Hacker News Reader

Comment by latch | Hacker News Reader

If you're referring to breast cancer, the evidence is sketchy, and both the Canadian and American Cancer Societies conclude that it's safe (with some studies suggesting that it might help, as well as a french-paradox type thing going on in Japan).

There have been other cancer-related concerns, but most of the studies have been very small and seem to conclude that there's either no risk, or that there are actually benefits.

The dairy industry is a huge advertising and lobbying machine.

What I find particularly troubling is that people avoid soy because of non-existent evidence. But they continue to drink alcohol which has been thoroughly linked to many forms of cancers. It makes me believe that, in the final analysis, people eat what they want and only pay lip service to healt (or the environment/sustainability/animal welfare); which I'd say that things like Atkins and paleo further confirms.

View on HN

I was actually thinking of the studies that show soy products may cause harmful reductions in testosterone in men. I wouldn't say the data is overwhelming at present, but there is concern. The soy industry isn't exactly a feather weight when it comes to promoting its products either.

The reason I mentioned this is because this article went to significant effort to make margerine sound horrible for your health when the concerns about margerine aren't any more convincing than those about soy. Additionally, the "vegan butter" recipe is based on the same oils as are used in margerines anyways. When it comes to health, how do the chemical reactions done in the article compare to those performed when creating margerine? I have no idea. Just because a chemical reaction has not been performed on an industrial scale does not mean it produces healthier results.

The conflicts people get into about food are sometimes ridiculous in their intensity. Butter vs margerine is almost a religious issue! One thing that is truly ridiculous is how people can go on a pure magic-vegan-voodoo-uber-healthy diet and wind up horribly unhealthy because they're simply eating too much. Perhaps this vegan butter is far better for pie crusts than most margerines, but that doesn't change the fact that pie isn't terribly healthy regardless of what it's made of.

Don't forget about ethical veganism, whose reasoning doesn't involve health.

Almost every vegan I know is so for ethical, not health reasons.

> soy products may cause harmful reductions in testosterone in men. I wouldn't say the data is overwhelming at present, but there is concern.

Not so much. The most comprehensive study of the issue (that I'm aware of):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524224

I'm on a vegan diet for health reasons. I can't eat meat or dairy without a lot of pain. I also can't have alcohol, carbonated beverages, or a number of fruits and vegetables. I arrived at the diet with the help of a GI specialist and a nutritionist. Even on the diet, I still take a fair amount of painkillers every day (mostly non-narcotic, but all by prescription).

I don't eat pie except on a few special occasions (e.g., birthdays and Christmas). I do make my own bread and muffins (mixed berry) so I know what's exactly in them. A recipe like this is good for someone like me as I'll know what's in it.

Assuming that someone goes on a vegan diet and ends up unhealthy because of it is a bit much. I know I'm not the healthiest, but it's because I don't get enough exercise largely due to a number of chronic medical conditions.

> Assuming that someone goes on a vegan diet and ends up unhealthy because of it is a bit much.

There are a number of people that tout themselves as ex-vegans because they went vegan, (probably) didn't eat a well-balanced enough diet, went to their doctor (who said "LOL just eat meat silly!"), got better, and then become staunch anti-vegans.

I think this happens because people try to just cut out non-vegan things from their current diet, and think that their work is done.

Since I was switching diets for health reasons I luckily had the advice of a nutritionist, who was excellent. She helped me a lot.

I recall watching a talk (I think it was a TED talk) where it was suggested that one goes vegetarian for a day or two a week. I think the idea was to help the environment by eating less meat (it's been a while since I watched it).

YMMV, but I eat low-carb (I wouldn't call it either paleo or Atkins) because it's the most effective way I've discovered for me to lose weight. I do it 'cause it's the only thing that doesn't make me hungry and makes me lose weight.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com