Letter to the Editor

Dear Orlando Sentinel,

I’m a college student at the University of Central Florida taking Composition I. On September 29, 2004, two speakers involved with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) presented information on being vegan. I learned that a vegan is someone who doesn’t eat meat, diary products, or eggs (they also explained that vegans don’t wear clothes made from animal products, either). Their plea seemed understandable enough – they wanted us to be vegans, too. They kicked off the presentation with cute anecdotes about their lives, Christian influences in veganism, and examples of celebrity vegans and vegetarians to lure in the naïve listeners. However, it was going to take some real evidence and undeniable truths to convince me to become a vegan – evidence and truth that simply didn’t exist.

Thanks to Hurricane Jeanne, there was no school Monday. I knew that we were supposed to have speakers come in and talk on Monday, but I had no idea that they would be part of the PETA group. I figured that the speakers were going to have to be rescheduled, but I didn’t know when they could come in again. I was surprised to see that they were ready and rearing to go on Wednesday with their vegetarian booklets and priceless smiles. I sat in class and listened to the over-rehearsed speech between Bob and Karen (names have been changed to protect the vegans). I say “over-rehearsed speech” because the transitions between the two were flawless – right where Bob would leave off, Karen would take center stage in the classroom and pick right up. I listened intently, however, with an open mind (as requested by Bob and Karen) because I tend to have a pretty open view to the world. And when I say “open view,” I mean that I will listen to one side of an argument, and then go research the other side – which is exactly what I did.

Immediately after the lecture, I walked out of class and went to an on-campus restaurant for lunch – the Steak Escape. Then I went back to my dorm and hopped online. I browsed a series of medical and personal homepages and discovered some shocking information.

Through their speech, Bob and Karen told us what meat and dairy companies have conditioned us to believe. Things such as, “fish are good for you because they contain omega-3 fatty acids,” and “milk builds strong bones.” They attempted to disprove these comments by saying that you can get omega-3 fatty acids from many vegetable and soy products. Furthermore, they said that drinking milk can lead to increased chances of osteoporosis. Though my research, I found that yes, you can obtain plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. However, the conversion rate for the plant-based acids is extremely low, i.e., our bodies don’t retain the acids nearly as well.

Meat eaters, they said, are more prone to cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. They also said that every vitamin, mineral, and protein combination you need is available in plant products. While this is true, conversion rates are, again, very low. Vegans and vegetarians are highly prone to vitamin B12 deficiency – vitamin B12 is essential for optimal brain functioning. In 2000, a study was done by Dutch researchers that showed children who were on a vegan and vegetarian diets from ages six to thirteen had extreme vitamin B12 deficiency. Compared to omnivorous dieters the same ages, vegan and vegetarian children performed significantly worse on tests measuring fluid intelligence, spatial ability, and short-term memory. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also give way to a fatal condition called anemia. Various other vitamins, like vitamin A, are also not attainable from vegetarian or vegan diets.

Bob and Karen were also nice enough to share with us some misleading information about meat eating being a major cause of osteoporosis. The studies that were done that showed that too much protein caused osteoporosis were not done using actual meat products, rather “fractioned protein powers” and “isolated amino acids.” Recent studies have shown that eating meat contributes to stronger bone density in men and women. Moreover, being a vegetarian or vegan has been linked to osteoporosis in women.

They continued to explain how humans have evolved as vegetarians and how the body’s physiology is designed to be herbivorous. For example, they compared our side winding jaws and flat teeth to that of many other herbivores. They failed, however, to explain why our stomach produces hydrochloric acid – an acid not found in a single herbivores stomach.

One couple consulted their doctor about their upcoming child, and the doctor tried to convince them that everything would be just fine. Worried about her diet, the wife decided to eliminate meat from her diet and eat vegetarian-approved products and soy products. The couple had a miscarriage. After going to another doctor, Stephen Byrnes PhD, he was astonished to find that the wife had almost completely eliminated meat from her diet. He sent her home with a new diet plan – to include meat – and a bottle of vitamin A. In November 2000, they gave birth to their first child – a girl.

This is an extreme example, I’m aware. I’m simply writing this article to shed some light on the myths of vegetarianism and vegan diets. If you do your own research, you’re bound to find a wealth of information on both sides.

Regards,

Jesse Chapman
UCF Freshmen