, and my brain in that time improved a lot.
The problem was that i didn’t wanted to spend money in supplements.
I don’t like to eat animals, this is why i’m being vegetarian for many years, but specially my brain is in a survival mode, and i tried almost everything in the vegetarian world, fruitarian, vegan, low carb, high carb, etc.. nothing helped.
Over the internet, there are many people that seems to be in shape, but they aren’t really.
They want to sell a false information, to have profit.
My advise to myself and to others, is not to give up of nothing, but listen to our mind and our body.
Some people will criticize your deafeat, but remember, you will gain your health, your own truth.
Like me, try to search whatever gives you energy, joy, health.
I will continue my small change,in order to reeboot my system and return to normal.
I want to return to the gym, to have a job ( yes a lost mine because of my brain ).
Without money i can’t survive unfortunally.
Health to all!
Much as I would like to be vegan, I unfortunately cannot be. Due to genetic illness, I have to consume animal products in order to survive. Science has not yet synthesised the chemicals required without involving animals. Diabetics used to be like this also as Insulin was made from pigs, although synthetic insulin is now available – but for my case it isnt. An important point to note for all the diehard believers out there- it just doesn’t work for everyone no matter how you might like it to be. I would actually love to be vegan but dont even get the choice.
Yes, I would like to be vegan too but cannot be. There are quite a number of people out there who have suffered with M.E. (C.F.S.) who find their health is helped considerably by eating red meat. For some reason their bodies can’t synthesise enough L-Carnitine which is needed for energy production in the cell. Alas, not all of us can be vegan.
I have been vegan/vegetarian for 8 years and have never had a solid stool that whole time and I also had really bad allergies and was always getting sick. I very recently after strictly not touching meat at all that whole time would get overwhelming thoughts of my mind telling me to eat meat….. So i did……. and i am for the first time in years having proper solid stools and i feel strong for the first time since i can remember.
I am one of the most conscious eaters you have ever met and never had low b12 or iron the whole time i was vego but always had ibs and diarrhea. Now after eating meat my stomach is way more settled.
I have had gluten, dairy, egg, u name it allergy test, parasite test, stool tests etc. and have come out all clear with all of them. So meat for me is the solution and it has been almost instant. Some of us are different and need it for whatever reason. It saddens me and i feel guilty everytime i buy it but i feel so much better so i feel i have no choice.
What an arrogant and blinkered piece of writing. So until you find evidence that people can become so sick on a vegan diet you won’t believe they can and do, despite people saying they cannot function properly and become bedbound on all the nutrients and supplements. It’s easy to come back with, well you’re not eating the right food but everyone is an individual with individual needs. No one should die so you can say oh yes I was wrong
This whole conversation is a vegan circle jerk, lets be totally honest here please.
Commentators are talking about hair loss and all sorts of other ailments, mostly im pretty sure related to deficiencies or “worse” over saturation of supplements with a longer half life vs excretion.
Go to the doctors, get a full blood count, have a look at whats going on.
If your going to supplement be aware that most if not all pharmaceuticals are lab made, synthesized and are unnatural and have not been around that long to really know what the long term effects are.
Veganism is virtuous, we can all respect that, but im very worried that by pushing an agenda, people are playing at being “Dr” and its dangerous. Vitamins, minerals and nutrients are best taken via foods that have them in naturally surely.
To end, whatever you are eating, whatever you militant regime on food is, whatever diet you love to subscribe to, there is one thing emerging from the front end of scientific metabolic studies. Its sugar, specifically refined sugar, its deadly, its poison and causes cancer, inflammation and causes the worst type of fat that surrounds organs such as the liver.
note. please dont reply with “the rice diet”(this was a restricted calorie diet so all the hype is absolutely miss information, unfounded, and has more holes in it than a slice of swiss cheese ” or “Neil Bernard, saying sugar doesn’t cause type 2” Well sorry Neil, it does. Look at a graph from any country, of sugar consumption vs obesity vs type 2 diabetes, its matches exactly….
Dr Mcdougle and the likes are salesman first, and something else afterwards. His “right choice” packaged foods are utter rubbish, lacking any real nutrition and mostly are empty calories, not to mention his oats, which are TEN times the price as the supermarket and contain a whopping 40% added sugar by weight. All with a happy Dr’s logo on the front. Not good,
If you are a vegan and super healthy, congratulations.
Hi there I recently turned vegan for the 2nd time in my life. Only reason I stopped in the first place was lack of funds. I’ve been full in vegan just over a month but I haven’t been using things like meat replacements as I did before. Everything is strictly plant based. Things were going well until I started craving red meat like beef for a few days. My mum told me it’s probably lack of iron. But tbh it’s more the taste of beef which before I never ate. I was only eating chicken and fish. It’s kinda strange do you think I should maybe get a bag of like meatless chicken strips and make a wrap to ease this weird meat craving or what would you suggest? As I said I never experienced this before but I was eating a lot of Frys Family products. Also last thing I love tofu but never actually cooked with it. Is it difficult to cook with??? Thaaaaaanks
For those of you who are still skeptical that individuals have different nutritional needs, there are articles out there that name specific genetic and other biological factors that are common causes of the vegan diet being difficult/impossible for some people. If you were genuinely curious about this (and not just interested in passing judgment), you could do a simple search. Take this for example: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/4-reasons-some-do-well-as-vegans
I agree with some of the commenters above that this article and many of the comments on it seem arrogant, uncompassionate, judgmental, and disingenuous (claiming on the surface to “accept that every individual is different” but then passing obvious judgment and criticism on individuals who don’t “try hard enough” to overcome their health problems on a vegan diet).
To be clear, I completely respect vegans and love my vegan friends, and I’m very happy for vegans who have found a diet that works well for their long-term health. And I know that a lot of vegans are very respectful of others’ dietary choices. So this comment is not talking about those respectful people. This is directed at the dogmatic individuals who feel a moral superiority that gives them the right to criticize anyone who doesn’t religiously subscribe to the vegan diet.
Every time an ex-vegan in this comment section shares their story, in hopes of illustrating that there really are people for whom the vegan diet doesn’t work, other commenters feel the need to then question every detail about their diet (without genuine concern for the person’s health, but rather just to “disprove” the person). How disrespectful. They don’t owe you or anyone else an explanation about their dietary choices. The onus shouldn’t be on them to prove to you that they’ve tried everything. They’ve struggled, put their health in real danger, and are finally on a diet that has allowed them to reclaim their health. That is their choice and who are you to judge them for it? Just believe them when they say they’ve tried.
Even if it turns out that everyone can technically be vegan if they try hard enough or supplement enough, you must realize how privileged your worldview is to think that everyone can financially afford that. Yes, for people who were genetically blessed to easily maintain great health on a vegan diet, it may not have to cost much more than a standard Western diet. But some of you are claiming everyone can be vegan on the right set of “high-quality supplements” or even transfusion operations or other extreme mechanisms to stay vegan. You really think the majority of people can financially afford that? 75% of Americans are struggling paycheck-to-paycheck just to afford the standard American diet!
And even if they can afford extreme measures or the arduous amount of careful planning that some people may require to stick to a vegan diet, not everyone has time for that. I respect the vegan cause, but I also think It’s perfectly ok for people to have other priorities/causes (such as their children’s health) that take up their time.
It also seems culturally insensitive to judge people for wanting to maintain a small amount of meat in their diet due to it being an important part of their culture or family traditions.
My point is, congratulations if the vegan diet works for you. But it doesn’t work for everyone, and people shouldn’t have to endlessly defend their choices to you nor do they owe you a lengthy explanation of every detail of their diet just to prove to you that not being vegan is the best choice for them. Being militant about it does more harm than good to the cause, because it just antagonizes people and discourages them from even trying to reduce their consumption of animal products (since you’re basically sending them the message that their efforts are invalid unless they’re perfectly committed). I read a quote somewhere that “The world doesn’t need a few perfect vegans. The world needs for a large number of people to reduce their consumption of animal products.”