The German Nutrition Society holds tight to the “but you can’t get b12” argument

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Vegans, hang on to your eyeballs because they may roll uncontrollably into the back of your head. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) thinks veganism isn’t adequate for our health.

Sources all over the web, including the gossip junkies of NPR, are jumping on a recent paper detailing the position of the DGE. In it, they site b12, protein, omega-3’s, and a bunch of other nutrients and minerals we’re all getting plenty of, as reasons a plant-based diet isn’t sufficient. We know some other dieticians that would disagree, and probably say “protein deficiency, really?”

In their definition of Western veganism, some ethics are applied despite honey only “sometimes” falling on the naughty list (strike one). We’re off to a good start though, as you don’t have to read far to have this truth-bomb dropped: “meat products increases the risk of many diseases, whereas high levels of dietary fibre rich cereal products, vegetables and fruit can decrease the risk of many diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes mellitus).”

While they go on to compare that a vegan diet beats the standard one practiced in Germany for disease prevention, and has comparable mortality to boot, they still work as hard as they can to backtrack. The hole they dig gets pretty deep when they talk about how people can easily eat fortified foods for b12, flaxseed for omega-3, and then go on to detail any balanced vegan grocery list. It’s like saying it can’t be done, and then revealing how to do it in the same breath.

Still, the paper ends by saying “the DGE recommends a wholesome diet in the form of a mixed diet that largely consists of plant based foods and, to a lesser extent, of animal foods, including fish, meat and meat products.” Anyone who reads the information that proceeds it should think why!?

Sorry, DGE, we’re not buying this. You already know a balanced vegan diet can be done, and we’re living proof of it. People need to go vegan to end suffering, and not fear causing it for themselves.