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)

Prior to this, there was an attempt to transition the center to an animal sanctuary, which sounds nice, but has significantly less strict requirements for animal care and public accountability. That resolution failed due to being financially unviable.

No meat from animals, directly or indirectly, still being animal flesh, is so good for us. If that is all you have, it can keep you from starving. But there are better things that will not contribute cholesterol and lead to clogging up arteries, or any future cancers. Just eating the healthy things for food that are from plants can be so good without such problems to health like those. And I would not fall for that promotion of lab meat that animals are not facing any harm that way. Cultures for it do not go on lasting anyway, fresh sources will continually be needed for any lab meat. Where would they get the animals from? There will be a supply of them kept, still. It would be less harm, maybe, but not ridding harm to animals. Reasons to really be vegan don't go away. This excerpt is from text I copied by hand from Dr. Matthew Lederman in the Forks Over Knives Plan. I care others who would benefit would know there is this information. "Prevent and reverse the leading chronic ailments, even reverse heart disease and diabetes. Other diseases that are also positively impacted by this type of diet include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and overall mortality. Cancer is also significantly affected by this diet. In fact, the foods that make up this diet are the exact same foods that were recommended in the first "surviving cancer" dietary recommendations. There is also evidence that a plant-based diet may reduce the risk of diverticular disease, gallstones, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and kidney disease. Furthermore, after switching to a plant-based diet, people routinely report experiencing or seeing in others improvements in a range of ailments, including osteoporosis, arthritis, headaches, acne, asthma, sexual dysfunction, reflux, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, dementia, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, infertility, insomnia, and sleep apnea."

Feeding a person on a plant-based diet takes only about a quarter as much land as feeding a typical omnivore. But there is also the issue of climate change that we should not still contribute too.

"A number of experts have called for a worldwide drop in meat consumption to tackle the climate crisis and the extreme weather patterns it is perpetuating around the world. But in 2022, one study called out Western countries, in particular, for their animal product-heavy diets. The study from the University of Bonn in Germany urged countries like the US and those in Europe where the average consumer eats around 80 kilograms of meat per year to cut meat consumption by at least 75 percent. 'If all humans consumed as much meat as Europeans or North Americans, we would certainly miss the international climate targets and many ecosystems would collapse,' lead researcher Matin Qaim said."
https://vegnews.com/less-meat-more-plants-help-solve-food-insecurity

What’s your favorite brand of BIFL cookware for induction?

I'm looking to upgrade my kitchen with industrial-quality pots and pans. After about a month of searching, I came to the conclusion that the most important requirements are:

1. 3-ply (or 5-ply). Fully clad (not just the bottom disc).
2. 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel on the inside
3. 18/0 (or 200-grade or 400-grade) magnetic stainless steel on the outside.
4. Thick layers of metal (ideally >= 3mm of aluminum)
5. strong, serviceable rivets on handles (not welded)
6. Handles on both sides of the pot (helper handle)
7. Handles have a hole in them, for hanging
8. Fits a 28 cm (or 11”) lid (easily replaceable standard size that’s interchangeable between metric and dumb units)
9. Top rim should either have a pour spout or flared lip, for easier pouring
10. NSF certified

From what I’ve read, stainless steel isn’t a very good conductor (NIST says that aluminum transfers heat 16x better than aluminum). But stainless steel is a better surface to cook-on, because it’s less reactive and won’t absorb flavours. So, 3-ply sandwiches a thick aluminum layer between two different types of stainless steel (nickle-free [eg 18/0 or 200- or 400-grade] on the outside, which – though less corrosion resistant -- is important for induction) and either 18/8 or 18/10 on the inside.

5-ply is also a thing, but my research suggests that it doesn’t really matter how many layers. What’s more important is the thickness of the material.

And that’s why I’m here. Because, confidingly, the manufacturers of these pots don’t seem to even know how thick the layers of their 3-ply cookware is!

Ideally I’d just find the technical specifications of their cookware on their website, make a spreadsheet, and then buy the one with the thickest material (or close to the thickest, depending on my trade-off between quality vs weight & cost).

But I’ve called maybe a dozen manufacturers, and none seem to know the specifications of their own cookware :(

So, fediverse, I ask you: does anyone know what the thickness of the layers in these manufacturer’s 3-ply cookware is? Otherwise, what’s been your experience? How do you feel about these brands? Is there some other one (not listed) that you prefer?

• Browne Thermalloy
• All-Clad
• Made-in
• Tramontina
• Cuisinart
• Other?

Edit: I should be clear that I’m specifically asking about 3-ply or 5-ply stainless steel cookware. This is for a community house, so I need something that can be (ab)used by housemates who don’t know or care for the seasonings on the pans. And I don’t want cast iron, because it’s more likely to break the glass-topped induction cooktop.

Communities across the country, like the small village of Haigler, which sits about 6 miles from the Blackshirt feedlot, have become sacrifice zones for the pursuit of efficient meat production. In many places near CAFOs the water has become undrinkable. The stench makes it impossible to be outside. The air is making people sick.

From https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/comments/1vh6391/environmental_impact_of_ai_datacenters_vs_animal/

Sources:

Water use:

https://www.foodfacts.org/articles/how-much-water-does-ai-use-vs-livestock

Land use:

https://ourworldindata.org/global-land-for-agriculture

https://unu.edu/inweh/collection/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-Use-Carbon-water-and-land-footprints

Greenhouse gas emissions:

https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024 https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167658 https://www.fao.org/statistics/highlights-archive/highlights-detail/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-agrifood-systems.-global--regional-and-country-trends--2000-2022/en

• To the many comments along the lines of: „But we need food“ – This is actually another great point against Animal Agriculture, as every calory of food produced by Animal Agriculture wastes several calories of feed. https://awellfedworld.org/feed-ratios/
• For people pointing out energy consumption, AI uses 500 TWH per year, Animal Agriculture uses 13000 TWH per year, so it is 25x worse on energy need.

(This is a quick estimate based on:

https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/energy-supply-for-ai https://www.fao.org/energy/resources/facts-and-figures/en#%3A%7E%3Atext=%28+World+Bank%2C+2025%29+*+30+percent%2Cor+wasted+due+to+lack+of+refrigeration. )

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.