Vegan nutrition is becoming a bigger and bigger topic. As its popularity grows, so do the myths surrounding this diet without animal products. Find out what's really going on here.
More and more people are adopting a vegan diet. This means that they do without any animal products. In addition to meat, fish and milk (products), this also includes eggs and honey.
Since then, the vegan diet has been hotly debated. Some love it. Others simply consider vegans to be strange plant eaters. And think this dietary style is unhealthy and unnatural.
If you want to know what prejudices exist around vegan nutrition, you can ask around at the next barbecue. It will surprise you how little the answers differ.
Whether it's a matter of slogans or true statements, you can find out here. We have looked at the 9 biggest myths about vegan nutrition. And explain to you what is really true!
This is what happens when you stop eating meat!
The 9 biggest myths about vegan nutrition
Is vegan nutrition sensible or totally overrated? Read for yourself! :)
1. vegan is unnatural
"Vegan diet is against the nature of man. Animal products are a normal part of our diet and should therefore be an integral part of a balanced diet."
We often tend to think of our habits as "natural". What we have always done is normal and natural. We just forget that man has evolved since his existence through adaptation and change.
We are no longer dependent on an animal-based diet. It does not have to ensure our survival. And a quick look behind the conditions in animal husbandry helps to disenchant the romantic notion of happy animals on vast pastures.
Because, unfortunately, the life of our "farm animals", is anything but natural. They are specially bred products. For our needs. If they are no longer needed, they are disposed of. That are alone 50 million male chicks in Germany every year!
Also modified according to our needs, but much more natural are fruits, vegetables, herbs and seeds. You can buy these in organic quality in almost all supermarkets.
If you still have some space in the garden or on the balcony, you can even grow your own. You can find out how to do this here, for example: Build strawberry tower yourself: In just 4 steps to DIY strawberry tower.
2. vegan diet is just a trend
"Anyone who eats a vegan diet is joining a fad. Currently, it is totally trendy to do without meat or animal products. When the peak is reached here, the development reverses again anyway."
Veganism is booming. Every day, 2000 vegetarians and 200 vegans are added in Germany alone. You may also have noticed that more and more restaurants and cafés are offering vegan dishes. The possibilities to eat vegan are moving out of their niche existence.
A change in diet cannot be equated with a fad. Such a serious change requires research, reflection and the discarding of old habits.
For many vegans, it's much more about a change in awareness of health and the environment, as well as their own moral values. That this trend will become as out as Chinese tattoos is not to be expected. Numbers and Development facts of veganism are many.
3. vegans suffer from deficiency symptoms
„Vegan diets do not provide enough nutrients and minerals. How is a person supposed to get iron without meat? Or meet his calcium needs without milk? Not to mention vitamin B12, which is only absorbed through meat."
Too little iron creates a lack of oxygen in the blood. This leads to poor concentration or headaches, among other things. But not only red meat contains iron. Plants are also good sources of iron, even more than beef (3 mg in 100 g).
Women should consume 15 mg of iron daily. For men, the requirement is about 10 mg. Plant and animal iron are metabolized differently, but vegans do not have a higher risk of iron deficiency.
| Food* | Iron content per 100 g |
| Turmeric | 41.4 mg |
| Sesame | 14.5 mg |
| Pumpkin seeds | 14 mg |
| Buckwheat | 8 mg |
| Lenses | 8 mg |
*Info on the iron content of other foods can be found at here.
Calcium, on the other hand, is not a component of cow's milk. Instead, it is a mineral that occurs in the soil. It therefore has a plant origin. Sesame seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, kale, arugula and figs even contain calcium. more calcium than cow's milk.
It is similar with vitamin B12. Animals absorb this vitamin through the bacteria in the soil. Since many production conditions are not very natural, farm animals also often have a deficiency. The vitamin B12 issue therefore does not only concern vegans and vegetarians.
However, anyone who avoids meat altogether should definitely supplement vitamin B12. This can be done with drops, lozenges or small drops to take. If you have your levels checked regularly by a doctor, you're on the safe side.
4. plants also have feelings
"Vegans have a strange double standard. They don't want to eat animal products because they are produced under suffering and exploitation. But gleefully bite into plants. They have feelings too!"
This statement is a very big bullshit and absolutely wrong. Animals, like humans, have a central nervous system. It ensures that we feel sadness, fear and joy and can react appropriately.
Pain triggers a stimulus in us humans as well as in animals that puts us into "fight/flight mode" (flee or fight). So while animals fight or run away, this is extremely rarely seen in the plant world.
That's because plants don't have a central nervous system. And no brain to process neurons and respond adequately. So they feel no pain or suffering. And can therefore be eaten without moral qualms.
5. vegan diet is unhealthy
"Vegans not only have deficiency symptoms but actually live unhealthy lives. The countless packaged substitutes and ready-made products are artificially produced and harmful."
Whether a person eats a healthy or unhealthy diet has more to do with their lifestyle than their diet. A healthy, balanced diet exists among meat eaters as well as vegetarians and vegans.
Of course, the same applies to the opposite view. Anyone who eats a lot of convenience foods and shovels refined sugar and junk food into his or her body is living an unhealthy life. No matter whether vegan or not.
Studies have found that vegan meat substitutes also contain bad saturated fat, salt and sugar. So they are not healthy at all. But just also not unhealthier than normal meat products.
As a rule, vegans know a lot about nutrition and have a good awareness of a healthy lifestyle. So on the plate - in addition to fruits and vegetables - also cereal-like plants (quinoa, amaranth, spelt, millet or buckwheat).
Also a fixed component should be seeds, seeds and nuts, as well as fresh herbs. And of course, rice, potato and pasta (without egg) can be further distorted. Lacking inspiration? Look here: Vegan chickpea fritters with sweet potato.
6. soy is unhealthy and destroys the environment
"Eating a vegan diet means eating a lot of soy products, such as tofu. That's irresponsible for the environment and also terrible for our health."
Not all vegans eat soy products. That is more a matter of taste. Personally, I don't like tofu or soy products and therefore do without them. However, it is not necessary.
Because soy is much healthier than is often assumed. Beans contain a large number of essential amino acids. They also reduce the risk of breast or prostate cancer. And by the way, they don't give you breasts either, in case you've heard that ;).
In addition, genetically modified soy is prohibited by law in the EU. The situation is different for animal feed. Animals are fed almost exclusively genetically modified soy. And that - surprise! - we ingest through the consumption of animal products.
The cultivation of soy devours huge areas of rainforest every minute. But not to make hungry vegans happy. Because more than 80% of the soy harvest is needed for factory farming.
By the way:
50% of the world's grain harvest is used as feed for factory farming. And this despite the fact that 800 million people worldwide are currently suffering from hunger.
7. vegan diet means renunciation
"Those who follow a vegan diet have to do without a lot. Without animal products, the diet becomes very one-sided. In particular, the renunciation of delicious things like chocolate or a decent burger is not comprehensible. "
This statement is somewhat true. Because a vegan diet first means doing without animal products. No meat, no fish. A life without milk, cheese, eggs and honey. There is actually not much left to eat.
And this is precisely where the error in thinking lies. Because almost all animal products can now be replaced. The meat shelves are full of vegan alternatives - which are not super healthy, but no worse than the original.
But even otherwise, the diet without meat and co. is pretty simple. Milk can be replaced by delicious almond milk or alternatives made from oats, soy or rice. Agave syrup* or maple syrup taste better to me than honey.
Those who eat a vegan diet have, in most cases, studied the diet very carefully. This makes it easy to come across new recipes and creations that bring a lot of variety to the plate. Like Vegetable curry with mango banana rice and pineapple endive salad.
I have been eating almost exclusively vegan for 3-4 months and cook much more varied than ever before. You can find my favorite cookbook in the link below. And also my favorite Nascherein I have linked you here. :)
8. vegan diet is complicated
"It's not so easy to eat a vegan diet. There are many things you have to consider. Where do you start and where do you stop? The flood of information literally overwhelms you."
If you change your diet, you can really look a bit haphazard at first. We recommend that you take the subject step by step. For example, simply reduce your meat consumption first. Or try out our vegan recipes ;)
The next step could be to replace the milk with almond milk. Just try a little bit and find out what you like. Are there vegan cafés or restaurants nearby? Then take a look there.
To bring some light into the darkness, there are countless documentaries. You can find "What the Health", "Cowspiracy" or "Fork instead of Scalpel" on Netflix. NutritionFacts is a wonderful site that evaluates independent studies on nutrition.
9. people are meat eaters
"We are not herbivores but omnivores. Evolution has dictated that. Humans have always eaten meat. For that reason, it's nonsense to give up meat."
Science distinguishes between carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. By definition, we actually (and somewhat surprisingly) belong to the last group. According to the anatomical conditions, humans belong to the herbivores!
The denture: Carnivores have really big and sharp teeth to tear their prey. Moreover, they can only move their jaws up and down to crush their food. We, on the other hand, have just puny canine teeth. Try biting your dog's leg with them.
We also move our jaws in circular motions. This allows us to grind our food. Just like other herbivores: Just watch cows or goats eat.
Digestion: Carnivores produce 10x more hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Thus, even nails and hairs of the prey can be digested. In addition, the intestine is much shorter. Thus, the food can be excreted more quickly and harmful substances do not enter the blood.
While the intestine of a lion is about 3 times the length of the body, it is 8 times the length for herbivores and humans. Yep, we're more lamb than lion. That may not be so beautifully wild, but it's still cute.
Moreover, carnivores produce vitamin C themselves, since they do not absorb it from food. With us, the situation is clearly different. Are we not omnivores then? No! They are much more similar to carnivores than to herbivores.
Our conclusion:
There are many myths surrounding the topic of vegan nutrition. Most of them are simply not true. For this reason, it is always good to take a look behind the scenes. And simply try to get along without animal products for a week. It is an exciting experiment that is worthwhile. You don't have to live vegan permanently. But having a vegan day in between helps to develop a feeling for it and to try out new recipes.
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