Vegetarianism

[Themeiwanttobe]

Honestly I could never.

[Bewildebeest]

Is that really the you you want to be? Very well... *Munches Broccoli*

[Madame Captain]

I thought you said broccoli was evil. >_>

[p3d1c4t1o]

._. My dear, I took a course in nutrition and I know the things I "should" be missing from my diet, but I'm not because I know well enough to take care of myself. Would you like to see my certification?

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and had my blood checked. The doctor told me he had never seen my report look sooooo good.

My skin has cleared up.

My nails and hair are stronger and barely break.

I've lost weight (which was much needed).

My eyesight has gotten better.

And... I feel better over all.

It's all about variety and not being a veg*n who eats nothing but french fries, cake and Funyuns all day. I get my zinc, protein, iron, B12, magnesium, calcium, every amino acid and all the wonderful nutrients I need.

Now, tell me what I'm missing from my diet, please. =D

Also, I know you're trying to make a point, but leaving all that empty space doesn't help prove it. Use your actual vocabulary next time.

Here's some:

1. Taurine

"Taurine occurs naturally in food, especially in seafood and meat. The mean daily intake from omnivore diets was determined to be around 58 mg (range from 9 to 372 mg) and to be low or negligible from a strict vegan diet."

"Taurine levels were found to be significantly lower in vegans than in a control group on a standard American diet."

Health benefit:

"Taurine is conjugated via its amino terminal group with chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid to form the bile salts sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate. The low pKa[12] of taurine's sulfonic acid group ensures this moiety is negatively charged in the pH ranges normally found in the intestinal tract and, thus, improves the surfactant properties of the cholic acid conjugate. Taurine crosses the blood-brain barrier[13][14][15] and has been implicated in a wide array of physiological phenomena including inhibitory neurotransmission,[16] long-term potentiation in the striatum/hippocampus,[17] membrane stabilization,[18] feedback inhibition of neutrophil/macrophage respiratory burst, adipose tissue regulation and possible prevention of obesity,[19][20] calcium homeostasis,[21] recovery from osmotic shock,[22] protection against glutamate excitotoxicity[23] and prevention of epileptic seizures.[24] It also acts as an antioxidant and protects against toxicity of various substances (such as lead and cadmium).[25][26][27][28] Additionally, supplementation with taurine has been shown to prevent oxidative stress induced by exercise.[29] In a 2008 study, taurine has been shown to reduce the secretion of apolipoprotein B100 and lipids in HepG2 cells.[30] High concentrations of serum lipids and apolipoprotein B100 (essential structural component of VLDL and LDL) are major risk factors of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Hence, taurine supplementation is possibly beneficial for the prevention of these diseases. In a 2003 study, Zhang et al. have demonstrated the hypocholesterolemic (blood cholesterol-lowering) effect of dietary taurine in young overweight adults. Furthermore, they reported body weight also decreased significantly in the taurine supplemented group.[31] These findings are consistent with animal studies.[32] Taurine has also been shown to help people with congestive heart failure by increasing the force and effectiveness of heart-muscle contractions.[33]"

tl;dr version: good for you

2. Natural trans fat

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402152140.htm

Dairy and beef products contain natural trans fat which is good for the heart and probably have anti-cancer properties. Do not confuse natural trans fat with the artificial ones from hydrogenated vegetable oils (which are actually bad).

3. DHA / Omega 3 fatty acids

Commonly found in fish, not vegetables/fruits.

http://www.veg-world.com/articles/omega-3.htm

So much of human evolution is intangibly linked to our intake of meat (see sources below). Think about it. Why are the smartest animals in the world meat-eaters? Dolphins, chimpanzees, wolves/dogs, cats, pigs, crows, etc. On the other side of the spectrum you have: cows, manatees, sheeps, rabbits (an animal so dumb it eats its own poo).

sources:

http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/99legacy/6-14-1999a.html

http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~burton/foodcourse/meat-eating.htm

http://www.iianthropology.org/TinaCoates

[opalecent]

YUM BROCCOLI

...and asparagus <3

[Bewildebeest]

Here's some:

1. Taurine

3. DHA / Omega 3 fatty acids

Commonly found in fish, not vegetables/fruits.

http://www.veg-world.com/articles/omega-3.htm

So much of human evolution is intangibly linked to our intake of meat (see sources below). Think about it. Why are the smartest animals in the world meat-eaters? Dolphins, chimpanzees, wolves/dogs, cats, pigs, crows, etc. On the other side of the spectrum you have: cows, manatees, sheeps, rabbits (an animal so dumb it eats its own poo).

Taurine - Red Bull or equivalent. Omega III - Flaxseed oil. No idea what to suggest about trans-fats.

Manatee -

Manatees are capable of understanding discrimination tasks, and show signs of complex associated learning and advanced long term memory.[5] They demonstrate complex discrimination and task-learning similar to dolphins and pinnipeds in acoustic and visual studies.

(wikipedia) Though I won't lie... I don't know if that is that good.

Sheeps and Cows have been bred for domestication and rabbits only eat some of their turds... i.e the ones with lots of sugar in. Or so my GCSE biology teacher told us.

[Madame Captain]

Someone seems to think that I'm a vegan. I'm not.

I know you're trying to make a point, but listen here: I could easily sit down and eat a steak or a lobster and get all the nutrients I needed like that... but... my body can't digest meat or seafood. What do you suppose I do?

[sebÃss]

Taurine

This can be found in seaweed.

Natural trans fat

This is not crucial to a healthy diet.

DHA / Omega 3 fatty acids

Flax and algae.

So much of human evolution is intangibly linked to our intake of meat (see sources below). Think about it. Why are the smartest animals in the world meat-eaters? Dolphins, chimpanzees, wolves/dogs, cats, pigs, crows, etc. On the other side of the spectrum you have: cows, manatees, sheeps, rabbits (an animal so dumb it eats its own poo).

The way you write satisfies my theory that you have no idea what you're talking about. Eating poop means an animal is dumb? Half if not all of the "smartest animals in the world" you listed will eat their own feces. I can follow your same lame argument by saying an elephants vegetarian diet is linked to its intelligence, and the bird that just flew into my window is linked to its own non-vegetarian diet.

sources:

http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/99legacy/6-14-1999a.html

http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~burton/foodcourse/meat-eating.htm

http://www.iianthropology.org/TinaCoates

These are all anthropological articles that focus on how meat eating was essential to our ancestors who probably needed it to survive. This has absolutely nothing to do with modern times and any argument that has been made in this thread.

[Deeper]

My family and I cut out a ton of meat and dairy due to health issues with my mom. We went mostly organic as well. You can't keep me away from Steak though.

[VGrace]

I do believe that most animals are slaughtered mercilessly (I have seen a documentary on it >_<) and it repulsed me. However, there are ways to kill or harvest (for all you hunters) animals in a way that isn't merciless or cruel, for food. I love meat, but I do not eat a lot if it. I am not against eating meat and I am not against being a vegetarian. It is all personal preference. I like burgers. But given the choice of a steak and a nice fresh salad, I will go for the salad

[p3d1c4t1o]

This is not crucial to a healthy diet.

If that is so' date=' then the same can probably be said of phytochemicals. "Phytochemicals are chemical compounds, such as beta-carotene to cite one well known example, that occur naturally in plants. The term is generally used to refer to those chemicals that may affect health, but are not established as essential nutrients.[1'] While there is abundant scientific and government support for recommending diets rich in nutrients from fruits and vegetables,[2] there is only limited evidence that physiological effects result from any specific phytochemicals.[1]" From that Wikipedia passage alone, one gets the impression that phytochemicals is not that important to a healthy diet. But is it really? Further reading of the Wikipedia article somewhat suggests otherwise. So it seems that phytochemicals is not really really crucial. But is it really really true? The American Cancer Society says "Scientists have identified thousands of phytochemicals, although only a small fraction have been studied closely." Furthermore, "Phytochemicals are present in virtually all of the fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and peas), and grains we eat, so it is quite easy for most people to include them in their diet. For instance, a carrot contains more than a hundred phytochemicals. There are thousands of known phytochemicals, but only a few have been studied in detail. Many of the better-known phytochemicals are now available as dietary supplements. However, most available evidence suggests that these single supplements are not as beneficial as the foods from which they are derived. It has become a widely accepted notion that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. But only recently have researchers begun to try to learn the effects of specific phytochemicals contained in those foods." If this were the Mythbusters, I think they would deem it "plausible" that phytochemicals are to be considered as essential nutrients. In light of our nascent understanding of dietary nutrition, would you really really really want to take a chance with your health by depriving yourself of natural trans fat and god knows what else other good stuffs that's only present in meat? So much of our evolution has been intangibly linked with meat consumption such that it doesn't make sense that our body can function best if we suddenly stop eating meat altogether.

The way you write satisfies my theory that you have no idea what you're talking about. Eating poop means an animal is dumb? Half if not all of the "smartest animals in the world" you listed will eat their own feces. I can follow your same lame argument by saying an elephants vegetarian diet is linked to its intelligence, and the bird that just flew into my window is linked to its own non-vegetarian diet.

Chill, I was only kidding about the rabbits part. I know that they have evolved in such a way that they have to re-eat partially digested food. But my point stands. Herbivores, overall, tend to be stupider than carnivores and omnivores. It's not so much due to domestication either. The farm-yard pig is still way smarter than a mountain goat. It's obvious that fruits and vegetables are not nutrients-packed enough to support the evolutionary development of the cognitive parts of the brain.

[shel-yudah]

Yeah, factory farms are kinda gross but you have to keep in mind that they feed people. I remember when my dad lost his job and we were barely making the rent, cheap, mass-produced meat kept food in our stomachs, and I thank GOD for it. If someone wants to go vegan, that’s their choice and their right, but I disagree with a lot of these animal rights groups that want to have legislation against factory farming. Not everyone can afford free range-organic-antibiotic free- no sugar added- no preservative added-peace loving food. Factory farms produce cheap meat…Meat that doesn’t even need refrigeration like spam or tuna fish. Is it the healthiest stuff to be eating? No, but it’s better than sending the kids to bed hungry. In an ideal world, we all could afford organic milk and imported tofu, but that’s not reality. Take care of our brethren first, then we can worry about the animals.

GOD Bless,

Shel-Yudah

[sebÃss]

If that is so, then the same can probably be said of phytochemicals.

No it cannot. Phytochemicals such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and folic acid are very much essential to our diet. I don't know how you managed to reason to yourself that the benefits of natural trans fats are equal to those of phytochemicals, especially considering that any research done on natural trans fats is relatively little. It is actually hurting my head trying to figure out why you would bring up phytochemicals, start off with an incorrect premise, and spend the rest of the paragraph filled with wiki pasted material and "really's" trying to prove it wrong in an attempt to show that phytochemicals have some sort of relation with natural trans fats; never mind that none of what you said has anything to do with the post you responded to.

Herbivores, overall, tend to be stupider than carnivores and omnivores.

Even if this were true, it means absolutely nothing in terms of whether or not a vegetarian diet has anything to do with increased intelligence. Your statement is just as ridiculous as saying that "white people, overall, tend to be stupider than non-white people", and then blaming this idea on skin pigmentation.

It's obvious that fruits and vegetables are not nutrients-packed enough to support the evolutionary development of the cognitive parts of the brain.

Nothing you have said has illustrated this absurd statement.

god knows what else other good stuffs that's only present in meat? So much of our evolution has been intangibly linked with meat consumption such that it doesn't make sense that our body can function best if we suddenly stop eating meat altogether.

Feel free to provide a list of "good stuffs" that is only found in meat. I am willing to wager that you will not be able to name any essential nutrients that can only be found in meat. This is the second time you've brought up intangibility and evolution, and I'm really wondering if you have any idea what those words mean. I can admit that hunting and meat consumption was necessary for some of our ancestors in order to survive, but what the heck does that have to do with evolution or our ability to "function best"?

[p3d1c4t1o]

You have cherry picked the few phytochemicals which we have quite thoroughly enough studied. But what about the others? Consider lutein. Wikipedia's main article on "phytonutrients" says "Likewise, although lutein and zeaxanthin may affect visual performance and inhibit macular degeneration and cataracts, there was insufficient scientific evidence from clinical trials for such a specific effect or health claim.[8][9]" But if you actually click on the link for "lutein", you get "Role in human eyes

Lutein was found to be concentrated in the macula, a small area of the retina responsible for central vision. The hypothesis for the natural concentration is that lutein helps keep the eyes safe from oxidative stress and the high-energy photons of blue light. Various research studies have shown that a direct relationship exists between lutein intake and pigmentation in the eye.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Lutein may play a role in Haidinger's brush, an entoptic phenomenon that allows humans to detect polarized light.

[edit] Macular Degeneration

Several studies show that an increase in macula pigmentation decreases the risk for eye diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).[11][12][13] The only randomized clinical trial to demonstrate a benefit for lutein in Macular Degeneration was a small study, in which the authors concluded that visual function is improved with lutein alone or lutein together with other nutrients and also that more study was needed .[12]

There is epidemiological evidence of a relationship between low plasma concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin, and an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Some studies support the view that supplemental lutein and/or zeaxanthin help protect against AMD.[14]

In 2007, in a 6-year study, John Paul SanGiovanni of the National Eye Institute, Maryland found that lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients in eggs, spinach and other green vegetables) protect against blindness (macular degeneration), affecting 1.2 million Americans, mostly after age 65. Lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of AMD.[14]

[edit] Cataracts

There is also epidemiological evidence that increasing lutein and zeaxanthin intake lowers the risk of cataract development.[14] [15]

[edit] Photophobia(Light Sensitivity)

A study by Stringham and Hammond, published in the Jan-Feb issue of Journal of Food Science, discusses the improvement in visual performance and decrease in light sensitivity (glare) in subjects taking 10 mg Lutein and 2 mg Zeaxanthin per day.[16]"

So which is it: is lutein good for you or not?!

The only thing anyone can conclude from here is this: There are stuffs in vegetables (phytochemicals) that's good for you but we haven't truly studied them yet. Because of our lack of understanding of nutrients, I would wager that there are stuffs that's good in meat that we haven't studied. Does this make sense? Humans have evolved the need to eat fruits, vegetables and meat, so there's probably a good reason we eat ALL of them. All this vegans claiming that they can get all they need from plant-based diet and chemical substitutes are simply over-confidence in our current scientific understanding of nutrition. Really, what are the chances of decades of scientific advancement fully understanding the effects of a couple hundred-thousand years of meat consumption? Wikipedia defines "phytochemicals" as "those chemicals that may affect health, but are not established as essential nutrients.[1]" The key word here being "MAY"; but I think here's a good philosophy to live by: Any thing that could affect health SHOULD BE ESSENTIAL. I don't think it's wise to wait for future scientific advancements (which could take many, many more years) to conclusively prove that when you don't eat meat, you miss out on essential meat-based nutrients.

[jamesmorlock]

AHH! Walls of wiki-paste text hurts my eyes. Anyway, I agree with Yves. It is unknown (or unknowable) whether animals are machines or not because to determine that, you would have to answer the question: "how does one determine the difference between an animal that is "programmed" to experience, and an animal that really does experience"? To answer that question, we would have to be animals ourselves. No reasonable person is a solipsist; and I don't think it's unreasonable to extend our assumption, that other individuals besides ourselves are not mindless machines, to animals.

[Key_Lime]

Wikipedia defines "phytochemicals" as "those chemicals that may affect health, but are not established as essential nutrients.[1]" The key word here being "MAY"; but I think here's a good philosophy to live by: Any thing that could affect health SHOULD BE ESSENTIAL. I don't think it's wise to wait for future scientific advancements (which could take many, many more years) to conclusively prove that when you don't eat meat, you miss out on essential meat-based nutrients.

The problem with making things essential is the public. You see it even without saying nutrients are essential: even a minor health claim will send people flying to the store to stock up on the newest "good for you" thing. People forget that too much can be just as bad as not enough (even essential vitamins have upper limits). That, and although a lot of these phytochemicals do indeed show benefits, you'll find that supplementing them individually rarely has much of an effect, because they're so heavily integrated in pathways with other essential nutrients. Eating a balanced diet should get you adequate amounts of these potentially essential nutrients, anyway. The implications of deeming a nutrient as essential are far-reaching and while I'm not against changing their status if sufficient research is available, we can't just consider something essential every time a new substance shows potential.

I've heard that veg*ns often have longer lifespans than their meat-eating counterparts, but that could be because they're probably just more health-conscious people in general. If that's the case, I don't see any problem with it. And keep in mind that some of the healthiest/longest lived societies in the world eat a largely plant based diet.

All that being said, I'm not a vegetarian/vegan and don't really intend on becoming one. And nutrition aside, I think the most compelling reason to stop eating meat would be for environmental reasons - not because of cruelty or health.

[sebÃss]

P3d, do you know how to have a discussion? All you're doing here is pasting wiki material and writing things that seem more fit for a personal journal instead of actually responding to what I am saying. I guess I should have stuck with what I said earlier and simply not bothered wasting my time with you.

[opalecent]

Herbivores, overall, tend to be stupider than carnivores and omnivores. It's not so much due to domestication either. The farm-yard pig is still way smarter than a mountain goat. It's obvious that fruits and vegetables are not nutrients-packed enough to support the evolutionary development of the cognitive parts of the brain.

Carnivores and omnivores need to be smarter to get their food. It isn't the food they eat that makes them smart, it's the fact that they need to be smart to eat that food. If you want to get into evolution, this would mean that the smarter creatures survived and the dumber animals didn't. Also, animals have different dietary needs than humans. Cats need taurine, for example, whereas humans don't. The animals that need certain meats to survive would have become smarter over time because they needed to be smarter to survive. It's not the nutrients that changed their brain development.

This has no bearing on human brain development. There are a lot of very intelligent vegans, and a lot of very stupid meat-eaters.

[p3d1c4t1o]

sebass, you asked for the link between natural trans fat and phytochemicals. Well, they are both nutrients that our scientists haven't extensively studied, thus not deemed as "essential" nutrients, even though early studies have shown that they may be good health. From here, I try to argue that it's okay to consider may as must, because as far as health is concerned, you don't want to take risk, so you'd rather be safe than sorry. Considering that we have evolved such that our bodies have adapted to consume meat and considering that our scientific development (including nutritional studies) is still at its nascent stage; is it not sensible to believe that, like plants, meat may have nutrients that could one day be deemed as essential nutrients even though we haven't fully understood it yet?

[Bewildebeest]

sebass, you asked for the link between natural trans fat and phytochemicals. Well, they are both nutrients that our scientists haven't extensively studied, thus not deemed as "essential" nutrients, even though early studies have shown that they may be good health. From here, I try to argue that it's okay to consider may as must, because as far as health is concerned, you don't want to take risk, so you'd rather be safe than sorry. Considering that we have evolved such that our bodies have adapted to consume meat and considering that our scientific development (including nutritional studies) is still at its nascent stage; is it not sensible to believe that, like plants, meat may have nutrients that could one day be deemed as essential nutrients even though we haven't fully understood it yet?

It is fair to be cautious. However isn't it also fair to say that since vegetarianism isn't a particularly new concept and that there are plenty of very healthy long-term vegetarians that these things (if we are indeed deficient) are not "essential" in any traditional sense. If you can live and appear and feel healthy and not suffer any obvious side effects from this, then you are in fact, in the traditional sense of the word, healthy.

EDIT: In fact it occurs to me, though with no scientific basis, that we should produce our own natural trans fat? After all how do they come to be in other animals?

[horsesforlife]

Oh vegitarians...

I understand not wanting to be cruel to animals, but to me people that don't eat any meat always look a bit unhealthy.

Meat is really good for you, and a good source of protien, so not only does it taste good, but it is good for you.

I work at a mexican restaurant, and I always find it funny when people come in asking for vegitarian options.

It seems as thought they have an awfully hard time finding a place that has things suitable for vegitarians to eat.

[Madame Captain]

Oh vegitarians...

I understand not wanting to be cruel to animals, but to me people that don't eat any meat always look a bit unhealthy.

Meat is really good for you, and a good source of protien, so not only does it taste good, but it is good for you.

I work at a mexican restaurant, and I always find it funny when people come in asking for vegitarian options.

It seems as thought they have an awfully hard time finding a place that has things suitable for vegitarians to eat.

1. It's spelled "vegetarian."

2. How does someone look unhealthy?... Are they pale? Sweating? Have an IV hooked up to them? Explain.

3. There are MANY OTHER foods out there where you can get your protein.

4. Not everyone thinks that rotting animal carcass tastes good.

5. I've worked in the food industry and just about every restaurant I've worked in had vegetarian options. It's the job of the restaurant to cater to as many people as possible. Obviously, you won't find a veg*n at a Texas BBQ because we know better. Also, I know of a few Mexican dishes that are veg*n so... what is your restaurant doing if it's a problem?

[Bewildebeest]

to me people that don't eat any meat always look a bit unhealthy.

In contrast I've found that vegetarians who eat a varied diet (like everyone is supposed to do) look much healthier than your average omnivore.

Meat is really good for you, and a good source of protien, so not only does it taste good, but it is good for you.

Getting fed up of reiterating the same stuff over and over again. Nobody denies that meat contains stuff your body needs, but it is entirely unnecessary and does not at all require much effort to find another source. Just because meat has something you 'need' does not mean that other things do not contain this.

It seems as thought they have an awfully hard time finding a place that has things suitable for vegitarians to eat.

Irrelevant. Supermarkets stock all sorts of stuff. Good restaurants have good veggie alternatives. I'll admit fast-food places leave much to be desired by vegetarians but thats irrelevant.

[SunshineSurferx]

Oh vegitarians...

I understand not wanting to be cruel to animals, but to me people that don't eat any meat always look a bit unhealthy.

Meat is really good for you, and a good source of protien, so not only does it taste good, but it is good for you.

I work at a mexican restaurant, and I always find it funny when people come in asking for vegitarian options.

It seems as thought they have an awfully hard time finding a place that has things suitable for vegitarians to eat.

A small amount of meat is best in your diet, if you're going to be a meat eater.

I personally find a tiny bit of meat absolutely necessary for me, which is okay.

But not all people like it/can have it.

And if you can't /don't like meat - there are some great substitues out there for non -meat eaters.

BEANS are a WONDERFUL substitution for meat - when it comes to protein. Especially black beans.

Although, to be a healthy vegetarian, you have to be REALLY careful what substitues and food you intake. Soy is used in a lot of the meat substitues and in a lot of food in general - and that can be very dangerous to your health by consuming too much of it.

People are misguided by thinking that soy is healthy for you.

If I can't stress anything to anyone in this post - other than this - than I'll have possibly accomplished something...and it's that - " The ONLY kind of soy that is good for you is FERMENTED soy!!!"

That is the first caution I'd give to people who are vegans - or people wanting to be vegans - make sure you can consume substitues that are healthy/and soy free as much as possible!!

Being a "vegetarian" sounds healthier, but in reality, it definitely has the huge possibility to not be if you're only overloading your system with harmful stuff.

Women: Because breast cancer has been known to be connected with people who eat too much soy, this is an extremely dangerous side effect that could possibly result in the consumption of too many soy products. Check ingredients ritually.

And for men, too much soy - equates to too much estrogen- which equates to not being as 'manly' - ha. That's the simple way to put it.

My advice to all people under the misconception that meat is the only good source of protein, would be that - I'd dare say to you that the black beans I mentioned earlier, are actually much better when it comes to protein -than meat- and over time would be the better choice of protein-rich foods to eat.

(This is especially true if you're eating meat that is non organic. Hormone filled meat is JUST as bad as soy that is unfermented.)

And this is also my advice to all who are vegans - or are thinking of becoming so: It may sound all good and fancy-free, but please know what you're getting into/ or are in...and make sure it's the best choice in the long run and that you MAKE the best choice in food if you decide it's for you.

Research, via Alternative Medicine routes are key to uncover the lies that are commonly associated with the general population of "vegetarians".

I'm going to school to be a Naturopathic Doctor - so I'm sorry for the book, but I am passionate about health =)

Much Love - Lola

[p3d1c4t1o]

It is fair to be cautious. However isn't it also fair to say that since vegetarianism isn't a particularly new concept and that there are plenty of very healthy long-term vegetarians that these things (if we are indeed deficient) are not "essential" in any traditional sense. If you can live and appear and feel healthy and not suffer any obvious side effects from this, then you are in fact, in the traditional sense of the word, healthy.

Are they actually healthier compared to very health conscious people who also consume meat? It's hard to say. There's currently insufficient data to give an apple-to-apple comparison.

EDIT: In fact it occurs to me, though with no scientific basis, that we should produce our own natural trans fat? After all how do they come to be in other animals?

If we could produce our own nutrients, surely there wouldn't be a need to consume them.