[dylan's alias]

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What nutrients do you get from animals that you don't get from fruits and vegetables?

I read somewhere that when you eat animal flesh that carbon molecules in your stomach lining form around the piece of flesh because it thinks that it's part of you... your flesh, and this is the reason why it's so hard to digest meat.

Look at all the diseases you can get from meat.

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As for the nutritional defecits in a vegan diet, a three second trip to Wikipedia came up with this:
Note that it doesn't say that a vegan diet is necessarily deficient, but it is extremely hard to maintain levels of certain nutrients without supplements.

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Health effects

Main article: Vegan nutrition

The position of the American Dietetic Association is that "appropriately planned" vegan diets "are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."[29] Vegans are potentially at risk for being deficient in nutrients such as vitamin B12,[51] vitamin D,[52] calcium,[53][52] iodine[54] and omega-3 fatty acids.[55] These deficiencies can have potentially serious consequences, including anemia,[56] rickets[57] and cretinism[58] in children, and osteomalacia[57] and hyperthyroidism[58] in adults. Supplementation, particularly for vitamin B12, is highly recommended for vegans.[59]

[edit] Specific nutrients

Vitamin B12, a bacterial product, cannot be reliably found in plant foods.[60][61][56] While it may take one to five years to exhaust some individual's reserves of vitamin B12, many people do not have such reserves[62] and serious health consequences are a risk as a result of B12 deficiency.[63] Additionally, mild B12 deficiency can develop even with such reserves.[62] In a 2002 laboratory study, more of the strict vegan participants' B12 and iron levels were compromised than those of lacto- or lacto-ovo-vegetarian participants.[64] The Vegan Society and Vegan Outreach, among others, recommend that vegans either consistently eat foods fortified with B12 or take a daily or weekly B12 supplement.[60][61][56][65][66] Tempeh, seaweeds, spirulina, organic produce, soil on unwashed vegetables, and intestinal bacteria have not been shown to be reliable sources of B12 for the dietary needs of vegans.[67][68]

Adequate amounts of vitamin D may be obtained by spending 15 to 30 minutes every few days in the sunlight, although this may be difficult for vegans in areas with low levels of sunlight during winter.[57][69][60]

A 2007 study showed that vegans have an increased risk of bone fractures than both meat eaters and vegetarians, likely due to lower dietary calcium intake, but that vegans consuming more than the UK's estimated average requirements for calcium (525 mg/day) had risk of bone fractures similar to other groups.[53] It is recommended that vegans eat three servings per day of a high calcium food, such as fortified soy milk and take a calcium supplement as necessary.[52][29]

[edit] Link with eating disorders

The American Dietetic Association found that vegetarian diets may be more common among adolescents with eating disorders than in the general adolescent population, and that professionals should be aware of adolescents who limit the food choices and exhibit symptoms of eating disorders.[29] The ADA indicates that the evidence suggests that the adoption of a vegetarian diet does not lead to eating disorders, but "vegetarian diets may be selected to camouflage an existing eating disorder."[29] Other studies and statements by dietitians and counselors support this conclusion.[70][71][72]

[edit] Vegan pregnancies

The American Dietetic Association considers well planned vegan diets "appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation,"[29] but recommends vegan mothers supplement for iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.[73][74] Severe vitamin B12 deficiency in lactating vegetarian mothers has been linked to deficiencies and neurological disorders in their children.[75][76] A 2006 study found that vegan mothers are five times less likely to have twins than those who eat animal products.[77]

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Next, no your body does not recognize meat as "self" and create a special carbon coating around it. This is so retarded that it requires no further explanation.

Your comment about food-borne illnesses is equally uninformed. Do you remember the problems with the vegetable supply (scallions, spinach) this past year?