The important sounding Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has long championed vegan diets as a pathway to better health, environmental sustainability, and ethical living, and has backed its claims with research and campaigns. However, this enthusiastic promotion often glosses over the well-documented risks of nutritional deficiencies that can plague vegans without careful planning. This post delves into PCRM's advocacy for plant-based eating, weighs the touted benefits against scientific evidence of shortcomings, and highlights the need for balanced perspectives on diet choices.
Read MoreAccording to The Vegan Society, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” They state on their site that “There are many ways to embrace vegan living. Yet one thing all vegans have in common is a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish, and insects), dairy, eggs, and honey - as well as avoiding animal-derived materials, products tested on animals and places that use animals for entertainment.” You can see from their definition that the primary goal is admirable, but not related to health and wellness. You may be surprised to hear that vegan (or any other) diets done carelessly can cause some harm.
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