Debate Topics - July 2021

Should Vegans entice meat eaters into adopting their eating habits?

In favor:

- On October 27, 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced worldwide that meat,
are the cause of various types of cancer.
- For every 50 grams of meat consumed per day, the possibility of developing colon and rectal
cancer increases by 18%.
- According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Vegetarian diets properly planned, they
are healthy and nutritionally appropriate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and
treatment of certain diseases.
- BBC: The researchers found that those who didn’t eat meat had 10 fewer cases of heart disease
and three more strokes per 1,000 people compared with the meat-eaters. Researcher Tammy
Tong, nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, says the higher risk of haemorrhagic
stroke could be for several reasons.
- The brain devours about 20% of our daily calories, but these calories can also be found in many
vegetables.

In Contra:

- Although a vegetarian diet may contain sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D, nutrients
necessary for bone health, vegetarians have been reported to have approximately 5% lower
bone mineral density than non-vegetarians.
- Studies indicate that omnivores have a slightly higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular
disease than those who adopt a vegetarian diet, however, a potential risk for those who do not
consume meat lies in the deficiency of vitamin B12, which can compromise health
cardiovascular.
- Research indicates that vegetarians have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and
DHA, which are beneficial for cardiovascular health.
- Anemia. The insufficient supply of iron and vitamin B12 can lead to the development of anemia
in people who follow a very strict vegetarian diet.