The Biggest Lie About Veganism

ExpHub - Prashant Kirad

The Biggest Lie About Veganism  Vegan vs Carnivore: Which Diet is Healthier?  Vegan vs Carnivore – Which One is Better for Health, Strength, and Longevity? 🥦🍖 In this video, we dive deep into the Vegan vs Carnivore diet debate. Whether you're trying to lose weight, build muscle, improve your heart health, or just curious about which lifestyle suits your body better, this video covers everything!  We explore the health benefits, risks, long-term sustainability, ethical concerns, and scientific research behind both vegan and carnivore diets. You’ll also hear expert opinions, real-life transformations, and shocking facts that might change the way you look at food forever.  Audience Queries (جو لوگ سرچ کرتے ہیں):  1. Vegan vs carnivore diet which is better   2. Is carnivore diet healthy?   3. What do vegans eat daily?   4. Is veganism safe long-term?   5. Carnivore vs vegan weight loss results   6. Which is better for bodybuilding: vegan or carnivore?   7. Vegan vs meat diet for heart health   8. Are humans naturally carnivores or herbivores?   9. Vegan diet pros and cons   10. Carnivore diet pros and cons   11. Is vegan diet good for skin?   12. Does carnivore diet cause inflammation?   13. Vegan vs carnivore for athletes   14. What is the healthiest human diet?   15. Can vegans live longer than meat eaters?  vegan vs carnivore, carnivore diet, vegan diet, vegan vs non veg, plant based vs meat diet, health comparison, diet debate, nutrition facts, vegan lifestyle, meat based diet, vegan bodybuilding, carnivore health, vegan vs meat, diet for weight loss, food facts,

Transcript

00:00Veganism has exploded in popularity across the world.

00:03For some, it's out of sympathy for animals, but increasingly, many are swapping diets

00:08due to the environmental and health claims.

00:11But are these claims even accurate?

00:13Like, does going vegan actually make a noticeable difference on the planet, or are those impacts

00:17over-exaggerated?

00:19And is it even healthy at all?

00:21Or is the lack of animal proteins and nutrients actually detrimental to your body?

00:25While a lot of claims have been made over the years, our access to good quality studies

00:29has only really just started to become accessible.

00:32So let's dive in.

00:33First up, is going vegan better for the environment?

00:36This is the easy part of the video because the answer is super simple, yes.

00:41Point blank, yes.

00:42Avoiding meat and dairy products has a major impact on the environment.

00:46Study after study after study has found that a vegan diet, as compared to a full-on meat

00:52eating or omnivorous diet, or even a vegetarian diet, uses less land, conserves more water,

00:58and produces less greenhouse gases, by about 70% to 80% compared to omnivorous diets.

01:04And that's a huge difference.

01:06Now that's not to say every vegan food is created equal.

01:09We have an entire video breaking down which alternative milk is the best for the environment,

01:13and even there you can see that something like almond milk takes a lot more water to create

01:17than other alternatives.

01:18But on the whole, transitioning to a vegan or even vegetarian diet will significantly decrease

01:23your personal impact on the planet.

01:25Of course, simply reducing your meat and dairy consumption can also make a difference so it

01:29doesn't have to be so black and white.

01:31But full stop, a vegan diet is better for the environment and the future of our planet.

01:35Alright, onto the more complicated subject of diet.

01:37Interestingly, some of the first athletes on a strict plant-based diet were the gladiators.

01:42All fighters' diets contained large amounts of legumes, pulses, and grains, and contained

01:47little to no animal protein.

01:49But it's only recently that research has delved into the question of whether or not a vegan

01:53diet can not only enhance athletic ability, but bolster overall health in the long term.

01:58One of the big questions that comes up a lot is did we evolve as vegetarians or meat eaters?

02:03I mean, we've got these sharp canine teeth that look just perfect for digging into flesh.

02:08Though large canines are not exclusive to carnivorous animals.

02:12It's thought they likely evolved more for intimidation and competition among mates as

02:16well as defense rather than for eating meat.

02:19And if we look at the diets of modern primates, the ones we're closely related to like chimps,

02:24orangutans, and gorillas, you'll see that most of them have totally plant-based diets.

02:29I love thinking about chimps being hipster vegans like,

02:32Oh, you don't have any soy milk?

02:35Awkward.

02:36But seriously, if gorillas can get this jacked without the need for animal proteins, surely

02:40we're not meant to be eating meat.

02:42I mean, look at those muscles.

02:43Me throwing to our video on bestiality.

02:45Anyway, many suggest that because we branch off the same evolutionary tree as our primate

02:50contemporaries, surely we're also primarily vegetarian.

02:54We've also got bumpy colons, which sounds very sexy, whereas carnivorous animals typically

02:59have a smooth colon.

03:01But despite all these facts, the truth is there is no denying that our species turn to eating

03:06meat regularly.

03:07In fact, scientists estimate that our ancestors started eating meat around 2 million years

03:12ago, long before Homo sapiens even existed.

03:15We've even found fossilized animal bones that were cut up for dinner that are around

03:202.5 million years old.

03:22It's theorized that somewhere along the way our environment changed.

03:25We weren't in a tropical forest anymore and didn't have access to as many plants that

03:29we could stomach.

03:30So we turned to meat to supplement that loss.

03:33And of course, there are many theories about how meat shaped the human brain.

03:37But for now, all we need to know is that while we do come from plant eaters, we have been

03:41eating meat for millions of years.

03:43As long as we've been human, we've been eating meat.

03:45So then, can we survive without meat at all?

03:48Some people might tell you that you simply can't get enough protein without meat.

03:52But that's really not true.

03:54You can get tons of protein from whole grains, nuts, and beans.

03:57And for most people, this is more than enough.

03:59In fact, most research finds protein deficiency extremely rare, except in people who are simply

04:05not eating enough calories.

04:06But what research has found is missing from a vegan diet is B12.

04:10Vitamin B12 is required by animals for a whole host of biological pathways and for normal functioning.

04:16And the thing is, you cannot get B12 from any vegetables.

04:20There's zero B12 in a salad.

04:23You can find it in beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, etc.

04:26And studies find that B12 deficiencies are a big problem for a lot of vegans and vegetarians.

04:32When your levels are low, it can impact brain functioning, energy, and mood.

04:36And at worst, it can cause full-on hallucinations.

04:39I mean, if that's what you're going for, maybe just try some psilocybin instead.

04:42Me throwing to our video on shrooms.

04:44So if you're only consuming fruits and vegetables, it'll likely become a problem.

04:48Luckily, supplements are a thing.

04:50You can literally just take B12 pills and then you never have to worry about this.

04:54The same can be said for other nutrient deficiencies that tend to pop up for vegans,

04:58like iron or omega-3s.

05:00There's even a ton of foods that are fortified with these to make vegan diets less of a risk.

05:04But another area that brings up some concern is bone strength.

05:07If you grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, then you're more than aware of the many campaigns

05:12touting the health benefits of milk.

05:14Calcium is an essential part of the human diet because it helps your muscles and nerves

05:18function properly and keeps your bones good and strong.

05:21And when you don't have enough in your diet, your body actually ends up pulling it from your bones,

05:26which can potentially make your bones more likely to break.

05:28Hence, cow's milk, which naturally contains calcium and is absorbed easily into the body,

05:33is often promoted for good, strong bones.

05:35And a research study from 2020 backed this up when it found that vegans have a much higher risk

05:41of breaking their bones than meat-eaters.

05:43This was a study that followed around 2,000 vegans and compared them to non-vegans over the course of a few decades,

05:49and their risk of bone breaks was basically twice as likely.

05:53But here's the weird part.

05:54When we look at countries that simply don't drink as much milk as a whole, this pattern doesn't hold.

05:58For example, in West Africa, consumption of dairy isn't that common,

06:02and yet they have extremely low rates of osteoporosis.

06:06Like, a fraction of a percent.

06:08And a study that compared 40 countries' consumption of dairy also found that those who had little milk

06:13were not any more likely to break their hips.

06:16Even studies within the same country have found confusing results.

06:19When comparing heavy milk drinkers to light milk drinkers,

06:22there's really not a clear link between bone strength and breakage.

06:26The truth is, dairy isn't the only way to consume calcium.

06:29It's in lots of veggies like kale, bok choy, and broccoli,

06:32and there's even fortified foods like orange juice and cereal that contain it.

06:36But for vegans, even when studies account for calcium intake,

06:40those who were eating lots of calcium were still more likely to break bones.

06:44So perhaps there is another environmental or situational factor outside of diet that's playing a role here and is yet unknown.

06:51It's worth bringing up that most of this data is on adults,

06:53and studies that do look at kids are much more clear-cut.

06:56Kids that drink milk break fewer bones than those who don't.

06:59Finally, on the bad side, research has found that both vegans and vegetarians are at a higher risk for stroke.

07:05However, the overall risk is small, around three extra cases per 1,000 people over 10 years,

07:11and this particular study had many limitations including quite a small sample,

07:15so it's difficult to draw major conclusions from it.

07:17So are there any specific health benefits to going vegan? Definitely.

07:21A study on over 90,000 people found that vegans are less likely to develop high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes,

07:29some types of cancer, and are more likely to live longer.

07:32A vegan diet lowers cholesterol, and many of these foods contain a lot of antioxidant phytonutrients and nitrates

07:39versus some animal products which contain more pro-inflammatory fats.

07:43These anti-inflammatory effects are believed to be the reason vegan diets seem to minimize some autoimmune diseases.

07:49In fact, Venus Williams, who suffers from Sjogren's syndrome, credits her vegan diet with minimizing the extreme fatigue associated with her condition.

07:57Some studies have even found a vegan diet to be one of the healthiest, outperforming even pescatarian and vegetarian diets,

08:04likely because of its higher fruit, vegetable and legume intake.

08:07There was up to a 32% lower risk among those with the highest intake of plant-based foods for cardiovascular disease,

08:14even after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, health behaviors, alcohol intake, and exercise.

08:20So yes, on average, the health of vegans does tend to be better.

08:24Of course, it's also possible that vegans are just generally more health conscious to begin with.

08:28Vegans do tend to smoke less, drink less alcohol, and exercise more,

08:32and whether it's something bad in meat and dairy or helpful in all the extra veggies is yet to be determined.

08:37Of course, it's worth pointing out that it's just as easy to be an unhealthy vegan,

08:42with all the options for junk and processed food nowadays,

08:45so in no way does going vegan necessitate a healthier diet automatically.

08:49The biggest question remaining is, can it make you a better athlete?

08:53A NERME study following 8,000 runners from across Europe comparing meat-eaters, vegans, and vegetarians

08:59is currently testing this idea of improved endurance.

09:02Because veganism may boost immunity and aid in recovery and rehabilitation from injury,

09:07a lot of athletes are keen to take advantage of these perks.

09:10Veggies like beetroot contain nitrates that aid in blood flow and oxygen transport through the body,

09:15but the problem right now is simply the lack of good data.

09:18There is very little data to support these claims right now, so studies are ongoing.

09:22At the very least, it's been shown that a well-planned vegan diet

09:25does meet the nutritional requirements for endurance athletes.

09:27In other words, it's just as good at the very least as an omnivorous diet,

09:31whether it's optimal is yet to be determined.

09:33At the end of the day, what can we conclude from the available research?

09:36Well, on the one hand, a vegan diet is unequivocally better for the environment.

09:40And while it's a whole other conversation to talk about the responsibility of corporations and institutions

09:45versus individuals, as an individual it is a simple step that you can take to minimize your impact,

09:50if that matters to you.

09:51When it comes to diet, at worst, there could be some setbacks to your health,

09:55but those can typically be mitigated through careful planning and supplementation,

09:58and at best, it may actually be better for your overall health and well-being

10:03if you put in the effort to do it with intention and health in mind.

10:06I hope this video has been eye-opening for those of you who are curious.

10:08I know there's a lot of concern around companies capitalizing on claims that may or may not be exaggerated.

10:13I think it's totally fair to be skeptical.

10:15The vegan market is estimated to hit 24 billion by 2026,

10:19so we all need to have our bullshit meters up.

10:22If you want to know more, we have an entire podcast episode on veganism

10:25that covers more research and studies and different angles.

10:27You can click that and head over to the YouTube channel there,

10:30or find it anywhere that you would normally listen to a podcast.

10:32Thanks so much for watching.

10:33Make sure you like the video, subscribe,

10:35and we'll see you next time for some more science.

10:37Peace.

Category

Transcript

Recommended