Exposing the Mistruths of Veganism
Misinformation about plant-based diets has run rampant. It can be hard to avoid. Between reading mistruths on social media, to asking a friend, or a “self-proclaimed” expert for advice, we are all exposed to the possibility of false persuasion. Instead of saying “I don’t know,” some prefer to say, “don’t do it, it’s bad.” Competing narratives create confusion. So, how does one go about finding the truth? Read. Read a lot. Read from well-respected places – universities, hospitals, organizations who specialize in nutrition. Read from reliable news organizations who do not have a reputation for bending the truth. The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and Harvard Health are great places to begin. As with any investigation, you may or may not find a consensus on what the truth is. When it comes to science, truth is ever-changing and this is what makes it so hard to find. New studies create new conclusions and these need to be verified with more studies. Most of the time, the most recent, peer-reviewed studies are the most dependable.
So, what are the most common objections to veganism? There are many objections, but most are centered around the argument of potential nutrient deficits. Some who are misled try to convince people that plant-based eating can often be low protein, low quality protein, high carbohydrate, and low-energy. Others believe that plant-based eating has low bodybuilding or muscle growth potential. Still others believe that micronutrient deficiencies and anti-nutrients make this way of eating toxic and unhealthy. Other objections include opinions that the animals are treated well and don’t mind being killed or that the cruelty is overblown. Have the animals been interviewed to back up these claims? No, of course not. But if you went to a feeding lot to observe them, and you knew what a happy animal looked and acted like, you might be disappointed to find that none of them are joyful. For informed people, these arguments are all false narratives. The most prominent one revolves around protein.
Millions of people have been conditioned to believe that you can only get all your dietary protein needs and micronutrients from animal flesh. If this were true, then why are there so many healthy vegans, vegan athletes, body builders, and so many huge animals that are herbivores walking the earth? Yes, I get it, herbivore animals have different digestive systems, but still. All that muscle, from plants! That’s amazing! Believe it or not, plants do contain all the essential amino acids. Having food with all the essential amino acids in them is what is defined as a complete, high-quality protein. So why have plants gotten a bad rap? Plants are thought to be low quality simply because some plant sources have one or two essential amino acids that are not abundant, called limiting amino acids. To make up for this shortfall, you need to be sure you consume plants from different food groups. For example, one popular vegan dish is red beans and rice. The red beans are low in methionine, an essential amino acid. But guess what food has plenty of methionine? You guessed it! Rice has methionine along with many other essential amino acids. Studies have shown that you don’t even need to eat these complementary foods together in one meal. It will suffice if you consume them all in a day. The human body is smart and will figure it out. Legumes + whole grains = a complete protein. Yes, just as good as the protein you get from an egg, a chicken breast, or a steak. No, meat, eggs and fish are not higher quality. In fact, some in the beef industry recently tried to prove that beef is a higher quality protein and therefore, muscle is built more quickly and more easily from meat. But the study they sponsored showed, that it just doesn’t matter what the protein source is, what matters is that you are consuming all the essential amino acids and in the right quantities. You can read more about this study, here.
https://nutrition.org/protein-complementation/
High protein plant-based foods include but are not limited to – soy products, other legumes like beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Whole grains such as, quinoa, farro, bulgar, barley, wheat, oats and rice all have a good amount of protein, too. Some popular soy products include - tofu, edamame, soybeans, soy nuts, natto, tempeh, miso and soy milk. Micoprotein (Quorn) and mushroom root (Meati) are two newer plant-based proteins on the market. However, some Quorn products use a small amount of egg white in processing. They are still a better option than meat if you are easing your way into plant-based options. Another one is called Barveque. This product is easy to use, tastes great and is made with a soy and sweet potato base. Soy milk is comparable to dairy milk at 7 grams of protein per serving. Tofu packs 9 grams of protein per serving and almost no carbohydrates. The fat content is moderate at 4 grams per serving and supplies omega-6 essential fatty acids.
You may be thinking, these products are great because they are high in protein, but aren’t they overly processed? The first thing you want to do to determine if they are overly processed is to look at the label of ingredients. Processed foods are not as healthy because they are typically high in unhealthy fat (like saturated fat,) high in sugar, and low in high quality ingredients like fiber. They may also contain a lot of additives and preservatives. If the label of ingredients doesn’t reflect this, then the food is probably a good choice.
The most common misconception of soy consumption is the isoflavones that they contain. Isoflavones are weak, plant phytoestrogens that have been shown in some studies to act as an antioxidant, with the ability to lower cancer risk, lower menopausal symptoms and improve memory. Some people have falsely referred to soy isoflavones as endocrine disruptors. They further say that isoflavones can cause men to have man boobs. Soy is often blamed for lowered testosterone levels. All of these claims have been proven to be false. In the most recent human studies, soy isoflavones have only shown good outcomes. Soy foods are not only safe but can be beneficial in fighting disease.
https://www.henryford.com/blog/2022/10/the-truth-about-soy
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40735241/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9410752/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/is-soy-healthy-or-not_l_6908d3a0e4b0ad5446e0edc7
Another false assumption about plant-based eating is that it is too high in carbohydrates and not high enough in protein. High protein and low carbohydrate sources include soy, legumes such as lentils, beans and peas, and seeds and nuts. Seeds and nuts are also a great source of healthy essential fats like omega-3 and omega-6. Why do we feed birds, seeds? Because seeds have an amazing nutrient profile and, of course, birds love them. They contain a lot of micronutrients and fit in well with a balanced, healthful diet. Yes, we are not birds, but we can still benefit from eating seeds. There are a variety to choose from – chia, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, flax, and sesame just to name a few. And seeds can be added to yummy foods like smoothies for added nutrients.
Micronutrients like choline, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, creatine, carnosine, DHA omega-3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10, and taurine have been labeled as deficient in vegan diets. From lots of experience, I can tell you that variety is the key. Iron can be found in whole grains, lentils, beans and peas. Zinc is found in seeds and nuts, beans and peas. Many of these micronutrients, especially B vitamins, can be found in fortified foods like whole grain cereals, tofu, soy milk, and orange juice. Since the B vitamins are water soluble, and the human body does not store them in any significant quantity, a daily source is good to have, especially for energy and maintenance. Zinc is another one that can become low over time. If infections are common, a bump in vitamin C and zinc can sometimes help. Creatine, carnosine, coenzyme Q10, and taurine can be produced by the human body (liver) when enough protein is consumed. DHA omega-3 can also be produced by the human body from ALA omega-3 found in seeds and nuts, but sometimes the conversion is not optimal. DHA omega-3 essential fatty acids can also be found in fortified food like plant-based butter, some seed oils like canola oil, or supplements made from algae. And of course, to cover your bases, you can always find a plant-based multivitamin to be sure all nutrient needs are met and being supplied daily.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9410752/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/meeting-nutrient-needs-on-a-plant-based-diet
What about anti-nutrients? This is an area of nutrition where fear has taken over and has run full speed ahead. With anti-nutrients like goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables, lectins in legumes, oxalates in green leafy vegetables like spinach, tea, beans and nuts, phytates in whole grains, saponins in legumes, and tannins in tea and coffee, it’s no wonder a lot of people are turning to carnivore or high meat, high protein diets. All that fear created around vegetables and plants, when plants are supposed to be good for you. Why? What do anti-nutrients do? Some people have heard that anti-nutrients will rob your body of important nutrients like iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium. Yes, this is partially true and for a few people their digestive systems cannot handle high fiber foods. However, most healthy people do fine when they consume these foods - as long as these high fiber foods are cooked in some way. What people don’t always understand is that these nutrients are in plants to protect them from harm, kind of like our immune systems fight to keep us healthy, too. But foods containing anti-nutrients can be processed/cooked and placed confidently into a healthy diet. Most of these anti-nutrients are denatured simply from soaking, boiling, sprouting or baking them. This is why, when you buy seeds and nuts, for example, they are usually roasted. Most recent studies have concluded that the benefits outweigh the costs of eating such foods. What are the benefits? These plant-based foods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber – all things we need in a balanced diet. Yes, of course, there are exceptions to every rule. There may be some people who are extra sensitive, so they must cut out certain foods to stay healthy. But for most healthy adults, these foods can be incorporated into a plant-based diet plan and can be tolerated well.
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/anti-nutrients/
Another misconception is that animals are dumb. Some people think animals can’t think and therefore don’t mind being treated cruelly and are fine with being killed and dying young. If you took a cow or pig on a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) and then gave them a route to escape into a lush field of green grasses, what do you think they would do? If you ever wanted to witness an overjoyed, animal, then this would be the place. I watched this very scenario play out once or twice when I was a child. When a cow enters a fresh, new field of greens, the complete and beautiful sense of pleasure would bring tears to your eyes – they run, they jump, they bellow with happiness, and they enjoy the sweet treats. I would call it pure joy!
I will leave you with one last story representing misinformation. Some people believe that farmed animals have no memory and therefore can be mistreated because they simply do not remember events from the past. Do we really believe animals walk around with a dementia-like mind and thinking process? This story begins with a hired veterinarian tasked with removing the horns of a young bull. This man removed two, very, large horns from a bull without pain relief – a common occurrence in this industry. This bull remembered this man. He was remembered likely from his scent, since cows have an incredible sense of smell. Anyway, this man entered this bull’s pen a few months later to attend to its medical needs, and guess what happened? Not only did the bull remember him, but the hornless animal also wanted retribution. Let’s just say the man was lucky that day. He hopped the tall fence the bull was enclosed in and walked away with his life intact. The bull remembered him and clearly wanted revenge. The large head charged and instead of hitting the veterinarian, the bull hit the fence. The anger was written all over his face. Yes, he absolutely remembered who this man was and what this man had done to him.
So much misinformation is spread, and people understandably get scared and confused. But having the right resources and knowing where to find the answers is a step in the right direction. Don’t be fooled by misinformation, especially when there are so many great places you can find the answers.