The opinionated Luke Sonderman is back again with an argument that vegans may find borderline infuriating. This week, Luke goes in depth, citing sources as credible as Oxford University, to attack the vegan diet. He explains the health problems associated with it, as well as its failure to create a difference in the world. Proceed with caution. You might get hurt here. – Editor Levi Kassinove

By Luke Sonderman, Obiter Dictum

Although many people believe that vegan diets lead to a healthier lifestyle, they may be wrong. Converting to a vegan diet is one of the most dangerous dietary practices a person can do.

On the list of the top 10 most popular diets, veganism is a diet that is and has been sweeping the world for the past 20 years (medicalnewstoday.com). While many convert to this diet for global warming and animal conservation purposes, the majority of vegans switch to this diet for health reasons.

Veganism can be a healthy diet, but it takes a lot of focus. One of the most common issues that come along with new vegans is an iron deficiency. There are supplements and foods that vegans can eat to raise their iron levels, such as spinach and lentils. Most new vegans do not eat these foods and end up with an extreme iron deficiency that sometimes leads to the need for blood transfusions.

Many people make the switch to vegan and vegetarian diets, but according to an Oxford study, 84% of them end up abandoning their diets as the lack of meat and protein causes extreme, unhealthy weight loss, and other issues that cause drowsiness, lightheadedness, and dizziness for long periods of time (plantbasednews.org).

Oxford studies aside, my personal belief is that vegan diets are quite pointless. I understand that many vegans aim to save wildlife by not eating them, but are they really making any difference? No. The animals are still going to be killed whether vegans eat meat or not because the demand for meat is there whether there are vegans or not.

For those who switch to vegan diets for health reasons, I also believe that this switch is not a good decision. Even if you keep up with supplements and are smart about your diet, the supplements for vegans are created in labs by scientists. Personally, I prefer not to consistently ingest supplements that are created in labs because it doesn’t seem natural or healthy.

In conclusion, my goal isn’t to attack those who follow a vegan diet but rather to shed light to those considering switching to this diet. It may not be the healthy decision most believe it is. Maybe try going on a low fat or low sugar/carb diet. That way you don’t have to take supplements or worry about iron deficiencies.