Question about vegans / vegeterians / 'meateaters'?

Question

I've debated alot with some vegan/vegeterian friends of mine, and online. They seem to be extremly pushy to a point they give me the impression they are trying to convert you in a cult. I've seen racist behavior, i've seen incredible insults etc.

However, this is where i think they are wrong :

A. Vegans need nutrition pills cause lack of dairy/meat shatters their nerve system which becomes irreversable. Plus those nutrition pills are made from animals as well, so.. isn't that ironic?

Plus if it was as healthy as they support, they wouldn't need nutrition pills.

B. A balanced diet is Weat/bread/dry beans (lentil and stuff) etc > vegetables/greens > dairy > meat (once a week) atleast that is what we were told at school, and that you can do without meat if you consume dairy.

Question : Why don't people do that diet? all 3 categories.

Why are vegans so eagar to convert everybody to a point of lecture and violence? i haven't seen a vegeterian being so violent, ever.

Answer 1

We don't like any living thing with a nervous system and family to suffer extreme amounts of torture, death, slaughter in groups of billions and pain just so others can eat and use their dead bodies and contribute to make other humans in the word suffer because they starve due to lack of food because animal industry consumes so much resource which is also destroying are planet, making people go mad, and causing obesity, cancers, and  a whole slew of other health problems, we do not understand why others do not get it. People got slavery, Holocaust, mass murders and were outraged, yet this is okay and when people try and stop consuming this resource and help others see (vegans) we get ostricized and criticized. *sigh*

We (most of us) do not use violence, or even lecture, we may be eager to get people to see, but do it in passive ways. You cannot group all veg*ans into one category just because you somehow came across a *violent* one. And to answer your second question about why do we not do that diet is for the reasons stated above, animal products (dairy and meat) not only do not appeal to me in any way, the damage my (our) bodies, the animals, and the planet. Research.

Peace

Answer 2

Heres a question for your vegan friends. if no-one ate meat or animal produce most farm animal would become close to extinction as no-one would have the need to rear them . There would be an even greater downturn in the economy as we would lose the majority of our agriculture sector and well enough is enough god gave us the animals

Answer 3

Where the heck did you get you misinformation from or are you just a troll out for some fun?

Long-term vegans may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement, but thats it. If you eat a wide range of vegan foods with an emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetable, you can get all the nutrients you need.

Some supplements are made from animals by-products but you can also get supplements suitable for vegans. (i.e.) calcium tablets are made from cow bone but you can get vegan alternatives too.

Lack of dairy & meat does NOT shatter the nervous system.

I can’t believe you STILL believe what you were told at school. The food pyramid is used by the government to promote the meat industry. The government get massive kickbacks and in some countries (USA) much of the presidential campaign is sponsored by massive donations from such companies – you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

All I can say is, you mix with some very strange people. Yes, some people can be passionate and vocal about certain subjects but I think you need to get out more and meet the sort of vegans I meet – normal everyday healthy people.

And yes, meat does rot and go putrid in your gut, which in turn leads to toxicity, which in turn leads to disease.

Anyway why worry about what we vegans think of you. Eat what you enjoy and be happy.

Life is too short to argue.

.

Answer 4

Because they feel they're right. Eating meat is natural because thousands of years ago that's what we needed to do to survive, but now since food is everywhere and readily available we don't have to hunt down the cows....so why even eat them at all?

*playing devil's advocate*

Secondly the issue of animal cruelty comes up.. Animals are treated poorly and live crappy lives just to have their heads cut off...

I'm a vegetarian and I still think eating meat is natural, but I'm not cool with a turkey being made so fat that it can't walk.

Even though it's okay to stand up for what you think is right, it's not okay to really just be obnoxious about it..

But then, I can understand the frustration of being few against many.. That in turn doesn't make it at all alright for those people to act that way though.

I'm gonna go find some milk.. <3

Answer 5

Your attempt to draw a parallel between veganism and racism is extremely offensive. I am a vegan and a life-long anti-racist activist and I take great exception to this. You talk of 'incredible insults'; this is one of the nastiest and most incredible I've ever heard.

This is of course not a question but a rant.

Generalisations are the first resort of the lazy, sloppy and unimaginative thinker, and you have made several sweeping generalisations. You have not met all vegans, unless I somehow missed you on the British leg of your 'meet the vegans' tour, and so you are not in a position to say 'this is how vegans think, behave, feel'. Vegans have views and behaviours  as diverse as any other group - meat-eaters, carpenters, singers, line-dancers.

Vegans do not need 'nutrition pills'; in 12 years as a vegan I have never taken them. When a vegan does take vitamin pills, they take vegan ones - no irony there.

''At least that is what we were taught in school''?? Can you not do a little thinking and researching of your own?

I'm sorry you have met with violence from some vegans. I have met with violence from a couple of meat-eaters during the course of my life, but I would never be so crass as to assume this was the normal behaviour of meat-eaters.

You say 'a vegan' (that's ONE vegan) was accusing and insulting you, shouting at you; from this you conclude that ALL vegans are racist, s****. and violent. You are showing a lack of insight, imagination and rational thinking. As an atheist I have been harangued by the occasional Christian; this did not lead me to conclude that all Christians behave that way.

Most vegans don't give a flying one what you eat, and would not bother trying to convert you or anyone else. Many people I see and work with every day don't know I'm vegan - why would I mention it unless they invited me to their homes for a meal or suggested we go for a meal out?

Vegan diets can be very healthy , or they can be unhealthy; exactly the same is true of vegetarian diets and diets which include meat. You really should learn a little about nutrition before you bring your prejudices and bigotry onto an open forum like this.

**Edit: Research, huh?  Tell me, do these two statements have the same meaning?

1. Strict vegans who take no animal or dairy produce may not eat enough vitamin B12.

2. Vegans need nutrition pills cause lack of dairy/meat shatters their nerve system

They do not. One is a fact. The other is an example of a sloppy researcher picking and choosing from the facts, then altering them and regurgitating them as a sweeping generalisation, claiming it to be fact. Please note the word 'may' in the first statement.

By your logic, all vegans, especially long-term ones, should be anaemic and have irreversible nerve damage. this is clearly not the case.

I have been anaemic just once in my life; this was following chemotherapy, and it is a very, very common side effect whatever your diet. Even then my doctor described me as 'mildly' anaemic, and the situation was rectified without the use of iron pills - just my healthy diet.

Answer 6

Actually, vegetarians and vegans have less of a risk of heart desease. It's more healthy than you'd think, if you eat the right things.

Answer 7

A- Vegans do NOT need to take pills to stay healthy. As long as we eat a balanced diet, all vitamins and minerals can be found in plant sources. (Fruit, veggies, beans and legumes). There are a lot of meat-eaters who take multi-vitamins and they do it just to stay healthy. You're not assuming that THEIR diet is lacking. There is no medical or scientific proof that a lack of meat or dairy destroys the nervous system. If that was the case, many veg*ns would be dead by now.

B-Just because you learn something in school doesn't always mean that it's correct. Of course we learned about the "health benefits" of dairy and meat. The American Dairy Association gives a lot of money to public schools and in turn the schools push their agenda. If milk and dairy is so good for us, why do Westerners have the highest cases of osteoporosis even though we drink the most milk of any other culture? Milk leches nutrients from our bones.The very people who produce the cause of osteoporosis are constantly encouraging people to drink more of the culprit. That's corporate greed at it's finest. The FDA and ADA don't give a c**p about our health. Don't believe everything you hear (www.milksucks.com)

Have you ever heard of someone keeling over from a B-12 deficiency?! No? Do they have marathons and 5K races for B-12 research? No? But I'm sure you've heard of walks and runs for diabetes and heart disease - two conditions caused by eating too much MEAT. Our bodies only need small traces of B-12 and it can be obtained from sources other than meat. Our bodies can store it for a long time before any adverse effects are realized from a lack of it. How do you think cows get it in the first place? By eating *grains*.

As far as all of your generalizations are concnerned, I don't know many veg*ns who are violent and preachy about our lifestyle. Honestly, I couldn't care less what other people eat. It's their body and they can do what they want...just as I do with mine what I want. If someone is curious and asks me questions, I'm more than happy to answer them and talk to them about it. If not, that's great too. I like eating my cruelty-free fare in peace.

And your feeble attempt to make a connection between pushy veg*ns and racists makes no sense to me. It's too ignorant to even justify with a response.

Good day.

Answer 8

A. Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin no longer reliably available on a vegan diet.  We used to be able to get it from bits of dirt clinging to root vegetables grown in healthy soil.  However, not only are we cleaner creatures than we once were, commercial agriculture and it's overuse of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, has rendered most soil incapable of supporting the bacterium that produces B12.  Supplemental B12 is NOT an animal product; it's made from the same bacterium that resides in the guts of cows, only it's nurtured on a sterile, vegan-friendly substrate.  There is a nomadic tribe in Iran who is completely vegan without the use of supplementation; the foods they forage grow in soils that haven't been rendered sterile so they are still able to get a reliable source of B12.

B. What you were told at school was taught to you by teachers who had done no personal research into nutrition.  it was very likely taught using materials developed and kindly donated to the school system by the state's dairy council.  The vast majority of school kids are taught nutrition from dairy industry propaganda.  Nobody needs to eat dairy and that's a ludicrous notion.  Why would nature design every mammal on the planet to drink mother's milk in infancy, but require that humans alone *must* drink the milk of another species past weaning?  It's not remotely logical.  If you think that the average school teacher knows more about nutrition than the American Dietitic Association, the world's largest organization of nutrition professionals, you're kidding yourself.  The ADA, by the way, approves of well-planned vegan diets for all life stages.

You are free to eat whatever diet you want and I highly doubt vegans have been "violent" with you.  If someone is beating up on you to try to get you to go vegan, they are misguided and criminal.  Call the cops and enjoy your burger.

re: your additional comments

B12 defiency is far, far, far, far more likely to happen to meat eaters who suffer from an underlying condition that prevents absorption than it is to happen to vegans.  I know a lot of vegans and the only person I have ever known who has suffered nerve damage from B12 deficiency was a meat eater who can't absorb it from his digestive tract and wasn't diagnosed until his hands were paralyzed.

I can see why certain vegans have felt compelled to argue with you.  You're argumentative.  Take a look at your own tactics before you lump an entire group of people together using a stereotype you've developed talking to a tiny fraction of their peers (which, incidentally, is what racists do.)

Answer 9

Have you met ALL vegans? The one I have met seem lovely. Yes there are a few preachy individuals on this site, but the majority of vegans are accepting.

A- Vegans do NOT necessarily need nutrition pills. Just like meat eaters, pills may be taken to safeguard their health.

B-Vegans are not trying to convert everybody and I see your question as quite offensive to be honest. It's full of silly generalisations.

The opinion of professionals I have spoken to all say veg*n diets are nutritionally adequate if they are balanced. Trust me- it's a myth that we all take protein shakes and supplements.

You say you don't like to be insulted BUT that's exactly what you are doing here- being insulting. You've made several sweeping assumptions about vegans.

[EDIT] Did you come here to ask a question, or to vent a personal frustration against a diverse group of people? By your additional details I can tell that you're further promoting the stereotype that we are all B12 deficient morons. Vegans consume fortified cereals, nutritional yeast and drink fortified soymilk to get B12.

Just re-read your question and wow! So all vegans are racists now eh? Do you realise how offensive that is? You have not met all vegans. You are basing a huge generalisation on the mere basis of a few negative experiences with vegans.

Answer 10

I am not racist or s****. about my veganism. I don't even mention it unless someone notices what I'm eating and asks. I simply tell them that I don't agree with the way animals are factory-farmed, and I won't support it.

I don't take nutrition supplements except for B-12 to be on the safe side. I have a book on vegan nutrition and it tells me how much of what I should have each day. Most Americans eat way more protein than the rest of the world.

How does not eating meat affect my nerve system? The world lives on other types of proteins, and has for thousands of years. I have been a vegan for 12 years and no doctor has suspected nerve damage.

Yes, some vegans are righteous and pushy- some people in lots of groups are. But mostly we love animals, and we hate to see them die horrible and painful deaths to feed a population that could get by without them.

If all the grain fed to cattle were released as food, we could end starvation tomorrow.

Dairy milk is for baby CALVES, not people. No other mammal drinks another mammal's milk, especially after weaning.

Get the real facts and come back with your argument.

Answer 11

Oh, you poor thing, you're under the impression that you actually know something about veganism.

I'm afraid that knowing a couple preachy teenagers doesn't give you any knowledge on the subject. You must be quite delusional to even think such a thing.

The only "pill" that a vegan person could possibly need would be B12. B12 is created by bacteria, not by animals. I'm pretty sure that "vegan B12" indicates that it is not from any animal source. Isn't it ironic that you would post this lengthy rant when you don't even know what you're talking about? =)

Do you have any idea how many multivitamins are sold in the US and UK? Over 99% of those are not vegan so I'm going to go ahead and assume that vegan people are not the only ones that take "nutrition pills" LOL. Why are almost all breakfast cereal fortified with B12 and a dozen other vitamins? Most of those cereals aren't vegan and neither are the vitamins added. How do you explain a need for such things?

=======================

"Yes i have researched, and i said, i've talken to more than 2-3 vegans.. much much more"

LMAO, do you call this your "online research"?

It's so d**n hilarious that you accuse vegan people of being racist but as another answerer pointed out, you have made a generalization of a group of millions of people based on a handful of people that SAY that they belong to that group. Not only is it technically HEARSAY or even worse online HEARSAY, but that is exactly how the lazy mind of a racist works.

Eat whatever the h**l you want and get over yourself.

Answer 12

A lot of misinformation. Having a vegan diet does not automatically mean you have nutritional deficiencies. "Nutrition pills made from animals?"--I don't know what you what you are talking about. Besides, you are contradicting yourself. If they take "nutrition pills made from animals" they aren't vegans or vegetarians in the first place. Could you give any examples of the "racist behavior?"

My wife is a Registered Dietitian with a Master's Degree in Nutrition and I have never heard her or anyone with similar credentials make statements like yours. What are your qualifications?

Answer 13

as someone trying to become a vegetarian i have noticed some vegans that are on the extremist side and try to stay away from them or tune them out but not all of them are like that i incorporate some vegan foods into my lifestyle but would never consider to be one myself 100% i personally think its too hard and as a buddhist i think we should all just except each other as we are and not try to change one another to our wayes of thinking and if we excpet more in general it will result in a kinder more stable world ...........thats all people have to do but peole may sometimes act like if they tried just that it would result in the end of the world.....

Answer 14

Oh, sweetheart.

A. Vegans don't "need" nutrition pills. My siblings and I were raised vegan, as are our children. If there was anything missing from a vegan diet, we'd be dead, rather than outliving omnis.

B. Um....the greatest sourcing for the meat and dairy industries comes from public schools, which are in turn given nutritional information straight from organizations such as the FDA, whose heads are appointed by the President, who is often financed by meat and dairy industries. Do you see a pattern here?

People don't "do that diet" because

a. It's unhealthy.

b. It's unnatural.

c. The animals are treated horrifically.

d. Eating blood, pus, sh*t, and steroids is gross.

Anyone can have a B12 deficiency, if they eat unhealthily. But the fact is, there IS NO NUTRIENT THAT IS ONLY FOUND IN ANIMAL PRODUCTS.

Vegetarians aren't actually violent, unlike those who kill animals, and who pay for others to kill animals. *shrugs*