Health-Related Information On Plants-Only Diets

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Veganism is not a diet, a health plan or a fitness regimen. In terms of personal action, it’s a moral stance against the intentional use of nonhuman animals for any of our interests. In broader terms, it’s a social justice movement concerned with eliminating the intentional exploitation of nonhumans by humans in all of society.

Any benefits to human health or the environment caused by following a plants-only diet are merely incidental benefits to being Vegan and not the reason for adhering to the moral stance called Veganism. This post is merely meant to disseminate information regarding the health of a plants-only diet. It’s not meant to equate Veganism and a mere diet. If you’re confused as to what Veganism means, please read this first.

In addition to this, people do need to be informed about the health benefits and risks of consuming different substances. But, when educating, I prefer to use the health info merely to back up the fact that humans do not need animal substances in our diet. This is the only way we’re going to get people to go Vegan, not merely plant-based dieters.

Having said that, almost every major medical organization now acknowledges the fact that humans are healthier on a plants-only diet than one with animal substances in it:

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Section 1:

1) The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly The American Dietetic Association): the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864

2) The Mayo Clinic: the first and largest integrated not-for-profit medical group practice in the world, employing more than 3,800 physicians and scientists and 50,900 allied health staff. It spends $500 million dollars on research a year.

“However, with a little planning a vegetarian diet can meet the needs of people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. The key is to be aware of your nutritional needs so that you plan a diet that meets them.”

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446

3) Kaiser Permanente: the largest managed care organization in the United States, published an article supporting the adoption of a plant-based diet earlier this spring.

“Healthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet, which we define as a regimen that encourages whole, plant-based foods and discourages meats, dairy products, and eggs as well as all refined and processed foods. We present a case study as an example of the potential health benefits of such a diet. Research shows that plant-based diets are cost-effective, low-risk interventions that may lower body mass index, blood pressure, HbA1C, and cholesterol levels. They may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic diseases and lower ischemic heart disease mortality rates. Physicians should consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.”

http://www.thepermanentejournal.org/issues/2013/spring/5117-nutrition.html

***A follow up written by Dr. John McDougall and his son, Dr. Craig McDougall concerning Kaiser Permanente’s warning about potential nutrient deficiencies:

“In our experience of treating more than 5000 patients with a low-fat, whole foods, plant-based (vegan) diet, with follow-up lasting as long as 28 years, we have not seen any deficiencies of protein, iron, calcium, or essential fatty acids.”

https://www.thepermanentejournal.org/issues/2013/fall/5552-diet.html

4) The British National Health Service (NHS): is the largest and the oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It provides the majority of healthcare in England.

“With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.”

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet

5) Cleveland Clinic: is regarded as one of the top hospital in the United States. With around 1,700 staff physicians representing 120 medical specialties, this hospital helps patients not only from all 50 states, but from more than 100 other nations.

“There really are no disadvantages to a vegetarian or vegan diet. A vegetarian diet offers many potential health benefits. Choosing vegetarian foods, rather than animal-based ones, for the nutrients you need eliminates much of the saturated fat and cholesterol found in a meat-based diet. A vegetarian diet can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels and help cut calories. These changes can reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and possibly cancer.”

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17593-vegetarianism–heart-health

6) University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC): with 4,200 licensed beds and 400 outpatient sites, UPMC is one of the largest medical centers in the world.

“If properly planned, a vegan diet can provide all the nutrients you need. In general, people who don’t eat meat: Weigh less than people who eat meat. Are less likely to die of heart disease. Have lower cholesterol levels. Are less likely to get: High blood pressure; Prostate cancer; Colon cancer; Type 2 diabetes.”

https://www.upmc.com/health-library/article?hwid=abq2485

7) The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (UCLA): having research centers covering nearly all major specialties of medicine, UCLA is considered on of the top three hospitals in the US. This hospital has been ranked in the top twenty in 15 of the 16 medical specialties ranked in the US News ranking.

“Some of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet may include: [d]ecreased blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure; [l]ower incidence of heart disease, some forms of cancer, and digestive disorders like constipation and diverticula disease; [l]ower incidence of obesity and some forms of diabetes.”

http://www.dining.ucla.edu/housing_site/dining/SNAC_pdf/Vegetarianism.pdf

8) Dr Michael Greger, MD: a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on a number of important public health issues. All proceeds from his speaking engagements and the sale of his books and DVDs are donated to his 501(c)3 nonprofit NutritionFacts.org, the first science-based, non-commercial website to provide free daily videos and articles on the latest discoveries in nutrition.

“These are the top 15 causes of death, and a plant based diet can prevent nearly all of them, can help treat more than half of them, and in some cases even reverse the progression of disease, including our top three killers.”

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death

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Bonus: List of doctors who are well-known and promote a plants-only diet for curing diseases:
http://www.bigtentvegan.com/doctors-dieticians-and-nutritionists

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Section 2:-

Protein in the Vegan Diet

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
From Simply Vegan, 5th Edition

Summary: It is easy for a vegan diet to meet recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein combining is not necessary; it is more important to eat a varied diet throughout the day.

Some Americans are obsessed with protein. Vegans are bombarded with questions about where they get their protein. Athletes used to eat thick steaks before competition because they thought it would improve their performance. Protein supplements are sold at health food stores. This concern about protein is misplaced. Although protein is certainly an essential nutrient which plays many key roles in the way our bodies function, we do not need huge quantities of it. Only about one calorie out of every 10 we take in needs to come from protein. Vegan athletes, especially in the early stages of training, may have higher protein needs than vegans who exercise moderately or who are not active. Vegan athletes’ protein needs can range from 0.36 to 0.86 grams of protein per pound ². Protein supplements are not needed to achieve even the highest level of protein intake.

How much protein do we need? The RDA recommends that we take in 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that we weigh (or about 0.36 grams of protein per pound that we weigh) ¹. This recommendation includes a generous safety factor for most people. When we make a few adjustments to account for some plant proteins being digested somewhat differently from animal proteins and for the amino acid mix in some plant proteins, we arrive at a level of 0.9 gram of protein per kilogram body weight (0.41 grams per pound). If we do a few calculations we see that the protein recommendation for vegans amounts to close to 10% of calories coming from protein. [For example, a vegan male weighing 174 pounds could have a calorie requirement of 2,600 calories. His protein needs are calculated as 174 pounds x 0.41 g/pound = 71 grams of protein. 71 grams of protein x 4 calories/gram of protein = 284 calories from protein. 284 divided by 2,600 calories = 10.9% of calories from protein.] If we look at what vegans are eating, we find that, typically, between 10-12% of calories come from protein ³. This contrasts with the protein intake of non-vegetarians, which is close to 14-18% of calories.

So, in the United States it appears that vegan diets are commonly lower in protein than standard American diets. Remember, though, with protein, more (than the RDA) is not necessarily better. There do not appear to be health advantages to consuming a high protein diet. Diets that are high in protein may even increase the risk of osteoporosis 4 and kidney disease ⁵.

Table 1: Sample Menus Showing How Easy It Is To Meet Protein Needs
Protein (grams)
Breakfast:	1 cup Oatmeal	6
	1 cup Soy Milk	7
	1 medium Bagel	10
Lunch:	2 slices Whole Wheat Bread	7
	1 cup Vegetarian Baked Beans	12
Dinner:	5 oz firm Tofu	12
	1 cup cooked Broccoli	4
	1 cup cooked Brown Rice	5
	2 Tbsp Almonds	4
Snack:	2 Tbsp Peanut Butter	8
	6 Crackers	2
TOTAL		77 grams
Protein Recommendation for Male Vegan		63 grams
[based on 0.9 gram of protein per kilogram body weight for 70 kilogram (154 pound) male]
Breakfast:	2 slices Whole Wheat Toast	7
	2 Tbsp Peanut Butter	8
Lunch:	6 oz Soy Yogurt	6
	2 Tbsp Almonds	4
	1 medium Baked Potato	3
Dinner:	1 cup cooked Lentils	18
	1 cup cooked Bulgur	6
Snack:	1 cup Soy Milk	7
TOTAL		59 grams
Protein Recommendation for Female Vegan		52 grams
[based on 0.9 gram of protein per kilogram body weight for 57.5 kilogram (126 pound) female]
Additional food should be added to these menus to provide adequate calories and to meet requirements for nutrients besides protein.

Table 2 shows the amount of protein in various vegan foods and also the number of grams of protein per 100 calories. To meet protein recommendations, the typical moderately active adult male vegan needs only 2.2 to 2.6 grams of protein per 100 calories and the typical moderately active adult female vegan needs only 2.3 to 2.8 grams of protein per 100 calories. These recommendations can be easily met from vegan sources.

Table 2: Protein Content of Selected Vegan Foods
FOOD	AMOUNT	PROTEIN	PROTEIN
		(gm)	(gm/100 cal)
Tempeh	1 cup	31	9.6
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	29	9.6
Seitan	3 ounces	21	17.5
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	18	7.8
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.7
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.8
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	15	5.4
Pinto beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.3
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.8
Black-eyed peas, cooked	1 cup	13	6.7
Veggie burger	1 patty	13	18.6
Veggie baked beans	1 cup	12	5.0
Tofu, firm	4 ounces	11	10.6
Tofu, regular	4 ounces	10	10.7
Bagel	1 med. (3.5 oz)	10	3.9
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Peas, cooked	1 cup	8	6.6
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked	1/2 cup	8	15.0
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	8	4.1
Veggie dog	1 link	8	13.3
Spaghetti, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Almonds	1/4 cup	8	3.7
Soy milk, commercial, plain	1 cup	7	7.0
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	7	5.2
Almond butter	2 Tbsp	7	3.4
Soy yogurt, plain	8 ounces	6	4.0
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	6	3.7
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	6	3.3
Cashews	1/4 cup	5	2.7
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	5	13.0
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	4	6.7
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011 and manufacturers’ information. The recommendation for protein for adult male vegans is around 63 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 52 grams per day.

It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein. Nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds contain some, and often much, protein. Fruits, sugars, fats, and alcohol do not provide much protein, so a diet based only on these foods would have a good chance of being too low in protein. However, not many vegans we know live on only bananas, hard candy, margarine, and beer. Vegans eating varied diets containing vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds rarely have any difficulty getting enough protein as long as their diet contains enough energy (calories) to maintain weight. [See Feeding Vegan Kids, Pregnancy and the Vegan Diet, and the section on lactation (page 186, in Simply Vegan), for details about protein needs during these special times.]

What about combining or complementing protein? Doesn’t that make the protein issue much more complex? Let’s look at a little background on the myth of complementing proteins. Protein is made up of amino acids, often described as its building blocks. We actually have a biological requirement for amino acids, not for protein. Humans cannot make nine of the twenty common amino acids, so these amino acids are considered to be essential. In other words, we must get these amino acids from our diets. We need all nine of these amino acids for our body to make protein.

Some people say that eggs, cow’s milk, meat, and fish are high quality protein. This means that they have large amounts of all the essential amino acids. Soybeans, quinoa (a grain), and spinach also are considered high quality protein. Other protein sources of non-animal origin usually have all of the essential amino acids, but the amounts of one or two of these amino acids may be low. For example, grains are lower in lysine (an essential amino acid) and legumes are lower in methionine (another essential amino acid) than those protein sources designated as high quality protein.

Frances Moore Lappe, in her book Diet for a Small Planet ⁶ advocated the combining of a food low in one amino acid with another food containing large amounts of that amino acid. This got to be a very complicated process, with each meal having specific amounts of certain foods in order to be certain of getting a favorable amino acid mix. Many people got discouraged with the complexity of this approach. Actually, Lappe was being overly conservative to avoid criticism from the “Nutrition Establishment.” She has since repudiated strict protein combining, saying, “In combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high quality protein, I reinforced another myth. I gave the impression that in order to get enough protein without meat, considerable care was needed in choosing foods. Actually it is much easier than I thought” ⁷.

Table 3: Amounts of Foods Providing Recommended Amounts of Essential Amino Acids
12-3/4 cups of cooked corn OR 8 large potatoes OR 2-1/2 cups of tofu OR 15-1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
Any one of the above foods, eaten in the amount specified, would provide the recommended amounts of all essential amino acids for an adult male. Women would need about 20% less of each food due to lower recommendations. This concept is illustrated below:
Food	Try	Thr	Iso	Leu	Lys	Met+Cys	Phe+Tyr	Val
Adult RDA,154 lb male (1)	350	1400	1330	2940	2660	1330	2310	1680
12-3/4 cups corn	437	2527	2527	6801	2679	1824	5339	3629
8 large potatoes	646	2057	2033	2990	3277	1723	3971	3134
2-1/2 cups tofu	780	2045	2480	3808	3298	1333	4112	2530
15-1/2 cups cooked rice	907	2569	2962	5773	2660	2418	6237	4111
Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011.
Notes: Amounts of amino acids are in milligrams. Try=tryptophan, Thr=threonine, Iso=isoleucine, Leu=leucine, Lys=lysine, Met+Cys=methionine+cysteine, Phe+Tyr=phenylalanine+tyrosine, Val=valine

We recommend eating a variety of unrefined grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and vegetables throughout the day, so that if one food is low in a particular essential amino acid, another food will make up this deficit 8,9.

As an extreme example, even if you only ate one kind of grain, bean, potato, or vegetable as a protein source, and ate enough of that food, you could meet your protein and amino acid needs. Admittedly, it would be a very monotonous way to eat and you might miss out on other nutrients. We point this out, however, to illustrate the idea that almost all non-animal protein sources contain all of the essential amino acids. Table 3 above shows the amount of rice, corn, potatoes, or tofu that an adult male would need to eat if he relied on only one food as a protein source. Women would need about 20% less food because of women’s lower protein requirements.

References

1. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002.
2. Rodriguez NR, DiMarco NM, Langley S. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. J Am Diet Assoc2009;109:509-27.
3. Mangels R, Messina V, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetar-ian Diets, 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2011.
4. Sellmeyer DE, Stone KL, Sebastian A, et al. A high ratio of dietary animal to vegetable protein increases the rate of bone loss and the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;73:118-22.
5. Knight EL, Stampfer MJ, Hankinson SE, et al. The impact of protein intake on renal function decline in women with normal renal function or mild insufficiency. Ann Intern Med 2003;138:460-7.
6. Lappe FM. Diet for a Small Planet. New York: Ballantine Books, 1971.
7. Lappe FM. Diet for a Small Planet, 10th anniversary edition. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982.
8. Young VR, Pellett PL. Plant proteins in relation to human protein and amino acid nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59 (suppl):1203S-1212S.
9. Craig WJ, Mangels AR. Position of The American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109:1266-82.

Well done Plant-Based Canada for this excellent debunk of a rather badly written and sensational article.

The BBC published an article suggesting that eating a vegan or vegetarian diet can affect your intelligence in a negative way. Nearly every claim is either totally untrue or misleading in some way. This comes as a number of questionable recommendations and studies have been published in the US promoting red meat consumption, egg consumption, choline, and dairy products with the US Food Guideline set to change in 2020.

Besides using debunked or outdated opinion pieces and studies to make her case, the author also appeals to false authority (citing a philosopher of biology—not a biologist–who’s promoted race-based intelligence science and has been sympathetic to climate change denial; and relying heavily on the opinion of Taylor Wallace, who’s written about the benefits of drinking milk, supports industry-funded research, and criticized the EAT-Lancet report for its suggestion to reduce meat consumption for planetary and individual health), appeal to emotion (citing tabloid articles about vegan diets causing developmental problems in children; Gandhi failing the vegan diet to help evoke a negative emotional memory), and appeal to ignorance (citing no evidence lower creatine/taurine levels in vegans is bad, but should be a concern anyway). This further confuses a public already disoriented by the constant mixed messaging from conflicting studies and health professionals at odds with each other.

Before we get into it, let’s be clear: a plant-based diet is the only diet clinically proven to prevent and reverse heart disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes – the top causes of death around the world. CVD in particular is the leading cause of death globally. It accounted for more than 17.6 million deaths in 2016 and is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.

Source: https://healthmetrics.heart.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/At-A-Glance-Heart-Disease-and-Stroke-Statistics-%E2%80%93-2019.pdf

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466936

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466941

When it comes to cognitive health, many studies show the further we move away from animal-products the better we do. In fact, studies show those consuming meat (including fish and poultry) had twice the risk of developing dementia compared to vegetarians. Saturated fat and cholesterol can create plaque in the veins that run to your brain the same way they do to your heart.

Let’s go through the arguments one by one and give everything a closer look.

* The first misleading claim is that “meat made us human” on our road to evolution.

The theory is that cooking meat made our brains bigger. As it turns out, our brains run mainly on carbohydrates and we developed a special enzyme in our saliva called AMY-1 that helped us break down compounds in complex carbohydrates around the same time we learned to cook. The main item on the menu back then was not meat, but starchy vegetables like tubers. Furthermore, despite being able to digest meat as omnivores, had we really ‘evolved’ to eat meat then we wouldn’t still be developing heart disease, cancers, and diabetes after eating too much of it. The outdated study cited in the article says Neanderthals ate mostly meat and it was meat that developed the brain, but more research has come out concluding that they ate far more plant-foods than previously thought. The article also omitted the fact that glucose –from complex carbohydrates–is virtually the sole fuel for the brain.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23858458

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22080949

Source: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2015/08/10/starchy-carbs–not-a-paleo-diet–advanced-the-human-race.html

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181018095432.htm

The author also linked India’s generally lower IQ levels to the fact that the country is largely vegetarian. First, this conclusion contradicts a wealth of data, but also overlooks the fact that India’s lower IQ levels are said to be from widespread malnutrition in general. In fact, 25% of all hungry people in the world live in India. Additionally, the author does not point out that, despite malnutrition problems, dairy consumption has spiked in recent years. India has become one of the world’s leading milk producers, exceeding 100m tonnes in 2006.

Source: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/66505/WHO_NHD_00.7.pdf;jsessionid=738D7825A620B4E9BE9C39705B301855?sequence=1

Source: http://www.fao.org/3/i0588e/I0588E05.htm

* Sensationalism.

Next, the author brings up sensationalized tabloid stories about parents feeding their children vegan diets which caused permanent developmental issues. If followed to their sources, many of these stories reveal the child wasn’t breast feeding and was only being given a homemade vegetable porridge, or unfortified soy milk instead of baby formula. These anecdotes –which are very rare—are often sensationalized and appeal to emotion without science.

Many leading health organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conclude a properly planned vegan and vegetarian diet is suitable for all stages of life, including pregnancy and infancy.

The author also mentions the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium’s opinion that will make it possible to imprison parents who enforce a vegan diet on their children. This assessment has also been roundly debunked by the scientific community. Plant based diets are also associated with reduced risk of chronic respiratory disorders, allergies, and recurrent infections in childhood.

Source: https://www.plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/doctors-criticize-belgian-authorities-criminalize-vegan-diets-for-kids

Source: https://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/content/25/5/174?sso=1&sso_redirect_count=2&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3A%20No%20local%20token&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

Source: https://www.eatrightpro.org/~/media/eatrightpro%20files/practice/position%20and%20practice%20papers/position%20papers/vegetarian-diet.ashx

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4991921

* Let’s talk about the Kenya study.

The only actual evidence the author provides that suggests eating a plant-based diet can negatively impact your intelligence is a study done on 500 children in rural Kenya in 2003. The conclusion was that the more dairy and meat added to a child’s diet resulted in better cognitive performance. But as it turns out, the study was not blinded and was conducted on underweight children who generally don’t receive school meals. In fact, the diet provided to the ‘plant based’ group lacked in energy, carbohydrates, fat, and protein to begin with. Poor education and poverty was also not factored into the study.

The study was also funded the Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program and the Office of Agriculture and Food Security, and the findings were presented at the “Animal Source Foods and Nutrition in Developing Countries”. A conflict of interest the author did not mention.

Next, the author throws out a slew of nutrients she says are unobtainable or nearly unobtainable on a vegan and vegetarian diet including: choline, creatine, carnosine, taurine, omega-3, haem iron and vitamins B12, B6, and D3. So, let’s talk about these.

* Let’s begin with choline.

Choline concerns is a recent thing. Emma Derbyshire, who is paid by the Meat Advisory Panel, wrote a recommendation for consuming more choline despite there being little evidence to back it up (no reliable clinical trials). Instead, there’s emerging data suggesting more choline over-consumption (especially from eggs and meat) can lead to cardiovascular disease. The recommendation that spurred the choline scare suggested vegans and vegetarians didn’t get enough choline in their diets. It’s important to note there’s no true consensus on choline consumption in the first place, only a recommended ‘adequate intake’ because the evidence is insufficient to develop an RDA.

Choline being hard to come by for vegans and vegetarians is untrue. A significant portion of choline is made by the body. Cruciferous vegetables and certain beans are also rich in choline, and other dietary sources of choline include nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Higher dietary choline increases CVD risk because some choline and carnitine, are converted to trimethylamine (TMA) by intestinal bacteria. TMA is converted by the liver into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a compound linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reminder: heart disease –not choline deficiency— is still the top cause of death in men and women around the world. And choline in particular has been found to increase the risk for heart disease.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27281307?dopt=Abstract

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23614584?dopt=Abstract

Source: http://www.clevelandheartlab.com/blog/choline-tmao-heart-health

Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circulationaha.116.025338

* Next up is Taurine.

We make taurine in our bodies from cysteine. If we eat enough protein each day, then we get enough cysteine to provide enough taurine. Furthermore, there’s no data that shows lower taurine levels compromises our health in any notable way.

The article states, “…vegans tend to have less taurine in their bodies. No one has looked into how this might be affecting their cognitive abilities yet…”

There’s also no scientific evidence of wide-spread taurine deficiency among vegans, but again, planting a seed of doubt is all that’s required here.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3501277

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5598028

* Heme Iron.

The article says iron is scarce in a vegan diet. This is also misleading. The author writes, “Vegans are particularly prone, because the form that’s most readily absorbed by the body is “heme iron”, which is only found in animal proteins.”

Heme iron is easily absorbed in animal products because it comes with cholesterol. It also increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease, but the author omits this. In fact, heme iron was found to be an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality.

Non-heme iron is relatively easy to come by in a vegan diet. And several studies have found that in general vegans are not more anemic than meat eaters. In fact, plant based diets tend to be higher in iron than other diets. In the US, about 10 million people (not vegans specifically) are iron deficient, including 5 million who have iron deficiency anemia. There are 1.6 billion people are anemic globally.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12740075

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685880

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685880/#A011866C60

Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1957

Source: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-10-119

Source: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/198182

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4033158

Source: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/633S.full

Source http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/59/5/1233S.abstract

Source: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/3/353.full

* Once again… B12

Misleading. Yes, some studies have shown vegans having lower B12 levels, but nearly 40% of Americans (not vegans) are B12 deficient. People on plant based diets should be taking a supplement (which are widely available)… but so should everyone else. Again, it’s not a vegan issue. It’s an issue worldwide. B12 is made by microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, and algae. At one time there was enough B12 in rivers and soil to obtain what we needed, but because soil no longer has the same nutritional makeup it once had and because of rigorous food washing practices, plant foods are no longer a reliable source. Additionally, animals and animal products are supplemented with B12.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188422

* B6

Vitamin B6 deficiency is uncommon in general. It’s only an issue in places where poor nutrition is widespread. Some studies have indicated that vegans do exhibit signs of deficiency, but they are rare. Other studies have found vegetarians get more B6 than the general population. Sources of B6 include nutritional yeast, fortified plant milks and cereals, barley, soy products, mushrooms, spinach, sea vegetables, and beet greens.

The article argues that getting enough B6 is difficult for vegans, by suggesting that a cup of potatoes is only 20% of the RDA. It says eating five cups of potatoes would be impractical. But you can also just eat other things… like a cup of chickpeas (more than 50% of the RDA), some spaghetti (one cup of marinara sauce is 20% of the RDA), and a banana (20%) over the course of a day.

* D3

Again inaccurate. It’s not just a vegan problem. It’s a global concern. About 70-97% of Americans are lacking in vitamin D. Vegans and meat-eaters have the same risk. If five minutes of sunlight from a clear sky isn’t an option, or you live far from the equator, a supplement works. Otherwise plant milks, fruit juices, cereals, breads, and pastas can all be fortified with Vitamin D.

* Next is creatine.

The brain largely makes its own supply and there’s no conclusive data that vegans and vegetarians need to consume more than the average omnivore. But adding this into the laundry list of concerns helps muddy the waters, even if author admits there’s no evidence.

* Carnosine, Omega-3, Selenium, Folate, and Iodine.

But the author doesn’t mention these again after bringing them up once. Like creatine, they’re listed as nutrients vegans and vegetarians have trouble getting, and then not explained or sourced.

Carnosine is a protein building block made from two amino acids (alanine and histidine). Our bodies make it. There is some emerging data that suggests lack of carnosine could lead to brain-related disorders. But these are animal studies. There is a study that found vegetarians had lower levels than meat-eaters, but no evidence linking carnosine to brain-related disorders in vegans and vegetarians.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627134

Source: https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a944-a

The jury on Omega-3 (DHA) is still out. Generally, there’s plenty of plant-based sources of ALA (you can get the RDA from just a tablespoon of ground flaxseed), but the conversion to DHA and EPA isn’t reliable. Taking an algae-based DHA is recommended. But the ratio of Omegas is also important. Most fish sources of DHA come with a problematic Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio that promotes inflammation.

And when it comes to pregnancy, higher levels of mercury found in mothers who eat more fish has been associated with birth defects, seizures, developmental disabilities, and cerebral palsy. All of this was not mentioned in the article.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8327020

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18332715

Selenium is an essential trace mineral. Brazil nuts are great sources – with one ounce containing 777% of the RDA. Other sources contain whole grains, legumes, most vegetables, seeds, and other nuts.

Iodine deficiency – like B12 and iron—is not exclusive to vegans. It’s a global health concern as it affects about one in three people. There is some data that shows there’s an increased risk for vegans, but it is easily managed with fortified plant milks and cereals, sea vegetables, potatoes, and iodized salt.

And finally, why folate is listed is a mystery. There’s plenty of folate-containing plaint foods. The word folate even comes from the Latin for “leaf” because leafy greens are a good source of this nutrient.

BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200127-how-a-vegan-diet-could-affect-your-intelligence

---

Section 3:
Science/Medical/Health/Nutrition:

Sub-Section 2A:
Video Section:

Sub-Section 2A1:
The Myths About Proteins:

“The Dangerous Truth About Protein” – Janice Stanger, Ph.D.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R07FL1wVo4

“The Truth About Protein” – Dr. Tel Oren (MD):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR9iz8d_Dj4

“Forks Over Knives”:
http://hdmovie14.net/watch/forks-over-knives-2011

Dr. T. Colin Campbell explains the science of why animal proteins are toxic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfsT-qYeqGM

Dr. T. Colin Campbell responds to Denise Minger’s attempt to refute his findings:
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/07/china-study-author-colin-campbell-slaps-down-critic-denise-minger.html

“How Do You Like These Apples?” By T. Colin Campbell, PhD:
http://nutritionstudies.org/how-do-you-like-these-apples

“Be Your Own Nutritionist”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apu4EPyIsPg

“The Leaky Gut Theory of Why Animal Products Cause Inflammation”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_uy4kfQDkA

Animal Substances And Heart Disease:
“Low Carb Diets and Coronary Blood Flow”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/low-carb-diets-and-coronary-blood-flow

“One in a Thousand: Ending the Heart Disease Epidemic”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/one-in-a-thousand-ending-the-heart-disease-epidemic

“Cavities and Coronaries: Our Choice”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/cavities-and-coronaries-our-choice

“Heart Disease Starts in Childhood”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/heart-disease-starts-in-childhood
_

Sub-Section 2A2:
Dairy:

“Nutrient Blocking Effects Of Dairy” – Dr. Michael Greger:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/nutrient-blocking-effects-of-dairy

“Cow’s Milk Casomorphin and Crib Death”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/cows-milk-casomorphin-and-crib-death

“Cow’s Milk Casomorphin and Autism”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/cows-milk-casomorphin-and-autism
_

Sub-Section 2A3:
Eggs:

“Eggs and Diabetes” – Dr. Michael Greger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96iiU31ySs

“Who Says Eggs Aren’t Safe?”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtGf2FuzKo4

“Eggs Versus Cigarettes In Atherosclerosis: One egg a day (whether factory farmed, free range or back yard), equals smoking 25,000 cigarettes” – Dr. Michael Greger:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/eggs-vs-cigarettes-in-atherosclerosis
_

Sub-Section 2A4:
TedX:

“The food we were born to eat: John McDougall at TEDxFremont”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5wfMNNr3ak

“Gladiators Were Vegan — John McDougall MD”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOWSc8VvOl4

“Plant-strong & healthy living: Rip Esselstyn at TEDxFremont”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAkEYcmCCCk

“Plant Based Nutrition: Julieanna Hever at TEDxConejo 2012”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgCSunBfREQ

“Tackling diabetes with a bold new dietary approach: Neal Barnard at TEDxFremont”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktQzM2IA-qU

“A vegan bodybuilding experiment: Joshua Knox at TEDxFremont”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKX-gNv0AwU

“Debunking the paleo diet: Christina Warinner at TEDxOU”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMOjVYgYaG8
_

Sub-Section 2A5:
Miscellaneous:

Why all calories are not equal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeYpjRlOBAw

“Troubled Teeth: Dealing with Dental Dilemmas”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qd3sJR8jrE

“John A. McDougall, MD: Pregnancy & Children”:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/videos/free-electures/pregnancy-children

_

Sub-Section 2A6:
Testimonials:

Sub-Section 2A6a:
Patients:

“Chris Wark’s Chemo-Free Colon Cancer Survival Story (Chris Beat Cancer)”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OyHanvUY28
http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com

“I Healed My Daughter’s Eczema With A Raw Diet”:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-15509/i-healed-my-daughters-eczema-with-a-raw-diet.html

“Andrew Neuman: Recovered from Severe Ulcerative Colitis”:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/stars/stars-written/andrew-neuman

“Ups and downs of an ordinary life – my cautionary tale”:
https://theresanelephantintheroomblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/ups-and-downs-of-an-ordinary-life-my-cautionary-tale
–

Sub-Section 2A6b:
Doctors:

“Dr. Dinome, Canceling Cancer”:
http://darlingmagazine.org/dr-dinome-canceling-cancer

“Meet The Doctor Who Prescribes Vegan Diets”:
https://www.yahoo.com/health/meet-the-doctor-who-prescribes-vegan-diets-107329169648.html
_

Sub-Section 2B:
Text-Based Info (primarily):

Sub-Section 2B1:
Infectious Disease:

Sub-Section 2B1a:
Infectious Disease And Domestication:

“Pandemic Prevention, Infectious Diseases, Aids, Climate Change, Influenza” – Dr. Michael Greger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20cooZOiYE

“Is swine flu ‘the big one’ or a flu that fizzles?”:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/links/p500/this-article.pdf

“Farmaceuticals: The Drugs Fed To Farm Animals And The Risks Posed To Humans”:
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/farmaceuticals-the-drugs-fed-to-farm-animals-and-the-risks-posed-to-humans
_

Sub-Section 2B1b:
Infectious Disease And Our Diet:

–

Sub-Section 2B2:
Comparative Physiology:

“Humans Are Herbivores” – Chart Of Comparative Anatomy And Bio-Chemistry by Colin Wright:
https://ibb.co/nrY4YG8

My blog post on this subject:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/humans-are-herbivores

“Humans are naturally plant-eaters: according to the best evidence: our bodies” by Michael Bluejay:
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html

“The Comparative Anatomy Of Eating”:
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/11/the-comparative-anatomy-of-eating.html

“A rational critique of the talk: ‘Humans Are Omnivores’ adapted from a talk by vivisectionist John McArdle, Ph.D” – by Laurie Forti:
http://www.ecologos.org/mcardle.htm

“Science Verifies That Humans Are Frugivores”:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17111888/Science-Verifies-That-Humans-Are-Frugivores

“20 Questions On Atherosclerosis”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312295

“9 Reasons Your Canine Teeth Don’t Make You a Meat-Eater”:
http://freefromharm.org/photo-galleries/9-reasons-your-canine-teeth-dont-make-you-a-meat-eater

“Beyond Polemics”:
http://web.archive.org/web/20031206180418/http://venus.nildram.co.uk/veganmc/polemics.htm

“Are we omnivores, herbivores or carnivores?”:
http://meatyourfuture.com/2015/09/herbivores-carnivores
_

Sub-Section 2B3:
Evolutionary Biology:

“Biological Adaptations”:
http://www.iol.ie/~creature/BiologicalAdaptations.htm

“Fossil Implies Our Early Kin Lived in Trees, Study Says”:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1121_021121_PrimateOrigins.html

“Theories of Human Evolutionary Trends in Meat Eating and Studies of Primate Intestinal Tracts”:
http://148.202.18.157/sitios/publicacionesite/pperiod/esthom/esthompdf/esthom19/21-31.pdf

“Planet of the Starch-Eaters”:
http://thexvials.blogspot.ie/2008/02/planet-of-starch-eaters.html

“The Ancient Human Diet Is Starch-based”:
http://thewaytoeat.ca/2013/08/12/1120

“Chimpanzees use botanical skills to discover fruit”:
http://phys.org/news/2013-04-chimpanzees-botanical-skills-fruit.html#jCp

“Relating Chimpanzee Diets to Potential Australopithecus Diets”:
http://cast.uark.edu/local/icaes/conferences/wburg/posters/nconklin/conklin.html

“Diet and seasonal changes in sympatric gorillas and chimpanzees at Kahuzi–Biega National Park”:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10329-005-0147-7

“Evolution and Prostate Cancer”:
http://urology.jhu.edu/newsletter/prostate_cancer511.php

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6r1lvVUxrnM/UHk1BRof4HI/AAAAAAAABs8/7ubepFMOyOc/s1600/Charles+Darwin+tree+of+life+poster.jpg
_

Sub-Section 2B4:
Myths About Individual Foods And Nutrients:

Sub-Section 2B4a:
Myths About Proteins:

“The Mystique of Protein and Its Implications” By T. Colin Campbell, PhD:
http://nutritionstudies.org/mystique-of-protein-implications

“Vegan Protein”:
http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/learn/vegan-protein

“Protein for Vegans: Old Myths Die Hard”:
http://www.theveganrd.com/2008/12/protein-for-vegans-old-myths-die-hard.html

“Catching Up With Science: Burying the “Humans Need Meat” Argument”:
http://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/catching-up-with-science-burying-the-humans-need-meat-argument

“Setting the record straight”:
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html
_

Sub-Section 2B4b:
Myths About Milk:

“5 Ridiculous Myths About Cow’s Milk”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/5-ridiculous-myths-about-cows-milk
_

Sub-Section 2B4c:
Myths About B12:

“Vitamin B12 Deficiency—the Meat-eaters’ Last Stand”:
http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/nov/b12.htm

“Vegan B12 deficiency: putting it into perspective”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2011/08/25/vegan-b12-deficiency-putting-it-into-perspective

“Vegan Sources”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/vegansources

“Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

“B12 in Plant Foods”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant

“THE VITAMIN B12 ISSUE”:
http://www.vibrancyuk.com/B12.html

“The Vitamin B12 Issue”:
http://libaware.economads.com/b12issue.php

“Vitamin B12 recommendations for Vegans”:
http://www.healthpromoting.com/learning-center/articles/vitamin-b12-recommendations-vegans

“Forum: B12 in plants?”:
http://www.veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?22-B12-in-plants

“More on nutrition”:
http://veganarch.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-on-nutrition.html

“Vegans and the Vitamin B12 Deficiency Myth”:
http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.html

“Vitamin B12 and Human Nutritional Evolution”:
http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2011/12/vitamin-b12-and-human-nutritional.html
_

Sub-Section 2B4d:
Myths About Omegas:

Omega 3 study (the source of the Omegas was algae that may have fed on GMO though):
http://clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(14)00076-4/fulltext
_

Sub-Section 2B4e:
Myths About Estrogen And Cholesterol In Plants:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosterols
_

Sub-Section 2B4f:
Myths About Soy:

“THE SOY TRUTH EVERY VEGAN WANTS TO KNOW! 6 MYTHS DEBUNKED”:
http://inourishgently.com/6-soy-myths-debunked

“Is soy bad for your health?”:
http://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/vegan-doctor-addresses-soy-myths-and-misinformation

“Soy And Your Health”:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/soy-and-your-health
_

Sub-Section 2B4g:
Myths about cellulose:

http://www.30bananasaday.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-respond-when-a-meat
http://www.ehow.com/list_7316466_foods-contain-cellulose_.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/cellulose/BGP-20056281
_

Sub-Section 2B4h:
Miscellaneous Myths about Plant-Based Diets:

“Seven Myths About Veggies”:
http://www.vegfriend.com/forum/topics/seven-myths-about-veggies

“Vegan Diets: Sorting Through the Nutritional Myths”:
http://freefromharm.org/vegan-diets-sorting-nutritional-myths

Myths about Vegan Diet:
http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2014/03/04/paleo-advocate-warns-against-veganism-a-vegan-rd-response

“What Every Vegan Needs To Know about The Advantages And Pitfalls Of Vegan Diets”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com.tr/2014/06/what-every-vegan-needs-to-know-about.html
_

Sub-Section 2B5:
Miscellaneous:

“Introductory Human Physiology”:
https://www.coursera.org/course/humanphysio

“The Whole Food Plant Based Health Directory”:
http://www.wholefoodplantbasedhealth.com

Almost every major medical organization condemns the consumption of animal substances:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/doctors-think-animal-substances-are-healthy

Database Of Vegan scientific articles:
http://www.veganfolks.com/vegan-scientific-articles

The Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine:
http://www.pcrm.org/health//diets/pplate/power-plate
https://www.facebook.com/PCRM.org
http://pcrm.org

“Genes Load The Gun, Lifestyle Pulls The Trigger”:
http://business.inquirer.net/167214/genes-load-the-gun-lifestyle-pulls-the-trigger

A letter about why milk is harmful by a doctor Kradjian:
http://notmilk.com/kradjian.html

“100 Scientific Reasons to NOT Eat Meat”:
http://badassu.net/100-scientific-reasons-to-not-eat-meat

“10 sexual benefits of going Vegan”:
http://roogirl.com/10-sexual-benefits-of-going-vegan

A post I wrote on FB with advice from Dr. Fuhrman on whole food diets:
https://www.facebook.com/squeezeplay/posts/10203386944047517

The LCHF diets at Rationalwiki:
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Low-carb_diet

“Vegan Action”:
http://vegan.org

“NotMilk.org”:
http://notmilk.com

“Engine 2”:
http://engine2diet.com

“Dr. McDougall’s Health And Medical Center”:
http://drmcdougall.com

“Forks Over Knives”:
http://forksoverknives.com

“Vegan Bodybuilding And Fitness”:
http://veganbodybuilding.com

“Your Online Source for Plant-Based Research Articles”:
http://plantbasedresearch.org

“The Woodstock Fruit Festival”:
http://woodstockfruitfestival.com
_

Sub-Section 2B6:
Studies On Animal Proteins:

Sub-Section 2B6a:
Animal proteins and cancer:
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/1/163

“Animal Protein and the Cancer Promoter IGF-1”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/02/14/animal-protein-and-igf-1

Sub-Section 2B6b:
Animal proteins and heart disease:
“Diet, lifestyle, and the etiology of coronary artery disease: The Cornell China study”:
The American journal of cardiology ISSN 0002-9149 CODEN AJCDAG:
http://refdoc-info.inist.fr/c4/refdoc.html?cpsidt=1667679

“Protein and Heart Disease”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/protein-and-heart-disease

Sub-Section 2B6c:
Animal proteins and diabetes:
“Dietary protein and risk of ischemic heart disease in middle-aged men”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2954454

Animal proteins and inflammatory bowel disease:
http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=6373&catId=8

Animal proteins and Alzheimers:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24037034
_

Sub-Section 2B7:
Studies On Dairy:

Sub-Section 2B7a:
Dairy & cancer:
“Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer in Western countries: evidence from cohort studies”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17704029

“Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer: meta-analysis of case-control studies”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15203374

“Hormones in milk can be dangerous”:
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/12.07/11-dairy.html

“Milk consumption and the prepubertal somatotropic axis”:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-6-28.pdf

“Childhood dairy intake and adult cancer risk: 65-y follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/6/1722.abstract

“Milk and lactose intakes and ovarian cancer risk in the Swedish Mammography Cohort”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/5/1353

“Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians’ Health Study”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/74/4/549.abstract

“A Very-Low-Fat Vegan Diet Increases Intake of Protective Dietary Factors and Decreases Intake
of Pathogenic Dietary Factors”:
http://www.ornishspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/A-Very-Low-Fat-Vegan-Diet-Increases.pdf

“Cure Breast Cancer By Avoiding All Milk Products”:
http://rense.com/general35/av.htm

“GALACTOSE CONSUMPTION AND METABOLISM IN RELATION TO THE RISK OF OVARIAN CANCER”:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2889%2990313-9/abstract

“Cancer and Food”:
http://www.eugeneveg.org/pdf/Articles/EismanCancerandFood%5B1%5D.pdf

“Largest Study Ever”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dhn67FYqtw

“A prospective study of dietary lactose and ovarian cancer”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15069693?dopt=Abstract

Sub-Section 2B7b:
Dairy causes infant apnea and crib death:
“Cow’s Milk Casomorphin, Crib Death, and Autism”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2012/06/21/cows-milk-casomorphin-crib-death-and-autism

“Cow’s-milk-induced infant apnoea with increased serum content of bovine ß-casomorphin-5”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21478761

Sub-Section 2B7c:
Dairy and autism:
“Beta-casomorphins-7 in infants on different type of feeding and different levels of psychomotor development”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19576256

“Cow’s Milk Casomorphin and Autism”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/cows-milk-casomorphin-and-autism

Sub-Section 2B7d:
Dairy and osteoporosis:
“Milk, Dietary Calcium, and Bone Fractures in Women: A 12-Year Prospective Study”:
http://www.all-creatures.org/fact/fact-20080511.pdf

“Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis”:
http://pcrm.org/health/health-topics/preventing-and-reversing-osteoporosis

“Three Daily Servings of Reduced-Fat Milk: An Evidence-Based Recommendation?”:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/1704826

“Why Does Calcium Leave our Bones From Drinking Calcium Rich Milk?”:
http://milk.elehost.com/html/why_does_calcuim_leave_the_bon.html

Sub-Section 2B7e:
Dairy and diabetes:
“Children and Diabetes”:
http://www.health.thesfile.com/children/the-power-of-nutrition-children/childhood-illnesses-prevention/children-and-diabetes

Sub-Section 2B7f:
Dairy and athsma:
“Asthma explained by common allergy to milk and dairy products”:
http://www.naturalnews.com/010443_cows_milk_asthma.html

Sub-Section 2B7g:
Dairy and Crohn’s disease:
“Crohn’s disease”:
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/crohns-disease

Sub-Section 2B7h:
Dairy and other illnesses:
“High school dietary dairy intake and teenage acne”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15692464

“The Myth about Milk and Protein”:
http://www.everydayliving.com/archives/myth_about_milk.htm

“Health Concerns about Dairy Products”:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/health-concerns-about-dairy-products

“Protein Intake & IGF-1 Production”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/protein-intake-and-igf-1-production

“THE LINK BETWEEN DAIRY ALLERGIES, CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS AND ASTHMA”:
http://wellbalancedblog.com/2011/01/17/the-link-between-dairy-allergies-chronic-ear-infections-and-asthma
_

Sub-Section 2B8:
Studies On Animal Flesh:

Sub-Section 2B8a:
Animal flesh and heart disease:

“PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE”:
http://www.dresselstyn.com/site

“Ornish Diet Ranked First For Heart Health By U.S. News”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/06/ornish-diet-heart-health-us-news_n_1188205.html

“Vegetarians have lower measured blood pressures and less hypertension than non-vegetarians”:
https://publichealth.llu.edu/adventist-health-studies/videos-and-media-reports/diet-and-blood-pressure

Sub-Section 2B8z:
Flesh (unsorted):

“Association of changes in red meat consumption with total and cause specific mortality among US women and men: two prospective cohort studies”:
https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l2110

“Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Cancer Incidence in Vegetarians: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review”:
http://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/337301

“The Meat-Cancer Connection”:
https://www.pcrm.org/news/exam-room-podcast/meat-cancer-connection

“How Does Meat Cause Inflammation?”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2012/09/20/why-meat-causes-inflammation

“Vegetarians Versus Healthy Omnivores”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegetarians-versus-healthy-omnivores

“Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death

“Red Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies”:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1134845

“Preventing Kidney Failure Through Diet”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLAmpWmuUk0

“Vegetarian Dietary Patterns Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114510

“A Natural Cure For Impotence”:
http://www.raw-food-health.net/CureForImpotence.html

Sub-Section 2B8b:
Flesh and cancer:

“Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different countries, with special reference to dietary practices”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1140864?dopt=Abstract

“Cancer incidence in vegetarians: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford)”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19279082

“Vegetarian diets and the incidence of cancer in a low-risk population”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23169929

“Intensive lifestyle changes may affect the progression of prostate cancer”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16094059

“Effects of a low-fat, high-fiber diet and exercise program on breast cancer risk factors in vivo and tumor cell growth and apoptosis in vitro”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16965238

“Dietary fat in relation to tumorigenesis”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/165553

“Hormones and diet: low insulin-like growth factor-I but normal bioavailable androgens in vegan men”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2374537/pdf/83-6691152a.pdf

“The Answer to the Pritikin Puzzle”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-answer-to-the-pritikin-puzzle

“Prostate vs. a Plant-Based Diet”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/prostate-versus-a-plant-based-diet

“IGF-1 as One-Stop Cancer Shop”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/igf-1-as-one-stop-cancer-shop

“Protein Intake & IGF-1 Production”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/protein-intake-and-igf-1-production

“How Plant-Based to Lower IGF-1?”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-plant-based-to-lower-igf-1

“Ex Vivo Cancer Proliferation Bioassay”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/developing-an-ex-vivo-cancer-proliferation-bioassay

“Meat Consumption and Cancer Risk”:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/cancer-resources/diet-cancer/facts/meat-consumption-and-cancer-risk

“1907 New York Times Article Shows that Meat Causes Cancer. A century later, many people still haven’t heard the news.”:
http://pcrm.org/media/blog/dec2013/1907-emnew-york-timesem-article-shows-that-meat

“John McDougall, MD on Breast Cancer”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Joj0Qc-bkc

“Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Global findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three”:
http://thorax.bmj.com/content/68/4/351

“Meat, smoking have strongest links to cancer incidence rates”:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270692.php

“Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention”:
http://www.ornishspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/8369.full_.pdf

“Intestinal Microbial Metabolism of Phosphatidylcholine and Cardiovascular Risk”:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1109400?query=featured_home&

“A Very-Low-Fat Vegan Diet Increases Intake of Protective Dietary Factors and Decreases Intake of Pathogenic Dietary Factors”:
http://www.ornishspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/A-Very-Low-Fat-Vegan-Diet-Increases.pdf

“Egg, red meat, and poultry intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer in the prostate specific antigen-era: incidence and survival”:
http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2011/09/15/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0354.short#aff-2

“Eating Meat Kills More People Than Previously Thought”:
http://www.naturalnews.com/025957_meat_eating_cancer.html

“A Vegan Diet (Hugely) Helpful Against Cancer (read comments)”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegan-diet-cancer_b_2250052.html

“Meat consumption and risk of breast cancer in the UK Women’s Cohort Study”:
http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v96/n7/full/6603689a.html

“Meat intake and risk of stomach and esophageal adenocarcinoma within the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16507831

Sub-Section 2B8c:
Flesh and diabetes:
“Associations between red meat intake and biomarkers of inflammation and glucose metabolism in women”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/11/27/ajcn.113.075663.abstract

“Link between high-fat diet and type 2 diabetes clarified”:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110411121539.htm

“Type 2 Diabetes and the Vegan Diet”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/diabetestwo

Sub-Section 2B8d:
Flesh and osteoporosis:

“”:
http://news.cornell.edu/stories/1996/11/eating-less-meat-may-help-reduce-osteoporosis-risk

“”:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/common-health-problems/osteoporosis

“”:
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/plant-based-diet-lowers-risk-hip-fracture-study

Sub-Section 2B8e:
Flesh and arthritis:

“”:
http://arthritis-research.com/content/9/1/R16

Sub-Section 2B8f:
Flesh and Alzheimers:

“”:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/diet-and-alzheimers-disease

“”:
http://www.weebly.com/uploads/5/0/4/6/5046867/alzheimers.pdf

Sub-Section 2B8g:
Flesh and Dementia:
“The Incidence of Dementia and Intake of Animal Products: Preliminary Findings from the Adventist Health Study”:
http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/110296
_

Sub-Section 2B9:
Studies On Eggs:

“Intestinal Microbial Metabolism of Phosphatidylcholine and Cardiovascular Risk”:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1109400?query=featured_home
_

Sub-Section 2B10:
Studies On Fish:

“Investigators Find Something Fishy with the Classical Evidence for Dietary Fish Recommendations”:
http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/investigators-find-something-fishy-with-the-classical-evidence-for-dietary-fish-recommendations

“Foods Rich in Omega-3 May Not Benefit the Heart, Study Suggests”:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-03-17/foods-rich-in-omega-3-may-not-help-the-heart-analysis-finds

“”:
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/McDougall/030200pufishisnothealthfood.htm

(Read the next 2 in order):
“”:
http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/food/fish/cholesterol
“”:
http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/food/hot-dog/cholesterol

“Dietary intake and status of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/92/5/1040
_

Sub-Section 2B11:
Miscellaneous:

Other info on diabetes:
http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/18/2/121.full
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/23/health/time-marijuana-diabetes/index.html

“Dietary intake of carbohydrates and risk of type 2 diabetes: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk study”:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9151926

“Transfat In Animal Fat”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2014/02/27/trans-fat-in-animal-fat

“How Time Magazine Sacrificed Its Standards to Promote Saturated Fat”:
http://plantpositive.com/blog/2014/6/28/how-time-magazine-sacrificed-its-standards-to-promote-satura.html

Harmful Plant-Based Foods:
“Sugar Facts and Myths: Why Sugar is Bad for You”:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/sugar-facts-myths-zmaz71sozgoe.aspx
_

Sub-Section 2B12:
Studies On Plant-Based Diet And Health:

Sub-Section 2B12a:
Plant-Based Diets And Heart Disease:

“Plant-based diet reverses heart disease”:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/424060-vegetarian-diet-to-reverse-heart-disease

“”:
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=2260

“High-fiber diet could be secret to living longer for heart attack survivors”:
http://dailydigestnews.com/2014/05/high-fiber-diet-could-be-secret-to-living-longer-for-heart-attack-survivors
_

Sub-Section 2B12b:
Plant-Based Diets And Obesity:
“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16164885

“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17890496

“”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/thousands-of-vegans-studied
_

Sub-Section 2B12c:
Plant-Based Diets And Cancer:
“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075937

“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11857417

“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23530109

“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22295127

“”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/1/176.long#aff-1

“”:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/4/1155.full

“”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/02/12/less-cancer-in-vegan-men-despite-more-testosterone

“”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/01/31/cancer-proofing-your-body
_

Sub-Section 2B12d:
Plant-Based Diets And Psychology:

“Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in Seventh Day Adventist adults”:
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/26

“Trans fat consumption and aggression”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22403632
_

Sub-Section 2B12e:
Plant-Based Diet Miscellaneous:
“Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24667136

CardioBuzz: ‘Lifestyle Medicine’:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/47018

“Scientific Study: Plant-Based Diet Is The Most Healthy”:
http://www.emaxhealth.com/13123/plant-based-diets-healthiest-vegan

“”:
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/5/791.full.pdf

“”:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php

“”:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-06-04-Vegetarian-diet-linked-to-longer-lifespan

“”:
http://www.thepermanentejournal.org/…/fall/5552-diet.html

“”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-stevens/vegan-diet_b_4282272.html

“”:
http://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/the-healthcare-doctors-forgot-ordinary-food-will-be-the-new-medicine
_

Sub-Section 2B13:
Plant-Based Strength:

“”:
http://www.veganstrength.org

“”:
http://www.shaolinwugulun.org/profile/self/kung-fu-and-vegetarianism-629f

“”:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10545857/Vegans-powered-by-raw-food-complete-year-of-daily-marathons.html

“”:
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2014/02/18/russian-olympian-and-vegan-alexey-voyevoda-wins-gold

“”:
http://www.pledgevegan.com/vegan-athletes/vegan-ice-skater-wins-silver-medal-2014-sochi-winter-olympics
_

Sub-Section 2B14:
Plant-Based Longevity:

“Dr. Ellsworth Wareham – 98 years old vegan”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX58PyQwrcI

“60 Long-Term Vegans”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com.tr/search/label/60%20Long-Term%20Vegans
_

Sub-Section 2C:
More link lists on Veganism and health:

Vegan scientific blog:
http://www.veganfolks.com/resources

“”:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/vegan-philosophy-forum/health-note-by-abraham-hafiz-rodriguez/229282910591225

“”:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/23yqfsp6ok2h96y/5-XAnNflM_/English-Vegan%20Diet%20Health%20and%20Food%20Security/Reference%20List%20for%20Vegan%20Diet%20and%20Health.rtf
_

Sub-Section 2D:
Books:

“Dying For A Hamburger: Modern Meat Processing and the Epidemic of Alzheimer’s Disease”:
http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Hamburger-Processing-Epidemic-Alzheimers/dp/031234015X

“Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure Paperback” by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1583333002?ie=UTF8&tag=vegancom&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1583333002

“The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health” by T. Colin Campbell, PhD:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932100660?ie=UTF8&tag=vegancom&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932100660

“Rethink Food: 100+ Doctors Can’t Be Wrong” by Shushana Castle:
http://www.amazon.com/Rethink-Food-Doctors-Cant-Wrong/dp/0991358805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402603880&sr=8-1&keywords=rethink+food

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If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

–

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman and human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Out Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

A Short Overview Of Vegan Cat Ethics – guest blog by Peter Csere

The following thoughts were posted in the group Healthy Vegan Cats (you need to join to see the posts but if you have cats in your home, it’s worth it) by my friend Peter Csere. He’s an authority on anything Vegan cat-related and also some other things related to Veganism:

“Feeding farmed animal products to domesticated felines is not a humane or vegan option since we are enslaving + murdering one species to feed another which we find prettier and more preferable for companionship.

Letting cats “roam” and “hunt for themselves” is not a humane, vegan, or environmentally sound option since, according to numerous wildlife studies, human-subsidized domestic felines have a HUGE and disastrous impact on local wildlife populations. Domestic felines have singlehandedly caused the extinction of over 33 island species of mammal, reptile, bird, and amphibian, and the number one threat to many endangered songbird and rodent species is the domestic feline. The domestic feline is not even native to North America yet is the most populous feline predator on the continent, numbering over 150 million in the US alone (according to various estimates of “owned” cats and stray cat populations.)

Another important issue is that domestic felines compete for prey with natural/indigenous predator species such as mountain lions, cougars, panthers, and fisher cats. This food competition reduces the possible population of important natural predator species. Even cats that are fed by humans still kill many animals per instinct.

Feeding domestic cats laboratory-grown meat, organs, and bones modeled after their natural prey (insects and rodents) might be an excellent option for the future when laboratory-grown meat becomes economically feasible and in regular production. However, *this option is not currently available.*

I’ve noticed that some people parrot on and on about lab-grown meat but then seem to think that this constant parroting gives them license to continue purchasing real meat to feed to their domesticated cats in the meantime. By all means, donate to lab-grown meat entrepreneurial initiatives, tell your friends, advertise, get the word out and the projects started. But in the meantime, the other arguments regarding humans killing one animal to feed to another animal which they find preferable, still apply.

(Editor’s note: Feeding cats “In Vitro Meat” is a good solution when we’re dealing with the small portion of cats who physically can’t or won’t eat Vegan, this is not meant to endorse In Vitro Meat being fed to *all* cats. I also personally don’t support encouraging In Vitro Meat projects for human consumption whatsoever.)

Feeding cats a plant-based diet which has a sufficient nutritional profile to keep them healthy and happy for a similar lifespan to a domestic cat on a meat-based diet, could be presented as not humane or vegan, since technically it is not “natural” for the cat – but still, *it is the most humane and ethical of all currently available options.*

All these options are side-stepping the real issue, which is that humans are continually unnaturally subsidizing, in-breeding, domesticating, and enslaving an artificial species (the domestic feline) at the cost of much suffering to the cats, the local ecosystems that their inflated population affects, and the animals that they inbreed and enslave to feed the cats. As long as the domestic cat population continues to rise, feeding them vegan diets will help but still will only slow the suffering that results to all involved.

Humans need to learn that when they take an animal with desirable characteristics, and force it to only have sex with another animal with desirable characteristics, and do this generation after generation producing a species with inbred genetic health problems and dependency on humans, much suffering will result. Long-term solutions may or may not include a number of strategies, such as: slowly re-wilding and introducing wild genes back into the domestic cat species, relocating them to their natural habitat, wide-scale spaying and neutering, etc, among others, some of which may be controversial and some not so much.

None of these options can really be considered 100% ethical and humane, but a complete hands-off approach also results in much suffering, so in the meantime, while we struggle to find solutions that best meet the needs of all involved, to this ridiculous problem that only humans are stupid enough to create – we can feed properly-formulated plant foods to domesticated cats and stop enslaving other animals or decimating local ecosystems i.e. making a bad problem worse.

Hope this provides some insight” ~ Peter Csere

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Here are some more excellent resources on the solutions to the problem of being Vegan and keeping nonhumans in our homes:

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/nonhuman-refugees

 

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If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

–

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

On Morality: The Argument For Abolitionist Veganism

Here is the basic argument for Abolitionist Veganism. I’ve incorporated a couple different major Animal Rights theories into one:

1. Nonhuman animals feel pain, pleasure, fear and other sensations. If they feel these sensations, then they have an interest in not being used merely as a resource for human pleasure, amusement, or convenience.

2. There is no necessity for human animals to intentionally exploit nonhuman animals and cause them to suffer or die except our own enjoyment of the taste of their flesh/secretions and the convenience that animal exploitation affords us. Humans have no dietary need for flesh, dairy, eggs or honey:

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/do-doctors-think

We have no need to use animals for clothing; we have no need to use them for entertainment; not only is it morally unjustifiable to use animals in bio-medical research, but more humans suffer and/or die when we do so than if we didn’t use animals at all:

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/vivisection-part-one-the-necessity-of-vivisection

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/vivisection-part-two-the-moral-justification-of-vivisection

3. When something is unnecessary except for our trivial pleasure or convenience and that thing causes some being (for example, a nonhuman or human animal) to experience pain, fear or other kinds of suffering, then the harm being done to that being’s interest in their continued survival, freedoms, or not suffering is more important than our interest in our own mere pleasure, amusement or convenience.

4. We claim to believe in “fairness/ethical/moral consistency” as a “moral good”, which means we believe in treating similar cases similarly when it comes to ethics/morality. In other words, if we believe it’s wrong to beat a human child for no good reason because they will suffer from a beating, then we should also believe that it’s wrong to beat a dog, cow, or chicken for no good reason because the nonhuman will also suffer.

So, if we value moral consistency at all, which means we treat similar cases similarly, the minimum and only criteria needed to include nonhuman animals in our moral sphere (meaning we believe we should not harm them at all for no good reason) is that they feel pain, fear, and other sensations, since that is the minimum criteria we use to include humans in our moral sphere.

5. Any characteristic that humans claim to have that we claim makes us morally superior to nonhuman animals cannot be factually proven to be a humans-only trait. Unless we can prove that we are morally superior to nonhuman animals, any argument that we claim justifies intentionally harming and exploiting nonhumans can also be used to justify humans intentionally exploiting other humans:

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/are-humans-superior

This means that if we personally are in favor of violating nonhumans’ right to be safe from being enslaved, raped, tortured or killed by humans then we have no claim that we ourselves should be safe from having those same things done to us by other humans. Any argument we try to use to justify harm to nonhumans can also be used successfully by other humans to justify harming us in those same ways.

6. If we accept premises 1 through 4, our ethical/moral obligation is to either a) cease any actions that intentionally cause unnecessary suffering and death to other beings such as nonhuman and human animals, in which case we can claim that our interests in avoiding the same harms should not be dismissed without due consideration -and we can point to the fact that this is because we are morally consistent– or b) admit that we are not morally consistent and that any human who wishes to dismiss our interests in avoiding the same harms without due consideration is also morally justified in doing so.

Conclusion: If we don’t stop intentionally exploiting nonhumans to the best of our ability, all the systemic violations we consider atrocities and major problems in the world will never end. We also will not be able to consider ourselves truly morally consistent people. To stop intentionally exploiting nonhumans completely means Abolitionist Veganism.

Abolitionist Veganism also means we do our best to eliminate speciesism (which is the intentional, harmful discrimination by humans against individuals and groups of other species based solely on the morally irrelevant criteria of species membership) within each of us. Speciesism is the tree from which springs all intentional, harmful discrimination against any individual (nonhuman or human) on the basis of any morally irrelevant criteria. Speciesism is rooted in the myth that human animals are morally superior to nonhuman animals.

Ergo, if everyone becomes an Abolitionist Vegan and exclusively advocates a 100% clear moral baseline of Abolitionist Veganism, all of the atrocities we abhor such as world hunger, poverty, ecological destruction by humans, systemic human rights violations, and discrimination against any individual beings based on any morally irrelevant criteria, will either be severely decreased or eliminated. Every living being on the planet, from nonhuman animals to human animals, will be much happier and healthier.

The crucial point here is that if you have moral concern at all for nonhuman animals or human animals and so you want these problems to be decreased or eliminated, it makes no sense for you to participate in actions that will increase or foster those problems. It is your moral responsibility to stop engaging in actions that increase those harms, which means going Vegan (and, if you want to help everyone further, educating others about Veganism).

Final thoughts: If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s incredible for the animals, great for you, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue/volunteer/adopt/foster/spay/neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where and when you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

---

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

On Morality: Are Human Animals Superior To Nonhuman Animals?

The most fundamental problem in AR debates right now is the fact that we are not continuously addressing the myth that humans are morally superior to nonhumans. This idea needs to be eradicated before any truly revolutionary thinking about Animal Rights can begin on the part of morally confused and inconsistent humans. This idea is so ingrained in our societal mindset that it’s completely invisible to almost everyone, and it’s the underlying structure for all irrational, harmful moral double-standards regarding human-nonhuman interaction. There is no speciesism without Human Supremacy.

–

The single most foundational -and at the same time the most overlooked- error in logic whenever anyone tries to justify human animals exploiting nonhuman animals is the irrational idea that human animals, in general, are morally superior to nonhuman animals. This idea can be easily disproved, and yet most people do not even question it. It is assumed to be indisputable when it isn’t even based on objective fact (contrary to what some would have us believe).

Unless we can explain how human animals are morally superior to nonhuman animals, whenever we try to justify humans exploiting nonhumans in the ways that we do, we can’t rule out arguments that would otherwise justify humans exploiting other humans in the exact same ways and for the exact same reasons (our mere pleasure or convenience).

All other forms of moral supremacy -from ethnic, to religious, to gender-based, etc.- stem from this one basic idea: that it’s acceptable to refuse the same moral consideration to another being that we accord ourselves, merely because of morally irrelevant criteria like the color of their skin, which genitalia they have, or their species membership.

The belief that humans are morally superior to nonhumans is not based on instinct. If it was, then why would anyone even question it, and therefore, why would you even be reading this? And yet, it’s the reason why we believe it’s just fine to torture a nonhuman -who is fully capable of desiring to not suffer or die as much as a human- in ways that we wouldn’t torture the worst human criminals.

The myth of human moral supremacy is almost never even examined. But when it is, it’s obvious: just like the arguments we use to try to justify racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance, or any other irrational form of oppression, it’s based on nothing more than arbitrary personal opinion (and biased, self-serving opinion at that).

The idea that humans are superior to nonhumans is based on the misconception that all humans have some characteristic or set of characteristics that all nonhumans lack. These criteria are commonly believed to include: “intelligence;” “mind;” “consciousness;” abstract thought; the capability of understanding and following moral codes; creativity; the ability to invent tools, technology, or art; some sort of physical ability or physical adaptation; proliferation; a “soul” or some other form of divine endowment; the capability of surviving in conditions or environments that others can’t; or some other unspecified faculty.

All of these criteria are obviously as arbitrary and as subject to bias as gender, ethnic membership, or religious belief when it comes to moral superiority since we can prove neither that they are possessed by all humans, nor that they are lacked by all nonhumans. Not only that, but whichever faculty is being proclaimed as superior is always one which is possessed by the person arguing on behalf of Human Supremacy.

When most humans talk about how much moral value that they think a nonhuman animal has relative to a human animal, what they talk about is essentially how much value the nonhuman animal has to the human who is making the claim. In other words, Johnny talks about how much moral value Bessie the cow has only due to Bessie’s utility to Johnny. But if we went by that valuation, then any human could claim the same about other humans as well, which would justify every harmful action from human slavery to rape to murder. Every being who can feel pain has moral value not because of their utility value to someone else, but because their life and freedom from suffering has value to the being whose life it is.

Johnny’s life and freedom from suffering has value to Johnny, but Bessie’s life and freedom from suffering have a value -to Bessie- that is not less of a value to Bessie than Johnny’s is to Johnny, which means that the value of Johnny’s life is not higher than the value of Bessie’s. That is the only way to calculate moral value that doesn’t allow for excuses for massive human rights violations and suffering as well as the same for nonhumans. Seen from that perspective, all arguments that try to claim that one sentient being’s life and freedoms have a higher moral value than any other sentient being’s life and freedoms based on species-membership are obviously self-serving, weak and irrational.

Although human animals created a human concept of morality, many humans commonly break the moral codes imposed by our society. This is why we have human slavery, sexual violation, torture, murder, and all the other atrocities that ethical humans abhor. Nonhuman animals, who cannot be proven to understand the concept of human moral codes, almost always follow our moral codes better than we do. They do not enslave us, create concentration camps, weapons of mass destruction, torture chambers, or pollute or otherwise destroy our habitats. Nor do they wage war on humans, or any of the other atrocities that humans are guilty of. They merely wish to be left alone to live and die on their own terms. To claim that they should have to follow our moral codes to benefit from them would be like claiming that we should punish a severely intellectually underdeveloped human for failing to pass the S.A.T.s.

Human animals created individual moral codes for ourselves because most of us believe that enslaving, sexually violating, torturing and unnecessarily killing other humans is wrong. Most adult human animals are moral agents, while nonhuman animals, infant humans, and severely intellectually underdeveloped humans (among others) are moral patients.

In order to be a moral agent, one must be capable of abstract thought in order to have a specific minimum understanding of the meaning of morality. That is to say, moral agents can understand the concept of morality and can, therefore, make moral decisions; meaning that they can make decisions that affect the interests of both moral agents and moral patients. Furthermore, moral agents have moral responsibilities to both other moral agents and moral patients. This means that they are capable of being assigned blame if they intentionally make a moral choice that they know will cause a being who is capable of feeling pain and other sensations to suffer unnecessarily.

A moral agent must be capable of giving informed consent, which means that an explicit meeting of the minds takes place -via spoken or written human language, and no less- where both parties are capable of abstract thought, understand what the nature of the social contract is, and what the general future ramifications of the agreement are.

Moral patients, on the other hand, cannot understand the human concept of morality and are thus incapable of giving informed consent. Moral patients cannot make moral decisions that affect either moral agents nor moral patients. They do not have moral responsibilities; however, in order for there to be moral consistency, moral patients must benefit from our individual moral codes without being able to have moral responsibilities themselves. Moral patients, therefore, cannot be morally blamed for their actions.

This is why, for instance, it’s morally wrong for an adult human to murder a severely intellectually underdeveloped human, and also why it’s wrong for an adult human to have sex with a human child. Because those entities, being moral patients, cannot give consent to being killed nor to sexual activity. This is also why morally conscious people believe that human animals having sex with nonhuman animals -who also cannot give consent to be used for sexual activity- is also wrong. We don’t hold nonhuman animals morally culpable to this code simply because we understand that -like severely intellectually underdeveloped humans and human children- nonhumans are incapable of understanding and abiding by human moral codes (or at least, any truly rational human understands that they are not capable of this) plus the fact that -regarding their interactions with us- they almost always, by default, follow our moral codes better than we do regarding our interactions with other humans (and even more so regarding our interactions with nonhumans).

On the other side of the coin, humans enslave, sexually violate, torture or unnecessarily slaughter nonhumans by the hundreds of billions each year, merely because we enjoy the taste of their dead bodies and secretions and the conveniences that it affords us. And we also are intentionally destroying every wild habitat that we can. We regularly treat nonhumans worse than we would treat the worst human criminals. So who is morally superior to whom again?

The idea that we should be able to do these things because say, a lion eats a zebra is ridiculous in the extreme. A male lion often will kill a rival male and their offspring before copulating -in public no less- with the mother. If a mother lioness gives birth to a severely ill or deformed baby, she will usually cannibalize them. When applied to human contexts, do we think these are morally justifiable ways to behave?

This is where the Human Supremacist says “Either we are morally superior to animals, in which case exploiting them is fine, or we aren’t morally superior to them, in which case we can kill them merely because we want to consume them, just like any other animal does.”

However, this completely fails to recognize that claiming one is “morally superior” means that one adheres to a code of fairness and justice more than the other does, not that one can merely understand human concepts of morality. If a human can understand the concept of the injustice of slavery, sexual violation, torture or unnecessary killing of others -but does not refuse to engage in such behaviors- where is the moral superiority in that?

As I mentioned, we very rarely hold completely to our optimal code of conduct. We claim as a society to believe in The Golden Rule, but we routinely inflict massive unnecessary suffering and death on innocent beings merely for our pleasure, amusement, or convenience. We enslave, sexually violate, torture and unnecessarily slaughter upwards of 1,000,000,000,000 nonhuman animals each year merely so we can unnecessarily consume their flesh and secretions and use their body parts for clothing (among other things), which not only causes massive suffering for them, but massive amounts of chronic disease for us and massive ecological devastation as well.

We should realize that if we don’t follow a 100% egalitarian system of justice regarding every innocent animal, human or nonhuman, then the same arguments we use to attempt to justify inflicting unnecessary suffering and death on them: “that animal isn’t as smart as I am;” “they don’t have souls;” “it’s how I make a living;” “meat/fish/dairy/eggs/honey tastes good” etc., can also be used by other humans to justify inflicting unnecessary suffering and death on us: “that person isn’t as smart as I am;” “I’m one of the chosen people and that person isn’t;” “I wanted their property;” “rape feels good” etc.

There is no way to morally justify the intentional, unnecessary exploitation of nonhumans by humans without also morally justifying the intentional, unnecessary exploitation of humans by other humans. This means that if we are personally in favor of violating nonhumans’ right to be completely safe from being forced into existence against their will, enslaved, slaughtered -or in any way used merely as replaceable resources for unnecessary human interests- then we have no rationally consistent claim that we ourselves should be safe from having those same things done to us by other humans. Any argument we try to use to justify harming nonhumans can also be used successfully by other humans to justify harming us in those same ways. This also means that until we as a species evolve past our irrational belief that intentionally exploiting nonhumans merely for our trivial interests is morally justifiable, we will continue to endure racism, sexism, cissexism, homophobia, ableism, tyranny, mass murder, and all the other human systemic rights atrocities we commonly abhor.

Furthermore, claiming that because we can’t be perfect -and not cause harm to any living being whatsoever- is a valid reason to intentionally cause easily avoidable harms to the nonhumans we exploit for our pleasure or convenience is like saying that just because we know that some humans will die in traffic accidents it justifies us murdering them by intentionally running them over with our cars. The fact that we can’t prevent all homicides does not justify us intentionally committing mass-murder, just as the fact that we can’t survive without unintentionally killing a lesser number of animals or plants does not justify intentionally breeding nonhuman animals and feeding them a much larger number of plants, merely to slaughter and consume them or their secretions, when we can thrive perfectly well on a plants-only diet. Nor does it justify exploiting nonhumans for clothing, research, or entertainment. The only reasonable, morally justifiable thing would be to work to decrease the number of all living beings we harm in all cases, not to try to justify intentionally harming them in some cases while claiming to decrease harm in others.

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If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

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Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

A Note On “OstroVeganism”

There is no such thing as “ostroVeganism.” The term Veganism has a specific meaning, and human animals using nonhuman animals for human interests is contradictory to that meaning.

I follow The Precautionary Principle and so I don’t advocate for the exploitation of any animal, regardless of the complexity of their biology. I advocate Veganism, which is a moral stance against human animals intentionally using nonhuman animals as replaceable resources for human interests, based on the nonhumans’ pre-legal moral right to not be used, which in turn is based on the fact that they are capable of feeling pain and so have the exact same right as humans do in this regard. We have no need to use any animals, and if someday we find out that whomever animal is insentient, since we lived Vegan, then no harm done. If we someday find out they are sentient, then also, since we lived Vegan, no harm done.

Some people mistakenly try to claim that plants are also sentient as a way of silencing Vegan advocates. Adhering to a Vegan ethic in all of our life-activities destroys the least numbers of plants compared to adhering to a non-Vegan ethic. So, if someday we discover that plants were sentient all along, then we will have harmed the least number of plants; especially if we are able to eat a fruitarian diet due to our financial situation and/or where we live. And, if we discover that we were right all along and plants are insentient; then, also, no harm done.

Also, using nonhuman animals of any species for human interests fosters speciesism and does not shift animals away from the “property paradigm.” Since most non-Vegans don’t know nor care what the difference between a sentient nonhuman and an insentient nonhuman would even be (if that even existed), it manifests to the public as a lack of a coherent and consistent moral stance.

Some people have brought up the idea that since most or all consumers are currently only capable of buying Vegan b12 in plastic bottles that are manufactured somewhere that may -or may not- be far from the consumer, and that therefore there is a need to use a lot of resources to obtain them, which is harmful to sentient beings, that justifies consuming oysters who have b12 in them since there are fewer resources needed to obtain them. This doesn’t morally justify using nonhumans for our interests though. Rationally, we need to start fabricating some conveyance for b12 other than wasteful plastic bottles instead of discarding the idea that nonhumans have the right not to be used.

Maybe we could campaign for Vegan B12 to be put in glass bottles and manufactured locally in many places? Or a campaign to get a law passed that all packaged food must have Vegan B12 added? Engaging in single-issue campaigns for human issues isn’t morally wrong as doing so for nonhuman issues is, after all. Changing the current paradigm from a non-Vegan one to a Vegan one through the education of non-Vegans on these issues as well as the overall understanding of the need for Veganism is a great start, in any case.

There has also been a general cry that using oysters for our interests has various other environmental benefits as well. Veganism does have implications for environmentalism since withdrawing our participation from the worst causes of environmental destruction is a wonderful incidental benefit of living our moral stance regarding nonhuman animals. Environmentalism is not the basis for Veganism though, so we can’t abandon our moral obligation to nonhumans in an effort to make environmentalist gains, especially since that would decrease the effectiveness of promoting the moral stance of Veganism to non-Vegans; and we should already understand that encouraging non-Veganism is the reason why our environment is as damaged as it is in the first place.

Some people also claim that, since oysters don’t have a central nervous system and plants also do not have a central nervous system, oysters are more similar to plants than animals. My response is this: Number one, it’s incredibly disingenuous to claim that plants have a “nervous system” at all. It’s also disingenuous to claim that just because oysters don’t have a central nervous system that means that they are like plants. Either they have a nervous system (which they do), in which case they are animals (which they are), or they don’t, in which case they are like plants. You can’t have it both ways. Just because oysters don’t have a central nervous system does not make them into plants.

Furthermore, even if we thought that it was justifiable from a moral standpoint to use individuals of some animal species we think are insentient for our interests, that argument would still never morally justify using every other species of animal, who can all be easily proven capable of feeling pain, for our interests. In other words, even if we’re confused about where to draw the line regarding who we use and don’t use, the line is still not rationally at “whoever we deem morally inferior, regardless of their ability to suffer.” So regardless of any other argument, Veganism is still the moral obligation of every single human reading this.

Instead of calling ourselves Vegans and then trying to figure out how much we can get away with exploiting anyone through a “loophole” of scientific proof, we should be starting off by drawing our moral line in order to eliminate even the possibility of the maximum amount of harm, and then intellectually examining whether we can make exceptions on the side of caution afterward. Meaning that we don’t harm animals we think may or may not be sentient anyway unless our very survival depends on it.

If you think animals matter morally, don’t try to find a nice way to do the wrong thing. Go Vegan and educate others about Veganism.

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If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

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Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

Re-Blog – “We Have Always Eaten Meat”

Great explanation of the basics of Veganism.

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If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

–

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

The Vegan Choice Blog

Is it justification enough to continue eating meat, dairy and eggs merely for the fact that we have done so in the past?  Just because humans have done something in the past, doesn’t mean it is right to continue doing so.  

View original post 1,435 more words

Common Myths About Food

*Photo of Dr. Maggie DiNome, advocate of whole-food, plants-only diet for preventing cancer*

I’m making separate posts on individual issues related to Veganism, so that anyone who wants a handy reference guide to each issue won’t have to go through my entire link list to find it. The links included in each individual post may not be updated regularly, so the Master List will be the only place to find complete updates. These posts will be comprehensive enough to cover most or all questions related to each issue however.

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

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There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation going around about various issues surrounding what we eat. This is a collection of links that should clear up many of the misconceptions that people have and debunk much of the intentional misrepresentation of nutrition by armchair “experts.”

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Sub-Section 2A1:
The Myths About Proteins:

“The Dangerous Truth About Protein” – Janice Stanger, Ph.D.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R07FL1wVo4

“The Truth About Protein” – Dr. Tel Oren (MD):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR9iz8d_Dj4

Dr. T. Colin Campbell explains the science of why animal proteins are toxic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfsT-qYeqGM

Dr. T. Colin Campbell responds to Denise Minger’s attempt to refute his findings:
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/07/china-study-author-colin-campbell-slaps-down-critic-denise-minger.html

“How Do You Like These Apples?” By T. Colin Campbell, PhD:
http://nutritionstudies.org/how-do-you-like-these-apples

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Sub-Section 2B4:
Myths About Individual Foods And Nutrients:

Sub-Section 2B4a:
Myths About Proteins:

“The Mystique of Protein and Its Implications” By T. Colin Campbell, PhD:
http://nutritionstudies.org/mystique-of-protein-implications

“Vegan Protein”:
http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/learn/vegan-protein

“Protein for Vegans: Old Myths Die Hard”:
http://www.theveganrd.com/2008/12/protein-for-vegans-old-myths-die-hard.html

“Catching Up With Science: Burying the “Humans Need Meat” Argument”:
http://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/catching-up-with-science-burying-the-humans-need-meat-argument

“Setting the record straight”:
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html
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Sub-Section 2B4b:
Myths About Milk:

“5 Ridiculous Myths About Cow’s Milk”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/5-ridiculous-myths-about-cows-milk
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Sub-Section 2B4c:
Myths About B12:

“Vitamin B12 Deficiency—the Meat-eaters’ Last Stand”:
http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/nov/b12.htm

“Vegan B12 deficiency: putting it into perspective”:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2011/08/25/vegan-b12-deficiency-putting-it-into-perspective

“Vegan Sources”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/vegansources

“Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

“B12 in Plant Foods”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant

“THE VITAMIN B12 ISSUE”:
http://www.vibrancyuk.com/B12.html

“The Vitamin B12 Issue”:
http://libaware.economads.com/b12issue.php

“Vitamin B12 recommendations for Vegans”:
http://www.healthpromoting.com/learning-center/articles/vitamin-b12-recommendations-vegans

“Forum: B12 in plants?”:
http://www.veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?22-B12-in-plants

“More on nutrition”:
http://veganarch.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-on-nutrition.html

“Vegans and the Vitamin B12 Deficiency Myth”:
http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.html
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Sub-Section 2B4d:
Myths About Omegas:

Omega 3 study (the source of the Omegas was algae that may have fed on GMO though):
http://clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(14)00076-4/fulltext
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Sub-Section 2B4e:
Myths About Estrogen And Cholesterol In Plants:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosterols
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Sub-Section 2B4f:
Myths About Soy:

“Is soy bad for your health?”:
http://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/vegan-doctor-addresses-soy-myths-and-misinformation
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/soy-and-your-health
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Sub-Section 2B4g:
Myths about cellulose:

http://www.30bananasaday.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-respond-when-a-meat
http://www.ehow.com/list_7316466_foods-contain-cellulose_.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/cellulose/BGP-20056281
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Sub-Section 2B4h:
Miscellaneous Myths about Plant-Based Diets:

“Seven Myths About Veggies”:
http://www.vegfriend.com/forum/topics/seven-myths-about-veggies

“Vegan Diets: Sorting Through the Nutritional Myths”:
http://freefromharm.org/vegan-diets-sorting-nutritional-myths

Myths about Vegan Diet:
http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2014/03/04/paleo-advocate-warns-against-veganism-a-vegan-rd-response

“What Every Vegan Needs To Know about The Advantages And Pitfalls Of Vegan Diets”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com.tr/2014/06/what-every-vegan-needs-to-know-about.html

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If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

What Will I Eat As A Vegan?

I’m making separate posts on individual issues related to Veganism, so that anyone who wants a handy reference guide to each issue won’t have to go through my entire link list to find it. The links included in each individual post may not be updated regularly, so the Master List will be the only place to find complete updates. These posts will be comprehensive enough to cover most or all questions related to each issue however.

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

Here are some useful sites that explain what insidious and harmful ingredients to look out for as well as a smattering of the Vegan recipe sites as well as alternative Vegan food sites that are out there. Enjoy!

Sub-Section 1B10d:
Miscellaneous Problems With Foods:

“Please, No Mo’ Faux Meat, Cheese or Milk!”:
http://freefromharm.org/veganism/please-no-mo-faux-meat-cheese-or-milk

“L-Cysteine in Bread Products Still Mostly Sourced from Human Hair, Duck Feathers, Hog Hair”:
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/03/09/l-cysteine-in-bread-products-still-mostly-sourced-from-human-hair-duck-feathers-hog-hair

“11 Disturbing Ingredients in Food that will Make You Rethink Your Diet”:
http://www.theyogablog.com/11-disturbing-ingredients-in-food

“Delicious food, disgusting ingredients”:
http://shehasgotitall.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/delicious-food-disgusting-ingredients

“Golden Circle juice maker reveals secret ingredients: beef and alcohol”:
http://fatgayvegan.com/2014/07/27/beef-juice

“10 Frightening Fast Food Additives”:
http://www.siegestalt.com/zges/29

“7 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade Chocolate”:
http://www.nutritionbykiki.com/blog/2014/02/15/7-Reasons-to-Buy-Fair-Trade-Chocolate.aspx

Vegan Chocolate:
http://www.vegan.com/chocolate
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Section 3:
Plant-Based Recipes/Vegan Nutrition:

Sub-Section 3A:
Videos:

“You Have Been Opening A Banana Wrong Your Entire Life!”:
http://www.newsiosity.com/videos/entertainment/you-have-been-opening-banana-wrong-your-entire-life-blew-my-mind

How to make Vegan yogurt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvj3u8-7PmU

“Learn How to Make These 5 Easy Raw Vegan Favorites (VIDEOS)”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/easy-raw-vegan-favorites-videos

“8 Videos of Vegan Recipes You Can Make in Less Than 5 Minutes (VIDEOS)”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/vegan-recipes-you-can-make-in-less-than-5-minutes-videos
_

Sub-Section 3B:
Text-based:

Sub-Section 3B1:
Food Guides:

Vegan food pyramid:
http://postimg.org/image/ejdv00zj5

“Your Guide to Going Dairy Free; Plant-Based Milks, Cheeses, and More”:
http://freefromharm.org/food-products/your-guide-to-going-dairy-free-plant-based-milks-cheeses-and-more

Vegan liquor guide:
http://www.barnivore.com

A two-time Cupcake Wars winner on the chemistry of vegan baking:
http://www.splendidtable.org/story/a-two-time-cupcake-wars-winner-on-the-chemistry-of-vegan-baking

“Fits Me”:
http://www.fitsmeapp.com

“The Great Vegan Search Engine”:
https://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=007857372892095548138:j_cudozhaew

“17 Cooking Hacks Every Vegan Should Know”:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/hacks-every-vegan-should-know?sub=3191089_2839111

Vibrance!: What Vegans Eat”:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.534160356645011.1073741827.452441044816943&type=3

“25 Frugal Items for Your Organic Vegan Grocery List”:
http://www.wisebread.com/25-frugal-items-for-your-organic-vegan-grocery-list

“Plant-Based On A Budget”:
http://www.plantplate.com/Guide/Detail?GuideID=1006

“Eat Vegan on $4.00 a Day: A Game Plan for the Budget Conscious Cook”:
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Vegan-4-00-Day-Conscious/dp/1570672571

_

Sub-Section 3B2:
Businesses/Companies That Sell Vegan Products:

Vegan cheese:
http://www.buteisland.com

Daiya Cheese:
http://us.daiyafoods.com

“So Delicious Dairy Free”:
https://www.facebook.com/sodeliciousdairyfree

“Midas Fine Art Cheeses”:
https://www.facebook.com/midasfineartcheeses

“Freja’s Foods” – They make seitan, a delicious plants-only food which can replicate and replace almost any animal flesh:
http://www.frejasfoods.com

“Replicated Meat – Coming Soon to Major Supermarkets Near You”:
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/innovation-dominates-communication-79965946822.html

“Scientists developing cow-free milk that tastes like the real thing”:
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/08/13/this-dairy-milk-is-cow-free

“Lazy Day Foods”:
http://www.lazydayfoods.com/engine/shop/index.html

“Food Fight”:
http://www.foodfightgrocery.com

“Unicorn Grocery”:
https://www.facebook.com/unicorngrocery

“Rescue Chocolate”:
https://www.facebook.com/rescuechocolate

“Natural Candy Store”:
http://www.naturalcandystore.com

“Vegan Athletic Shoes 2013”:
http://vegan8.me/vegan-athletic-shoes/vegan-athletic-shoes-2013

“Vegan Cleaning Products”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/search/label/Cleaning%20Products%20-Vegan

“ONE OF A KIND VEGAN CERAMIC DISHES”:
http://www.ecodogsandcats.com/blog/one-kind-vegan-ceramic-dishes.html

“Vegan Lip Balms”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/2014/09/vegan-lip-balms.html

“6 Amazing and Truly Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Brands”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/cruelty-free-cosmetic-brands

“Tropic Skin Care”:
https://www.tropicskincare.co.uk/shop/caroleellingham
http://www.facebook.com/TropicNorfolk

“Vegan As Printing”:
https://www.facebook.com/veganasprinting1
_

Sub-Section 3B3:
My Favorite Vegan Substitutes:

Tofurky Italian sausage:
http://www.veganstore.com/product/tofurky-italian-sausage/vegan-meat-alternatives

Morningstar Farms BBQ riblets:
https://www.morningstarfarms.com/products/meal-starters/hickory-bbq-riblets

Gardein Sizzling Szechuan beefless strips:
http://gardein.com/products/beefless-strips

Veganaise:
http://followyourheart.com/products/original-3
_

Sub-Section 3B4:
Recipe Sites:

“VegWeb”:
http://vegweb.com

“Live Vegan”:
http://livevegan.org

“Oh She Glows”:
http://ohsheglows.com

“Post Punk Kitchen”:
http://www.theppk.com

“VegKitchen with Nava Atlas”:
http://www.vegkitchen.com

“Simply Vegan”:
http://www.simply-vegan.org

“Finding Vegan”:
http://www.findingvegan.com

“Hell Yeah, It’s Vegan!”:
http://hellyeahitsvegan.com

“VeganEasy”:
http://veganeasy.org/30-Day-Menu

“Skip The Bacon: 20 Vegan Breakfast Ideas”:
http://www.brit.co/vegan-breakfast

“Hippie Vegan”:
http://Hippievegan.com
https://www.facebook.com/hippievegan

“Forks Over Knives”:
http://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes

“The Vegan Bacon That Meat-Loving Foodies Can’t Get Enough Of: Recipe Included!”:
http://freefromharm.org/vegan-recipes/vegan-bacon

“I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan Gravy”:
http://www.vegweb.com/recipes/i-cant-believe-its-vegan-gravy

“My Vegan Burger King”:
http://mouthwateringvegan.com/2013/04/07/my-vegan-burger-king

“17 Very Cherry Recipes (All Vegan!)”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/very-cherry-recipes

“Veggieful.com: Vegan Sausage Roll Recipe”:
http://www.veggieful.com/2013/09/vegan-sausage-roll-recipe.html

“What Fat Vegans Eat”:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/194567900666819/254864584637150

“The Vegan Stoner: Peanut Stew”:
http://theveganstoner.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/peanut-stew.html?m=1

“LASAGNA GRILLED CHEESE. NUT-FREE SOY-FREE VEGAN RECIPE”:
http://www.veganricha.com/2014/06/lasagna-grilled-cheese-nut-free-soy.html

“Jeff Novick, MS, RD: My Simple Recipes”:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.204432390124.260255.177550385124

“14 Recipes for Turning Avocados Into OMGados”:
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2014/05/28/14-recipes-for-turning-avocados-into-omgados

“The Simple Veganista: SMOKY CHIPOTLE MAPLE T.L.T.”:
http://thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com/2012/12/smoky-chipolte-maple-tofu-sandwich.html

“The top 10 best vegan recipe websites”:
http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/2011/12/the-top-10-best-vegan-recipe-websites.html

“Anna Adey’s Recipes”:
https://www.facebook.com/anna.adey1/media_set?set=a.10151913073610069.1073741840.679240068

“10 Basic Vegan Recipes Even the Worst Cook Can Master”:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/basic-vegan-recipes-even-the-worst-cook-can-master

“First Proper & Best-Ever Vegan ‘Egg Mayonnaise’ (Egg Salad) Sandwich”:
http://mouthwateringvegan.com/2013/04/06/first-proper-best-ever-vegan-egg-mayonnaise-egg-salad-sandwich

_

Sub-Section 3B4:
Miscellaneous:
“8 Vegetables You Can Regrow Again And Again”:
http://www.trueactivist.com/8-vegetables-that-you-can-regrow-again-and-again

“5 Reasons You Should Add Turmeric to Everything”:
http://vegaprocity.com/2014/10/5-reasons-using-turmeric

_

Just some of the delicious stuff I eat:

—

If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

Vivisection: It Doesn’t Work From A Moral Or A Practical Standpoint

I’m making separate posts on individual issues related to Veganism, so that anyone who wants a handy reference guide to each issue won’t have to go through my entire link list to find it. The links included in each individual post may not be updated regularly, so the Master List will be the only place to find complete updates. These posts will be comprehensive enough to cover most or all questions related to each issue however.

–

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

While there is no moral difference between animal experimentation and any other form of intentional exploitation of nonhumans, there are both moral and practical reasons why animal testing doesn’t work. We need to be educated so we can refute the arguments as to why vivisection is necessary and also explain why it’s morally unjustifiable. However, please don’t take this to mean I approve of Single Issue Campaigns to eliminate vivisection. I don’t:

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/welfare-watch

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/sics-dont-work

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/05/17/rights-vs-welfare

I’m simply presenting the information so that people can fully understand the issue.

The biggest argument as to why it’s immoral can be found here:

https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/are-humans-superior

Sub-Section 1B12:
Vivisection:

Sub-Section 1B12a:
Morality (primarily):

“Vivisection, Part Two: The Moral Justification Of Vivisection”:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/vivisection-part-two-the-moral-justification-of-vivisection
_

Sub-Section 1B12b:
Necessity (primarily):

“Animals in Biomedical Research: A Moral Justification? (debate)”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8OMtRiD3oI

“Vivisection, Part One: The “Necessity” of Vivisection”:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/vivisection-part-one-the-necessity-of-vivisection

“The Commonsense Case Against Animal Experimentation – Mylan Engel Jr. (you may have to print this one to read it or set your tablet to not rotate and hold it sideways!)”:
http://www.niu.edu/phil/people/_pdf/Engel%20–%20The%20Commonsense%20Case%20Against%20Animal%20Experimentation.pdf

“Does animal testing help human medicine?”:
http://www.vivisectioninformation.com/index.php?p=1_8_all-you-need-to-know-in-33-facts

“50 DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF LAB ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS “:
http://www.vivisectioninformation.com/index.php?p=1_10

“An Examination of Animal Experiments”:
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=2271

“Americans For Medical Advancement”:
http://www.afma-curedisease.org

“Why Learn about Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR)?”:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/DevelopmentResources/DrugInteractionsLabeling/ucm114848.htm

“Problems with Animal Research”:
http://www.aavs.org/site/c.bkLTKfOSLhK6E/b.6456997/k.3D74/Problems_with_Animal_Research.htm

“Limitations and Dangers”:
http://www.neavs.org/research/limitations

“FAQs About Animal Testing”:
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/faqs-about-animal-testing

“How reliable is animal testing?; Podium”:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-reliable-is-animal-testing-podium-1079311.html

“Advancing Science Without Harming Animals”:
http://www.navs.org/science/failure-of-the-animal-mode

“Maximum Tolerated Dose”:
http://maximumtolerateddose.org/about

“Why Animal Experimentation Doesn’t Work — Reason 1: Stressed Animals Yield Poor Data”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aysha-akhtar/animal-experimentation_b_3676678.html

“Why Animal Experimentation Doesn’t Work — Reason 2: Animals Don’t Get Human Diseases”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aysha-akhtar/animal-testing-diseases_b_3813856.html?

“Why Animal Experimentation Doesn’t Work. Reason 3: Animals Aren’t Little Humans”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aysha-akhtar/why-animal-experimentatio_b_3997568.html

“History of Maternal Deprivation at UW-Madison”:
http://www.uwnotinourname.org/history-of-maternal-deprivation-at-uw-madison.html

“Vivisection Information Network”:
http://vivisectioninformation.com

“Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty”:
http://shac.net

“Safer Medicines”:
http://www.safermedicines.org/index.php

“Andrew Knight”:
http://andrewknight.info

“White Coat Waste Movement”:
http://www.whitecoatwaste.com

“How predictive and productive is animal research?”:
http://www.bmj.com/%5Bfield_highwire_a_cpath-raw%5D-15
_

Sub-Section 1B12c:
Alternatives To Vivisection:

Companies That DO Test On Animals:
http://veganrabbit.com/list-of-companies-that-do-test-on-animals

Companies That DON’T Test On Animals:
http://veganrabbit.com/list-of-companies-that-do-not-test-on-animals

“Dr. Hadwen Trust”:
http://www.drhadwentrust.org
https://www.facebook.com/DHT.Hitchin?ref=stream

“HEALTH CHARITIES AND ANIMAL TESTING”:
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/experiments/ALL/281

“Developing Safety Tests without the Use of Animals”:
http://www.kao.com/jp/en/corp_rd/skills_01_04.html

“Insulin from flowers instead of pigs”:
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-02/first-pigs-then-bacteria-now-insulin-flowers

“Non-animal alternative that is safer”:
http://japandailypress.com/new-method-to-culture-ips-cells-with-lower-risk-of-infection-discovered-0942155

“The Syndaver”:
http://syndaver.com/
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202048258442004&set=a.2500438724301.131034.1652924202&type=1&theater

“Animal Testing Could Be Replaced by Human Skin Grown From Stem Cells”:
http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/animal-testing-could-be-replaced-by-human-skin-grown-from-stem-cells

“The Fetishization of “Animal-Friendly” Animal Products: The Body Shop Example”:
http://academicabolitionistvegan.blogspot.be/2014/08/the-fetishization-of-animal-friendly.html

Posts about alternative products by Nik Anti-Speciesist:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=801109299901282&id=100000066596384
https://www.facebook.com/notes/nik-anti-speciesist/do-you-buy-ecover-think-its-vegan-think-again/10152368194501663
https://www.facebook.com/notes/nik-anti-speciesist/which-logo-can-we-trust-does-it-mean-vegan-why-are-there-so-many/10152441988936663

“THE VEGAN BODY CARE GUIDE”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/the-vegan-body-care-guide.html
_

Sub-Section 1B12d:
Books On Vivisection:

“Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals” – by C. Ray Greek M. D. & Jean Swingle Greek D.V.M.:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0826414028/qid=1035236103/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-3780354-0501606?v=glance

“Specious Science: How Genetics and Evolution Reveal Why Medical Research on Animals Harms Humans” – by C. Ray Greek M. D. & Jean Swingle Greek D.V.M.:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0826413986/qid=1016483161/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-1027070-7228961

—

If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info

The Nonhuman Refugees Of Domestication

–

I’m making separate posts on individual issues related to Veganism so that anyone who wants a handy reference guide to each issue won’t have to go through my entire link list to find it. The links included in each individual post may not be updated regularly, so the Master List will be the only place to find complete updates. These posts will be comprehensive enough to cover most or all questions related to each issue, however.

Disclaimer: My only goal with this list is to produce as comprehensive a resource for Vegan information as possible. I am 100% Abolitionist Vegan and 100% against exploitation of nonhuman or human animals, any type of violence against human or nonhuman persons or property, welfare regulation, any form of speciesism, ethnic bigotry, genderism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., any of the large governmental or non-governmental nonhuman animal organizations, “happy meat,” vegetarianism, veg*nism, Meat-Free Mondays, or other forms of reductionism and anything else that makes it seem like any form of violence or exploitation of animals is ok. If any of those positions are endorsed on any site in this list, or any language is used to imply that, it’s not that I included that link because I agree, but simply because I don’t control every bit of information on all of these sites.

This section is meant to shed some light on some of the problems that are inherent in humans keeping domesticated nonhumans as companions.

Sub-Section 1B14:
Our Nonhuman Family Members:

Sub-Section 1B14a:
Moral Theory (primarily):

” ‘Pets’: The Inherent Problems of Domestication”:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/pets-the-inherent-problems-of-domestication

“Commentary #2: ‘Pets’ ” On The Abolitionist Approach:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/pets
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/podcast/20090812-araa-commentary-2.mp3

“Commentary #4: Follow-Up to “Pets” Commentary: Non-Vegan Cats” On The Abolitionist Approach:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/follow-up-to-pets-commentary-non-vegan-cats
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/podcast/20090817-araa-commentary-4.mp3

“Single-Issue Campaigns and the Adoption/Fostering of Homeless Nonhuman Animals”:

https://www.abolitionistapproach.com/single-issue-campaigns-and-the-adoptionfostering-of-homeless-nonhuman-animals

“Should We Keep Pets?” On The Abolitionist Approach:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/links/p163/the-institution.pdf

“Animal Care and Control: The Sad Failure of New York City’s Municipal Shelter System” On The Abolitionist Approach:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/animal-care-and-control-the-sad-failure-of-new-york-citys-municipal-shelter-system

“VegPets”:
http://yourcybercourt.info/arveg/vegpets.html

“Evaluation of cats fed vegetarian diets and attitudes of their caregivers”:
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.229.1.70

“Obligate Carnivore: Cats, Dogs, and What it Really Means to be Vegan”:
http://www.amazon.com/Obligate-Carnivore-Really-Means-Vegan/dp/0974218006

“Vegan Diets for Dogs and Cats” by Armaiti May, DVM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIMBX3jdYM0

“Dr. Andrew Knight introduces himself and his work with cats and dogs”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9m_liQppxQ

_

Sub-Section 1B14b:
How To Feed Our Nonhuman Family Members Vegan (primarily):

“What’s Really in Pet Food”:
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

“Sustainable Pet Food”
https://sustainablepetfood.info

Something I posted about feeding our nonhuman family Vegan:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/the-truth-about-pet-food

“Is it ‘unnatural’ to feed dogs a vegan diet?”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/is-it-unnatural-to-feed-dogs-vegan-diet.html
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/v-dog-100-vegan-dog-food-owned-and.html

“Vegetarian Diets Can Be Healthy for Dogs”:
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vegan_dogs

“Making Your Own Vegan Dog Food”:
http://www.vegan-heartland.com/2012/06/making-your-own-vegan-dog-food.html

“Dog Health Survey”:
http://www.pkdiet.com/pdf/diet/Dog_Health_Survey.pdf

“The Vegan Feline: Can my feline companion be a vegan?” by Laurie Jeffreys DVM:
http://www.farmedanimalfriends.org/1/post/2013/05/the-vegan-feline-can-my-feline-companion-be-a-vegan-by-laurie-jeffreys-dvm.html

Sub-Section 1B14c:
Vegan Cat Food Companies and Distributors:
“VeganCats.com”:
http://vegancats.com

“Evolution”:
https://www.evolutiondietstore.com

“Harbingers of a New Age” (US, most other countries):
http://www.vegepet.com
(They provide homemade recipes to use with the VegeCat supplement; they also provide the Vegecat Phi supplement that is pH adjusted for cats that are prone to urinary stones)
http://www.vegepet.com/international_distribution.html

“Ami Cat” (Italy, also available in the US and other countries):
http://www.v-pets.com
http://www.amipetfood.com
http://www.amipetfood.com/en/our-partners (Some distributors)
http://www.greenleafvegandist.com/where-to-buy.html (Distributes Ami in Canada)

“VeganPet” (Australia & New Zealand):
http://www.veganpet.com.au
http://veganpet.com.au/articles/?page_id=12 (distributors)

“Benevo” (Europe, South Africa, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan):
http://www.benevo.com
http://www.benevo.com/distributors
http://www.tiendanimal.es/ (Spain, distributor of Benevo and possibly others)

“VegePet” (Taiwan, not the same as the American company):
http://www.vegepet.com.tw

“FeliGourmet” (Germany):
http://www.veganversand.at/vegetarischetiernahrung/katzennahrung/index.php
(Also sells Benevo and Ami Cat)

“VeganCats.com”:
http://www.vegancats.com
Distributor of Ami, VegeCat in USA. They do ship internationally, but your country’s customs may reject the shipment.

“The Mail Order Catalog for Healthy Eating”:
http://www.healthy-eating.com
(I believe this company sells TVP that is made from non-GMO soy. You can use this for the VegePet recipes that require TVP if you are making those.)

Update 6/5/19:
Canada supplier of many brands including Evolution are Vecado Canada:
https://vecado.ca

Vegan Cat foods and Manufacturer Supplier Website links:
Adult Cats:
Ami Italy:
http://www.amipetfood.com/en

Evolution USA:
http://www.petfoodshop.com/where-to-buy

Benevo Britain:
http://www.benevo.com

Veggieanimals Spain:
https://www.veggieanimals.com

Compassion Circle USA:
https://compassioncircle.com

Veganpet Australia:
https://veganpet.com.au

Kittens:
Evolution USA:
http://www.petfoodshop.com/where-to-buy

Compassion Circle USA:
https://compassioncircle.com

Veganpet Australia:
https://veganpet.com.au

Wet tinned is done by Evolution, Benevo, Vegusto, Vitaveg, Hermann’s and Compassion Circle.
Dry is done by Evolution, Benevo, Ami, Veggieanimals, Veganpet and Compassion Circle.
Recipes for homemade is using their supplement powders.

Extras: Adults:
Vegusto Switzerland:
https://www.vegusto.ch/product_details/103 WET SNACKS

Vitaveg Italy:
https://vitaveg.pet/product/wet-pet-food-cat-big-can/ WET and DRY

Herrmann Germany:
https://www.futterservice-fulda.de/hunde/feuchtnahrung/443/herrmann-s-fleischlos-12x400g

For EUROPE Compassion Circle suppliers of VEGEYEAST VEGECAT/VEGEDOG and VEGEKIT/VEGEPUP etc are in the Netherlands Vegavriend who sell ready made vegan pet foods also. EVOLUTION, Ami and Benevo:
https://www.vegavriend.nl/c-4674916/compleet

Germany distributor Fulda also supplies various brands in Europe, Fulda. extra brands like Greta, Bubeck, Vegdog, Green, Fitness, Herrmann, V-dog etc:
https://www.futterservice-fulda.de/schnellbestellung

UK Manufacturer and Distributor of various brands but not vegeyeast or vegecat etc supplements or Evolution and manufacturer of British Brand sold world wide “Benevo” is www.veggiepets.com

CANADA supplier of many brands including EVOLUTION are Vecado Canada:
https://vecado.ca

Kitty Litter that tests urinary pH (check it a few months after transitioning, then once every few months thereafter. If pH becomes too alkaline, you should use the VegePet.com recipes with the “Vegecat Phi” supplement that is adjusted for cats that are prone to urinary stones.):

“Health Meter Cat Litter”:
http://healthmeter.blogspot.com

“Ultra Monthly Monitor” (Ultra Pet):
http://ultrapetcatlitter.com/products/ultra-monthly-monitor

“Perfect Litter”:
http://www.perfectlitter.com

“Pet Ecology PerfectLitter”:
http://www.perfectlitteralert.com

“Veggie Cats: Why should you test urinary pH?”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6waDDYO8J18

“Cats with Allergies on a Plant-based Diet”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFT1B0_H_Y

Sub-Section 1B14b:
Vegan Dog Food Companies And Distributors:
“V-Dog”:
https://v-dog.com

“Vegan Dog Food Products – Europe, U.S., Australia, N.Z.”:
http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/2013/09/vegan-dog-food-products-europe-us.html

Update 6/5/19:
Vegan Dog foods and Manufacturer Supplier Website links:
Adult Dogs:

Ami Italy:
http://www.amipetfood.com/en

V-Dog USA:
https://v-dog.com

Evolution USA:
http://www.petfoodshop.com/where-to-buy

Benevo Britain:
http://www.benevo.com

Ketun USA:
http://ketunpet.com

Veggieanimals Spain:
https://www.veggieanimals.com

Compassion Circle USA:
https://compassioncircle.com

Veganpet Australia:
https://veganpet.com.au

Puppies:
Ami Italy:
http://www.amipetfood.com/en

Evolution USA:
http://www.petfoodshop.com/where-to-buy

Benevo Britain:
http://www.benevo.com

Ketun USA:
http://ketunpet.com

Compassion Circle USA:
https://compassioncircle.com

Veganpet Australia:
https://veganpet.com.au

Extras: for adults:
Vegusto Switzerland:
https://www.vegusto.ch/product_details/103 WET snacks

Vitaveg Italy:
https://vitaveg.pet/product/dog-croquettes/?lang=en WET and DRY

Herrmann Germany:
https://www.futterservice-fulda.de/hunde/feuchtnahrung/443/herrmann-s-fleischlos-12x400g

For EUROPE Compassion Circle suppliers of VEGEYEAST VEGECAT/VEGEDOG and VEGEKIT/VEGEPUP etc are in the Netherlands Vegavriend who sell ready made vegan pet foods also. EVOLUTION, Ami and Benevo:
https://www.vegavriend.nl/c-4674916/compleet

Germany distributor Fulda also supplies various brands in Europe, Fulda. extra brands like Greta, Bubeck, Vegdog, Green, Fitness, Herrmann, V-dog etc:
https://www.futterservice-fulda.de/schnellbestellung

UK Manufacturer and Distributor of various brands but not vegeyeast or vegecat etc supplements or Evolution and manufacturer of British Brand sold world wide “Benevo” is www.veggiepets.com

CANADA supplier of many brands including EVOLUTION are Vecado Canada:
https://vecado.ca

_

Facebook Pages On Vegan Cats And Dogs:
“Vegan Cats”:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/669599113104942

“Vegan Dogs Thriving”:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Dogs-Thriving/544580732238947

—

If you’re not already Vegan, and you think animals matter morally, then please go Vegan. It’s easy and great for you, incredible for the animals, and wonderful for the planet. If you’re already Vegan, please educate non-Vegans about why they should go Vegan. Please rescue, volunteer, adopt, foster, spay, and neuter the nonhuman refugees of domestication whenever you can. Please feed your nonhuman family Vegan where you can. These things are the most important, morally responsible things to do and are desperately needed by everyone.

To learn more about Abolitionist Veganism and the issues I’ve outlined in this post, check out The Master List Of Vegan Info:
https://legacyofpythagoras.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/master-list-of-vegan-info