The vegan diet is the most confused diet in the world. The core pillars of the diet are all wrong.
Yet so many people still fall for the vegan trap.
Even if their intentions are pure, people are on the vegan diet for a false cause.
- It’s not healthier.
- It’s not better for the environment.
- It’s not even better for animals.
If you are thinking about becoming a vegan or are currently a vegan, I urge you to read this with an open mind. Also, learn the disturbing origins of the vegan diet in this other article I wrote.
There’s absolutely no reason to be a vegan.
Here’s how you can dispel the most common vegan myths.
#1: Meat Causes Chronic Disease
Ancel Keys and the government brainwashed you into fearing saturated fat and cholesterol. Poor pseudoscience convinced you that you’re as good as dead if you eat red meat.
Ancel Keys swayed the world to replace animal fats with seed oils and carbohydrates. The result? Skyrocketing chronic disease.
Yet proponents of the vegan diet continue to rely on these debunked studies. They still claim that red meat will kill you -- a claim faker than beyond meat.
However, there’s no evidence that animal products are bad for you. And now many studies confirm this claim. There are now over 40 studies (RCTs) that debunk claims that red meat causes disease <*>.
In fact, one of the biggest studies trying to confirm Keys’ hypothesis showed the opposite. What happened?
Subjects in the Minnesota Coronary Experiment lowered their cholesterol levels by removing animal fats. But the reduction in cholesterol increased death rate.
So what's the truth?
People aren’t dying from eating steak. They’re dying because they are eating processed junk and plant foods (remember, wheat and carbohydrates are plants).
Evidence shows that the best way to reverse chronic disease is by eating more meat, not less. Tens of thousands of carnivores have reversed recalcitrant health issues with a meat based diet.
Now insulin resistance and chronic disease is plaguing the world. And the vegan diet is going to ensure the momentum continues downhill.
It's time to wake up.
#2: The Vegan Diet is Better for the Environment
“Cow farts are destroying the environment.” “Animal based diets will boil the oceans.” This is nonsense.
First off, you know that an argument is on its last stand when it's erratic. At first meat was bad because it caused heart disease. Then it was bad because it caused colon cancer. And now it’s bad because it destroys the environment
It's not surprising: this is a lie too.
Yes, animal based agriculture produces 4% of greenhouse grasses. But plant based agriculture generates even more. Plant based agriculture generates 5% of greenhouse gasses <*>.
One produces the most nutrient dense foods on earth. The other yields inflammatory, nutrient devoid junk.
But what about the cow farts and methane? Rocket fuel coming out of cows ass. Well first, it’s really from belches.
Atmospheric Methane concentration has increased. But, a study from NASA revealed that meat is not the culprit. Most of the increase in methane is from rice paddies -- one of the vegan favorites -- and fossil fuels.
However, even the methane from cows is benign. It’s part of a broader carbon cycle, recycled from plant matter.
The cycle works as follows:
- Step 1: Plants capture carbon and store it as energy.
- Step 2: Animals eat the energy and expel co2 and methane
- Step 3: Co2 and methane goes into the atmosphere.
- Step 4: Methane converts to co2 after approx 12 years
- Step 5: Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Whereas carbon created from burning fossil fuels is new -- it's released from carbon stored in the ground.
Humans are part of this cycle too. We breathe out carbon dioxide. Next thing you know, they’ll recommend we hold our breath to save the planet.
Now for the cherry on top: chronic diseases damage the environment more than any way of eating.
The pharmaceutical industry damages the environment more than all agriculture and diets high in protein can erase chronic disease. Chronic disease that supports the entire pharmaceutical industry.
Just when you thought it was too good to be true...
Not only does meat cure chronic disease, it can help reverse climate change. Studies show that local raised cattle can pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Show me fake meat that can do that.
Ruminant agriculture is pivotal for the future of the human race.
The propaganda has fooled people into avoiding the healthiest food in the world.
This is just the latest attempt. Don’t let them fool you.
#3 The Vegan Diet is Better for Animals
A naive assumption of the vegan diet is that it saves the world from animal cruelty.
This is wrong and only making things worse. It turns out that a plant from a grocery store is less vegan than a local grass fed cow.
But the second order consequences are hard for most people to grasp. Because an animal with big, cute eyes isn't killed, many assume that it’s more ethical.
The titanic sum of animals killed to preserve a nutrient deficient, vegan lifestyle is gruesome.
How do you think farmers defend crops for the green smoothies, salad and avocado toast?
First, the soil tilling process is like a tsunami, destroying all life in its path. Next, farmers spray fields with pesticides to kill off even more insects. To make matters worse, many farmers shoot predators sight on seen.
According to Mike Archer, a Professor at the University of NSW, 25 times more animals die to produce an equal weight of wheat protein and beef protein.
It’s horrible from an environmental, health and moral perspective.
All in all, billions of animals die for the vegan lifestyle. Whereas carnivores can live off of 1-2 cows a year. And those cows are curing their chronic disease.
We can’t forget that humans are animals too. The most important animals in the world.
Our health needs to be the most important part of the equation. Yet over 60% of the US has diabetes or pre-diabetes. 88% of American’s are metabolically unhealthy. Only 12% of Americans are metabolically healthy. And the treatment of chronic diseases costs over $1.7tn in the US. The picture is despicable.
What about the billions of suffering humans around the world? How much do vegans actually care about them?
At this rate, all we're doing is saving a planet for humans withering away with chronic disease.
Disastrous recommendations have destroyed health. And the same recommendations that pushed us off a cliff are trying to do so again.
#4 The Vegan Diet is Nutritious
“You need vegetables for nutrients.” Nonsense.
This claim is parroted without any evidence.
Animal foods have more of every single vitamin and mineral humans need. And animals contain a more absorbable form of each one. (the exception is vitamin C, which I touch on the carnivore diet meal plan).
There are even nutrients that are completely missing from the vegan diet.
For instance, the vegan diet is devoid of vitamin B12. A vitamin critical for brain and heart health, amongst other things.
Even the nutrients that plants do have are less absorbable than those in animals (feel free to skip this if you’ve already heard the spiel):
- Vitamin A Retinol (animal form) vs Beta Carotene (plant form). The body cannot convert adequate amounts of beta carotene to the form you need, retinol. The conversion rate is approximately 28:1 for green leafy vegetables. Genetic polymorphisms reduce this conversion rate even further.
- Vitamin D3 (animal form) vs Vitamin D2 (plant form): Vitamin D3 is the animal form and is more bioavailable. Cholesterol is necessary for optimal Vitamin D3 levels, which the vegan diet is deficient in <*>
- Heme iron (animal form) vs iron (plant form).
- Vitamin K2 (animal form) vs Vitamin K1 (plant form). K2 is one of the most important vitamins. Weston Price called it activator X because of its remarkable ability to cure nutrient deficiencies and degenerative disease. It is not present in the form of MK-4 in plant based diets. You can convert k1 to k2, but you need fat to optimize the conversion process <*>. Once again, vegans tend to eat less fat.
- Protein: Plants are high in protein, but they tend to be less absorbable (discussed further below). Additionally, plants like soy have protease and trypsin inhibitors that block absorption <*>.
- DHA vs ALA: DHA is necessary for cognitive function inflammation control, and brain development. Plant based diets contain ALA, but conversion to DHA is negligible. Diets high in omega 6 also cut DHA absorption in close to half. Flaxseed, for instance, doesn’t raise blood DHA levels <*>
To make matters worse, plants contain anti-nutrients that inhibit mineral absorption. Oxalates, for instance, bind to calcium, iron and magnesium. Phytic acid binds to iron, zinc, manganese and copper. This is a big reason why so many vegans are iron deficient <*>.
Other vegetables have phytochemical that damage organ function, like goitrogens.
Animal foods are the most nutritious foods in the world.
#5 The Vegan Diet Will Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease is a new disease. Weston Price found that primitive tribes on their natural diets were in immaculate health <*>.
The Maasai, for instance, subsisted off milk and blood and had superb health. Inuit Eskimo's eat 100% meat for most of the year and have 10x lower heart disease rates <*>.
Even in the United States, heart disease was not widespread in the early 1900s.
It did not become an epidemic until the influx of toxic seed oils in and the rise of food processing post WWII.
As I mentioned above, the response to the increase in heart disease only made the issue worse.
For many reasons, the vegan diet will do the same.
(1) Vitamin B12 Deficiencies. Vitamin B12 is absent from the vegan diet. Deficiencies lead to heart palpitations, amongst other issues. Studies show that 20-40% of vegetarian adolescents are deficient in Vitamin B12 <*>.
(2) High Homocysteine Levels. B12 and Folate are necessary to convert homocysteine to methionine. Vegans tend to have higher homocysteine levels because of the vitamin deficiencies. Elevated homocysteine makes cholesterol more prone to oxidation and heart disease.
(3) Vitamin D Deficiencies. Vitamin D deficiencies promote heart issues. As discussed above, vegans tend to have lower vitamin D3 levels.
(4) Low Taurine. Many studies show taurine is beneficial for heart health. It is very low in plant foods.
(5) Vegan Diet Can Be Inflammatory. Many vegan diets are high in inflammatory omega 6's. This is because they're used as alternatives to animal based cooking products. Additionally, plants have phytochemicals and proteins that can exacerbate inflammation (like gluten and lectins).
(6) Low in DHA. Many vegans have DHA deficiencies. DHA reduces inflammation and can reduce heart disease risk <*>. Vegans tend to have higher omega 6 / omega 3 levels, which promotes inflammation.
All in all, this explains these results why vegetarians tend to have more heart health issues <*>.
#6 The Vegan Diet is Good For Brain Health
The vegan diet is one of the fastest ways to destroy your brain. Three main reasons:
The Vegan Diet is High in Omega 6 Fatty Acids
Vegans tend to have higher omega 6 / omega 3 ratios <*>.
Omega 6 unsaturated fatty acids break down into toxic byproducts that increase stroke risk. You'll find more information on why vegetable oils are bad for you here.
Vegan Diet Raises Homocysteine Levels
Vitamin b12 deficiency in vegans leads to elevated homocysteine levels. This study showed that 29% of vegetarians had hyperhomocysteinemia vs 5% in omnivores <*>. High homocysteine levels can lead to arterial damage and blood clots <*>.
Homocysteine also inhibits antioxidant and glutathione production, making cholesterol more prone to oxidation.
High homocysteine levels have a very high association with all-cause mortality.
Vegan Diet is Nutrient Deficient
The vegan diet is absent of or deficient in many of the most critical nutrients for your brain. Vitamin A, selenium, zinc, dha, vitamin d3, vitamin b12.
A study found that 47% of Vegan’s in Switzerland were deficient in Zinc, while only 10% of Omnivores were <*>
This is a recipe for disaster and one of the biggest reasons the mental health crisis is on the rise.
#7 Too Much Animal Protein is Bad for You
Like many of the claims cited above, the opposite is closer to the truth.
One of the reasons health is in the gutter is because people have reduced their animal protein intake.
Today, most protein intake is from cereal grains and not from animal products. And the trend has not been in favor of animals.
Yet health continues to get worse and worse. When will people wake up? The only way to reverse health issues is to reverse the way of thinking that caused them.
“Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results” -- Albert Einstein
Protein is one of -- if not the most -- important dietary components. It’s necessary for:
- Skeletal muscle structure
- Smooth muscle structure
- Connective tissue
- Bone structure
- Hair, skin and nail structure
- Hormones
- Enzymes
- Neurotransmitters
The list goes on and on.
The reduction of protein in our diets can explain a lot of the rise in obesity.
Humans have a strong protein drive. Strong is putting it lightly. If you don’t get enough protein, you keep on eating and searching for food until you do.
This usually means you eat too much energy in exchange. This is exactly what happened.
Protein, because it’s expensive, was diluted in our diets.
Now, over 40% of Americans don’t get enough protein <*>. Instead, man made energy sources like sugar and vegetable oils have taken its place.
But, without knowing it, humans search for 15%+ protein intake by calories. And when you don't get this amount, your body freaks out.
When you lower protein intake below this requirement, you overcompensate as a result. Your body lowers your satiation and searches for more at all costs. Think of this like a drunk person at a singles bar at the end of the night.
This study pictured below showed that a 1% decrease in protein led to 14% increase in CHO + Fat intake <*>. So, eating too little protein causes you to eat too many calories.
The opposite is also true. That’s why one one the fastest ways to lose weight for most people is to increase protein.
This study showed that a 5% increase in protein led to a 3 TIMES decrease in fat mass <*>
Humans need to eat more protein, not less.
#8 The Vegan Diet Is Great For Building Muscle
To build muscle, you need to eat amino acids and protein. Plants synthesize all their own amino acids. Herbivores eat plants to build their own.
Proteins have a biological value describing how much a human can use.
Egg has a value of 100, meaning we can use all the protein. Gluten’s value is 64.
Plant protein values tend to be much lower. One reason why: humans are animals not plants. The proteins that we need are closer in structure to those in animals. Do you want to be a lion or a leaf?
Most animal proteins are complete, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids. Whereas eating a variety of vegetables is necessary to get all amino acids.
Even so, many have antinutrients that reduce their absorption. Soy, which is often used by vegans as a protein alternative, contains trypsin inhibitors that interfere with protein absorption. Soy protein is an oxymoron.
Just because it has protein, doesn’t mean you absorb it.
Additionally, some amino acids are more anabolic than others.
The BCAAs are the most potent activates of mTOR and IGF, which stimulate muscle growth. Animals have more of all three branch chain amino acids -- leucine, isoleucine and value -- than plants. Animals have more of the sulfur containing amino acids cysteine and methionine.
Because of all these factors, this study confirmed that subjects on an animal based diet gained more muscle than those on a plant based diet <*>.
If you want to maximize muscle gain, you need animal protein.
#9 The Vegan Diet Will Heal Your Gut
This is one of the most pernicious lies of the vegan diet. That fiber is necessary and good for gut health. And that the vegan diet can heal your gut.
If I wanted to destroy someone’s gut I’d prescribe them the vegan diet. It is the Muhammad Ali of gut destroyers.
First off, digestion should not hurt. No matter what your microbiome stool test says, if you have diarrhea and cramps all day, your gut is not healthy.
Plant based foods are one of the biggest reasons why people have poor gut health.
Why? Two Reasons:
- Fiber
- Phytochemcials and toxins in plant foods
Fiber
Fiber is the carbohydrate portion of plant foods that humans can’t digest.
Dietary gospel claims that without fiber your bowels will be more backed up than LA traffic. Most people still think fiber is necessary for gut health.
However, there is not a single trial that backs fibers claims.
For instance, this study below shows that reducing fiber CURED gut issues. This isn’t an error. Eliminating fiber makes gut issues disappear... including constipation <*>.
Why? Fiber is indigestible. All it does is make more feces or make it bigger. The naive assumption is that would help constipation. But that’s like arguing that we need to make cars bigger to speed up traffic.
Similar to LA traffic during rush hour, adding more stool only makes the problem worse. The only solution is to reduce what's causing gut issues in the first place. And often that's the fiber.
For IBS sufferers, Fiber is poison.
IBS is often caused by bacterial overgrowth and fiber sets the bacteria off on a feeding frenzy <*>. The bacteria causes fermentation, making you feel even more bloated and gassy.
It’s like playing basketball with a broken ankle. The more you intake, the harder it is for your gut to recover.
If you’re suffering from stomach issues, cutting fiber out is a game changer.
Inflammation Caused by Plants
Many plants are cocktails of toxic pesticides that destroy your gut. Plants do not want to be eaten, of course. As a defense mechanism, they synthesize antimicrobial chemicals.
These chemical defenses kill and fend off insect predators. But many of them hard you too.
Defense mechanisms like lectins and saponins are like gut torpedos. Gluten, for instance, triggers the release of zonulin which causes leaky gut.
Nightshades produce alkaloids, which have aggravate IBD and rheumatoid arthritis <*>,
Saponins in beans and grains bind to the intestine and can cause leaky gut <*>. The list goes on and on.
Plants also contain many exogenous pesticides. Monsanto’s glyphosate -- i.e. the Voldemort of health -- destroys your gut microbiome. This study showed that even after washing 92% of Kale had two toxic pesticides <*>
The truth is that the more plant foods you remove, the better your gut health will be.
Paleomedicina Clinic cured a patient's Crohn’s Disease by removing all vegetables. It was a landmark result, given the prevailing belief is that it's incurable.
It's sad, but true. The only clinically shown way to reverse leaky gut is by doing the exact opposite of what most recommend. <*>.
#10 The Vegan Diet is the Natural Human Diet
This belief is almost as ridiculous as the Earth being flat.
Humans needed animal foods to evolve into the blog reading, social primates we are today <*>.
For 20 million years until 2.5 million years ago we languished as small brain monkeys.
It wasn’t until we discovered stone tools and were able to unlock the code to brain growth: brains and marrow. Since then, our brains have quadrupled in size <*>.
Human brains are unique in how much energy they require.
The human brain uses 20-25% of our resting metabolic rate, compared to 9% from other mammals. <*>. To power these brains, we had to give up our colons. Which prevented us from fermenting the fiber in plant foods for energy.
To make matters worse, there were 500,000 years of ice age where plants did not grow and we hadn’t yet invented fire <*>.
The only consistent source of energy were gigantic animals.
Evidence shows that hunter gatherers got ~70% of their calories from animals.
Our ancestors were already vegans for 20 million years. Those ancestors are still in trees throwing poop at each other. Meat and fat is the reason you're reading this post today.
After splitting from apes, the homo species would have died off it it tried to be vegan. A vegan diet is only possible with modern preservatives and supplements.
And now that we have a chance to get all the animal foods in the world -- the foods that made us human -- we want to give it up? Our ancestors are rolling in their graves. They’d kill for all the fat and animal products we have available today -- they did kill for it. It's time to wake up.
Like a machine, humans need the right fuel to function. If you try to poor Vodka in a car to make it run, you’ll be looking for a new one soon. If you try to power a human being off of processed foods and plants, it will run like a used car.
If you power a human based on what they’re made to eat, it will have superpowers in comparison.
Humans are carnivores. You need to eat animals.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no reason to be a vegan. And there are many good reasons not to be one.
Naivete and corruption has brainwashed the world into accepting this way of eating. Not only as the healthiest, but the most natural. You can learn the disturbing origins of veganism here.
They couldn’t be more wrong.
Hopefully you can use this to dispel the vegan myths.
If you or a loved one is a victim of veganism, please call the Carnivore Aurelius hotline ASAP. While you're at it, below is a free 30 day guide to mastering the carnivore diet.
Additionally, if you’re interested in learning more about the carnivore diet, join my Facebook group Carnivore Nation. I also post daily on Twitter and Instagram.