Are Vegan Diets Making People Stupid? The Science Might Surprise You

June 2024 · 8 minute read

Are Vegan Diets Making People Stupid? New Research Shows Its Effect on Brain Development

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Feb. 29 2020, Updated 5:00 p.m. ET

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It's no secret that vegans get a lot of hate for their "peculiar" choice of diet, and it can be argued that the only reason some folks sneer at veganism is because they've been raised to consume foods and products and live a certain way.

On the flip side, we've all met that one person who is very, very vocal about whatever new or not-so-new regimen they've adopted as a way of life that they believe is an incontrovertible, human truth that must be embraced by our entire species.

We've seen it with the paleo diet, Atkins, ketogenic, low carb, pescatarian, Mediterranean diet, etc., etc., how annoying die-hard practitioners of these nutritional lifestyle philosophies won't shut up about the "thing that changed their lives forever." Veganism, however, has easily eclipsed other "fad diets" in that it isn't a flash in the pan people have adopted to lose weight; it combines an ethical belief system with our approach to how we cultivate and consume food.

What's so compelling about "going vegan" are the multitudinous reasons for doing so. Against factory farming of livestock and genetic modification of produce? Veganism's "raw" approach to eating combats that. Can't reconcile yourself with the fact you're ending another living being's life so you can survive? Veganism solves that too.

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The eating practice also solves a resource quandary in many developed parts of the world, too: In areas with an abundance of water, it makes sense to use that H2O to yield crops, as you're going to expend a lot more of the most important compound on earth to raise livestock than you are to grow soy, or beans, or peas, or any number of protein-rich vegetables we can use to supplement our diets. 

While this doesn't help parts of the world that rely on eating animals like chickens and lambs who subsist on shrubbery and where water is scarce, a strong argument can be made that greater adoption of veganism globally — along with the redistribution of the wealth and resources that comes from adopting this eating habit — could help fund irrigation programs to bring precious water to regions where a strictly plant-eating lifestyle is otherwise impractical.

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Vegan Grilled Cheese Waffle Sandwiches 🧇🌱 📸: @elavegan . Recipe: 1 large carrot 1 1/2 tbsp oil divided 4-5 tbsp vegetable broth or water 1 onion diced 1 batch vegan cheese sauce or 7 oz (200 g) store-bought vegan cheese 2 oz (56 g) of fresh baby spinach 4 homemade waffles 1/2 tbsp soy sauce gluten-free if needed 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/3 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning Sea salt and black pepper to taste Cayenne pepper optional Instructions Check the easy step-by-step instruction photos in Ela's blog post. Carrot: Slice one large carrot lengthwise into strips (about 1/4 inch or 0.6 cm thick). Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a skillet. Once hot add the carrot slices. Sprinkle some salt on top. Add 4-5 tbsp of vegetable broth or water after a few minutes to avoid burning. Cook with a lid on over medium heat until tender, about 12-15 minutes (adding more broth/water if needed). Flip halfway through. Spinach/Onion Mixture: At the same time, heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a different pan and add the diced onion. Sautè for 4-5 minutes or until nicely browned. Add all spices, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and spinach. Turn off the heat after 60 seconds and set the pan aside. . Assemble Sandwiches: Drizzle 4 slices of bread from both sides with a little oil and sprinkle some garlic powder on top. Heat them up in a pan or on the grill for a few minutes. Prepare a batch of my vegan cheese sauce or skip this step if you use store-bought cheese. Top two waffles with a heaped tbsp of the vegan cheese sauce. Then add the spinach, onion mixture. Top with the carrot slices. Add another layer of vegan cheese sauce. Finally, top with the other slice of bread. Cook on medium heat in a skillet or on the grill for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more, then remove from pan. Enjoy!

A post shared by Daily Vegan Food & Recipes 🌱 (@vegolab) on Feb 28, 2020 at 7:48am PST

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And there are a number of recent studies and pro-veganism documentaries that highlight the benefits of a vegan diet. Netflix's The Game Changers went viral after studies in the film revealed subjects who participated in a vegan-only diet had longer-lasting erections, which was then summarily debunked.

It also doesn't help that James Cameron, the producer of The Game Changers, has a vested financial interest in veganism; he dumped $140 million into his own vegan food company.

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🐮🐶 both are sentient beings that feel love, joy, pain and have the capacity to suffer. In the ways that matter they are the same. Choose vegan. Always. ❤️🌱 📸 @chef.glenda

A post shared by IN THE SOULSHINE (@inthesoulshine) on Feb 28, 2020 at 4:51am PST

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Recent scientific studies indicate that the effects of consuming meat, specifically animal fats, are necessary in developing essential components of the human brains and boosting intelligence. In fact, there's heavy paleo-ontological evidence that suggests our species simply couldn't have evolved the way we have without nicotinamide, a chemical found in animal proteins, which allowed our brains to develop more quickly than other primates.

To test this theory, 555 Kenyan schoolchildren were each given three types of soups: one with meat, one with milk, and one with oil. A control group wasn't given soup as a snack at all. The children who snacked on a quantity of meat every single day consistently performed better than other students on nonverbal reasoning exams.

This could very well be due to brain nutrients that plants and fungi do not naturally provide.

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Chickpea pizza crust by @bos.kitchen ❤️ . Follow @vegangotgame for more delicious vegan recipes!💚💚#vegangotgame . Recipe⠀ Ingredients⠀ 1 cup chickpea flour ⠀ 1/2 tsp salt ⠀ 1 tsp baking powder ⠀ 1 cup warm water⠀ ⠀ Instructions⠀ Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a 11x7” baking tray. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend on high until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, mix well with a fork in a jug. Pour into prepared tray and bake for 10 mins. Top with sauce and veggies, then return to oven for a further 10 mins. Enjoy!

A post shared by @ vegangotgame on Feb 29, 2020 at 6:08am PST

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B12, D3, EPA, DHA Omega-3, and haem iron, must largely be synthesized from animal proteins, even when creating most supplements. They can be created from specific bacteria, algae, and lichen, but the jury is still out as to whether or not these vitamins are as effective, when consumed as supplements, than they are when consuming meat. Then there's the question of cost and production of these non-animal based supplements.

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LEFT OR RIGHT? ❤️ - Picture by @ari_goes_to_wonderland 🌱 - #fruity #fruit #fruitlover #fruitlovers #fruitlove #obst #vegan #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganeats #healthyfood #plantbasedfood #veganpower #plantbaseddiet #veganiseasy #whatveganseat #vegetarianrecipes #vegetarian #veganism #veganmeals #veganlife #veganlove #veganmealprep #veganrecipes #veganhealth #veganfoodporn

A post shared by THEPLANTFRIEND (@theplantfriend) on Feb 28, 2020 at 10:12am PST

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Getting the necessary macro and micronutrients from plant-based foods strictly and not consuming any animal byproducts can be done, but going a "total raw" approach does have its limitations. For example: If you'd like to get enough B6 in your diet every day just from a vegetable, you'd have to consume about five cups of nature's leading producer of the vitamin — the potato — to do so.

Several other studies have advised against vegan diets in child development, too. So it's no wonder that Belgium is making it illegal for parents to force vegan diets on their kids, citing child abuse. Italy is working toward a similar ban as well.

That's not to say that there aren't companies arduously working towards a more ethical approach to how we get and consume our foods, while ensuring we attain all of the nutrients required for human development.

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Friday feast. ⁣_____________________ ⁣Beyond Beef Chimichanga ⁣📸: @greenvegetarian

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Beyond Meats is constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to their vegan food solutions, offering up animal protein substitutes fortified with the vitamins necessary for our strange species to thrive.

So while there are probably a bunch of vegan haters out there who are happy to share this article to say, "Hey look, you're dumb because you're vegan!" that may be an unfair assessment.

Our species has had a long time to "figure out" the right way to eat and evolve with meat and animal byproducts. Maybe give veganism some time to progress even further? I like Culver's as much as the next guy, but that doesn't mean we should go and poo-poo a huge movement of individuals and corporations who are trying to point us in the direction of more sustainable ways of living.

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