1) http://www.laurelofleaves.

com/2012/04/a-vegan-diet-is-not-healthy/
a) Healthy fats: In addition to the food sources she mentions (almonds, avocado, coconut, and
olive oil) for healthy fats, there are other providers of good fats: nuts (esp. walnuts), seeds
(specifically hemp, chia, sunflower, flax, mustard), cacao nibs, and even more available: olive
and canola oil. She makes a fair point about these fats and how we need them to absorb nutrients
and have a working nervous system, but vitamin malnutrition and unhealthy nervous system
are not prevalent symptoms among vegans. The only concern or debate right now is on vitamin
B12 which is produced by the help of a type of bacteria (it is in soil), can be served as a
supplement tablet or spray daily/weekly and is widely found in prepared vegan foods and
yeasts. What she does not address is the harmful fats such as cholesterol that exist in meat and
not in plants, which causes clots in veins and heart diseases. Vegans must be careful and include
good fats in their daily diet (which is rather easy), but cholesterol is not avoidable from meat
and could lead to atherosclerosis and other heart diseases (no. 1 cause of death in the US). This
paper shows how the risk of heart diseases is less among herbivores:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/01/30/ajcn.112.044073.abstract
Also for our body to be able to digest meet and seafood (not plants), it needs to produce uric
acid, which imbalances the normal pH of body (our body is basic with pH of 7.4 in average)
and leads to gout and kidney stones, if excessively secreted. Gout and high cholesterol as well
as heart diseases are all linked (as accumulation of fat and cholesterol in body could be a
response to neutralize the shift toward acidic pHs):
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1109400
Grass-fed, or grain-fed, we cant do anything about harmful fats and uric acid meat brings to
our body. Dont you think her argument about inconvenience of purchase, or being out of
season is weak? Her argument about enough quantity doesnt seem correct too. 1 oz of
almonds, or 1 Tbsp of olive/sesame/coconut/canola oil would do the magic:
http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/food-weight-loss/ask-diet-doctor-are-you-eating-toomany-healthy-fats
b) Even if Dr. Prices findings are accurate and a diet with balanced animal food was the healthiest
among various cultures (there is debate on that, as we dont know what the vegan diets he
considered were composed of. Right now, with the current science we can find and compensate
the shortcomings of a vegan diet unlike indigenous cultures!), we must see whether we can
afford it or not, considering the environmental impacts. As beings who have the most impact
on the planet, I think we cannot choose the optimal diet only and only based on what some
deem as being healthy, since there are other factors in play. Vegans can live a very healthy
life, by having a responsible diet, and at the same time contribute to sustainability, ending world
hunger, and minimizing the psychological side effects of killing animals on slaughterhouse
workers, as some important examples.
c) She fairly mentions do it right or dont do it at all. Yes, going vegan takes some time and
energy to educate ourselves on what we should include in our daily meals and what extra
vegetables and seeds we should buy. For me, personally, it was an enlightening experience, as
I really didnt care about what I ate before. Like the most I used to eat blindly, whatever that
the food business enforced on the market. At first, it was a bit challenging, but now I have
found my healthy routine daily diet. I know a lot about nutrition and what I actually eat, and
surely I am still learning. I think I have gained a degree of control over my health and what I
consume, whereas before, only the industry, with its tricks in taste and texture, decided for me

what I had to eat. We all know for a fact that for the food industry, our health is not a priority
at all!
2) http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/most-vegetarians-return-to-eating-meat/
For this one, I went to the original website to have a more complete image of the study:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animals-and-us/201106/why-do-most-vegetarians-goback-eating-meat
It was really interesting, so thanks The first thing that caught my eyes, and the author also
mentioned, is that this study, even if valid and peer-reviewed (we should check that and see their
methods), is about vegetarians, and vegans have a different story (he refers to the book The Face
on Your Plate: The Truth about Food, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson who was a 68 year-old vegan
when he wrote it). If we look at the reasons why ex-vegetarians quit their diet, health concerns were
on the top (35%). Even with a vegetarian diet, if one were mindful of the necessary nutrients and
has a balanced diet, anemia, fatigue, and weakness shouldnt have occurred. We dont know exactly
what their diet constituted and why they were struggling with these issues. But its good to hear
that only about one third of them had trouble with health factors, meaning the other 65% were
probably doing fine with their essential nutrition. The second reason with a prevalence of 25% was
Hassles and Social Stigmas. That is something to think about. I remember myself, at the beginning
of my vegetarianism (and afterwards veganism), sometimes it was a bit tough, always being
questioned by others and occasionally being judged as too sensitive or taking life too hard (plus in
Iran some see eating meat as a symbol of male power and they mock male vegetarians based on
this notion). But I got used to it and actually started to embrace it as it provided a space for
constructive discussions most of the time (at least for me)! And about the craving (17%), I only
have one guess. On a purely plant-based diet, some enzymes and chemicals associated with
digesting meat, egg, and dairy, reduce their secretion. But in a vegetarian diet, which includes
animal products, some of those chemicals stay fully active, and those might be the cause of these
urges that continue to exist even after years of vegetarianism. Thats just a scientific guess of
course!
3) http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/vegan-diethealthy/#jJ8cjy8j5hJ7o1mP.97
This one was very nicely articulated. This is so true that going vegan, without education,
willingness to learn, and taking responsibility of ones health, is not healthy in the least. I have
heard from Marybeth and some friends who have met vegans and vegetarians who did not look so
healthy and their main meal courses were pasta, fries, and beer! Of course someone with this type
of diet would end up with malnutrition and weakness. We should also note, a similar thing could
happen in any kind of dietary regime, and is not specific to veganism. If one follows a well-built
dietary vegan plan, (s)he wouldnt lack any of those micronutrients the author refers to as naturally
low in a vegan regime. For example, lets look at some of the micronutrients she mentions in
popular vegan ingredients (standard servings)1:
- Iron: 1 cup Lentils: 37% DV; 1 cup cooked spinach: 36% DV; 1 cup chickpeas: 26% DV }
versus 1 serving (85 grams) of meat with 14% DV iron in it.
- Calcium: {1 cup cooked spinach: 24% DV; 1 cup collards: 27% DV} which is surely
comparable with {1 cup whole milk: 28% DV}.
- Vitamin D: all DV can be provided by 10-20 mins exposure to sunlight! If not feasible 1 cup
of diced mushrooms (esp. Maitake and Portabella) would provide almost all vitamin D we
1

All from http://nutritiondata.self.com/, if not otherwise cited. Google [the food] nutrition and it is among the
first websites that shows up.

need. Deficiency of this vitamin is prevalent among all diets and 1 billion people suffer from it
(mostly due to not being adequately exposed to sunlight)2. Morover vitamin D in milk is not
natural and is supplemented.
Zinc: {1 cup almonds: 20% DV; 1 cup oatmeal: 16% DV; 1 cup chickpeas: 17% DV; 1 cup
lentils: 16%} versus 1 serving of meat that has 38% DV. Meat has higher amounts of zinc, but
by including oatmeal in the breakfast, almond as snacks and lentils/chick peas in meals, one
can get all zinc s/he needs. Peanut butter and pecans are also good sources as snack or breakfast

In conclusion, if we take some time and educate ourselves on what should be included in our diet
(which is totally worth it-actually an investment- since the food we eat is of significant importance,
and yet most of us eat as our habit, culture, or market around us says), we will be totally healthy.
As she said, vegans can be healthier than followers of other dietary regimes, not because of the
label of vegan on them, but because of the caring and self-education comes with it (if it doesnt
come, it could fail). Vegan athletes and professional body-builders are clear examples of how a
vegan diet can effectively work if one really wants it to work3 .
Please let me know what you think and ask me any questions.

http://www.sunshinevitamin.org/
http://www.greatveganathletes.com/; http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/26/13-vegan-athletes-smashing-it-on-ameat-free-diet-5349835/;
3