Veganism

1) Sure, I will concede that all nutrients nowadays can be obtained through supplements, but in a healthy, natural diet, supplements have no place. Supplements have been linked to prostate cancer and possible early death, as well as giving the possibility of overdosing on certain micronutrients [1]. Nutrition. gov suggests that nutrients be obtained from diet whenever possible. Secondly, as I stated in my opening argument, I am arguing whether or not veganism is a good lifestyle choice. I also stated all arguments that related were welcome. In this vein, the cost of food does in fact change the benefit of a diet. This would be an economic benefit, and though small in relation to other arguments, it is a viable argument in this particular debate. 2) On this Men's Health list [2] of the top 10 foods with the highest protein concentration, only one, soy protein, is edible by vegans (whey protein contains dairy products). This would make quite a difficult road for athletes. Also, I spotted a small fallacy in this argument, and it's that peanuts are not nuts and, in fact, are legumes [3]. Not only that, they have a whole host of health problems associated with them [4]. Actual nuts are fairly healthy and should be included as part of a balanced diet, but are not high enough in protein to be considered a viable protein source. I grabbed a bag of mixed nuts I had at my house and the nutrition facts stated that there were 170 calories per serving, with 4 grams of protein per serving. I divided that into a 2000 calorie diet, and it came out to roughly 47 grams of protein per day. The average non-athlete man is recommended to take in 56 grams of protein per day [5], while the athlete needs much more. I can concede that unless a large amount of soy protein, a non-naturally occurring supplement, is eaten, which would detract from other nutrients (and could possibly raise estrogen levels), an adequate amount of protein cannot be derived from a vegan diet. 3) The author of the article was referencing NATURALLY found vitamin B12. Although fortified soy and brand have B12, they are fortified. This means that the B12 was added to them, not naturally occurring. As you can see from this article [6], all of the natural foods that contain the highest amount of vitamin B12 are not able to be consumed by vegans. So naturally, a vegan cannot obtain adequate amounts of all micronutrients. In conclusion, a full, healthy diet is comprised of all foods given to us by God (Or nature if you prefer, but according to your profile you are Christian). Vitamins, Minerals, Fat, Carbohydrates, and Protein, are spread across a wide range of foods and cannot possibly be obtained by subtracting entire food groups from a diet. This is the reason the food pyramid was created. Although a vegan diet is possible, it is much more difficult and a less viable option to get a complete, healthy, natural diet. A vegan diet requires supplements and unnatural food in order to replicate the benefits of an omnivorous diet. Therefore, an omnivorous diet is a much easier, healthier, less costly, and overall better diet. Thank you for your time, with that I will end my argument. Good luck to you! [1] . http://www.theatlantic.com... [2] . http://www.menshealth.co.uk... [3] . http://www.peanut-institute.org... [4] . http://kimberlysnyder.net... [5] . http://www.webmd.com... [6] . http://www.healthaliciousness.com...