People should stop believing that veganism is the healthiest diet for humans because all humans need not only vitamins, of which vegan food mainly consists but also protein and other nutrients for their body. Vitamins are the main nutrients that humans can obtain from plants; however, many other trace elements necessary for active existence and well-being are absent in them. Strict vegans may be deficient in many vital nutrients, and as a result, it can increase the risk of some illnesses (Bakaloudi et al., 2020). Biological features of humans, such as the structure of teeth, certain enzymes’ presence, indicate their omnivorousness, which means people can eat the food of both plant and animal origin. Long-term issues result from deficiencies in iron, lipids, amino acids, and many other nutrients. People have the right to select what they consume, even if that choice takes into account the risk of illness. However, many vegans react too aggressively to those who do not choose their diet. For example, two vegan activists in France were arrested after attacking several businesses selling meat (Rahim, 2019). Vegetarians also often cannot prove the usefulness and universality of a vegan diet, replacing arguments with accusations of animal murders. Although this fact is difficult to argue, a significant part of people who identify themselves as vegetarians eats fish (Rosenfeld & Tomiyama, 2019). Thus, their argument, in this case, is hypocritical. In addition, many vegetarians do not consider the circumstances of other people by imposing their opinion. For instance, vegans’ high social status and income level demonstrate that “following a vegan diet is not always a lifestyle choice but can be adopted due to financial reasons” (Bakaloudi et al., 2020, p.14). As a result, vegetarians do not present ideas as an alternative way of life but impose opinions, causing an adverse reaction from society. In conclusion, veganism can harm people’s health following this diet, since plant products contain mainly only vitamins necessary for the human body but not enough other nutrients. Vegans tend to push their beliefs on others, which can be harmful to their health, even if everyone has the freedom to choose their own diet.
References
Bakaloudi, D. R., Halloran, A., Rippin, H. L., Oikonomidou, A. C., Dardavesis, T. I., Williams, J., Wickramasinghe, K., Breda, J., & Chourdakis, M. (2020). Intake and adequacy of the vegan diet. A systematic review of the evidence. Clinical Nutrition, 1-19. Web.
Rahim, Z. (2019). Vegans jailed for attacks on butchers and steak restaurants. The Independent. Web.
Rosenfeld, D. L., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2019). How proximal are pescatarians to vegetarians? An investigation of dietary identity, motivation, and attitudes toward animals. Journal of Health Psychology. Web.
