Variation: I tried to go vegan but I got sick/had no energy/felt weak, etc.

What about all the people you know who eat animal flesh and secretions and get sick?

This excuse is yet another attempt to characterize consuming animal flesh and secretions as not a matter of pleasure but one of physical necessity. But the overwhelming majority of mainstream nutrition and medical organizations agree that a well planned vegan diet is perfectly adequate, and there is no evidence to the contrary.

It is, of course, possible to become ill while eating a plant-based diet, just as it’s possible, (and actually more likely) to become ill while eating animal flesh and secretions. All of us, vegan or not, need a reliable source of vitamin B-12, which is produced by bacteria. Some people also find that they need an external source of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, such as algae.

Occasionally, we hear of “vegan” parents prosecuted for feeding their child a “vegan” diet. While no child should ever suffer neglect, those who are neglected by non-vegan parents rarely make the headlines. When we examine any of these cases, we find that the child was given an inadequate diet, which is the actual cause of their illness, regardless of whether the inadequate diet was plant-based or not.

Sometimes people will say that their body “told them” they needed to eat animal flesh or secretions. This is nothing more than saying that you like the taste of something or you have a psychological addiction to it.

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