- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
You do NOT need to eat meat.
Really? Actually, you do. We are made as omnivores, and as such, we cannot produce all 20 of the vital amino acids needed for survival. We get the remainder that we cannot produce from outside sources. Now, it is true that up until the 20th century, anyone attempting a vegan diet would slowly die of serious health issues without vitamin B12, which is now in fortified tofu.
However, despite such a solution, it turns out that there is growing evidence to support that absorption via natural sources is far more effective than supplements.
I have been vegan and vegetarian both in my life, and I can assure you that I once swallowed this tired line. We really aren't hard-wired to survive on legumes and grains alone. We do need meat, if not a smaller amount than a lot of self-professed omnivores proclaim is necessary. We should, however, be eating meat once or twice per week to stay healthy and keep our biological engines running.
Please don't go google this and turn to PETA or some other vegetarian organization to refute my claims. At the very least, have the sense to read something by people who know what they're talking about and find a damn scientific journal. That's where I get my information. Thanks!
