buttercup
Diamond Member
- Apr 9, 2010
- 10,264
- 7,536
- 2,020
The idea that we must stop eating meat is basically unscientific and foolish. We are Omnivores and depend on meat for many of our essential ingredients to survive, vegans and vegetarians must take special care and must do specific things to make up for the lose of meat in their diet.
That is simply false, sorry. You appear to be making that statement based on sincere ignorance.
Position of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsIt is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.The Mayo ClinicA well-planned vegetarian diet (see context) can meet the needs of people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. The key is to be aware of your nutritional needs so that you plan a diet that meets them.Harvard Medical SchoolTraditionally, research into vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutritional deficiencies, but in recent years, the pendulum has swung the other way, and studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses.Dietitians of CanadaA healthy vegan diet can meet all your nutrient needs at any stage of life including when you are pregnant, breastfeeding or for older adults.British Dietetic AssociationWell planned vegetarian diets can be nutritious and healthy. They are associated with lower risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, certain cancers and lower cholesterol levels. This could be because such diets are lower in saturated fat, contain fewer calories and more fiber and phytonutrients/phytochemicals (these can have protective properties) than non-vegetarian diets. (...) Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of life and have many benefits.The British National Health ServiceWith good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.The Dietitians Association of AustraliaVegan diets differ to other vegetarian diets in that no animal products are consumed or used. Despite these restrictions, with good planning it is still possible to obtain all the nutrients required for good health on a vegan diet.
I would disagree, not with your data, but with some underlying assumptions. We aren't biologically designed to be efficient herbivore's. We are evolutionarily designed to be omnivores. One look at our guts, jaws and teeth pretty much prove that. The key to success is "well planned" which requires knowledge and access to affordable quality substitutes for meat protein. This is ESPECIALLY important for children.
IMO - we often eat too much meat as a culture and could do with less. But the flip side of this is what is happening to peoples who evolved to subsist on a high meat diet, such as would be found in hunter/gatherer societies like the Innuit. Transforming to a primarily carbohydrate based diet is creating all sorts of health problems.
It's not a one size fits all sort of thing. I would rather see us transform how we view our domestic animals. We entered into a compact with them when they chose to allow themselves to be domesticated - we need to uphold our side of that bargain.
I couldn't disagree with that more. First of all, I am a believer, so I believe it was GOD who designed us, not evolution.
And there is no question that from a biblical perspective, we were designed and created to be herbivores, to eat a plant-based diet, that is clear in Genesis 1:29. In the beginning, ALL of creation were herbivores, as you can see in Genesis 1:29-30.
As for the other things you said, not so. Watch this video: