- Hard to get enough protein. Yes, you can get protein from beans, but it's not as complete or satiating. It's like saying broccoli has vitamins. Yes it does, but to get enough you need to eat 5 pounds a day. Anybody doing that?
- Plants have lower quality protein and what protein is there has undesirable side effects. You don't need a whoopee cushion for embarrassment.
- Plants lack specific amino acids like proline and taurine.
- You can't get enough high quality fats like CLA and DHA.
- Plants lack essential minerals, especially calcium, iron, and zinc.
- Plants lack absorbable vitamins K, D, A, B12. The B vitamins are known as the emotional stabilizers; they keep us from flying off the handle at the top end and going into depression on the lower end. Crackers, taco chips and donuts are not the way to stay emotionally stable. And if I have to eat my weight in broccoli, I'm definitely going to go nuts.
- Plants don't contain the 4Cs--creatine, choline, carnitine, and carnosine.
- A non-meat diet may make you feel good initially, primarily because such a shift also often includes cutting out junk food. But eventually it comes back to bite you.
Do you know a suffering vegan?
Comment: This article, while short and concise, covers the basics of the nutrition one would be missing when sticking to a vegan diet. Readers wishing to go into more detail should see the articles below: