'Veganism is a death cult': Internet reacts to 'brutal' claim on health podcast

Internet has reacted to the ‘attack’ on veganism on a health podcast – that termed it ‘a complete fallacy’ – in a variety of ways, including slamming the hosts.

In a recent episode of The Human Upgrade podcast, Dave Asprey, a health science entrepreneur and author, spoke with Paul Saladino, a doctor of medicine and carnivore diet specialist, about the intricacies of diet evolution, holistic health, and metabolic science. During their discussion, Dave called veganism a 'death cult', and now a section of social media users have slammed him for 'another bulls*** attack on veganism'.

What was said against veganism on the podcast

“Veganism is about death. It is a death cult. I am just saying that having been a devout raw vegan, it (veganism) is a deep hatred of the life and death cycle. You are trying to stop it; but if you just do basic math on the number of deaths that gave you your Impossible Burger (Impossible Foods is one of the biggest names in plant-based protein today), it is much higher than a cow. So you have to willfully ignore that. There is this idea that 'I am not going to eat things with faces', like why are worms and bugs not sacred? They are and they are getting killed by industrial agriculture. Things like glyphosate cause earthworms to have seizures 300 times below the level that is allowed in the soil. So, if you really respect the cycle of life, you really protect the cows,” Dave said.

Paul Saladino also said in the podcast, “Veganism is a complete fallacy. There is no life on this earth without killing something... it is not better for life, it is not better for the earth, it is not humane. The intention (of veganism) is good – to do less harm and be compassionate but...”

How Instagram reacted

After Dave shared a clip from the podcast on his Instagram account, linking veganism with death, many took to the comments section of his post, and some were not happy.

An Instagram user commented, “80 percent of the world's soy is fed to livestock; so if you actually care about these insects, like you say you do, then you wouldn’t eat livestock…” Another wrote, “Such dribble. Cow vs worm…”

'Stop coming up with bs to attack veganism'

A person said, “Vegan Diet is not based on the Impossible BURGERS or other fake meat!” Another commented, “But isn’t it a bit brutal? The industrial animal farm.” A comment also read, “The food you eat, eats over 70 percent of all the crops grown.”

Another Instagram user commented, “Another bs (bulls***) attack on veganism! I have news for you: Impossible DOES NOT equal veganism! Stop coming up with bs to attack veganism! Btw (by the way) plants don't have a nervous system, so they're NOT the same thing!”

What is veganism?

According to the Vegan Society, veganism is a way of life that aims to exclude animal exploitation and cruelty as much as possible. It promotes the use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals and humans. Celebrities like Billie Eilish and Richa Chadha have publicly shared how veganism transformed their health, energy levels, and mental state. To know more, click here.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.