Why I am not a vegan

[confusedseeker]

Well I can tell you that I'm Indian, and Indians have a very high population of vegans/vegetarians.  They also have a very, very high population of anemic women. Up to 52% in India...

That is likely the traditional cultural diet not including certain foods. A rich food source of B-12 is tempe (fermented soybeans). Iron sources: lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground linseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, kale, dried apricots and figs, raisins, quinoa.

Sure, you can survive off these diets, but there are animal foods that are so rich in micronutrients and bioavailable protein, it's not really ideal to ignore them.  A cage free egg every once in a while, or some salmon 2-3x a week will go a longggg way.

You are entitled to your opinion as we all are. My perspective goes beyond what is just good for me (and again, a vegan diet is good for me so I am not ignoring self). My concern extends to the health of the planet, and keeping animals enslaved for our use, to mention a couple of things. There is a lot involved in making choices in this world today regarding how we feed everyone and harmonize with the ecosystem.

I think as long as vegan/vegetarian diets aren't forced on anyone, go for it.  I don't like enslaving animals either, so I try to eat mostly free range, locally raised food products.  Keep in mind, when you eat a lot of vegetables, a lot of animals are killed (literally tons) in the collection of the food and grains. If it's not organic, then you have even animals killed and damage done (I'm assuming most on here eat organic). Best thing for the planet is smaller, local farming, and there are a regenerative soil techniques that make it sustainable as well.