As a vegan, I am asked a lot of questions about my diet. “But why are you vegan?” “How could you give up cheese?” “Don’t you miss meat?” “You can have milk, right? “But what about the plant’s feelings?” And of course, the inevitable, “How do you get protein?”
I often wonder why so many people know so little about food, and how it is possible that I used to be one of them. That’s not to say you should drop the burgers and start eating tofu: veganism isn’t for everyone, and I’m not going to pretend it is. However, people should know by now that protein and iron are not confined to animal products.
I came across the article “10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Be Vegan” on Facebook the other day and finally realized where such misinformation about food comes from: internet trolls. This particular 21-year-old troll is a self-proclaimed nutritionist who thinks “The China Study” is just a book and not a real study (it is, and is based on decades of real data) and that the only ingredient in butter is, in fact, butter. I’m not sure any real research was done here.
Even still, the scariest thing about the article is that people believe her. It has generated hundreds of approving comments from meat-lovers, including two commenters advising a poor lactose-intolerant woman to consume raw butter and animal lard because apparently she does “have a choice” to ignore her dairy allergy. I didn’t know ignoring allergies was medically viable, but this is great news! I should go stuff my face with shellfish right now.
All joking aside, the entire article is based on personal opinion, misconceptions, flagrant generalizations, and weak circumstantial evidence, all the while being touted as a factual nutrition guide. As someone who actually maintains a vegan diet, I can’t tell whether I should find the blatant inaccuracies and falsehoods amusing or offensive.
The article relies on the generalization that a vegan diet consists almost exclusively of soy products. Soy has garnered a lot of criticism because people fear that overconsumption will increase phytoestrogen (a natural plant compound similar to animal estrogen) levels in the body, leading to hormone imbalances. However, research on soy’s health effects hasn’t been conclusive, although the American Cancer Society has established that it may actually decrease risk of breast cancer.
Still, this stalemate in the nutritional community makes it easy to believe when articles like “10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Be Vegan” claim that soy consumption is harmful, even though people have been safely eating soy (soybeans) long before the written word. If you’re afraid of soy, then you’d better dump the edamame and soy sauce: a couple studies have shown that soy could possibly affect you if you eat too much of it. Maybe.
What you won’t hear is that casein, which composes about 87% of the protein found in dairy, is highly addictive and has been scientifically linked to causing and promoting cancer growth in humans. Talk about hormone imbalance: a single glass of cow’s milk floods the body with excess estrogen because it isn’t naturally produced for human consumption (and that’s not including the potential carcinogenic pesticides and preservatives).
Naked Food Magazine posted a short article in June that gathered the conclusions of six separate studies on the connection between casein and cancer. The article quotes nutritionist Phil Richards, who concluded that “consuming dairy products is linked to an increased risk for breast cancer as dairy products are high in fat, animal protein, and hormones, each of which increases cancer risk. Since the 1980’s, study after study has linked dairy consumption to a high incidence of breast and other cancers.”
Despite these studies, dairy is still advertised as essential to the human diet. Although growing in popularity as a nutritional alternative, many continue to regard soy with suspicion without thinking twice about throwing down a glass of cow milk.
Another popular criticism—and misconception—essential to arguments against veganism is the claim that it is impossible to get enough nutrition without eating meat. Everyone around me magically becomes an expert in protein the moment the words “I’m vegan” leave my mouth. Believe it or not, most of us have done our research before cutting the meat and dairy and know that protein is not confined to animal products.
Did you know that, on average, spinach contains more protein per calorie than meat does? According to information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, one calorie of spinach contains about 0.15 grams of protein, just surpassing the 0.1 grams found in one calorie of beef. 100 grams of spinach compared to 100 grams of beef is just as impressive, with the amounts of potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium in spinach far outweighing those found in beef, while also boasting far less fat.
Other non-soy products that contain protein are green vegetables, quinoa, beans, lentils, nut butters, and non-dairy milks. Iron, another mineral vegans are often accused of being deficient in, is abundant in collard greens, strawberries, beans, lentils, Brussels sprouts, brown rice, oatmeal—the list goes on and on. Most of these foods contain more than enough nutrition to exceed the amounts found in meat, dairy, and eggs, but simply aren’t as commercialized.
The key to any healthy diet is balance. Anyone, not just vegans and vegetarians, can become an unintentional “pastaterian” by neglecting nutrition-packed foods in favor of the carb- and sodium-laden ones. Still, veganism is regularly and wrongly criticized for lacking important vitamins and minerals because not enough people know the facts about food. I don’t reprimand everyone I see eating meat, so take the time to learn about protein before berating my lifestyle.
I often wonder why so many people know so little about food, and how it is possible that I used to be one of them. That’s not to say you should drop the burgers and start eating tofu: veganism isn’t for everyone, and I’m not going to pretend it is. However, people should know by now that protein and iron are not confined to animal products.
I came across the article “10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Be Vegan” on Facebook the other day and finally realized where such misinformation about food comes from: internet trolls. This particular 21-year-old troll is a self-proclaimed nutritionist who thinks “The China Study” is just a book and not a real study (it is, and is based on decades of real data) and that the only ingredient in butter is, in fact, butter. I’m not sure any real research was done here.
Even still, the scariest thing about the article is that people believe her. It has generated hundreds of approving comments from meat-lovers, including two commenters advising a poor lactose-intolerant woman to consume raw butter and animal lard because apparently she does “have a choice” to ignore her dairy allergy. I didn’t know ignoring allergies was medically viable, but this is great news! I should go stuff my face with shellfish right now.
All joking aside, the entire article is based on personal opinion, misconceptions, flagrant generalizations, and weak circumstantial evidence, all the while being touted as a factual nutrition guide. As someone who actually maintains a vegan diet, I can’t tell whether I should find the blatant inaccuracies and falsehoods amusing or offensive.
The article relies on the generalization that a vegan diet consists almost exclusively of soy products. Soy has garnered a lot of criticism because people fear that overconsumption will increase phytoestrogen (a natural plant compound similar to animal estrogen) levels in the body, leading to hormone imbalances. However, research on soy’s health effects hasn’t been conclusive, although the American Cancer Society has established that it may actually decrease risk of breast cancer.
Still, this stalemate in the nutritional community makes it easy to believe when articles like “10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Be Vegan” claim that soy consumption is harmful, even though people have been safely eating soy (soybeans) long before the written word. If you’re afraid of soy, then you’d better dump the edamame and soy sauce: a couple studies have shown that soy could possibly affect you if you eat too much of it. Maybe.
What you won’t hear is that casein, which composes about 87% of the protein found in dairy, is highly addictive and has been scientifically linked to causing and promoting cancer growth in humans. Talk about hormone imbalance: a single glass of cow’s milk floods the body with excess estrogen because it isn’t naturally produced for human consumption (and that’s not including the potential carcinogenic pesticides and preservatives).
Naked Food Magazine posted a short article in June that gathered the conclusions of six separate studies on the connection between casein and cancer. The article quotes nutritionist Phil Richards, who concluded that “consuming dairy products is linked to an increased risk for breast cancer as dairy products are high in fat, animal protein, and hormones, each of which increases cancer risk. Since the 1980’s, study after study has linked dairy consumption to a high incidence of breast and other cancers.”
Despite these studies, dairy is still advertised as essential to the human diet. Although growing in popularity as a nutritional alternative, many continue to regard soy with suspicion without thinking twice about throwing down a glass of cow milk.
Another popular criticism—and misconception—essential to arguments against veganism is the claim that it is impossible to get enough nutrition without eating meat. Everyone around me magically becomes an expert in protein the moment the words “I’m vegan” leave my mouth. Believe it or not, most of us have done our research before cutting the meat and dairy and know that protein is not confined to animal products.
Did you know that, on average, spinach contains more protein per calorie than meat does? According to information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, one calorie of spinach contains about 0.15 grams of protein, just surpassing the 0.1 grams found in one calorie of beef. 100 grams of spinach compared to 100 grams of beef is just as impressive, with the amounts of potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium in spinach far outweighing those found in beef, while also boasting far less fat.
Other non-soy products that contain protein are green vegetables, quinoa, beans, lentils, nut butters, and non-dairy milks. Iron, another mineral vegans are often accused of being deficient in, is abundant in collard greens, strawberries, beans, lentils, Brussels sprouts, brown rice, oatmeal—the list goes on and on. Most of these foods contain more than enough nutrition to exceed the amounts found in meat, dairy, and eggs, but simply aren’t as commercialized.
The key to any healthy diet is balance. Anyone, not just vegans and vegetarians, can become an unintentional “pastaterian” by neglecting nutrition-packed foods in favor of the carb- and sodium-laden ones. Still, veganism is regularly and wrongly criticized for lacking important vitamins and minerals because not enough people know the facts about food. I don’t reprimand everyone I see eating meat, so take the time to learn about protein before berating my lifestyle.
Citations
“31 Iron Rich Foods for Vegetarians & Vegans.” Bembu. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://bembu.com/iron-rich-foods-for-vegetarians-and-vegans>.
Geertsen, Lauren. “Is Vegan Healthy? 10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Be Vegan.” EmpoweredSustenance. N.p., 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://empoweredsustenance.com/is-vegan-healthy/>.
“Ground Beef Calculator.” Show Beef Calculator. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014 <http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/beef/show>.
Restrepo, Margarita. “Casein and Cancer ‹ Naked Food Magazine – The Low-fat, Whole Food, Plant-based Nutrition Approach to Preventing and Reversing Disease.” Naked Food Magazine The Lowfat Whole Food Plantbased Nutrition Approach to Preventing and Reversing Disease. N.p., 8 June 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://nakedfoodmagazine.com/casein-and-cancer/>.
“Show Foods.” Show Foods. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.<http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3202?qlookup=11457&max=25&man=&lfacet=&new=1>.
Tyler, Mara. “10 Vegan Sources of Protein.” MindBodyGreen. N.p., 10 May 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2014 <http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4771/10-Vegan-Sources-of-Protein.html>.
Geertsen, Lauren. “Is Vegan Healthy? 10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Be Vegan.” EmpoweredSustenance. N.p., 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://empoweredsustenance.com/is-vegan-healthy/>.
“Ground Beef Calculator.” Show Beef Calculator. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014 <http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/beef/show>.
Restrepo, Margarita. “Casein and Cancer ‹ Naked Food Magazine – The Low-fat, Whole Food, Plant-based Nutrition Approach to Preventing and Reversing Disease.” Naked Food Magazine The Lowfat Whole Food Plantbased Nutrition Approach to Preventing and Reversing Disease. N.p., 8 June 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://nakedfoodmagazine.com/casein-and-cancer/>.
“Show Foods.” Show Foods. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.<http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3202?qlookup=11457&max=25&man=&lfacet=&new=1>.
Tyler, Mara. “10 Vegan Sources of Protein.” MindBodyGreen. N.p., 10 May 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2014 <http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4771/10-Vegan-Sources-of-Protein.html>.
© 2017 Elise Price