Omnivorism, Vegetarianism, & Veganism

I’ll firstly canvas key nutrients found naturally in meat and animal products, and then briefly consider dietary ethics, although treating yourself kindly is a part of ‘ethics’. I know this is a social justice blog, but we should consider animals as a part of ‘society’ too. All sentient creatures make up ‘society’.

There are 7 nutrients needed for optimum human health not found in plants. These are: vitamin B12, creatine, carnosine, vitamin D3, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), heme iron, and taurine (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-nutrients-you-cant-get-from-plants).

Trace amounts of B12 can be found in nori seaweed, but vegans need to take B12 supplements to get the daily requirement.

Exogenous sources of creatine are non-essential, as it can be produced by the liver. However, eating meat increases the level of creatine in muscles, so vegetarians and vegans should take a creatine supplement.

Carnosine is an anti-oxidant that is found in animal foods. It is non-essential as it can be made from the amino-acids histidine and beta-alanine. Eating meat increases the level of carnosine in muscles. Vegetarians and vegans should take a carnosine supplement.

D3 can be sourced through sunlight exposure made by the skin, but if one is not getting enough sunlight one must eat animal foods or take a supplement.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an essential omega-3 fatty-acid only found in meats, particularly in fish, but can also be found in micro algae. Flax seeds, chia, and walnuts contain ALA omega-3s which can be converted into DHA by the body, but this process is inefficient. Vegetarians and vegans should take algal oil made from micro algae.

Plant based non-heme iron can be absorbed with vitamin C, but this is not as efficient as heme iron absorption. Vegetarians should look for fortified iron options and make sure to get plenty of vitamin C in their diets.

Taurine is a non-essential nutrient. It is found exogenously in animal foods. Exogenous dietary sources of taurine are found to increase the level of taurine in the body, so vegetarians and vegans should take a synthetic supplement.

Certified organic and free-range meat and animal product options and less processed meat are more ethical, healthy and nutrient-rich options for omnivorism.

The monocropping practices of big agriculture, contribute to habitat destruction, topsoil degradation, is a form of biotic cleansing, and prevents the sequestering of carbon by the soil. Ethical vegetarians and vegans should factor in and consider ethically grown vegetables into their diet-ideology.