Anti-Vegan Youtube Comment
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 7:05 pm
Periodically I get these passionately anti-vegan commenters who think they can debunk veganism. Here is the most recent:
+TheVeganAtheist (Vegans please read) Ok, so here is my complete thesis into why being Vegan is a flawed concept (side note - I have studied nutrition at masters level at a top Uk uni, i've also studied dietary history & evolutionary biology) I apologise if this gets a bit lengthy.
Veganism is a deeply flawed concept, both environmentally & dietarily and future generation will laugh at this stupid diet, why?
1) Veganism is a flawed concept. Why? Vegans, amongst other reasons, don't eat animal products to avoid the death of animals. But agriculture destroys more animals and the environment more than any other method. Growing tropical fruits destroys rain forests, shipped from across the planet. Is this really sustainable? A single cow can feed a family for a year if frozen correctly. Vegan ruins the environment more than ANY OTHER DIET!
2) Guess what? Over 70% of the foods we eat today did not exist before the industrial revolution. From an evolutionary perspective, there is simply no way for our bodies to know what to do with these “foods” (which, as we all know, aren’t real food at all) If you're from Europe, is it preferable in your genetic makeup to eat bananas that grow in the rainforest????
3) Broken down by nutrient ratios, what we feed cattle (that isn't grass fed/pasteurised) to “fatten them up” is almost identical to the government-sanctioned food pyramid for a “healthy” diet! Is it any wonder we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic??
4) It was only when we started eating animal foods/fish that our brains doubled in size, this is a proven scientific fact, allowing for the modern human and all our advances. Interesting irony that the very capacity for making an argument for a plant-based diet comes from our ancestors’ move away from a plant-based diet! Ah, evolution wins EVERY time!!!!!!!!!
5) A recent Australian study was done with a group of aborigine who had grown up in a traditional hunter gatherer environments, and then moved into urban environments where they adopted modern diets. Alas, lifestyles and (unsurprisingly) health concerns such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease arose. They returned to the outback & their hunter gatherer ways for a seven week period. They lost 25 pounds each and all their health markers (insulin resistance, blood pressure, cholesterol levels ect) normalised. Red meat, poultry, vegetables and seasonal fruits where plentiful for these men, I wonder what this study proves???
6) Another interesting point, are humans digestive tracts designed to eat meat?? Vegans say no, other people with working brains say YES - it turns out that much differs among animals, the markers lay in the composition of the digestive tract! Animals have evolved digestive tracts and livers to transform diverse food inputs into the uniform set of nutrients that they need for optimal health. Herbivores have foregut organs such as rumens or hindgut chambers for fermenting carbohydrates, turning them into fats and volatile acids that can be used to manufacture fats. Carnivores have livers capable of turning protein into glucose and fat.The truth is that humans are omnivores, despite what some vegan proponents would have you believe. We function best eating BOTH animals and plant together!!!! (Great study - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10702160)
7) Guess what? Meat/fish is VERY nutritious!! Did you know, that high quality, unprocessed meat is among the most nutritious foods in the world?! A 100 gram portion (3.5 ounces) of raw ground beef contains large amounts of Vitamin B12, B3 (Niacin), B6, Iron, Zinc, Selenium and plenty of other vitamins and minerals (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/bee ... cts/6193/2) Vitamin B12 is particularly important because it can not be obtained in ANY amount from plants (arguably some sea veggies contain small traces) Studies show that most vegans who don’t supplement with B12, 92% are deficient in this critical nutrient (http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/10)
Unprocessed meat is also loaded with healthy fats, but meat from grass-fed animals contains up to 5 times as much Omega-3 as meat from grain-fed animals!!!! (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18641180) But the nutrient composition of meat goes WAY beyond all the macro- and micronutrients that we are all familiar with! - CREATINE forms an energy reserve in the muscles and brain and is found only in animal foods. Vegetarians are deficient in creatine, leading to reduced physical and mental performance (http://journals.cambridge.org/action/di ... id=8207518) CARNOSINE functions as a powerful anti-oxidant and provides protection against many degenerative processes. Carnosine is only found in animal foods (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15872311) DHA and EPA are the active forms of Omega-3 in the human body and found primarily in animal foods. The body is inefficient at converting ALA (the plant form of Omega-3) to the active forms (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11083485)
8) Humans have been eating fish for millions of years, some cultures SURVIVE solely on fish and have zero disease. Studies show that regular consumption of fish fights
Alzheimer's
Polyunsaturated fatty acids found in many fish may prevent damage to brain cells. Eating fish can also dramatically reduce the risk of high blood pressure, which is linked with dementia. A French study of 2000 people showed that those who ate seafood at least once a week had a significantly lower risk of dementia over a seven-year period than those who didn't.
Cancer
A Swedish study of 6000 men over a 30-year period showed that those who didn't eat any fish had between double and treble the risk of developing prostate cancer, compared to those who ate moderate or large amounts. Shellfish, such as crab and lobster, also contains selenium, thought to have cancer-fighting properties.
Depression
It's been reported that fish can help to ease depression. Again, it's down to omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to raise levels of the brain chemical serotonin.
Arthritis
Population groups that eat a lot of fish - Inuits in Greenland, for example - have low rates of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. Studies have also shown fish oils to be useful in relieving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Social benefits
According to research carried out in Mauritius, children given lots of fish from the age of three are less likely to have criminal records by the time they reach 23.
EVEN Skin
According to dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, author of The Perricone Prescription, a salmon-packed diet can help smooth out age lines.
9) TESTING - The Vegan diet is rather new in terms of modern human diets. We haven't tested the vegan diet long term, I would bet all the money in the world in 10 years we will not be eating vegan. We will know the dangers & this stupid method of eating will be obsolete.
10) This idiot does not know anything about nutrition. Eating 50 bananas a day like some vegans do is VERY bad for you, thats a lot of fructose/potassium and your organs will suffer. They come from a eating disorder background and obviously sits around all day obsessing over diet and body, that alone is not healthy. You may argue some vegans look in good shape, so would you if you worked out all day like most do?