A friend of mine who is a medical doctor said, when I was bemoaning the fact that one
of my son had become a vegan, "Vegetarianism is alright, but veganism is a cult."
He explained that, dietetically we are "put together" (this is so we don't end up
with someone round these parts getting all prickly and creationist when I use the
word 'evolved') in such a way as to require animal components in our diet.
A vegetarian diet, via milk products (and, optionally, eggs) supplies us
with those necessary animal components.
Vegans end up having take dietary supplement pills to cope with
the fact (! FACT !) that a vegan diet does NOT supply all the dietary requirements
of a human being.
Personally I'm an omnivore.
I am sick and tired of all the "bogey Yogis" who make daft
pronouncements about the benefits of the vegan diet: but then
I am sick and tired of all the crap about alternative medicine
and Ayurveda.