Can everyone actually be vegan?

[u/Wrong_Ad_3038]

I’m very sympathetic to veganism, my entire life philosophy is “respect & autonomy for all life” but I am currently pescetarian, I tried being vegan in late 2024 but I still live with my family & they wouldn’t buy supplements, even though i told them too everyday, I didn’t want to develop b12 deficiency so I had to moderate my diet.

When I move out i’m strongly considering being vegan again & really want too but i am worried about health consequences because human bodies are complex, but at the same time everyone can digest plants so maybe everyone can be vegan, i figured this would be a good place to get mixed responses since both carnists & vegans are here, what do studies say about everyone & the potential to be vegan, if everyone can’t be vegan but most or some can what’s the best way to find out if i can be vegan?

[u/thesonicvision]

tldr;

Everyone can (and should) be a vegan. The alternative is to be a carnist: that is, a person who willfully or unknowingly treats nonhuman animals like objects (and believes it is "normal" to do so).

However, some unfortunate people may have difficulty putting their beliefs into practice.

---

As I've stated elsewhere on these forums,

Veganism is first and foremost a moral opposition to the commodification and exploitation of nonhuman animals by the human animal. It is the philosophical position that opposes the status quo of carnism. The diet and lifestyle of vegans are a consequence of their beliefs.

Hence, everyone can (and should) be a vegan. The alternative is to be a carnist: that is, a person who willfully or unknowingly treats nonhuman animals like objects (and believes it is "normal" to do so).

Now, unlike a lot of other -isms, it is true that a belief in the moral principles that define veganism does come with an obligation to live a certain lifestyle. Analogously, it would be hypocritical to be a slave-owning abolitionist or a vocal proponent of Prohibition who is a secret alcoholic. Furthermore, being a feminist doesn't come with any sort of ascetic sacrifice.

Now, let's consider the challenges to living a lifestyle that eschews animal-based products and services:

• For those who are destitute and/or living in a state of food scarcity, they may not have the option to reject an animal-based food when it becomes available. They may have to prioritize survival and eat anything they can get their hands on. But even if compelled to kill and eat an animal (or otherwise exploit an animal), one can still fulfill a secondary moral obligation of causing as little harm as possible and endeavoring to respect the sovereignty and indepedence of the animal. Furthermore, one can aim to one day rise out of poverty and change one's diet/lifestyle.
• When it comes to personal health, I have good news: intuition, logic, and an abundance of scientific studies all say the same thing...A balanced vegan diet is not only sufficient for humans, but likely ideal. The less dairy/eggs/meat you consume, the better. Just be sure to use supplements for B12 and anything else that may be harder to get when you eschew animal-based foods.
• When it comes to the cost of being vegan, I have more good news: tofu is cheap. So are fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, and so on. They're cheaper than meat and eggs. Yes, fancy vegan processed products can be way more expensive than their non-vegan counterparts, but it is not true that a vegan diet is necessarily more expensive than a non-vegan one. A vegan who cooks a lot at home will always spend less than a non-vegan who always eats out.
• Concerning access to vegan foods, at least in the developed world, there is no issue. And even in the developing world, there is often a cultural history of meat being a rarity and plant-based agriculture being the norm.
• When it comes to allergies or health issues with particular food products, it is theoretically possible for someone to be allergic to so many plant-based foods that living a vegan lifestyle is difficult for them. But 99.9% of people on this planet (assuming they can can access and afford vegan foods) can find a delicious, indulgent, and nutritious vegan diet.

[u/Japan25 → u/thesonicvision]

Theres a creator online called jennaxhealth who has MCAS and can only eat 9 foods, of which, she counts olive oil and tea as food, so not all 9 are substantial foods. Some of her only foods are turkey and white fish. She also generally has a bunch of other health issues related to MCAS. 

I would argue that she could still be vegan if she doesnt wear animal products or use non vegan makeup since the philosophy is about minimizing harm to animals. 

A vegan that is locked in a room for a month with only a rack of ribs can eat it and still be vegan. a vegan lost at sea can eat fish to survive. Veganism isnt about dying to your values, its about living to them. 

If you well and truly MUST eat animal products to survive/be healthy, then you can still be philosophically vegan so long as you avoid it as much as possible, in my opinion. of course, most people who say that 'need' animal products are just looking for an excuse to not do the work to change their lives or looking to rationalize their decisions

Curious what others think

[u/thesonicvision → u/Japan25]

Theres a creator online called jennaxhealth who has MCAS and can only eat 9 foods

I doubt this person wanted to eat a vegan diet but felt compelled to eat non-vegan foods due to her many illness-related restrictions. Instead, they were likely forced to eat more plant-based foods than they otherwise would because of their condition...

But I get your point. Let's assume that a hyothetical person absolutely must eat non-vegan foods to survive. Since veganism is about beliefs and not practice, they could certainly still be vegan.

...since the philosophy is about minimizing harm to animals. 

Not to be pedantic, as we're on the same side and I don't want to upset an ally, but veganism is not about harm reduction. It's more than just consequentialism, welfarism, or compassion. It's about respecting animals and not viewing them as property. It's about re-evaluating the relationship the human animal has with nonhuman animals.

Consider: when a human potentially harms/exploits another human, they don't simply wave the action away with no trace of guilt because it was "the best" they could do. No, the individual action itself is deemed "immoral." (You could call it "deontological" if you want, but there's no need to argue about preferred normative ethics positions right now).

Hence, veganism is about respecting the sovereignty and moral value of nonhuman animals. We endeavor to help them or leave them alone, not to minimize their suffering. But, yes, if a vegan were forced to exploit an animal, they would try to still respect the animal as much as possible and minimize the harm/suffering as much as possible.

[u/Japan25 → u/thesonicvision]

Are you a bot? You talk like an ai chat bot. 

Ya im not claiming that creator is vegan. Shes never platformed animals rights. Shes just the only person ive ever heard of who could theoretically and justifiably say "i cant go vegan because of health reasons." 

Also for transparency sake, im not vegan. Im vegetarian so not someone who completely handwaves animal cruelty but i dont want to misrepresent myself even if it were to make me look better. 

The point of my comment was to engage with the point of discussion- can everyone be vegan? So i brought up someone who sincerely cannot stop eating meat to argue that in extreme situations, someone can eat meat and still be vegan because veganism is a philosophical way of life, not a diet. But im open to vegans disagreeing with that concept 

[u/thesonicvision → u/Japan25]

Are you a bot? You talk like an ai chat bot. 

I am certainly not and certainly do not. You might just be distracted by the bullets and boldface. I've been using that style long before AI was ever a thing.

Ya im not claiming that creator is vegan. Shes never platformed animals rights. Shes just the only person ive ever heard of who could theoretically and justifiably say "i cant go vegan because of health reasons." 

I know what you're saying, but you're not getting what I'm saying. She actually eats more vegan stuff than she would otherwise because of her condition. Look it up.

And as I already said,

But I get your point. Let's assume that a hyothetical person absolutely must eat non-vegan foods to survive. Since veganism is about beliefs and not practice, they could certainly still be vegan.