Summary
This article is part of a debate, where researchers argue the pros and cons of questions examining if humans should avoid animal products in order to decrease the risk for chronic disease. Although published in a peer-reviewed journal, debates are not subject to peer review.
This article summarizes the debate and points out future directions of research. The authors agree that a vegan diet has been linked to beneficial health outcomes and that some animal products are major sources of saturated fat and cholesterol. Points of disagreement between the authors are whether a vegan diet can be nutritionally adequate, how to interpret the results of epidemiological studies, and the biological effects (e.g. effects of saturated fat from animal products on the human body) of animal food components. Both authors agree that more studies are needed to resolve points of disagreement and examine a vegan diet in more detail and in different populations. Among the strengths of this article is the accessible summary of points of agreement and controversy, as well as the productive agreement on ways to solve the controversies. Some limitations of this article are that due to its shortness many points cannot be treated in depth. In conclusion, the authors agree that a vegan diet has been linked to beneficial health outcomes in observational studies and call for high quality randomized controlled trials to resolve their controversial points.
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