How about from a nutritional point of view? I know Vegangelica argues we can stay healthy from eating plants, but I'm somewhat sceptical. Many biologists, in particular an Iver Mysterud here, believe that the lifestyle diseases many have today and even crime and violence in society stems (in part) from our modern diet. Grains like wheat, milk (lactose) and sugars in general is thought by many to cause changes in behaviour (responses toto our environment) and also causes a range of lifestyle diseases like cardiac problems, problems with teeth or diabetes.
A lot of the basis for this the way I understand comes from studying indigenous peoples and their diets and comparing their health to our health. It is assumed that these people are closer to the "caveman diet" we are adapted to. Typically, protein sources like meat from hunted animals are a very important part of the diet of such peoples.
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Originally Posted by Loren Cordain, 2000
Most (73%) of the worldwide hunter-gatherer societies derived >50% (56–65% of energy) of their subsistence from animal foods, whereas only 14% of these societies derived >50% (56–65% of energy) of their subsistence from gathered plant foods. This high reliance on animal-based foods coupled with the relatively low carbohydrate content of wild plant foods produces universally characteristic macronutrient consumption ratios in which protein is elevated (19–35% of energy) at the expense of carbohydrates (22–40% of energy).
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Basically, on average they get more energy, more fat and much less sugars like from sweets or simple starches like from potatoes, wheat or rice. Compared to us (western society), these people are also relatively healthy.
As an example of such a people, Staffan Lindeberg is a swede who's been studying indigenous people from Kitava who are thought to have something like a "caveman diet" uncorrupted by western society. They found that much of the medical problems that are common in western society was absent, most important strokes, hypertension and cardiac problems.
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Further studies on diets show that a change from this kind of diet to a western diet introduces or worsens health problems, from tooth rot and pimples to epilepsy and becoming shorter. Let me know and I'll dig up more sources. For now, I thought this was interesting - a study that shows how a modern diet may worsen autism and related behaviour :
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Originally Posted by Ann-Mari Knivsberg, Karl Ludvig Reichelt, Magne Nødland, Torleiv Høien, 1995
Dietary intervention was applied to 15 subjects with autistic syndromes, with pathological urine patterns, and increased levels of peptides found in their twenty-four-hour urine samples. The peptides, some of which are probably derived from gluten and casein, are thought to have a negative pharmacological effect on attention, brain maturation, social interaction and learning. Our hypothesis was that a diet without these proteins would facilitate learning. Social behaviour, as well as cognitive and communicative skills, were assessed before diet. The subjects were closely followed for a year, after which their urine was retested blind, and the assessment of behaviors and skills was repeated. Further retesting was made four years after the onset of dietary intervention. Normalization of urine patterns and peptide levels was found after one year. Likewise, a decrease in odd behaviour and an improvement in the use of social, cognitive and communicative skills were registered. This positive development continued through the next three years, though at a lower rate. These promising results encourage further research on the effect of dietary intervention.
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Although there are problems saying the modern diet is causal for all lifestyle health problems (f.ex excercise plays a part and selection and bottlenecks etc could play a part in creating some of the healthy indigenous peoples trend), but I personally have great belief in it. However, I haven't been pushing this argument as much because I wouldn't use it so much as a criticism against vegetarianism/veganism as I would against our western society diets in general. Still, although Erica has argued that you can be a healthy vegan, I am sceptical. To me, a choice to be a vegetarian is still a choice to be unhealthy although depending on what your diet looks like when you make that choice, it could of course be a healthi
er unhealthy choice.
So, as an argument against veganism or vegetarianism, this is completely relevant. I think one of these indigenous peoples, if they made a lifestyle choice to vegetarianism and started living like Erica, they would get more sick. On the other hand, if the average american male makes this choice, I'm not so sure - he might get healthier. What I'm basically thinking, though, is that from a health point of view, veganism/vegetarianism is not optimal.
edit :
Had to correct a sentence which previously said exactly the opposite of what I wanted it to say
