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Carmine: Why The Dye is Not Vegetarian

Carmine red is in lipsticks, candy or lemonade. However, the red dye is not suitable for vegetarians. We’ll explain why.

What is carmine and where is it used?

Carmine is a dye widely used in the cosmetics and food industries. It gives a rich red color to numerous products. You can find it on the list of ingredients under the designation E120. Carmine is often also listed as “true carmine”, carminic acid, carmine, cochineal or cochineal.

Many of the following products are often colored with crimson:
lipsticks
eyeshadow
shampoo
Toothpaste with red content
Sweets
lemonades and soft drinks
milkshakes
fruit yoghurt
Ready-to-eat desserts
Canned cherries and red fruit jelly
Cake frosting and cake decoration
cured meats
The problem: Real carmine is made from dead lice. Countless small animals die for the dye. This is not only cruel, but can also lead to health problems for us humans.

Why carmine is not vegetarian

Carmine red is obtained from the dye of female scale insects. Depending on the process, the subspecies cochineal scale or nopal scale, the Indian lacquer scale or the Polish and Armenian cochineal are used. The tiny insects naturally produce the red acid to protect themselves from predators.

More problems from Carmine

In addition to the fact that carmine red is not vegetarian, the dye can also become dangerous for humans.

The consumption of carmine can lead to serious allergic reactions: skin rashes, breathing difficulties, headaches and nausea up to a life-threatening anaphylactic shock can be the result. Asthmatics should also avoid products with crimson as much as possible.

Alternatives to Carmine

Killing countless animals for purely visual reasons is senseless and cruel. In order not to further support the production of crimson, you can take a closer look at the list of ingredients for red-colored products.

Many manufacturers are now using plant-based or synthetic alternatives to carmine. The number E124 indicates synthetic carmine. Red dye can also be obtained naturally from alkenna roots or from beetroot juice.

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Food

Eat The Kernels: You Should Not Throw Away These Fruit Seeds

You can easily eat the pits from many fruits, even some varieties that you might not expect to eat. We’ll show you which seeds you can eat – and how healthy they can even be.

For most people, throwing away the pits of watermelons or apples is quite normal. You can also eat them and not only minimize leftovers, but also benefit from the valuable ingredients.

Eat the kernels too: Concern about the hydrocyanic acid

Again and again we are warned against eating the seeds of certain fruits. The so-called amygdalin is particularly important. Amygdalin becomes toxic hydrocyanic acid in the body and is found primarily in the seeds of the following types of fruit:
Apple
apricot
avocado
pear
date
cherry
mango
nectarine
peach
plum
In fact, hydrocyanic acid can lead to poisoning and even death. Nevertheless, you don’t have to worry about it if you want to eat fruit stones more often in the future. In most cases, in order to poison yourself, you would have to ingest extremely large amounts of seeds: for example, it would take over 200 apple seeds to become poisoned. You can find more information on the amygdalin content of these types of fruit in a study by the University of Leeds.

We usually don’t eat the large pits of cherries, nectarines or plums anyway. But even here you would have to eat several of them at once – and grind them first because you would simply excrete them without chewing.

Grape seeds – rich in antioxidants

Many customers prefer seedless grapes. The kernels of all things contain valuable nutrients.

From a health point of view, the flavonoids contained are particularly interesting. These are among the secondary plant substances and have an antioxidant effect in the body: They protect our cells by binding free radicals, can reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system.

Many scientific studies deal with the medical potential of grape seed extract, such as a Turkish study from 2018. Of course, the ingredients in the bare seeds are much less concentrated than in the extract. Nevertheless, it is worth not throwing away the grape seeds, but to chew them up and eat them.

Eat apple seeds – not poisonous, but healthy

As mentioned, apple seeds contain a certain amount of amygdalin. But you don’t have to worry about prussic acid poisoning.

You can confidently eat the entire core, which also contains valuable nutrients. The kernels contain additional fiber and some phytochemicals.

By the way: As with most kernels, apple seeds are simply excreted if you swallow them whole. If you want to benefit from the nutrients, you have to chew the seeds thoroughly.

Pears: eat the cores too

The situation with pears is very similar to that of apples: There is also a small amount of amygdalin in the seeds, but you don’t need to worry about that.

Instead, you can easily eat the already small seeds. There are also antioxidants in the form of secondary plant substances.

Watermelon: eat the seeds

Watermelon seeds are rich in magnesium, iron, folic acid and unsaturated fatty acids. They also contain vitamin A, vitamin C and proteins. Therefore, these seeds are too good to throw away.

You can simply eat the watermelon seeds raw. It is important here again that you chew them up properly. This is the only way your body can access the valuable ingredients. In addition, unchewed watermelon seeds are said to be difficult to digest.

Alternatively, you can also prepare a delicious snack from the kernels by first drying them and then roasting them in a pan or in the oven with a little oil and salt – not only a delicious snack for in between, but also as an ingredient for soups or baked goods use.

Citrus seeds are edible

Whether lemon, orange or grapefruit: You can also eat the seeds of citrus fruits. They also contain secondary plant substances and fiber.

Lemon seeds are said to contain traces of salicylic acid. This is the main active ingredient in aspirin. It is doubtful to what extent you can benefit from the pain-relieving effect of a few lemon seeds.

Eat the avocado stone or not?

Avocados are hyped as a superfood. The creamy fruit contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The core, on the other hand, usually ends up in the garbage or on the compost. That’s doubly a pity: On the one hand, it also contains plenty of nutrients from which we can benefit in terms of health. On the other hand, avocados have such a bad ecological balance due to transport routes, cultivation conditions and water requirements that we should at least use the whole fruit.

While some praise the stone as a miracle cure because of the healthy nutrients, there are also dissenting voices: Because the avocado stone also contains the bitter substance persine, which can be deadly in larger quantities. Again, the dose makes the poison: eating an entire avocado seed at once would not be a good idea. A small piece could in turn have positive effects, such as preventing cardiovascular diseases or stimulating the metabolism.

The best way to eat the kernel is to grate it finely with a kitchen grater and mix the pieces into your muesli, salad or smoothie. You can also use them to make tea.

Eat papaya seeds – against parasites in the intestine

The papaya is another tropical fruit that, at best, can be imported from southern Europe. The many black seeds in the middle of the fruit are usually thrown away in this country. In tropical countries, on the other hand, it is common to eat them to prevent or fight parasites in the intestine.

This effect is due to the enzyme papain, of which the seeds contain plenty. This specifically attacks parasite eggs by converting their proteins. This was scientifically proven in a pilot study.

In addition, papaya seeds are particularly rich in antioxidants, which – as already mentioned – are beneficial to our health in many ways.

In terms of taste, the seeds are more reminiscent of black pepper than of a sweet fruit with their sharpness. It may take a little getting used to at first, but in combination with the pulp they produce an interesting taste. But take it slow and don’t eat all the seeds at once – that could overwhelm your taste buds and your digestion. A few seeds will do for starters.

You can also dry and grind the seeds and use them as a pepper substitute.

Some also swear by swallowing the papaya seeds whole. Due to the fiber layer that encases the slippery kernels, they should slide through the intestines and clean them like swollen psyllium husks. However, there are no studies on this so far.

Since papaya has traveled such a long distance, the general rule is: Eat it seldom, and then eat it organically.

Eat the seeds too: Everyone does it with these fruits and vegetables

There are numerous types of fruit whose seeds we all eat – simply because they are so small that they can hardly be sorted out. These include, among other things:
Berries, for example raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
figs
kiwis
The same applies to some types of vegetables, such as:
cucumbers
eggplants
tomatoes
zucchini
But it is also perfectly normal and healthy to eat the kernels of nuts and so-called stone fruits. Because here the core is what we understand and consume as a nut:
hazelnut
walnut
macadamia nut
chestnuts
Hemp seed (also called hemp nut)
almonds
brazil nut
pecan
pistachios
cashew nuts
Passion fruit and pomegranates are another special case: the edible part consists almost exclusively of seeds. Only the shell is not edible here.

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Lifestyle

Health Hazard: Which Foods do Not Belong on The Grill

Summertime is barbecue time – but many people make fundamental mistakes. Anyone who puts the wrong food on the grill or uses inappropriate utensils is harmful to their health. You shouldn’t grill this.

1. Marinated grilled food directly on the grid

One of the biggest health risks when barbecuing: when fat from the food drips onto the embers, so-called “polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons” (PAHs) can form. The substances rise through the smoke, and anyone standing near the grill can inhale them. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, PAHs have a carcinogenic effect.

This means that marinated vegetables, meat or cheese in particular should not be placed directly on the grill to prevent the marinade from dripping off. Use a grill tray instead – ideally a reusable tray. Single-use products only create unnecessary waste.

By the way: If it still happens that liquid drips down and smoke develops, you should put the food aside until the smoke subsides.

2. Acidic or salty foods on aluminum

If you use an aluminum grill tray, however, you have to be careful again: If aluminum comes into contact with acids or salts, a chemical reaction will take place. Aluminum ions dissolve and can migrate to the food.

Healthy people usually excrete the aluminum through their kidneys – but it can also happen that the light metal accumulates in their bodies.

To avoid this, acidic and salty foods in particular should not come into contact with aluminum. So when grilling, don’t put cheese, salted or marinated meats, and vegetables in an aluminum tray or wrap them in aluminum foil. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the same applies to tomatoes. Instead, use a stainless steel grill pan or vegetable leaves.

3. The wrong fat

Would you like to grill corn on the cob? Make sure you don’t butter it until after – butter doesn’t belong on the grill. It has a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, which cannot tolerate the high grilling temperatures. The result: butter on the cob – or any other food to be grilled – oxidizes and forms heavy smoke. The same goes for margarine and corn oil.

4. Cured and smoked meats

It doesn’t matter whether it’s directly on the grill or in a bowl: What doesn’t belong on the grill at all is cured or smoked meat. These include, for example, Viennese sausages, ham, bockwurst, meat sausage and bacon. These meat products are made using nitrite curing salt – a mixture of table salt and potassium or sodium nitrite.

5. Cheap meat

Apart from the health hazard, there is another point to consider when barbecuing: cheap meat should also be taboo. Steak, grilled sausages or meat skewers for a few euros are produced under extremely questionable conditions. The animals live in a confined space, stand in their faeces and never see sunlight in their lives. They have no opportunities to occupy themselves – the animals often injure each other. Crates, piglet castration without anesthetic and tail docking are still common in industrial mass operations.

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Food

Preparing Green Tea: This is How it Does Not Become Bitter

Preparing green tea takes a lot of learning: you have to pay attention to a few things when it comes to the infusion and the temperature so that the green tea doesn’t become bitter and the desired effect occurs.

Green tea is said to have many positive effects on the metabolism, fat burning and the immune system. Since it contains caffeine, it also wakes you up and is better tolerated than coffee.

If you want to prepare green tea in the traditional Japanese way, there are a lot of things to consider: the type of tea, the brewing time, the water quality, the temperature and the amount of tea. The teapot can also affect the taste.

Preparing green tea: that’s what matters

The water temperature and brewing time are particularly important when preparing green tea. If it brews too long, it becomes bitter. If it is too short, it hardly tastes good. If the water is too hot, good ingredients such as antioxidants or tanning agents are dissolved. If the water is too cold, these substances are not bound in the water and your tea has no effect.

For a good green tea you have to pay attention to the following:

Use low lime water
Brewing time: Depends on the type of tea, but no longer than three minutes
Water temperature: depending on the type of tea between 60 and 90 degrees Celsius
Amount of tea: 1 -2 teaspoons loose tea or 1 tea bag (approx. 10 g)
Amount of water: depending on the type of tea, one cup to one pot
In most cases, the packaging states how much tea needs to be brewed, for how long and at what degrees.

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Food

Isomalt: Why Sugar-free Candies are Often Not Calorie-free

What is Isomalt? Where is the sugar substitute found and why is it considered “sugar-free” even though it has calories?

When it comes to sweets, many people turn to a sugar-free alternative – it’s better for the teeth and supposedly calorie-free. Unfortunately, this is often not true: Isomalt, for example, is a common sugar substitute in sugar-free foods – and it is actually sugar-free, but by no means low in calories.

What is Isomalt?

Isomalt is a sugar substitute (more precisely: a sugar substitute) and has the E number E953. In nature, the sugar alternative occurs, for example, in sugar beets. Isomalt is odorless, white and crystalline. The sugar substitute is also available in liquid form.

Isomalt for the food industry is produced from normal beet sugar in two processing steps:

In the first step, isomaltulose is extracted from the beet sugar with the help of enzymes.
In the next step, isomalt is obtained by hydrolysis – the splitting of chemical compounds by water.

What foods contain isomalt?

Isomalt is used in the production of many sugar-free and low-sugar foods: candies, baked goods, mustard, sauces, jams and desserts. Since isomalt only slightly affects blood sugar and insulin levels, it is particularly suitable for diabetics and is contained in many diabetic foods. It is used in corn flakes for its technical properties to improve the crunch.

In addition, isomalt is used in pharmacy and in animal feed production. And in technical applications, Isomalt is used as a stabilizer (e.g. in the production of PVC), plasticizer, adhesive or binder.

Identification: How do I recognize isomalt?

The Food Information Regulation of 2014 regulates the labeling of isomalt: sweeteners and sugar alcohols – to which isomalt belongs – are summarized under the term “sweeteners”.

Foodstuffs containing sweeteners must be labeled “with sweetener(s)”. In addition, the sweetener must also be included in the list of ingredients. For isomalt, for example, this could look like this: “sweetener isomalt” or “sweetener E 953”.

Why is isomalt “sugar-free” and still has calories?

Isomalt has almost the same sweetening power as normal sugar and can be processed in a similar way. However, anyone who assumes that “sugar-free” foods – which contain isomalt – are also calorie-free is wrong. Although isomalt has only half as many calories as sugar, it is still two calories per gram. So if you’re watching your calorie intake, don’t be misled by the “sugar-free” description.

However, isomalt has a lower glycemic index (GI) than regular sugar. The GI indicates how a carbohydrate-containing food affects blood sugar levels. A score below 50 is considered low. An index of two to a maximum of nine was found for isomalt in various studies. This means that, in contrast to normal household sugar (GI = 68), isomalt is more suitable for diabetics and people who want to lose weight.

Isomalt: tooth-friendly sugar substitute

Compared to normal sugar, isomalt is also significantly better for the teeth: It forms very little acid because it is not metabolized by the microorganisms in the mouth due to its stability. Isomalt has only a very low potential to trigger caries and is considered to be tooth-friendly.

Alternatives to isomalt

Isomalt has clear advantages: it is tooth-friendly, has a low glycemic index and only half the calories of regular beet sugar. However, don’t let the term “sugar-free” fool you: Many sugar-free foods are not also calorie-free. And the sugar substitute has another disadvantage: in large quantities, isomalt can have a laxative effect.

A calorie-free sugar alternative is erythritol. It is made by fermenting grape sugar. Like isomalt, it has only a minor effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. However, this sugar alternative is truly zero-calorie.

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Cooking Tips

To Peel Persimmons or Not? This is How You Eat Them Properly

Whether or not it is necessary to peel persimmons depends on several factors. In this article you will learn how to best consume the sweet exotic fruits and what you should bear in mind when doing so.

Whether you peel persimmons or not depends on your preferences. Basically, the skins of the persimmons are edible and you can eat the orange fruits with their skins.

Unripe persimmons do not taste good due to the high tannin content. Therefore, when shopping, you should consider whether you want to eat the persimmons right away or in a few days. In this article, you will not only learn how to eat persimmons correctly, but also how to recognize and influence the right degree of ripeness.

The persimmon is the sweet fruit of the persimmon tree and originally comes from Asia. Persimmon trees need warmer growing areas because they are not frost-resistant. There is therefore no significant commercial cultivation of the orange fruit in Germany. Most of the growing areas are in China, Korea and Japan.

There are now also European kakis on the market, for example from Spain. In order to avoid long transport routes, you should prefer these fruits to those from Asia. If possible, buy kakis in organic quality: they are free of chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Peeling persimmons: you should know that

You don’t have to peel persimmons to eat them. However, there are a few basic things you should keep in mind if you want to eat persimmons with the skin on.

Use organic persimmons as their skins are untreated. In principle, however, you can also eat the skin of conventionally grown fruits.
You should always wash fruit thoroughly before eating. More about this here: Washing fruit properly: What to do about pesticides on the skin?
Depending on the type of persimmon, the skin varies in thickness. Thick-skinned specimens taste better peeled.
This is how you eat persimmons correctly

Wash the persimmons thoroughly with cold water.
Halve the fruit lengthwise.
Remove the hard carpels and the light-colored base of the stalk.
Cut the fruit lengthwise into four or eight wedges.
Whether you peel the kaki or eat it with the peel is up to you. If you want to peel the persimmons, cut the flesh off the skin, similar to a melon.
Scoop out persimmons

When persimmons are fully ripe and very juicy, they are easier to spoon than to cut:

Wash the persimmons thoroughly with cold water.
Halve the fruit lengthwise.
Using a small spoon, scoop the insides of the persimmon straight out of the shell.

Recognizing the right degree of ripeness of persimmons

In order to withstand the long transport routes, the harvested persimmons are usually still unripe. Unripe persimmons contain a high proportion of the vegetable tanning agent tannin. When you eat them, this gives you a furry sensation in your mouth. However, tannins are not harmful to health. As it ripens, the sugar content in the persimmon increases and the orange fruit tastes juicy and sweet.

In addition to the actual kaki, you will also find the cultivated forms in the trade

honey apple
persimmon and
Sharon.
The cultivated forms contain significantly less tannin and you can therefore eat them in a harder state.

This is how you can tell that the persimmon is ripe

The persimmon is ripe when it is very soft. The persimmon has reached the perfect degree of ripeness when the pulp shimmers through the skin with a glassy sheen. Fully ripe persimmons yield slightly when pressed lightly with your fingers. The shell should not show any brown spots or dents.

Transport and store ripe persimmons

When fully ripe, the persimmon is very sensitive to pressure. Therefore, make sure that you pack ripe persimmons to protect them from pressure when you buy them, so that you can transport them home safely. Store ripe persimmons refrigerated and eat within a day or two.

Allow unripe persimmons to ripen

If the persimmon is not yet ripe, you can store it next to bananas or apples for a few days. These secrete ethylene, which stimulates other fruit to ripen faster.

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Food

List of Kitchen Herbs: These Herbs Should Not Be Missing in any Kitchen

Fresh kitchen herbs unfold a much more intense aroma than dry spices – and you can grow them yourself. Here is our top 10 list for refining your food.

What would tomato and mozzarella be without basil leaves or pizza sauce without oregano? Freshly cut kitchen herbs give your dishes a lot of flavor. On top of that, you can be sure that no pesticides will get into your home-grown herb.

Top 10 list of kitchen herbs: treats with medicinal properties

There are hundreds of different kitchen herbs and so the list of personal favorites will vary greatly for everyone. The following selection of kitchen spices will give you inspiration for your own kitchen.

The biennial parsley is one of the most popular herbs in German kitchens. So that it does not lose its spicy-intensive aroma, it should be cooked for a maximum of a short time. The spice from the umbelliferae group is extremely rich in vitamins and is said to be good for the bladder and digestion. Parsley grows best in bright locations without direct sunlight. You should avoid waterlogging.
The strong, spicy chives not only refine dishes with their slight spiciness, but are also said to keep pests away in the garden due to their strong smell. For a bountiful harvest, you should remove the flowers regularly and divide the plant every spring as it needs space to grow.
Dill is a spicy-tart, slightly sweet kitchen herb. It is particularly suitable for the preparation of fish and salads. The annual umbellifer needs sufficient moisture for its growth and you can harvest it continuously from a growth height of 15 centimeters.
The refreshing, aromatic basil goes well with refining tomatoes and salads. However, the plants available in the supermarket usually do not last long because they are planted far too closely together in nutrient-poor soil. It is best to repot the basil into a larger pot or into the garden immediately after purchase.
Oregano is a staple pizza spice for most. The essential oregano oil can have an antibacterial effect on wounds. If you want to plant oregano yourself, you should pay attention to a warm and sunny place. As with all kitchen herbs, it is important to keep sufficient distance between the individual plants.
The spicy, slightly smoky thyme is particularly suitable for Mediterranean dishes and can help as a home remedy for coughs. Thyme likes it dry, sunny and occasional fertilization.
Mint not only freshens breath as a tea, but also gives sauces, marinades and desserts a piquant, spicy-fresh note. You can also use it for homemade lemonade. As a kitchen herb, it likes partial shade, well fertilized and moist.
Lemon balm leaves are known as a calming tea. But the lemony-tasting medicinal herb is also suitable for refining sweet and savory dishes. The perennial kitchen spice likes it sunny and nutritious. You should avoid waterlogging.


The sour-fruity taste of sage is ideal for vegetarian dishes. Sage also has an anti-inflammatory effect and is popular as a tea during the cold season. The spice likes it sunny and dry.
Lemongrass is a herb from Asian cuisine and gives dishes a lemony aroma. So that it grows well in the kitchen, you can use potting soil mixed with a little sand as a substrate. Lemongrass likes it bright and moist, but it does not tolerate waterlogging.

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Food

Figs are Not (Always) Vegan

Even if they are fruit, figs are often not vegan. The reason for this lies in the fertilization method. We explain what makes most figs problematic and what alternatives there are.

At first glance, the question of whether figs are vegan does not seem to arise: After all, they are the fruit of the fig tree and therefore a food of plant origin. If you interpret the term strictly, however, most figs are actually not suitable for a vegan diet: numerous wasps are usually injured when the fruit is cultivated. This is not a side effect, in fact it is a necessary condition. You can read here why this is so.

That’s why figs are not vegan

Most commercially available figs come from the so-called real fig or table fig (Ficus carica). The common fig only has female flowers and can therefore not reproduce itself – it needs the male pollen of another fig species, the goat fig. Only certain wasp species, which are summarized under the umbrella term “fig wasps”, can pollinate them.

The female fig wasps enter the flowers of the fig tree – because fig flowers are very narrow, they injure themselves and die after laying their eggs. So-called plant galls form from the blossoms of the fig, in which the young fig wasps grow.

The males no longer leave the galls: they die after mating with the females. The females later get out into the open and fly to the blossoms of the goat fig, but also those of the real fig. In this way they transport the required pollen and ensure the fertilization of both types of figs. However, the females lose their lives in the process – the cycle continues.

After they die, the dead fig wasps are decomposed inside: they are completely dissolved by an enzyme called ficin. The fruits that are harvested later do not contain any residue from the wasps. Strictly speaking, however, figs are not vegan. So the death of the wasps is the basic requirement for them to be able to grow up at all. Whether you want to eat figs as a vegan or not is ultimately an individual decision.

Are there vegan figs?

In addition to the common fig and the goat fig, there are also fig varieties that do not depend on the fig wasp. They can fertilize themselves and are vegan figs in that sense. They are also known under the umbrella term “Parthenocarpic figs”. Such varieties are particularly common in regions where fig wasps do not occur. In Germany too, under the right climatic conditions, fig trees can be grown that bear fruit.

If you eat the sweet fruit often but want to use vegan figs, you have the option of planting a fig tree in your own garden. You can get general information about this in our guide: Planting, caring for and propagating fig trees: Here’s how.

For more details, it is best to seek advice from a specialist garden retailer. There you can find out whether the climate in your region is favorable enough to grow figs – and you can also find out which self-pollinating species are suitable. In Germany, for example, the “Brown Turkey”, “Negronne” or “Valle Negra” varieties are popular.

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health

5 Common Arguments to Eat Meat – NOT

As a vegetarian or vegan, you are often confronted with arguments as to why a meatless diet is unhealthy, unnatural or even harmful to the environment. What is it about these statements? We have collected five of the most common arguments for meat and formulated counter-arguments.

Claims like “The rainforest is on fire for tofu!”, “Athletes need meat!” or “If God hadn’t wanted us to eat meat, he wouldn’t have made it so delicious!” probably every vegetarian has: in and vegan:in heard before. We can do no more than argue about God and his plans. But if statements are demonstrably false, you don’t have to let them rest. How to dispassionately counter some of the most common arguments for eating meat:

Humans are carnivores?

Humans are carnivores, vegan diet is unnatural.

Some of the most popular arguments against vegetarians and vegans revolve around how natural a meat-free diet is. Sentences like “People are carnivores, you can see that from their teeth” are also often used. But: Humans are definitely not pure meat eaters (= carnivores). After all, even the biggest meat lovers eat a piece of fruit or vegetable from time to time. This is also important, because unlike carnivores, humans cannot produce vitamin C themselves and have to get it from food.

Furthermore, if we were pure carnivores, we could swallow large chunks of meat almost without chewing. In carnivores, digestion begins in the stomach, while humans start digesting in the mouth. An enzyme in the saliva that breaks down starch helps us with this. And starch is not in meat, but in plants.

Admittedly, from a biological point of view, people are not herbivores (=herbivores) either, but omnivores (=omnivores). That is, our physical characteristics—including how our teeth are constructed and how they work—allow us to eat both animal and plant-based foods, depending on what is available.

Unlike our ancestors who hunted and gathered, today we have choices. We don’t starve if we don’t eat meat, thanks to farming and storage facilities. We also don’t have to put as much energy into foraging – and making up for that loss with food. We’re also getting older, which is why it’s important to look not only at short-term satiety, but also at the long-term health pros and cons of a diet.

If you want to be physically fit, you need meat?

People need animal proteins, especially athletes.

“If the [construction worker] only gets meat once a week and only salad, he falls off the scaffolding on the third day.” This quote from the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger made the rounds in the summer of 2020. The politician is right on one point: You cannot have a balanced diet from lettuce alone. Luckily, there are a lot of other plant-based foods, also to provide us with the proteins that athletes love.

The documentary “The Game Changers” shows that you can also achieve top performance with a purely plant-based diet using the example of various top athletes. The science journalist Bas Kast even comes to the conclusion in his book “The nutrition compass: The conclusion of all scientific studies on the subject of nutrition” (buy** at Thalia, bücher.de or Buch7, among others) that vegetable proteins are healthier than animal ones. Various studies provide evidence that meat consumption increases the risk of various lifestyle diseases.

The vitamin B12 thing

Vegans need to supplement vitamin B12, meat eaters don’t.

If you have to take vitamin B12 as a dietary supplement, it cannot be a sensible diet – many have certainly heard this argument as well. It’s true, vegans should supplement with vitamin B12. Some plant-based foods also contain vitamin B12, but in a form that, according to experts, cannot be used by the human body.

But where does the vitamin B12 in meat come from? For poultry and pork, the answer is: from dietary supplements. Because just like in humans, vitamin B12 is formed in the large intestine of animals, but they excrete it without using it.

Ruminants, on the other hand, can use the vitamin B12 they produce in their own bodies. To do this, they must be sufficiently supplied with the trace element cobalt. In industrial agriculture, cows often lack this requirement, which is why they are often dependent on nutritional supplements.

On this basis, it is entirely justified to ask the question whether one cannot simply take vitamin B12 oneself in the form of food supplements and skip the detour via the animals.

Vegans eat industrial goo?

Meat substitutes are unnatural chemical food.

Vegan food consists of flavor enhancers, artificial flavors and other additives? This is true for some plant foods, as it is for many processed animal products. And as with an omnivorous diet, such products should be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to eating healthily.

Meat substitutes make it easier for many people to switch to a plant-based diet. They are practical if you want to prepare a vegan alternative to a meat dish without much effort. In the long run, however, many health-conscious vegans refrain from replacing meat, sausage and cheese 1:1 with vegan substitutes. Instead, there are, for example, Bolognese made from lentils, vegetable skewers when grilling and hummus on bread. Tofu is also available in its natural state, and even with processed meat substitutes, the list of ingredients is not always as long and cryptic.

Even if vegans treat themselves to a few vegan sausages at a barbecue party (if they are possible again): Before calling them industrial goo, one should consider whether it is really being vegan that decides how natural or unnatural one eats. Didn’t you just eat a bratwurst with a similarly long list of ingredients, plus ready-made barbecue sauces, chips and cola? If so, then maybe it’s best to keep your mouth shut.

Does the rainforest burn for tofu?

Vegan diet harms the environment.

If we all stop eating meat, where are we supposed to grow all the vegetables to keep us full? Some people are probably asking this question. If rainforests are already being cut down to plant soy, wouldn’t the problem get worse with a switch to a plant-based diet?

Many who ask these questions forget that pigs, cattle and chickens also have to eat. Very few of these animals graze on green mountain meadows that are unsuitable for growing food. Instead, large areas of arable land are required for the cultivation of animal feed. This means that the area required for animal food is higher than for plant food. When animal husbandry decreases, areas are freed up on which we can grow food for human consumption or on which we can reforest.

The increasing hunger for cheap meat has led to forests being cut down in order to grow animal feed in huge monocultures. Depending on the source, 75 to 85 percent of the soy harvested worldwide is fed to animals. So much for the claim that vegetarians and vegans are destroying the rainforest. Incidentally, the soy for meat and milk substitutes often comes from Europe.

After years of eating meat and other animal products, it can be difficult to reduce or even stop eating them altogether. But hiding behind false arguments no longer counts as an excuse.

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Cooking Tips

Eating Beans Raw: Why It’s Not a Good Idea

Eating beans raw is not a good idea, although many other vegetables are fine to eat raw. Uncooked, legumes contain phasin, which has many undesirable side effects.

That’s why you shouldn’t eat beans raw

Raw fruit or vegetable sticks are considered a healthy snack. Unlike carrots or cucumbers, however, it is better not to use raw beans. It is also not advisable to try a piece of uncooked bean when preparing it.

This is because raw beans contain phasin, according to the Bavarian consumer advice center. This is a mixture of lectins, a toxic protein compound. It consists of the amino acids glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, alanine, tyrosine, lysine and arginine. Phasin is found in raw vegetables, especially kidney beans and other legumes such as red and white kidney beans.

Phasin is toxic to humans because it causes red blood cells to stick together. Above a certain dose, the consumption of green beans leads to vomiting, diarrhea, stomach and intestinal problems or headaches. According to the Bavarian consumer center, five to six beans are enough for children to show symptoms. With red kidney beans, adults can experience side effects after eating four to five seeds, while with kidney beans it has to be a good handful. Symptoms of poisoning usually appear two to three hours after consumption.

In the worst case, fatal poisoning is also possible. However, this requires a very large amount of beans.

You should keep this in mind when eating beans

So that you can enjoy your beans without side effects, we have a few tips for you below:

Boil the beans for at least 10 minutes. According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, the phasin is destroyed and you run no risk of poisoning yourself.
Discard the bean water after soaking, as it contains phasin. You can reuse the cooking water: Use bean water: 5 surprising ways.
Be careful with sprouting beans or legumes. Sprouting reduces the phasin content, but you should still blanch or boil them briefly. Due to the lower phasin content, blanching would also suffice here.
Keep small children away from uncooked beans. They are more prone to side effects due to their light weight and don’t yet know that uncooked beans are not good for them.

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