Of course, you will likely become vitamin B12 deficient, which is an extremely serious health issue but whatever – Listen To The Experts: Planetary Health Diet’s climate and health benefits | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
From reading their press release, this is junk science, based on self-reported data over 34 years, and then using models to estimate “planetary” ecological impacts. This is the public health intersection with climate science – public health failed miserably so let’s put them in charge of climate too?
The goal is to provide academic cover for upcoming bans on meat, and future food shortages. Left out of these academic pronouncements is that 25% of the U.S. meat supply is consumed by pet dogs and cats. And yes, there are academics now calling for a ban on all pet dogs and cats. This ban would mean the extermination of all or most pet breeds in existence today. Are you all good with that?
The goal is for everyone to be vegan or vegetarian and to eventually endure vitamin B12 deficiency (as I learned the very hard way): The Accidental Vegetarian – Coldstreams. From that you will also learn that despite misinformation from media, very few people are vegetarian, and the percent has been in decline.
If you intend to adopt a plant-based diet, you MUST discuss with your doctor and a registered dietician, and you must plan to use a spreadsheet or app to track your nutrient levels. You will need to have your blood tested about once per year to ensure you are not entering vitamin B12 or other deficiency zones. In general, meat is the primary source of B12 in our diets. You may (likely will) need to take a daily vitamin B12 supplement. Your ability to absorb vitamin B12 varies by age and health conditions. As we get older, our ability to absorb B12 goes down. Most people have a store of B12 in their liver that can last 2-6 years.
Some proponents say few vegetarians become B12 deficient (actual percent is about 25%). But this is misleading as 65-85% of vegetarians quit eating vegetarian within 2 years and will not deplete their liver store, even if they are no longer consuming B12.
