Eating meat, healthier than vegan?

[beautyscientist]

I did a fairly extensive review of scientific papers for an article I wrote. I could find very little evidence that meat eating made any difference to health. There is a particular heart condition that seems to be more common amongst meat eaters, but apart from that whether your proteins come from meat or veg seems to make almost no difference.

I am open to new data of course, but it sort of makes sense. Plants and animals aren't so different in biochemistry so I don't see much reason why the end results of eating them are that different.

The really big issue with meat eating to my mind is the environmental one. Eating meat is just so intensive in its use of land and other resources that one way or another I can't see how widespread meat eating can continue indefinitely into the future.

[liamona]

Originally Posted by beautyscientist

IThere is a particular heart condition that seems to be more common amongst meat eaters, but apart from that whether your proteins come from meat or veg seems to make almost no difference.

The protein thing doesn't concern me so much as the lack of fat-soluble vitamins in plant foods.

For all the years I loaded up on stuff like carrots and beta-carotene supplements they didn't seem to do very much for me health-wise as has adding high-quality cod liver oil and grass-fed dairy products.

Perhaps I don't convert carotenoids to vitamin A very well—but in any case, I'll bet that many people have the same problem, so the answer is pre-formed retinol.

[beautyscientist]

Originally Posted by liamona

The protein thing doesn't concern me so much as the lack of fat-soluble vitamins in plant foods.

For all the years I loaded up on stuff like carrots and beta-carotene supplements they didn't seem to do very much for me health-wise as has adding high-quality cod liver oil and grass-fed dairy products.

Perhaps I don't convert carotenoids to vitamin A very well—but in any case, I'll bet that many people have the same problem, so the answer is pre-formed retinol.

Good points, but vegetarians as a group don't seem to show any particular signs of vitamin A deficiency. Although the vegetarian diet wouldn't have any concentrated sources of vitamin A like you get from liver, most vegetables contain some and from memory I think you can get your daily dose from a couple of carrots. I think it would be a very odd diet that didn't have enough lipids in it to carry the vitamin A through the gut - though I dare say Steve will try it some time if there is one.

I will keep what you say in mind. The exact way that fat soluble vitamins are absorbed is quite interesting and it could be that there is more to it than I realise and there has to be some explanation for your experience.

[Timothy Smith]

I have a vegetarian belief, but I'm definitely not vegan. I almost always have sunny-side up eggs for breakfast .

Vegan means: no eggs, no honey, and no seafood. Trust me, being a vegan will be tough. I tried being vegan for just the weekend, and I completely failed, just from Sunday morning. I forgot I was being vegan for the weekend, so I had bacon & eggs on toast.

No wearing animal stuff either. No silk. So stick to being vegetarian, not vegan.

[beautyscientist]

Originally Posted by Timothy Smith

I have a vegetarian belief, but I'm definitely not vegan. I almost always have sunny-side up eggs for breakfast .

Vegan means: no eggs, no honey, and no seafood. Trust me, being a vegan will be tough. I tried being vegan for just the weekend, and I completely failed, just from Sunday morning. I forgot I was being vegan for the weekend, so I had bacon & eggs on toast.

No wearing animal stuff either. No silk. So stick to being vegetarian, not vegan.

That has got to get some kind of prize for biggest ever failure. I mean, you were trying to go Vegan but inadvertently ate bacon and eggs? I mean that's a bit like becoming an atheist and getting mixed up with going Jewish and having a circumcision...

[dwixi]

Originally Posted by Timothy Smith

I have a vegetarian belief, but I'm definitely not vegan. I almost always have sunny-side up eggs for breakfast .

Vegan means: no eggs, no honey, and no seafood. Trust me, being a vegan will be tough. I tried being vegan for just the weekend, and I completely failed, just from Sunday morning. I forgot I was being vegan for the weekend, so I had bacon & eggs on toast.

No wearing animal stuff either. No silk. So stick to being vegetarian, not vegan.

WOoooooooo!!!

Did you say seafood?

It really annoys me when people say your vegetarian just becuase you dont eat animals that dont live in water! If you ear fish your not a vegiterian.