__ __ ___ . | |/ `.' `..-. .- .'| | .-. .-. '\ \ / / .| < | | | | | | | \ \ / / .' |_ | | | | | | | | \ \ / /.' || | .'''-. _ | | | | | | \ \ / /'--. .-'| |/.'''. \ .' | | | | | | | \ ` / | | | / | | . | / |__| |__| |__| \ / | | | | | | .'.'| |// / / | '.'| | | | .'.'.-' / |`-' / | / | '. | '..' \_.' '..' `'-' '---' '---'

Protein ------- This is usually the go to talking point. Animals do not synthesise protein, they get their protein from plants (mainly soy as many live in a shed their whole life). Gaining protein via meat consumption is incredibly wasteful with a 5-10% efficiency. A cow for example will need to consume between 20 - 30g of human-edible protein to produce 1g of protein for consumption. This is before you even begin to consider the environmental costs, saturated fat related risks, injected hormones and anti-biotic resistance. B12 --- Vitamin B12 is (was) made naturally by bacteria in the soil. Traditionally, people and animals would have obtained this vitamin by eating food from the ground. Unfortunately the building blocks for B12 have been completely decimated by industrial farming so even the animals that have the “luxury” to access the outdoors are supplemented B12 through their food; which in turn humans eat to get their B12. As with protein...cut out the middle man and just take the supplement yourself. Soy and Oestrogen --- --- --------- Soya milk contains phytoestrogens, specifically isoflavones, which are plant-based compounds that can mimic estrogen in the body but have a different structure and function compared to human estrogen. Recent studies suggest that these phytoestrogens may have various health benefits, including protective effects against certain cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer. Research indicates that consumption of soy products, including soya milk, does not adversely affect testosterone levels in men. In fact, some studies have shown that isoflavones may have a neutral or even beneficial effect on hormone levels and could contribute to overall health. Cows milk on the other hand does contain all the oestrogen that people wrongly associate with soy as well as the additional hormones used for greater milk yield. It also has trace elements from antibiotics increasing risk of antibiotic resistance as the antibiotics not used in humans as a reserve for when current ones stop being as effective are already being used in agriculture (because it's easier to medicate the cow rather than provide adequate welfare standards which would prevent disease). It's unnatural -------------- There is nothing natural about going to a place to buy cut up parts of an animal, that has never seen the light of day, in plastic packaging to then take home and eat. The calories that a human would expend to hunting said animal are not being used, I would also imagine it is incredibly unlikely that any human I've met would be able to hunt or kill said animal without the use of rather “unnatural” tools. At no time in history have humans ever ate as much animal product as they do now and we've been on this planet in our current form for around 300 000 years, so even based on recent history eating so much animal product is not “natural”. There is nothing more natural than eating a wide variety of plants from the environment around you...it's what our bodies have evolved to do. We've evolved to eat animal product ----------------------------------- I can't blame people for thinking this as the outdated pseudoscience of appendix as vestigial organ proposed in the late 19th Century, is still spoke about as if it were fact despite it being debunked for the past 20 years. The appendix is not a left over old stomach we no longer need as we “evolved” to eat meat, but an organ that serves a function which many animals also have. It's primary functions are to help the body recognise pathogens and as a gut bacterial “safehouse” helping aid your microbiome to recover after an attack by either pathogens, antibiotics or alcohol...can you live with out it? Sure. But I can also live without many body parts, it doesn't mean they don't serve a purpose! A few points on the “evolved to eat animal products” argument: 70% of humans are lactose intolerant, the gene for lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose) has evolved to switch off after weaning, it is only (unnaturally) kept on by drinking animal milk. If humans stop consuming milk, it will turn itself off (even in adulthood). In fact Cow's milk proteins (like casein and whey) are among the most common food allergens in children. Unlike true carnivores, humans are prone to atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries) when consuming animal fats and cholesterol. Carnivores (like lions or cats) can eat fatty meat without developing clogged arteries. In humans, diets high in animal products are strongly linked to heart disease, the world's leading cause of death. Processed and red meats (note: processed AND red meats, not “processed red meats” which is what is often espoused) are classified by the WHO as Group 1 (carcinogenic) and Group 2A (probably carcinogenic) to humans, linked especially to colorectal cancer. Carnivores have short, smooth intestines that pass meat quickly; humans do not we have long intestines that allow meat to sit producing harmful byproducts. Humans lack the enzyme uricase, which breaks down uric acid (a byproduct of eating animal protein). This makes us prone to gout and kidney stones - issues that pure carnivores don't face. Where as on the flip side most studies (aside from those financed by the meat industry...and even then they struggle to discount the evidence) show that people eating mostly or entirely plant-based diets have lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and a longer average lifespan in certain populations...so you could argue it's almost as if we've evolved not to eat animal products! We're Carnivores ---------------- Even on an anatomical level the evolution argument doesn't make sense: Teeth and Jaw: Carnivores: Have long, sharp canines and carnassial teeth for slicing flesh and bone. Humans: Small canines, flat molars, and jaws suited for grinding, not tearing. Our jaw moves side-to-side like herbivores, allowing grinding of fibrous plant matter. Digestive Tract Length Carnivores: Short intestines (about 3-6x body length), so meat passes quickly before it rots. Herbivores: Very long intestines (about 10-12x body length) for fermenting fibre. Humans: Around 10-12x body length - much closer to herbivores, which means meat sits longer in our gut, producing harmful byproducts. Stomach Acidity Carnivores: Extremely acidic stomachs (pH ~1) to kill bacteria in raw flesh and digest bone. Humans: Stomach acid is weaker (pH ~4-5 when food is present), more like plant-eating animals. This means raw meat poses a higher risk for us (food poisoning, parasites). Speed of Digestion Meat in humans: Takes much longer to break down compared to plant foods, which can ferment and produce toxins in the colon. Fiber-rich plants: Pass more smoothly through our system, feeding beneficial gut bacteria. Vitamin Sources Carnivores: Naturally synthesize or get vitamins like Vitamin C from raw flesh. Humans: Must get Vitamin C from fresh plants (we lost the gene to make it). Without plants, we get scurvy. Sweating & Cooling Carnivores: Often pant to cool down. Humans: Sweat through skin pores - a trait common in herbivores like horses. This adaptation helps with long-distance foraging rather than chasing prey. Claws vs. Hands Carnivores: Have claws to catch and tear prey. Humans: Have hands and fingernails, better for gathering, peeling, and manipulating plants/tools, not tearing hides. Chemical Ingredients -------------------- There's a few memes around the internet of a UPF (ultra processed food) vegan dish next to a meat dish with the ingredients for meat as “meat” and the ingredients for the vegan dish as a load of chemicals. There are two problems with this: 1 - These are not like for like comparisons, like for like would be comparing “meat” with something like tofu or comparing the UPF vegan dish against a meat based microwave meal. 2 - It ignores everything that has gone in to the meat, the animal was fed hormones, antibiotics, feed covered in glysophate, it will have been injected with saline when butchered and further sprayed with a retardant when packaged...not to mention micro plastics and any disease the animal may have had. As with any diet you can either consume wholefood or processed food...this is no different for vegans so comparing meat with ultra processed fake meat is disingenuous. Even with this approach the numbers still don't stack up in the animal products favour in terms of saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol or in most cases protein...again not even considering the wider health and environmental considerations. Malnourished ------------ If you're following a wholefood plant based diet with a wide variety of plants, seeds, legumes, beans and grains you're far exceeding the nutrients you would receive from an animal product based diet. For example I follow a wholefood plant based diet, if I were to do the 30 plants a week challenge (without changing anything about my current diet) if I were to start on Monday morning, by Tuesday evening I've already had my 30 plants. The only area a Vegan is at risk of low levels is B12. Animal eaters get their B12 by eating an animal that has received B12 supplements, someone following a plant based diet will get their B12 directly from the supplement.