A BITTER RIVALRY
Are vegans healthier than meat eaters? This is a question that has eluded even the most learned nutritional experts and spawned a much heated debate within the health and fitness community. Some people swear by a predominately, even entirely plant-based diet while others could never even think of sitting down to a single meal without a generous helping of meat. And then there are the people who are just flat out suppressing their carnal desires for the sake of animal welfare – a noble, but miserable devotion. Refraining from meat consumption for moral reasons is one thing, but insisting that the health benefits of your personal eating habits are universally superior to all others is another statement altogether. Is the answer to this timeless question so black and white? Could we be looking at this subject from the wrong perspective? Let’s find out…
HUMANS VS. CARNIVORES
We’ll start by comparing the pros and cons of meat and see how it stands up to the test. It is a common assertion among opponents of a meat-based diet that carnivores have short digestive tracts while humans have long digestive tracts. They also assert that carnivores have sharp incisors to rip apart and shred their prey while humans do not. They believe this indicates that humans are not designed for meat consumption. Well, let’s critically examine these two points. Vegans are correct to presume that a shorter digestive tract makes for a shorter digestive transit time, which means meat has less time to putrefy within a carnivore’s gut. However, the reason carnivores have a short digestive tract and humans do not is because carnivores exclusively eat meat, which means their diet lacks insoluble fiber from fruits and vegetables. Insoluble fiber contributes bulk to the feces, helping to put pressure on the colon walls to stimulate a bowel movement. In this manner, insoluble fiber speeds up digestive transit time. Carnivores also swallow their food whole. No chewing involved. Therefore, carnivorous animals would need a shorter digestive tract while any person who eats a well-balanced diet without inhaling their food would not.
The second talking point centers on the stark contrast between a carnivore’s teeth and a human’s teeth. A carnivore’s dagger-like teeth are intended for killing an animal and tearing its flesh. To assume humans are not fit for meat consumption because we lack sharp fangs is like saying humans are not fit for running because they only have two legs. Humans have hands with opposable thumbs and larger brains, giving them the ability to improvise weapons, cook their food, and use silverware. We don’t need big, gnarly fangs and claws to subdue and eat our prey. Moderately cooking and thoroughly masticating our food to a puree makes meat easy enough to digest. Moreover, our closest genetic relatives – wild primates such as chimpanzees, monkeys, and gorillas are omnivores, eating mainly fruits and vegetables, but also small animals, lizards, and eggs when the opportunity presents itself.
HUNTER GATHERER DIET
The arguments that I’ve deconstructed make up the typical platitudes vegans harp on against the health risks of meat consumption; but they lose their validity when we evaluate their logic. There is nothing inherently wrong with meat; and contrary to the religious tenets of veganism, people have evolved through the eons of evolution to consume meat. Meat along with nuts, fruits, and vegetables has been a staple food in the diet of paleolithic man for hundreds of thousands of years. In fact, it has been hypothesized that the transition to a more meat-based diet during the course of evolution is what spurred greater brain development in homo sapiens. Archaeological data supports this association: the brains of humans started to become more developed at about the same time we see an increase in the bones of animals butchered with stone tools at sites of early villages.
What is worth noting, however, is that there is a world of difference between wild caught meat and organic pasture-fed meats, as opposed to meat sourced from factory farmed animals; not just in their nutritional profiles, but in the way the animals are raised and treated. The same token applies to fruits and vegetables, as your organic options are much healthier in terms of nutrition and toxicity in comparison to non-organic and genetically modified produce. Having said that, the scope of this article is not to focus on organic farming practices vs non-organic, but rather to evaluate the inherent pros and cons of plant and animal foods.
THE CHOLESTEROL SCARE
What about the saturated fat and cholesterol content of meat and animal products? Without getting into too much detail, there is a huge financial interest behind the processed grain industry and pharmaceutical industry to demonize saturated fats and cholesterol and to glorify whole grains and statin drugs. To devote the attention that this subject deserves is the topic of another discussion, but I will briefly touch on just how essential saturated fat and the “bad” cholesterol is for human health. Our brains are composed of about 60% saturated fat and 25% LDL cholesterol. In fact, in a recent study available on the NIH Public Access site, researchers showed that in the elderly, the best memory function was observed in those with the highest levels of cholesterol. Low cholesterol on the other hand has been associated with an increased risk for depression and even death.
Further substantiating their findings, a meta-analysis, encompassing 28 international studies, was performed to review the correlation between cholesterol levels and mortality. 12 of the studies not only found no link between high LDL and increased mortality, but 16 of the studies actually found that lower LDL was linked with higher mortality risk – the opposite of what the cholesterol critics would have us believe. The evidence doesn’t stop there. The statin drugs used to lower cholesterol have also been linked to neuromuscular disease, malfunction of mitochondrial energy production, decreased testosterone levels, depletion of the antioxidant CoQ10, cognitive impairment, and atrophy of the brain.
These findings should not be too surprising when you consider that LDL cholesterol is the precursor to every hormone in your body. Every neurotransmitter produced by your body is composed of amino acids attached to LDL cholesterol. The membranes surrounding each one of our cells is composed of cholesterol. The neural tissue that protects our nerve cells is composed of 70% saturated fat and LDL cholesterol. As you can see, cholesterol is not only the opposite of a dangerous food substance, it is a very powerful and vital nutrient that many organ systems of our bodies depend upon for proper function and optimal health.
Just because I haven’t joined the meat-bashing bandwagon doesn’t mean I recommend everyone eat a diet rich in meat consisting of the same kind and quantity. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to meal planning. The first thing to consider when deciding your own eating habits is your “bio-individuality.” Your bio-individuality is what makes your biology unique. It determines all of your genetic characteristics, including how your immune system reacts to the proteins in your diet and how hearty your digestive system is. Because proteins, above all other foods, are most likely to elicit food sensitivities and allergies, the type and amount of animal foods fit for consumption varies from one person to the next. For instance, one person’s immune system may be sensitive to the protein found in dairy products and eggs while the next person’s immune system may not be. One person’s digestive system may produce greater amounts of stomach acid and digestive enzymes than the next, making it easier for them to digest meat.
One genetic marker that has been found to encapsulate these two important characteristics is a person’s blood type. A person’s blood type will determine whether they are genetically suited for a more plant-based diet or a more meat-based diet. There is no blood type that dictates one has to entirely avoid any and all animal products, but it does serve as a guidepost for what foods should be consumed in lesser quantities with less frequency. For example, someone with blood type A, B, or AB has a more sensitive immune system and naturally produces less stomach acid and digestive enzymes than someone with blood type O. They should therefore eat a much higher ratio of plant foods to animal foods given the fact that proteins are the most hyper-allergenic, labor-intensive foods to digest. When people habitually consume the same proteins day after day without variation in their diet, their immune system begins to respond to that food in the same way it would to an invading microbe, causing symptoms such as inflammation, post-nasal drip, and fatigue. For an in-depth look into the origins of blood types and why they play a role in determining our diet, read Dr. Peter D’adamo’s Blood Groups and the History of People.
VEGGIES ARE NOT BENIGN
Now that we have scrutinized the meat of the matter, let’s turn the argument towards plants. Plants seem to get all of the glory and none of the contempt that meat bears the brunt of. So instead of reiterating the marvelous health benefits of plants that we all know and love, let’s take a look at some of the cons associated with vegetable consumption for a change. Surprisingly, there are numerous drawbacks associated with vegetables that always seem to escape our attention. First off, plants cannot evade or ward off predators like many other living organisms. Accordingly, their defense mechanism resides inside of them. Plants and their seeds contain many anti-nutrients, goitrogens, and phyto-estrogens. What in the world are these peculiar substances? Anti-nutrients, found especially in grains and beans, block the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Goitrogens, found especially in cruciferous vegetables, inhibit thyroid function and can even damage thyroid tissue, which is the organ foremost responsible for regulating your ability to metabolize food.
Lastly, phyto-estrogens (phyto meaning plant) are estrogenic compounds that imitate estrogen found in the human body. They are abundantly contained in beans, legumes, and seeds. When a person consumes these plant estrogens they become part of their blood composition and bind with the estrogen receptors on the surface of their cells. Fat, prostate, and breast cells are exceptionally receptive to free-floating estrogen. Excessive levels of estrogenic compounds can cause weight gain, water retention, gynecomastia, impotence, sterility, breast cancer, prostate hypertrophy, and prostate cancer.
Some people have claimed that phyto-estrogens acutally lower estrogen by competing with the reception of endogenous estrogen at the cell’s receptor site. While it is true that phyto-estrogens can exert a weaker estrogenic effect than certain types of estrogen produced by the body, anyone who has low to normal estrogen levels to begin with (especially men) will see a rise in serum estrogen levels from increased phyto-estrogen intake. My clinical experience corroborates this notion when testing the estrogen levels of my clients and correlating the results with their eating habits. The copious ingestion of phyto-estrogens, in the form of soy, beans, and seeds, can indeed lead to what many have termed the “soy boy syndrome.” So, unless you’re a menopausal woman, I would advise that you refrain from over consuming plant estrogen. In recognition of the defense mechanisms of plants, we find they deter their predators with bitter tastes and by subtly disrupting their endocrine systems and depriving them of vital nutrients.
Additionally, the cell wall of each cell within a vegetable contains a material known as cellulose. Cellulose serves as a protective layer, shielding many of the nutrients found in vegetables. An herbivore’s ability to digest cellulose lies in its symbiotic relationship with certain “cellulose-digesting bacteria.” Lining the wall of all herbivores’ digestive tracts, these bacteria produce an enzyme called cellulase, which breaks down cellulose into absorbable substances, thus providing nutrition. For omnivorous humans to fully be able to assimilate cellulose and access the phyto-nutrients of vegetables, they must cook and thoroughly chew them. The true nature of plants is inconsistent with the dietary recommendations advocated by so many raw foodists because the nutrition within raw vegetables is much less bio-available for use by our bodies.
RISK OF PARASITES AND NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES
Raw vegetables are also a common source of food-borne pathogens, including bacteria and parasites. Non-organic produce is grown in sewage sludge and organic produce is grown in animal manure. Properly washing (not rinsing) and cooking your vegetables is a prudent habit to avoid chronic parasite consumption and food-borne infections. There are also many nutrients an entirely plant-based diet is void of, particularly the peptides carnitine, carnosine, and creatine – all of which are essential for energy production and function of both cardiac and skeletal muscle. In fact, there are 7 key nutrients that can only be found in animal foods, including vitamin B12, creatine, carnosine, Vitamin D3, DHA, Heme-iron (most bio-available form of iron), and taurine.
I’ve personally never met a vegan who didn’t crave some sort of meat. When asked if they miss eating meat, many will staunchly declare they have no taste for it. Some will even claim they are disgusted by the sight of it. However, things don’t quite add up when you take a closer look at their food choices. I’ve seen many vegans heavily relying on meat imitation products like Tofurky and such to achieve satiety. For anyone who thinks that a processed imitation product is comparable, or somehow healthier than the real thing, I highly suggest they ruminate on that idea (pun intended).
A LOGICAL CONCLUSION
So you see, when it comes to whole foods there is no perfect food, and there is no “bad” food. The idea that one food is flawless and another is invariably off limits for human consumption becomes absurd upon closer examination. The feuding sides of each extreme are almost always fighting a senseless battle as the truth typically lies somewhere in between. Whether it’s republicans vs. democrats, communists vs. capitalists, or in this case – meat eaters vs. vegans, a reconciliation can be found by integrating both schools of thought and coming to a pragmatic and balanced conclusion. In the case of nutrition, you are an individual and your unique biology holds the answer to your personal dietary needs.