Won't vegans become ill if they don't eat animal products?

I am a little person and I've been quite fragile after being involved in a few car accidents. So...when I shifted to a plant-based diet, my family were worried that I'd get ill because I wouldn't get getting what I needed from what I ate. Over 5 years on, I feel better than before and I am not lacking in anything. I even have blood tests to prove it! :)

It's worth reading what Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton have to say about vegans and the need for animal products.

But…I heard about someone who became ill after eating no animal foods.

And what about all of the people you know who ate animal products and have developed cancer, heart disease, etc.?

This “But” is yet another attempt to characterize consuming animal products not as a matter of pleasure but one of physical necessity. As we mentioned earlier, even traditionally conservative organizations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association, agree that an “appropriately planned” vegan diet can be completely healthy. And there is no evidence to the contrary.

It is, of course, possible to get ill eating only plants just as it’s possible (and more likely, actually) to get ill eating animal products. Although some vitamin B-12 is made by bacteria in the human body, not enough is reliably made for our needs and the unhealthy habits that humans have prevent maximum production and absorption of the endogenous B-12. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement B-12 from external sources whether you consume a vegan diet or a diet of animal foods. So all humans need to get their B-12 from somewhere outside their bodies. We get our vitamin B-12 from yeast; omnivores get theirs from meat. But all B-12 comes from bacteria — whether it is found in the gut of ruminating animals who get it from fermenting plant material in their hindgut, or in certain strains of nutritional yeast. So if you adopt a vegan diet but don’t consume an alternative source of B-12, such as yeast, yes, you may get ill. But there are plenty of people who have B-12 deficiencies despite their consumption of animal foods.

How about DHA and EPA, the long-chain fatty acids that aren’t found in plant foods and that people eat fish to get? Most people can convert the short-chain fatty acids found in chia seeds, walnuts, dark leafy greens, and canola oil into long-chain fatty acids. Or you can get long-chain DHA and EPA directly from the source that fish get it—algae. There are now many DHA/EPA supplements that are algae derived.

Occasionally, one hears about a parent prosecuted for manslaughter because their child died on a “vegan” diet. But when the facts are revealed, we learn that the parents had fed the child only iceberg lettuce (or something similar) and nothing else for some extended period of time. If the parents fed the child nothing but steak three times a day for an extended period, the child would also become ill. But no one would say that the child died or became ill from eating meat. They would say that the parents engaged in abuse by feeding the child an inadequate diet. The same is true of a diet consisting only of lettuce. That’s not a vegan diet; it’s a ridiculously inadequate diet.

In the 30 years that we have been vegans, we have heard of a number of people who supposedly became ill while on a vegan diet. An inadequate vegan diet will make you ill because it is inadequate and not because it is plant-based. Eat nothing but celery and soy yoghurt and you will not feel very energetic. Surprise, surprise.

We have also encountered people who say that their bodies “tell them” that they must eat meat or fish or chicken or dairy or whatever. But such assertions are really no different than saying, “I like the taste of meat (or whatever).” In other words, they are assertions about palate pleasure and nothing more. A related issue is the “need” to eat meat or other animal products based on blood type. The so-called “blood type diet” has been debunked as junk science.

An exploration and rejection of the various excuses — the “Buts” — that keep us eating animal foods.

"Whoever acquires knowledge but does not practice it, is like one who ploughs a field but does not sow it." Anonymous

The protein panic: where will vegans get their protein from?

One of the questions I've been asked is 'But where do you get your protein from?'Some of us are able to answer questions like this, others don't want to answer, and for some, they'd like something to help them give a response. Whichever category you fall into, it's worth reading what Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton have to say about vegans and protein.

But…Where do you get your protein from?

This and similar “Buts,” such as “But do you feel healthy without eating meat and dairy?” are part of our desperate but futile attempt to cling to the notion that we must continue to consume meat and other animal products or risk dying of malnutrition. That is, these “Buts” maintain that there really is some necessity involved in eating animals.

As mentioned earlier, mainstream medical authorities now recognize that a vegan diet is healthy. The extremely conservative Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association, has stated:

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.

While adequate protein intake is one of the most commonly used reasons to counter a vegan diet, numerous studies and reports over the years across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia have confirmed that a vegan diet provides ample protein. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) explicitly maintains that a vegan diet is capable of providing adequate amounts of protein.

Let us be clear and concise: there is no credible evidence — none — that a vegan diet cannot supply the same quality of protein as that from animal sources. The bottom line is clear: “Plant foods have plenty of protein.”

Related content

How do vegans get enough iron if they don't eat meat? 
How do vegans get enough calcium if they don't eat dairy products? 

Link to a book by Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton: An exploration and rejection of the various excuses — the “Buts” — that keep us eating animal foods.

“Nourish the mind like you would your body. The mind cannot survive on junk food.”

— Jim Rohn