[gberardi]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

The only nutrient you're really without on a plant-based diet is Vitamin B 12, which you could always use a supplement for. So it's not like you really need to eat meat or dairy.

Actually, as described in another thread, B-12 isn't even found in animals. The only reason why meat would have any is because the animal was fed B-12 fortified foods. So you are either going to get it directly from fortified plants, or indirectly from animals that ate fortified plants. Or a supplement, of course.

And the only reason why the food has to be fortified is because of a relatively new problem with getting B-12 naturally. And as I understand it, this problem is due to the fact that a lot of food has to be raised to feed the animals in order to feed the humans.