Animal rights and veganism philosophy were discussed

Üsküdar University Molecular Biology and Genetics Club organized a program called "Green Transformation in the Science World, Animal Rights and Veganism Summit" under the leadership of the Department of Health, Culture and Sports. The philosophy of animal rights and veganism has been discussed by many experts in various aspects.

The program, which took place at Üsküdar University Central Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, was held with great participation.

Prof. Muhsin Konuk: "The basis of the mucilage is the pollution stress in the marine ecosystem"

In the program, the opening speech was made by Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Muhsin Konuk. Konuk pointed out the marine ecosystem and the duties of assets in the ecosystem and stated that "What lies at the root of the mucilage problem we experience in the marine ecosystem is actually the pollution stress in the marine ecosystem. Stress does not mean too much or too little of something. Water is the most important substance for vitality. Water is life, but life is not water. If you give the water that is life, to the plants more than necessary, they will die by getting stressed by water. If you realize that you are a part of the universe, then when you become a human being, and you are free from the feeling of doing evil to living beings. You are completely destroying that feeling. Maybe you change your direction so that you will not step on the ant. The reason for this is that each being has a role in the ecosystem. When you take one of them off, if it is the last link, it doe not make much difference; however, if there is a break in the middle of the chain, then you are faced with unvanquishable problems."

Melike Dirikoç: "Veganism is a freedom movement"

Melike Dirikoç made a presentation titled 'Making Connections' and mentioned that it is necessary to remember that animals are sentient creatures to remember the wrong. Dirikoç stated that "In one study, 71% of people agreed with the statement that it is wrong to cause pain and torture to animals. Even if we agree with it in thought, we do not show it in behavior. To remember the wrong doing, we must remember that animals are sentient beings. Animals are tortured and killed in experiments. Even when making cat and dog food, even if this seems like a well-intentioned behavior for them, experiments are made on cats and dogs. We do not have to do that. There are different methods. Methods such as cell and stem cell studies, 3D tissue culture, computer modeling are just like clinical studies on humans. Animals are used and enslaved in the field of entertainment. Today, unfortunately, there is a norm such as 'Animals are machines'. Animals have the status of property. Cats, dogs, fish, chickens have the same status as a table. Unfortunately, we are unable to protect them for this reason. We say unscientific words. These are our norms. When you take something out of context, it is easier to persuade. The more horrible a situation is, the greater the manipulation and lies told about it. Veganism is not a trend or a movement to be marginalized, it is a movement of freedom. To live vegan is to reject animal slavery and oppose violence against animals. Veganism is a movement of freedom for non-human animals, humans and nature."

Dr. Kaya Bilgüvar: "There are endless possibilities we can use not to torture animals"

Stating that they make applications devoid of xeno-free animal products, Dr. Kaya Bilgüvar made a presentation titled 'Genetics and Modeling of Neurodevelopmental Diseases'. Bilgüvar stated "We started to be able to model the disease with the samples we took directly from the patient without using an animal model. I think there is a very good fit because we take it directly from the patient themselves. We use that patient's cell directly to solve that patient's disease. It is not enough just to have the technological capacity to completely eliminate animal experimentation. There are also some political decisions involved. In some studies, organoids are a much better model, but animal experiments are considered more essential. For this transformation, data must be accumulated and proven. I think the transformation of the self-centered and anthropocentric perception in society should also accelerate. Today, there are endless possibilities we can use to avoid torturing animals."

Dietitian Bilge Sever: "It is not the food that matter, but it is the nutrients"

Underlining that carbon emissions are higher in places where animal product consumption is high, Dietitian Bilge Sever made a presentation titled 'Vegan Nutrition 101'. Sever said that "A plant-based diet is the same as a vegan diet. Plant-based nutrition, on the other hand, is the use of animal products. Human health cannot be separated from planetary health. Carbon emissions are dangerous for the planet. Carbon emissions are higher in places where the consumption of animal products is high. A vegan diet may be healthier than other diets. We think we can only get calcium from animal milk. When buying animal milk, we also get saturated fat, which is dangerous. In fact, soy and soy-based products have a protective effect on breast cancer, contrary to popular belief. Milk produced for human consumption is organic, and milk produced by animals is GMO. Due to the presence of estrogen and other substances in animal milk and its high amounts, it causes more cancer. Those who are vegan have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, less risk of developing prostate cancer, and less risk of total cancer. Herbal nutrition increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, allows easier weight loss and the majority of the weight lost is from fat. Individuals who are vegan are more easily satiated and get hungry in a longer duration. The risk of developing type-2 diabetes is 78% low. When nutrients are taken in sufficient amounts, plant-based nutrition is not harmful to babies and children. It is not the food that is important, but it is the nutrients.”

Dr. Ayşenur Çetinkaya Yıldırım: "Veganism is a philosophy"

Dr. Ayşenur Çetinkaya Yıldırım made a presentation titled 'Vegan Nutrition in Children and Adolescents' and said that "Veganism is not a diet, but it is a philosophy. With proper supplementation, a vegan diet can promote normal growth and development. A vegan diet is recommended all over the world. There does not seem to be a problem. There is no deficiency in children. Vegan children are getting higher carbs and lower saturated fat. Vegan and vegetarian children are more underweight and stunted. Omnivorous families have a low fiber intake. The possible cause of short stature may be related to malnutrition. There is a growth factor in milk. It stimulates growth but it should not be forgotten that it is an anabolic hormone. There is calcium in milk, yes, but in children, cow's milk is not absorbed from the intestine. Other proteins in milk damage the intestines and reduce absorption. Between 20% and 70% of the antibiotic given to the animal can pass into the milk. Moreover, it is excreted in feces and urine, and mixes with soil and spring waters. The antibiotics in milk show their effects just as if they had taken antibiotics. The intestinal flora deteriorates, beneficial bacteria die, the number of harmful bacteria increases. Antibiotic resistance develops, paving the way for allergies. When you cut animal protein, edema in the body is removed, and the absorption we get from the foods we eat increases. We cannot impose anything on children. They are an individual and has to make their own decisions. We need to sit at the same table with them, show them the truth and tell them."

Funda Çalış: "Our food preference affects global warming at least as much as our transportation preference"

Making a presentation on 'The Ecological Destruction Effect of Animal Use', Funda Çalış mentioned that half of the habitable land in the world is slaughtered by animal agriculture and animal industry in land use. Çalış made the following remarks: "In the list published by the UN, statistics were shown that animals are in danger of extinction. The Decade of Restoration'. Some ecosystems and species are no longer in a position to be protected. They need to be restored, as they have suffered a lot of harm. Research conducted by the University of Chicago revealed that our food preferences affect global warming at least as much as our transportation preferences. In terms of land use, half of the world's habitable land is known to be slaughtered by animal agriculture and animal industry. 91% of the world has been slaughtered by the animal industry. The Amazon rainforest, which is the habitat of more than 2000 animal species, is taken away from animals, and most species live in danger and under stress. It has been observed that the waste of animal industries kills many animals underground. In the research conducted on the climate crisis, it was seen that sheep came after cows with methane gas, which is the strongest among greenhouse gases. During the grazing of flocks of sheep raised by the wool industry, vegetation changes, soil erosion occurs, forming what is known as wasteland. Skins are sacrificed for the fashion industry. This is such a sector that people working here have seen lung respiratory diseases, infertility, DNA disorders, cancer and even gene transfer disorders."

Gizem Kalak: "The diet of every athlete should be identified"

Gizem Kalak, who made a presentation titled 'Sports and Herbal Nutrition', mentioned that Crossfit is a special form of training. Kalak said that "It is a strength and conditioning workout that consists of functional movements at a high intensity level. Sports that provide maximum performance are done within 30 minutes. It is the basic strength based on muscle development, strength and overall endurance. Fitness and crossfit are definitely not the same thing. Crossfit exercises consist of high-tempo movements. For blood development, it is necessary to make an ever-increasing load on the muscles, to get the necessary calories to support your development, and to get the protein needed for the muscles to be eaten. The nutritional needs of athletes vary from person to person and according to the sport. Therefore, the diet of each athlete should be identified. The important thing is the nutritional value of the macros and micros in what we eat and drink. We should not eat animal protein, but a diet that is beneficial to our body. Try to eat as many different things as possible."

Dr. İlter Yenidede: "We continue our lives on the blue planet without thinking about other living things"

Emphasizing that natural resources started to be consumed backwards very early, Dr. İlter Yenidede made a presentation on 'The Conundrum of Nutrition and Health'. Yenidede stated that "Being healthy is not only about nutrition, but also about movement, sleep, stress management, bad habits, happiness and reassuring connections. We should ensure our sleep as regularly as possible. Today, unfortunately, there are things that trigger our brain, such as a constant alarm or warning. Today, alcohol and cigarette use are very common. These uses, which are as harmful as possible, should be avoided. People are getting lonely day by day. Due to economic conditions, we can get away from our loved ones because we have increased working hours. Unfortunately, we think that we deserve everything on the planet we live in and we continue our lives on this blue planet without thinking about other living things. We have started to see the effect of this in the formation of climate change. Let's not forget that everything we do in our lives is carbon-based. What we call genetics are actually chemicals that we all carry from our family genes. Genetic diseases actually shape our lives so much that it is also attributed to someone having an early heart attack. No, it has nothing to do with genes. If someone pays attention to healthy eating and moving, they are less likely to experience this."

The program ended after a group photo shoot.

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)