If you're here because of the "drama", congratulations, I am too apparently. If you're also here with the position that a vegan diet is unhealthy in humans, I'm begging you for a toilet break's worth of your time. The contents of this post are wholly divorced from ethics or environmental concerns, are not here to "own you with facts and logic", and are focused solely on human health through the quoting of scientific literature. For as many of these as I can, I have provided links to the full text on the NCBI's PubMed Commons in the interest of transparency.

• It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes [...] Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (all rich in fiber and phytochemicals) are characteristics of vegetarian and vegan diets that produce lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and better serum glucose control. These factors contribute to reduction of chronic disease. —Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2016)

• Based on this systematic review of randomized clinical trials, there is an overall robust support for beneficial effects of a plant-based diet on metabolic measures in health and disease. —Translational Psychiatry (2019)

• In most countries a vegan diet has less energy and saturated fat compared to omnivorous control diets, and is associated with favourable cardiometabolic risk profile including lower body weight, LDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure and triglycerides. —PLoS One meta-analysis (2018)

• This comprehensive meta-analysis reports a significant protective effect of a vegetarian diet versus the incidence and/or mortality from ischemic heart disease (-25%) and incidence from total cancer (-8%). Vegan diet conferred a significant reduced risk (-15%) of incidence from total cancer. —Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2017)

• The present systematic review and meta-analysis showed a 15% and a 21% reduction in the relative risk of CVD and IHD, respectively, for vegetarians compared to nonvegetarians, but no clear association was observed for total stroke or subtypes of stroke. In addition, an 18% reduction in the relative risk of IHD was observed among vegans when compared to nonvegetarians, although this association was imprecise. —European Journal of Nutrition (2023)

• Adequate intake of dietary fiber is associated with digestive health and reduced risk for heart disease, stroke, hypertension, certain gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. According to consumer research, the public is aware of the benefits of fiber and most people believe they consume enough fiber. However, national consumption surveys indicate that only about 5% of the population meets recommendations, and inadequate intakes have been called a public health concern [...] The IOM defines total fiber as the sum of dietary fiber and functional fiber. Dietary fiber includes nondigestible carbohydrates and lignins that are intrinsic and intact in plants; functional fiber includes isolated, nondigestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects in humans. Common sources of intrinsic fiber include grain products, vegetables, legumes, and fruit. —American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (2017)

• Consumption of vegetarian diets was associated with lower mean concentrations of total cholesterol (−29.2 and −12.5 mg/dL, P < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−22.9 and −12.2 mg/dL, P < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−3.6 and −3.4 mg/dL, P < 0.001), compared with consumption of omnivorous diets in observational studies and clinical trials, respectively. —Nutrition Reviews (2017)

• [R]ecommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, while decreasing saturated fat and dairy intake, are supported [for asthma] by the current literature. Mediterranean and vegan diets emphasizing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, while reducing or eliminating animal products, might reduce the risk of asthma development and exacerbation. Fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with reduced asthma risk and better asthma control, while dairy consumption is associated with increased risk and might exacerbate asthmatic symptoms. —Nutrition Reviews (2020)

• Over the past two decades, a substantial body of consistent evidence has emerged at the cellular and molecular level, elucidating the numerous benefits of a plant-based diet (PBD) for preventing and mitigating conditions such as atherosclerosis, chronic noncommunicable diseases, and metabolic syndrome. —Nutrients comprehensive review (2023)

• Consumption of vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, is associated with lower levels of plasma lipids, which could offer individuals and healthcare professionals an effective option for reducing the risk of heart disease or other chronic conditions. —Nutrition Reviews systematic review and meta-analysis (2017)

• After adjusting for basic demographic characteristics, medical specialty, and health behaviours (smoking, physical activity) in model 2, participants who followed plant-based diets had 73% lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.81) compared with participants who did not follow plant-based diets. Similarly, participants who followed either plant-based diets or pescatarian diets had 59% lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.99) compared with those who did not follow these diets. —British Medical Journal (2021)

• Current research suggests that switching to a plant-based diet may help increase the diversity of health-promoting bacteria in the gut. However, more research is needed to describe the connections between nutrition, the microbiome, and health outcomes because of their complexity and individual heterogeneity. —Nutrients systematic review (2023)

• [T]his systematic review shows that plant-based diets and their components might have the potential to improve cancer prognosis, especially for breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors. —Current Nutrition Reports (2022)

• Moderate evidence suggests that adhering to vegan diets for at least 12 weeks may be effective in individuals with overweight or type 2 diabetes to induce a meaningful decrease in body weight and improve glycemia. —Obesity Reviews systematic review and meta-analysis (2022)

• The data discussed in this systematic review allow us to conclude that plant-based diets are associated with lower BP and overall better health outcomes (namely, on the cardiovascular system) when compared with animal-based diets. —Current Hypertension Reports (2023)

• There are multiple benefits of a vegan or vegetarian diet [six listed, too long to quote here] in the management of CKD [...] —Journal of Renal Nutrition (2019)

• The present systematic review provides evidence that vegan and vegetarian diets are associated with lower CRP levels, a major marker of inflammation and a mediator of inflammatory processes. —Scientific Reports (2020)

• Evidence strongly suggests that plant-based dietary patterns that are abundant in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains with less emphasis on animal foods and processed foods are a useful and a practical approach to preventing chronic diseases. Such dietary patterns, from plant-exclusive diets to plant-centered diets, are associated with improved long-term health outcomes and a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Given that neurodegenerative disorders share many pathophysiological mechanisms with CVD, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular damage, it is reasonable to deduce that plant-based diets can ameliorate cognitive decline as well. —Advances in Nutrition (2019)

• [T]he current study presents evidence that plant-based diets, among which the vegan diet, have no effect on physical performance, including on strength/power performance. It is noteworthy that aerobic performance may be even benefitted by these diets. —British Journal of Nutrition systematic review and meta-analysis (2024)

• [H]igher adherence to plant-based dietary patterns, especially from healthy sources, may be universally beneficial for the primary prevention of T2D, CVD, cancer, and mortality. —Nutrition Journal systematic review and meta-analysis (2023)

• This umbrella review offers valuable insights on the estimated reduction of risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases and cancer, and the CVDs-associated mortality, offered by the adoption of plant-based diets through pleiotropic mechanisms. Through the improvement of glycolipid profile, reduction of body weight/BMI, blood pressure, and systemic inflammation, A/AFPDs significantly reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease, gastrointestinal and prostate cancer, as well as related mortality. —PLoS One (2024)

• In this community‐based cohort of US adults without cardiovascular disease at baseline, we found that higher adherence to an overall plant‐based diet or a provegetarian diet, diets that are higher in plant foods and lower in animal foods, was associated with a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all‐cause mortality. —Journal of the American Heart Association (2019)

• In this meta-analysis of prospective observational studies, we found that greater adherence to a plant-based dietary patterns was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. These findings were broadly consistent across subgroups defined by various population characteristics and robust in sensitivity analyses.—JAMA Internal Medicine (2019)

• Our findings suggest that a shift in diet from a high consumption of animal-based foods, especially red and processed meat, to plant-based foods (e.g., nuts, legumes, and whole grains) is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, CVD, and T2D. Thus, a change in dietary habits towards an increment of plant-based products appears to be important for cardiometabolic health. —BMC Medicine systematic review and meta-analysis (2023)

• Not only is there a broad expansion of the research database supporting the myriad benefits of plant-based diets, but also health care practitioners are seeing awe-inspiring results with their patients across multiple unique subspecialties. Plant-based diets have been associated with lowering overall and ischemic heart disease mortality; supporting sustainable weight management; reducing medication needs; lowering the risk for most chronic diseases; decreasing the incidence and severity of high-risk conditions, including obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia; and even possibly reversing advanced coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. —The Permanente Journal (2016)

• It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that, in adults, appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns can be nutritionally adequate and can offer long-term health benefits such as improving several health outcomes associated with cardiometabolic diseases. […] As leaders in evidence-based nutrition care, RDNs and NDTRs should aim to support the development and facilitation of vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns and access to nutrient-dense plant-based meals. Promoting a nutrient-balanced vegetarian dietary pattern on both individual and community scales may be an effective tool for preventing and managing many diet-related conditions. —Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2025)

And not contribute to clogged arteries with having food from plants.

A vegan festival aiming to raise money for rescued animals has been cancelled after a complaint was sent to its venue by controversial lobby group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

But three bands named by UKLFI in its complaint have hit back against it in comments made to Middle East Eye.

The Great Vegan Gathering was scheduled to take place at Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre in London from 27 August to 31 August, featuring more than 50 performers.

It describes itself on its website as "a long-weekend celebration of music, food, talks, workshops and community", with all proceeds going to animal sanctuaries.

The centre, owned by the Scout Association, told MEE on Thursday that it has cancelled the festival's hire of the venue.

A spokesperson for the Great Vegan Gathering said: "It is deeply disappointing that our venue booking was withdrawn just weeks before the event after correspondence from anti-Palestinian group UK Lawyers for Israel, which has repeatedly attacked cultural events and organisations.

"We are devastated to announce that the Great Vegan Gathering will not be going ahead this year. We are rescheduling the festival for 2027 at a new venue."

Sources with knowledge of the matter told MEE that UKLFI had sent a letter to the venue saying: "Several acts on the festival’s published line-up have an extensive public record of producing and promoting material which is antisemitic, endorses violence against Israelis and Jews, and is liable to stir up racial hatred in a manner which engages the Public Order Act 1986.

"Our specific concerns relate to HAWXX, Active Slaughter, and Millie Manders and the Shutup.

"We are also concerned that several other acts on the published bill have aligned themselves publicly with anti-Israel campaigning, contributing to a foreseeable risk that the festival as a whole will function as a platform for hostility towards Israelis and Jews."

But speaking to MEE on Thursday, the three bands named by the group have hit back against UKLFI's claims.

"My Jewish grandad escaped persecution in Nazi Germany, but many of his family members were murdered," said JJ Maguire, a singer in the band Active Slaughter, which UKLFI mentioned in its letter.

"It’s with him in mind that I founded a band which, in keeping with punk traditions, refuses far-right politics wherever it rears its head," Maguire continued.

"I was absolutely appalled to learn that UK Lawyers for Israel had mounted an attack on our pro-Palestine free speech.

"What’s tragic is we were playing at a festival hoping to raise funds for animal sanctuaries. Anyone with any sense of decency can see how wrong it is to target an event like that."

One song by Active Slaughter is entitled "It’s Not Anti-Semitic To Hate Fascists".

One of the other bands mentioned by UKLFI, Millie Manders and The Shutup, said in a Facebook post on 30 October 2023: "What Hamas has done is atrocious. What Israel is doing is genocide."

Millie Manders told MEE: "My band and I are proud to support justice for all animals and humans. This includes opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, a position shared by millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and atheists – people from every background.

“We will never stop advocating for what’s right, having raised funds for Medecins Sans Frontieres [Doctors Without Borders] and our trans siblings, in addition to hosting animal rights activist and mental health charity representatives at our shows."

The third band mentioned by UKLFI, HAWXX, told MEE: "We stand firmly against attempts to deligitimise solidarity with oppressed Palestinians.

"To equate solidarity with the Palestinian people with anything but the pursuit of justice stokes conflict and disrupts efforts for peace," the band continued.

"It puts the Jewish community at more risk and silences Palestinian voices. This is deeply disturbing. Free, free Palestine."

Asked to explain the claims made in its letter, UKLFI pointed MEE to a statement on Thursday in which it cited a song by HAWXX called "Resistance Is Justified", saying "the slogan, in the context of the Israel-Gaza conflict, was liable to be understood as endorsing violent 'resistance' rather than peaceful political protest."

The song's lyrics, reviewed by MEE, do not explicitly endorse acts of violence.

UKLFI further pointed to "an Active Slaughter song entitled It’s Not Anti-Semitic to Hate Fascists, which accuses Israeli forces of killing 'for fun' and planting knives beside injured Palestinian teenagers."

UKLFI further said "Millie Manders and the Shutup was accused of repeatedly portraying Israel as genocidal, colonialist and fascist."

The spokesperson for the Great Vegan Gathering said: "As a festival, we bring together people of all backgrounds from across the world in celebration of being vegan – a way of life that seeks an end to oppression everywhere.

"Our focus is on the animals and our non-profit event was to donate all proceeds to animal sanctuaries. As opponents of animal suffering, we naturally also stand resolute against violations of human rights, whether in Britain, Sudan, or Palestine – where Israeli bombing has killed untold numbers of humans and animals alike."

MEE asked the Scout Association, which owns the venue, whether the UKLFI letter was the reason why it cancelled the festival's booking.

The Scout Association did not answer that specific question, but told MEE: "A decision has been made to cancel the hire of our venue for The Great Vegan Gathering at Gilwell Park.

"Following the initial confirmation of the booking, we conducted a review into some actions taken by the event organisers. The review concluded that these actions were not consistent with Scout values or our venue hire policies.

"As a result, we have informed the organisers that the event will not proceed at Gilwell Park. We remain committed to ensuring that all activity taking place at our venues reflects our values and supports an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone."

Since it was founded in 2011, UKLFI has been at the forefront of efforts to discredit and pressure individuals and organisations that criticise Israeli policies or express solidarity with Palestinians.

UKLFI appears 128 times in the European Legal Support Centre's Britain Index of Repression database, which documents what it describes as the systematic repression of Palestine solidarity activism across Britain.

The centre argued that UKLFI has helped to create of a "chilling environment" in which individuals and organisations withdraw or modify lawful Palestine-related activity due to fears of legal escalation.

In the centre's analysis, UKLFI appears repeatedly as an "initiating" or "escalating" actor against acts of Palestinian solidarity - often through complaint letters, legal threats or public pressure that prompts schools, universities, employers and public bodies to open disciplinary procedures or cancel events.

I find my vegan position argued by some generally even though what I say ever about the conditions for the animals in captivity in animal industry for use with all of them slaughtered, and the greater use of land for feed, water, and resources, and the contribution to loss of environment and extinction of species, and emissions contributing to climate change, are real issues with the facts. I did not say I was vegan when I gave up things from animals but honey, and I had to understand how getting honey from bees was not right, and only then saw that I was vegan. I only get what is growing from actual plants. There is the greater healthiness of having a good variety of food all from plants, that I experience.

cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/69047160

@vegan hi beings , anyone in Greece

https://mstdn.social/@grickle/116924830102921661

"I kill 80 pigs a day. I come home and my daughter asks me to pet our little dog. My name is Massimo, I work on a factory farm. I'm the hand. I'm the executioner. The mechanism that turns terror into silence. The sun never shines here. The days are marked by smells: chlorine, shit, blood. Every day. Every day. They arrive. We call them "the material." Piled up, one on top of the other. Exhausted. Terrified. It's their last day: they understand it perfectly. Electric shocks. A few beatings. Then a blow to the head. Blade to the throat. Some remain conscious, but it'll all be over in five minutes anyway. It's a waltz. One, two, three: he looks around. I shock him. One, two, three: he understands what's about to happen. A beating. One, two, three: he wants Run away. I block his head. One, two, three: screams. A blow to the head and a blade. Every year in Italy, we "process" 13 million of them like this. They call it the production chain. The assembly line of death. Yesterday, however, a "material" behaved differently. It was still. Silent. It stared me in the eyes. Then, with a wet muzzle, it licked my hand. A plea? A desperate plea for mercy? Yes, it's the final message of someone who knows it's over. Then the boss shouted: "There are deadlines!" A blow and a blade. They say they're as smart as three-year-olds, you know? They understand. They feel. They hope. They recognize their name. Three years old. Like Sophia. It's for her that I do this. When I open the door, she runs to me: "Dad, give Arthur a pat!" Arthur licks me. He looks me straight in the eyes. He trusts me. Arthur looks at me and trusts me... He has the same look, precise, crystalline, innocent: the same look before the attack. So this morning it wasn't mercy? Why was he looking me in the eyes? That bastard didn't want mercy: he wanted to trust. How dare he do that? How dare he trust me, damn it? I can't breathe. A few minutes later I'm at the table. My wife has cooked the sausages. "Eat them, they're getting cold." Sorry. But I can't tonight. I can't."

Massimo worked for 15 years in the slaughterhouse of a factory farm in Lombardy. Today he no longer eats animals. (Adamo Romano)

I certainly value my life, why should other lives not be valued? I would not want harmful treatment to others of other species. Most won't change from their ways to not contribute to such, I am aware. It is still what would be very well for all of us in general to do. We do not have to contribute to the misery and slaughter of many animals being used, we could be much healthier, and not contribute to more land, water and resources being used with greater waste left, as environments are worsened and many species go extinct with the contribution. I really found tasty meals with this way I have, to continue with, and have been doing very well with it for well over a decade.

Hi all. As this is the internet, I’m sure I’m going to get backlash and negative comments about me personally (“you were never REALLY vegan”), but before you do that please know this post is coming from someone struggling with a lot of things beyond just this and is legit looking for help.

I’ve been vegan for 6 years now (for the animals and for the environment). During that time I have never knowingly consumed any kind of animal products be it food or otherwise. I always felt I was doing the right thing for me and strongly felt the need to reduce harm that I inflict as a human consumer. I struggle with self-esteem so I always figured “I’m a piece of shit, why should anything have to suffer to sustain me?” I should note I also live in a very VERY rural area and I’m the only vegan I personally know both locally and anywhere else.

Lately I’ve been struggling with my conviction when it comes to being vegan. I see all the horrible things in this world. How no one seems to care for anything other than themselves these days. Humans can’t even treat each other with basic decency let alone animals. All humans seem to do is destroy the environment so they can google something faster or generate some slop that looks the same as all the rest. So why should I even bother anymore? Buy that leather belt, eat that chicken. Baseline decency is no longer needed it seems, why go further?

I guess what I’m saying is the world is shit and most of the people in it seem to be as well. Why should I care about harm reduction anymore? If the status quo is to treat everything and everyone like shit, then what’s the point anymore?

When I play it forward in my mind, the thought of actually consuming animal products makes me physically ill, but I feel like I’m thinking about it more and more and the time it takes for me to get to that nausea takes longer and longer. And that is what truly worries me.

I hate that I’m starting to not care about others anymore, and frankly could use a caring ear and words.

EDIT: Thank you for the advice and encouragement all. I know this is something I’m going to struggle with for some time, but I’m bookmarking this to come back to your reminders about why I do this. Whether that reason is compassion or spite. Both work depending on the day. I am grateful for you all.

I've been building a vegan places directory (shared in this post) and enough people asked for an app that it's finally live on iOS and Android. It's a small independent project run by 2 people. If you've used HappyCow it lives in that world, but the focus is a bit different:

• Vegan-oriented, not vegetarian. A place with no vegan options doesn't get listed, and 100% vegan spots are flagged separately from mostly-vegan, vegan-friendly, and "only 1-2 vegan options" - so you know before you go.
• Free, no ads, nobody can pay to rank higher. Businesses can claim and manage their own page for free.
• Open and community-correctable: much of the data is OpenStreetMap + other open sources, so if a spot's missing you can add it, and if something's mislabelled or mis-categorised you can help me fix it from its page in one tap.
• It's more than a map - there are free vegan tools in there too (barcode scanner, menu/ingredients scanner, and more).

Honest about the state: it's still growing, some cities are thin, and since a lot of the data comes from OSM/open sources the quality isn't perfect yet.

Looking forward to your feedback and criticism - be brutal.

Get the PlantsPack App (iOS & Android)

“We are pleased that the Supreme Court declined to review one more tedious pork industry challenge to a voter-approved state farm animal welfare law,” said Rebecca Cary, managing attorney at Humane World for Animals. “The law has now been upheld at every level of the federal judiciary, confirming that Question 3 is constitutional and not preempted by federal law.”

I am vegan now for about thirteen years, and there is not any likelihood of stopping that the rest of my life. I have been living in ways so healthy, and doing well with that still. I am older now. Others die off and then they won't hear me say I told you so.

It's not a perfect replacement, but searching OpenStreetMap via https://overpass-turbo.eu/ with a query like

[out:json][timeout:25];
(
  nwr["diet:vegan"~"yes|only"]({{bbox}});
  nwr["cuisine"~"vegan"]({{bbox}});
);
out geom;

can be useful and is often more up-to-date with respect to restaurants that actually still exist.

An example: https://overpass-turbo.eu/s/2shI