The Mirage of Veganism

The environmental cause is gaining momentum, and that is a good thing. It is time to take concrete actions for the environment, such as introducing a carbon tax that reflects the true environmental cost and revisiting our agricultural practices to stop poisoning our lands and waterways.

In this momentum, some claim that we should also stop consuming animal proteins. Unfortunately, despite the current enthusiasm for veganism, it is a misguided idea, as the old saying goes: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

To evaluate the merits of veganism, one must first ask the most fundamental question: is a vegan diet suitable for the human metabolism? The answer is the same as for any other predatory mammal: it is not.

Vitamin B12

Several substances essential for the health of the nervous system are found only in animal products and are not, or only poorly, synthesized by the metabolism of a predatory mammal. Among these is vitamin B12. Vegans must therefore necessarily take B12 dietary supplements to make up for the deficiencies in their diet. However, a diet that requires supplements is, by definition, an incomplete diet. QED.

Omega-3s

A vegan diet is also devoid of two other substances essential for mental health: omega-3 fatty acids known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids should not be confused with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in many plants such as flaxseed. However, the substances necessary for proper brain function are not found in any plant except for a few rare microalgae. Consuming these is therefore crucial, as a deficiency in DHA and EPA has disastrous effects. Indeed, prenatal or postnatal deficiencies impair the development of the newborn’s visual acuity and cognitive abilities, and can even lead to behavioral problems and psychiatric illnesses[1][2].

DHA and EPA consumption is thus essential during pregnancy and breastfeeding[3]. A deficiency during childhood and adolescence significantly increases the risk of dyslexia[4], autism[5], hyperactivity[6], amnesia[7], language problems[8], learning difficulties[9], and behavioral disorders[10]. In general, children with diets deficient in DHA develop smaller brains[11] and lower IQs[12]. Businesspeople, politicians, and brokers take note: DHA protects against stress. Conversely, its deficiency during stressful periods could explain criminal behavior[13]. Several modern studies suggest that DHA has a direct impact on mental health[14].

Certainly, other studies suggest that veganism promotes cardiovascular health. However, isn’t mental health more important than a few extra years of life expectancy? That said, the methodology of these studies is controversial, if not biased by the political agenda of their authors (for example, the reference group consists of physically inactive junk food consumers). Nonetheless, with the growing popularity of veganism, clinical data is rapidly accumulating, and time will soon deliver its verdict.

In conclusion, a vegan diet is only viable if its adherents possess solid scientific knowledge in the field of nutrition and closely monitor their blood levels, which will never be the case for the general public. At best, it is a diet suitable for a minority of dedicated intellectuals. Furthermore, it is not guaranteed that synthetic B12 supplements fully replace the natural substance.

Animal Cruelty

Beyond the nutritional dimension, one can also legitimately question the morality of veganism. To prevent farm animals from suffering, the vegan doctrine deprives them of the very chance to live. For comparison, at the beginning of the industrial revolution, employers often abused their workers. Was this a reason to shut down factories? No. The state tackled the real problem by legislating to protect employees’ rights. So why not do the same here and address the actual issue, which is animal cruelty? Like labor standards, the state must legislate agriculture to protect animal rights. Of course, ethically raised meat is more expensive, but such an increase will precisely moderate the appetite of large carnivores. Indeed, market forces will always be more effective than education in changing consumer behavior.

Ecology

Finally, agronomists also question the ecological benefits of veganism. Again, why not address the real problem here? Technology exists to meet today’s ecological challenges, but it does not necessarily favor the current industrial establishment, and that is where the problem lies. Indeed, it is not the scientific community that dictates the environmental agenda of our political leaders, but rather the powerful industrial lobby.

Veganism takes a wrong turn by advocating monoculture with chemical fertilizers, which necessarily leads to the use of genetically modified seeds, herbicides, and insecticides. On the contrary, farms need to be decentralized and diversified. Moreover, grazing remains the best technique for utilizing infertile lands and, when combined with crop rotation, for restoring the biomass of our arable lands weakened by decades of reckless agriculture. This biomass constitutes the natural reservoir for sequestering excess carbon from the atmosphere, thereby reversing the process of global warming.

Obviously, industrialists prefer to continue selling us their genetically modified seeds, chemical fertilizers, and associated pesticides. The vegan trend is therefore a true blessing for them as it increases the population’s dependence on Beyond Meat and other agro-industrial products. Thus, it is no surprise that the industry financially supports vegan activists seeking notoriety. This was notably the case with the famous British athlete and YouTuber Tim Shieff since 2012. Unfortunately, he is now ostracized by the vegan community because health reasons, or even survival, recently forced him to start eating animal proteins again.

Romain Gagnon, Eng.

The author is an engineer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of two books: Live Slim, Gourmet, and Healthy (2014) and And Man Created God in His Image (2019).

[1] Connor, W.E. “Importance of n-3 fatty acids in health and disease,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 71, no 1, 2000; James, M. J. et al. “Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediator production,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 71, no 1, 2000; Kremer, J. M.. “n-3 Fatty acid supplements in rheumatoid arthritis,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 71, no 1, 2000.

[2] Fugh-Berman, A., J. M. Cott. “Dietary Supplements and Natural Products as Psychotherapeutic Agents,” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 61, no 5,1999, p. 712–28.

[3] Matorras, R. et al. “Longitudinal study of fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids during pregnancy” J Perinat Med., vol. 29, no 4, 2001, p. 293–7; Hibbeln, J. R. “Seafood consumption, the DHA content of mothers’ milk and prevalence rates of postpartum depression: a cross-national, ecological analysis,” J Affect Disord. vol 69, no 1–3, 2002, p. 15–29; Helland, I. B. et al. “Similar Effects on Infants of n-3 and n-6 Fatty Acids Supplementation to Pregnant and Lactating Women” Pediatrics vol. 108, no 5, 2001.

[4] Richardson, A.J. et M.A. Ross. “Fatty acid metabolism in neurodevelopmental disorder: a new perspective on associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia and the autistic spectrum,” Prostaglandins Leukot Essential Fatty Acids, vol. 63, no 1–2, 2000.

[5] Richardson, A.J. et B.K. Puri. “The potential role of fatty acids in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,” Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, vol. 63, no 1–2, 2000.

[6] Mitchell, E.A. et al. “The effects of essential fatty acid supplementation by Efamol in hyperactive children,” J Abnorm Child Psycho, vol. 15, no 1, 1987.

[7] Richardson, A.J. et al. “Eicosapentaenoic acid treatment in schizophrenia associated with symptom remission, normalisation of blood fatty acids, reduced neuronal membrane phospholipid turnover and structural brain changes,” Int J Clin Pract., vol. 54, no 1, 2000.

[8] Taylor, K.E. et al. “Visual function, fatty acids and dyslexia” Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, vol. 63, no 1–2, 2000.

[9] Stordy, B.J., “Dark adaptation, motor skills, docosahexaenoic acid, and dyslexia” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 71, no 1 (suppl.), 2000, p. 323–326.

[10] Burgess, J.R. et al. “Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 71, no 1, 2000, p. 327–330.

[11] Castellanos, F.X. et al. “Developmental trajectories of brain volume abnormalities in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” JAMA, vol. 288, no 14, 2002.

[12] Mortensen, E.L. et al. “The association between duration of breastfeeding and adult intelligence” JAMA, vol. 287, no 18, 2002.

[13] Sawazaki, S. et al. “The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on plasma catecholamine concentrations and glucose tolerance during long-lasting psychological stress: a double-blind placebo-controlled study,” J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), vol. 45, no 5, 1999.

[14] Hillbrand, M. et al. “Investigating the role of lipids in mood, aggression, and schizophrenia,” Psychiatric Services, vol. 48, no 7, 1997; Fugh-Berman, A. et Cott, J.M. “Dietary Supplements and Natural Products as Psychotherapeutic Agents,” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 61, no 5, 1999.