Veganism Is Less Healthy Than Non-Veganism

However, this isn't a debate about whether veganism is better than non-veganism in general, but about whether veganism is healthier or not with regards to our diets in general. Therefore, even if it was unethical to slaughter animals, which I do not grant, that has no bearing on the topic of the debate (neither does the odour of one's farts I believe). --Responding To My Opponent's Relevant Points-- My opponent only makes two points that are relevant to the debate topic: i) Since meat takes longer to digest it causes harm to the digestive system ii) Veganism can help lower cholesterol Unfortunately, the first claim is just utterly false. Humans have been eating meat for thousands of years and our digestive systems are well adapted with regards to meat consumption regardless of whether it takes more time to digest meat or not. As dietitian Fiona Carruthers notes: "Meat will generally leave the stomach 2-3 hours and be fully digested in 4-6 hours. Our digestive system is well designed to digest meat in order to use its wide range of nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. " - Fiona Carruthers Also, there is no good evidence that dietary cholesterol has any negative effect on cholesterol in the blood. There is "good" cholesterol (HDL) and "bad" cholesterol (LDL). It is true that the saturated fat in meat raises LDL but it also raises HDL too. HDL is actually associated with a reduced risk of health problems [1] [2] [3]. Also not all LDL is linked to negative cardiovascular issues. Dense LDL is linked to heart disease, but large LDL is benign. Here is the kicker; saturated fat actually converts dense LDL to large LDL [4] [5] [6] So the saturated fat in meat raises both the "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol but also converts dense LDL into large LDL. Therefore, the myth that the saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease contradicts today's best science. --Reasons Why Non-Veganism Is The Healthier Choice-- i) Animal protein provides the best protein. For one, it is more rich in essential amino acids than plant protein. Also, animal protein causes better bone mineral density [7], while protein in plant sources is linked with lower density. Plant protein comes with plant toxins as well, which probably serves as the best explanation as to why plant protein is associated with a risk of diseases [8]. Additionally, animal sources of protein are more nutrient dense, meaning to get the same amount of protein from non-animal sources entails more carbohydrates entering the body than necessary. ii) Fat-soluble vitamins A and D are lacking in vegan diets. Vegetables that are claimed to have vitamin A really only have carotene (a precursor to vitamin A). Vitamin D is in the same boat; people claim mushrooms have Vitamin D but it only contains Vitamin D2 (which is poorly absorbed). iii) A vegan diet without heavy Soy consumption is extremely difficult. The problem with Soy is the phytoestrogen, which causes hormone imbalances (even in infants [9]). iv) Vitamin K2 is what transfers calcium to our bones; vegan diets lack it. v) Out of all the different groups of eaters, vegans have he highest rate of vitamin B12 deficiency. The B12 that is readily absorbed can only be found in animal sources. vi) Omega-3 in plants are only ALA. ALA needs to be converted to EPA or DPA and this conversion is very poor. --Conclusion-- My opponent's reasons for thinking Veganism is healthier are misconceived. I provided six powerful reasons as to why Non-Veganism is healthier. I await my opponent's response. --Sources-- [1] . http://jamanetwork.com... [2] . http://circ.ahajournals.org... [3] . http://circ.ahajournals.org... [4] . http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org... [5] . http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org... [6] . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... [7] . http://ajcn.nutrition.org... [8] . http://perfecthealthdiet.com... [9] . https://www.researchgate.net...