I received several interesting responses to my article, and since half of them were positive and the other half posed questions, it seemed appropriate for me to write a continuation of my first to provide further insight.
Question one: What about B12?
Answer: As some of you may have seen, an Oct. 8 letter to the editor, “Veganism has deficiencies,” addressed the fact that vitamin B12 cannot be obtained from a plant-based diet. First of all, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “the body typically has sufficient vitamin B12 stores to last 3-5 years,” meaning that anyone looking to try a vegan diet or simply wishing to eat fewer animal products does not have to worry about immediately becoming B12 deficient. Moreover, 40 percent of the American population has low levels of B12, so it’s not as if eating the standard American diet will provide you with the B12 you need. Plus, all it takes to maintain one’s B12 levels is a simple daily multivitamin.
Question two: What would happen to all the animals if we all went vegan?
Answer: This was actually one of my first questions when considering a plant-based diet, so I understand where people are coming from when they ask this. There is no way to know what would happen if everyone went vegan because such a situation seems entirely implausible. But every person who switches to a plant-based diet theoretically decreases the overall demand for animal products which means fewer animals are bred. It seems counterintuitive at first to think that veganism works by preventing the existence of a certain number of factory-farmed animals, but the fact of the matter is that these animals are kept in such terrible conditions that boycotting the industry is one of the most viable options.
Question three: What happens if you accidentally eat meat or dairy after going vegan?
Answer: Luckily, the vegan police are not going to break down your door if you accidentally eat Nutella without realizing it contains milk. Since the human body is not designed to digest dairy products after infancy, many people report feeling ill when consuming milk after going vegan. Besides that, it does not have to be a big deal. Our society is obsessed with eating animal products, and it is easy to accidentally eat something that is not vegan without realizing it. Nobody is perfect. All you can do is avoid making the same error twice and try to move on. Also, if you mistakenly eat a non-vegan food while dining out, one option is to speak to the restaurant staff and ask them to more clearly indicate which foods are vegan in the future. And yes, I too have accidentally eaten cheese that looked exactly like tofu.
Question four: Would you kill a bear if it attacked your family?
Answer: Believe it or not, this is the one of the most common questions that I am asked. People often think that vegans value animals over humans, but many vegans advocate the switch to a plant-based diet from a human health perspective. The focus of ethical veganism is to avoid speciesism, or discrimination against animals simply because they are not humans. If convicts were kept in small cells with no legroom and given no exposure to sunlight, there would be a massive public outcry. Most vegans simply believe that animals should be afforded the same protections. Conversely, if you think it is ethical to kill a human who tried to harm your family, there is no reason that it would not also be ethical to kill a bear.
Question five: Do you eat honey?
Answer: I don’t, but many vegans do. A larger takeaway is that all vegans do not necessarily share the same exact values. It ultimately comes down to whatever you feel comfortable with. You may think insects are very different from mammals, so it’s okay to eat honey. Or, you may believe that it is okay to eat eggs, which differ from milk because hens do not have to bear offspring to produce eggs, if the chickens are treated properly. As long as you recognize the benefits of a plant-based diet and live in a way that promotes these changes to the best of your ability, you can probably call yourself a “vegan.”
Question six: I tried to be vegan, and I couldn’t do it.
Answer: That’s not a question.
Question seven: Umm, okay. What tips can you give me so I can stick with it?
Answer: I had the privilege of making the transition with my whole family while I was still in high school (including my four dogs, who now eat vegan dog food), which made the switch so much easier. Truthfully, without a strong support system, it can be very difficult to maintain a specialty diet, especially at college where a lot of one’s social interactions involve eating with friends. That is why we have the Brown Vegetarian Society, where you can message any questions you may have to our Facebook page and receive a reply within 24 hours. There are also many great resources and communities online. Veganism can be a little isolating at first, but Brown has many vegans who can help you learn to be one at any eatery on campus.
Question eight: What is your favorite vegan food on campus?
Answer: After a lot of hard work, the Brown Veg Society was able to get Gardein products in the Ratty. These products include vegan versions of fish filets, meatballs and chicken tenders. But be careful because the Ratty still puts real cheese on the Gardein chicken parmesan. We also have delicious mock cheese quesadillas thanks to another company called Daiya Foods.
Adam Horowitz ’16 is starting to wonder how many of these columns he is going to get to write.
