The following quotes are all comments voluntarily made by people who used to be vegan and went back to eating meat. It is fascinating how many people say their health improved to a remarkable level.
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Vitamin A
Vitamin A is usually associated with good vision and especially night vision. As a child I was always told to ‘eat my carrots so I could see in the dark’. While it is true that vitamin A is vital for vision, it also has a multitude of beneficial functions throughout the body. However, it is not true to list carrots as a source of this essential vitamin. The biologically active form of vitamin A is called retinol, because it is so prevalent in the retina of the eye. Carrots and other brightly coloured vegetables contain no vitamin A. They contain a pre-cursor to retinol known as carotene or beta-carotene, which has to be converted to the active form before it can do it’s work. This conversion is never very efficient and quite difficult for some people. Genetic variations, too much fibre in the diet, a lack of bile salts and eating raw vegetables can all play their part in making the transition from carotene to retinol more difficult. Healthy individuals without these problems convert beta-carotene to retinol at a ration of about 6:1, which means they need to eat 6 molecules of beta-carotene to absorb one molecule of true vitamin A.
A study from Newcastle University on a group of women showed that 47% of them had a gene variant that made it difficult or impossible to convert beta-carotene into active vitamin A. It is easy, therefore, for some people to become deficient if they do not consume retinol in their food.
The only dietary sources of the active form of vitamin A are found in animal foods. Liver and eggs are the most abundant, (which is one of the reasons we have meal suggestions for these in our recipes section). Vitamin A gets very little attention compared to vitamins C and D, which is unfortunate because it is absolutely vital for our health and for the proper development of babies and children. It has such a profound effect on our health because it regulates the action of over five hundred genes in the body, which makes it a major controller of all of our cells and how they function.
Long before we knew what vitamin A is, ancient people from around the world were aware that eating liver could prevent or reverse blindness. The Egyptians described it at least 3500 years ago: Assyrian texts dating from 700 BC and Chinese medical writings from the 7th century AD both call for the use of liver in the treatment of night blindness. It has also been written about in 18th-century Russia and among the inhabitants of Newfoundland in 1929. 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates prescribed liver for blindness in malnourished children. Despite all this knowledge, vitamin A deficiency is still the leading cause of blindness in some parts of the world. It is extraordinary that all this ancient knowledge is ignored and the NHS recommends that pregnant mothers should avoid eating liver in case they consume toxic levels. (More about this later.)
Vitamin A helps to prevent us from becoming ill; it keeps our immune system from overreacting; it is necessary for growth and reproduction. We need vitamin A for building bones and teeth, and for the actions of our hormones. It is essential for the development of a foetus into a perfectly formed human baby. These are major roles, which are vitally important for our health.
Meat for Health
The media frequently report that people are cutting back on their meat consumption with the implication that eating less meat is better for our health. This misconception is often based on the idea that meat contains lots of saturated fat and has been associated with colon cancer. Neither of these things are strictly true. What meat contains a lot of is protein. The fat content varies considerably depending on the cut of meat but typically consists of more mono-unsaturated fat than saturated fat. (You can read more about why saturated fat is not to be feared here.)
The reports linking red meat to a possible rise in cancer have been severely criticised by many independent experts and I explain more about that in Stop Feeding Us Lies.
What a typical media reports fail to mention is the exceptional nutrient density of animal-sourced foods, especially red meat. A wide range of vitamins and minerals are available in significant quantities and in a bio-available form. For example, how much iron a food contains is nowhere near as important as how much of that iron can be absorbed and used. In red meat, iron exists as heme-iron, which is readily absorbed from the intestines. Plants contain an inorganic form of iron which is difficult to absorb.
A typical piece of red meat contains:
Protein There are 20 different amino acids which the body uses to create the proteins we need. The liver can make 11 of them but 9 are regarded as ‘essential’, which means they have to be present in the food we eat. Red meat contains all of these essential amino acids and is, therefore, referred to as complete protein. Edible plants do not contain complete protein because they are invariably lacking one or more essential amino acids. You have to eat a wide variety, and large quantity, of plants to obtain an adequate supply of all the amino acids. These are the percentages of protein in 100g of a selection of animal and plant foods:
| Chicken breast Beef steak Lamb chop Pork chop | 32.0 31.0 29.2 31.6 |
| Kidney beans Baked beans Red Lentils Chickpeas | 6.9 5.2 7.6 8.4 |
Fat An adequate intake of natural fat is essential to our health. We need saturated fat for a variety of metabolic functions. Red meat does not supply ‘too much’. Oily fish, nuts and olive oil have 2 times, 9 times and 14 times the total fat, respectively, of a sirloin steak. Oily fish, nuts and olive oil contain 1.5 times, 3 times and 7 times, respectively, the saturated fat of a sirloin steak.
Vitamins Red meat provides a wide range of essential vitamins. Sometimes people do not realise how important these are to our overall health.
| A | Healthy eyes, skin, teeth, bones and immunity. Cell division and growth. Protects DNA from damage |
| B1 | Healthy metabolism, brain, nerves, heart. Boosts immunity, learning and memory |
| B2 | Aids digestion, memory, heart, red blood cells, skin and hair; boosts mood and energy levels |
| B3 | Helps reduce risk of heart disease, arthritis, impotency, diabetes and depression |
| B5 | Helps reduce stress, acne; aids wound healing, skin and mental performance |
| B6 | Aids healthy blood vessels and sleep; reduces anaemia, PMS, nausea and kidney stones |
| B9 | Reduces birth defects, ageing, heart attacks, depression, cancer; builds muscle |
| B12 | Essential for brain function and cardiovascular system. No B12 in plants |
| D | Essential for immunity, reduces risk of CVD, MS, autism. Strong teeth and bones |
| E | Anti-oxidant. Good for skin, scars, wrinkles, nails |
| K | Regulates blood clotting. Prevents calcification of arteries. Reduces osteoporosis |
Minerals Red meat contains a wide variety of minerals. They have important roles in the correct function of an array of bodily functions. Listed below are some of their actions.
| Calcium | Vital for bones, teeth, muscle contraction, red blood cells |
| Copper | Important for bones, nerves, blood vessels, immunity, collagen |
| Iron | Oxygen carrying, brain function, concentration |
| Magnesium | Muscle, nerve function. Heart rhythm, energy, blood sugar and pressure |
| Potassium | Blood pressure, muscle strength, water balance, anxiety |
| Phosphorus | Digestion, protein formation, cell repair, hormonal balance |
| Selenium | Immunity, fertility, thyroid, heart health, anti-oxidant |
| Zinc | Immunity, protects DNA, wound healing, growth and development |
Meat is also a source of choline. It is not classified as a vitamin or mineral but it is an essential nutrient.
- Cell structure: It is needed to make fats that support the structural integrity of cell membranes.
- Cell messaging: It is involved in the production of compounds that act as cell messengers.
- Fat transport and metabolism: It is essential for making a substance required for removing cholesterol from your liver. Inadequate choline may result in fat and cholesterol build-up in your liver.
- DNA synthesis: Choline and other vitamins, such as B12 and folate, help with a process that’s important for DNA synthesis.
- A healthy nervous system: This nutrient is required to make acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. It’s involved in memory, muscle movement, regulating heartbeat and other basic functions.
Omega-3 Long chain omega-3 fatty acids are usually associated with fish and fish oils but red meat contains a significant amount of these vitally important fats. The important fats are usually referred to as DPA, DHA and EPA.
- They are essential for brain function and help fight depression and anxiety
- DHA is a major structural component of the retina of the eye and is vital for vision
- They are essential for brain growth and development in infants
- They help to lower risk factors for heart disease
- They can reduce ADHD in children
- They reduce the risk of age-related mental decline and Alzheimer’s disease
- Omega-3s reduce inflammation, which is a component of many modern diseases
Could statins be life-saving?
“New research shows that over-75s on statin drugs are less likely to die within a decade.” This story was covered by all the national newspapers in July 2020. The research in question was conducted by geriatricians at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. After looking at data from 300,000 Americans aged 75 or older, they concluded that “those taking statins were 25% less likely to die from any cause and the drugs lowered the risk of having a stroke or heart attack by a fifth.”
A full-page spread in the T2 section of The Times newspaper on July 14th 2020 praised the benefit of statins to the hilt. However, it did mention that statins have been given some bad publicity because of their side-effects but to discover the truth, “We asked leading experts for the latest insight.” The most frequently quoted ‘expert’ in the article is Dr Dermot Neely. He is a spokesman for a charity called Heart UK. It seems unlikely that Dr Neely is an independent voice on this subject because the purpose of Heart UK, according to their website, is to “prevent early disease and deaths from cholesterol and other blood fat (lipid) conditions in the UK.”
The home page of the website states that “Over half of UK adults have raised cholesterol which can lead to heart disease. Together we can make things better.” The website goes on to lay the blame firmly at the door of saturated fat in the diet and recommends the use of statin drugs for the avoidance of ‘death from cholesterol’.
There are several problems with all of this:
- there is a dearth of investigative journalism throughout the media, which leads to the use of confirmation bias in the selection of ‘expert’ opinion. Reporters look for people who will support the story they want to write instead of seeking different opinions to strike a balance.
- reliable evidence that cholesterol and/or saturated fat causes heart disease is not available.
- a large number of other studies have shown that older people with high levels of cholesterol live longer and healthier lives than those with low levels.
The ‘Pure’ Study
The Pure Study followed over 135,000 adults from 18 countries for 7.4 years. The diet of all these people was recorded and compared with the frequency of total mortality, heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. The findings confirmed that the widely accepted National Dietary Guidelines are more likely to endanger life than to improve or prolong it.
THE LANCET – August 29th, 2017
Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study
Background
The relationship between macronutrients and cardiovascular disease and mortality is controversial. Most available data are from European and North American populations where nutrition excess is more likely, so their applicability to other populations is unclear.
Methods
The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study is a large, epidemiological cohort study of individuals aged 35–70 years (enrolled between Jan 1, 2003, and March 31, 2013) in 18 countries with a median follow-up of 7·4 years (IQR 5·3–9·3). Dietary intake of 135 335 individuals was recorded using validated food frequency questionnaires. The primary outcomes were total mortality and major cardiovascular events (fatal cardiovascular disease, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure). Secondary outcomes were all myocardial infarctions, stroke, cardiovascular disease mortality, and non-cardiovascular disease mortality. Participants were categorised into quintiles of nutrient intake (carbohydrate, fats, and protein) based on percentage of energy provided by nutrients. We assessed the associations between consumption of carbohydrate, total fat, and each type of fat with cardiovascular disease and total mortality. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) using a multivariable Cox frailty model with random intercepts to account for centre clustering.
Findings
During follow-up, we documented 5796 deaths and 4784 major cardiovascular disease events. Higher carbohydrate intake was associated with an increased risk of total mortality (highest [quintile 5] vs lowest quintile [quintile 1] category, HR 1·28 [95% CI 1·12–1·46], p trend=0·0001) but not with the risk of cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular disease mortality. Intake of total fat and each type of fat was associated with lower risk of total mortality (quintile 5 vs quintile 1, total fat: HR 0·77 [95% CI 0·67–0·87], p trend<0·0001; saturated fat, HR 0·86 [0·76–0·99], p trend=0·0088; monounsaturated fat: HR 0·81 [0·71–0·92], p trend<0·0001; and polyunsaturated fat: HR 0·80 [0·71–0·89], p trend<0·0001). Higher saturated fat intake was associated with lower risk of stroke (quintile 5 vs quintile 1, HR 0·79 [95% CI 0·64–0·98], p trend=0·0498). Total fat and saturated and unsaturated fats were not significantly associated with risk of myocardial infarction or cardiovascular disease mortality.
Interpretation
High carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of total mortality, whereas total fat and individual types of fat were related to lower total mortality. Total fat and types of fat were not associated with cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas saturated fat had an inverse association with stroke. Global dietary guidelines should be reconsidered in light of these findings.
Evolution
The ecosystem of Earth evolved over hundreds of millions of years. It flourishes because it is always in balance. Plants grow in the ground, herbivores eat the plants and carnivores eat the herbivores. This process evolved because it works. We evolved into exactly what we are today because our ancestors ate a largely carnivorous diet for a couple of million years. How can we be sure this is true?
1. Sweat glands. Unlike all other primates, we have lost our body hair and gained a multitude of sweat glands. We have the greatest ability on the planet to run long distances in hot weather because we can lose body heat from the evaporation of sweat on our skin. We developed this ability by chasing large animals across the grasslands of Africa. They struggle to lose heat by panting and eventually collapse and die from heat exhaustion. The Bushmen of the Kalahari still hunt for food this way. (Watch a 7 minute Attenborough video of this here) There is on reason to develop this ability if we were eating plants.
2. Nutrient density. We are closely related to chimpanzees and the other apes. Some of them are entirely herbivores while others are more omnivorous. Gorillas are herbivores and they possess very large intestines and small brains. We have large brains and small intestines. The difference is because we evolved to eat the nutrient and energy dense meat and fat of animals, which are easily absorbed. The Gorilla’s plant diet is difficult to absorb and they need large intestines to extract any nutrition. In fact, they find it necessary to be ‘copraphagus’, which means they eat their own poo in order to improve their diet.
3. Stomach acid. We have exceptionally strong acid in our stomachs. The only other creatures with comparable acidity are all scavengers of dead animals. This suggests that our meat-eating past began by cleaning up the remains of a big cat’s kill. This nutrition helped us to develop the ability to catch our own animals.
4. Vitamin B12. All animals need B12 to form red blood cells and to build the protective Myelin sheath around all our nerves and allow for proper brain development and function. Plants have no blood, nerves or brains and therefore do not need, nor contain, any of this vitamin. We definitely need an adequate supply which get from animal-sourced foods. Herbivores also need B12 but do not eat it. They rely on bacteria in their rumen or caecum to create vitamin B12. In the very distant past, we had a caecum to do this for us, but as we ate more meat the caecum became redundant and shrivelled to what we now call the appendix. This fact alone proves that we evolved into what we are by eating meat.
Is a vegan diet safe for children?
The simple answer is no. A quick internet search reveals that parents from all over the world have been convicted in court of causing either the death, or severe malnutrition, of their own young children as a result of their vegan diet.
In Canada – Religious Vegan Parents Convicted in Starvation Death of Son. This boy was fed a strict vegan diet and died at 14 months old. At the time of death, the child suffered from a rash on 70% of his body, gangrene, hypothermia, and a staphylococcus infection.
In Belgium – Baby Death: Parents convicted over Vegetable Milk Diet. The baby, Lucas, weighed just 4.3kg (9.5lb) when he died aged seven months, dehydrated and malnourished. The parents ran a ‘health food shop’ and fed him for four months with milk made from oats, buckwheat, rice and quinoa.
In America – Vegan couple sentenced to life over baby’s death. The couple were found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children for the death of their malnourished 6-week-old baby boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice.
In France – French vegans face trial after death of baby fed only on breast milk. The baby died from vitamin deficiencies because the vegan mother’s milk was deficient in the nutrients vital for infant development.
in UK – Baby death parents spared jail. A nine month old girl died of malnutrition and pneumonia because her vegan parents fed her a diet of only vegetables, fruit and nuts.
In Australia – Toddler fed vegan diet so malnourished she had no teeth. The parents of this 19 month old girl have pleaded guilty to ‘causing danger of serious injury’. After feeding her oats, potatoes, rice, tofu, bread, peanut butter and rice milk she had grown no teeth and looked like she was three months old.
These are tragic cases but they are not freakish anomalies. Malnutrition among young children of vegan parents is widespread.
I am extremely concerned that, for some people, veganism has become a quasi-religious doctrine and they feel compelled to follow their ideology even when it causes clear and significant harm to their own children. I am not the only one who thinks it is completely unsuitable for children. The Federal Commission for Nutrition in Switzerland stated, in their 2018 report, “The positive effects of a vegan diet on health cannot be proven, but there are relevant risks regarding nutritional deficiencies. Children and pregnant women are advised against adopting a vegan diet due to those risks.” Across the border from Switzerland, the German Nutrition Society have stated, “The German Nutrition Society does not recommend a vegan diet for pregnant women, lactating women, infants, children or adolescents. Persons who nevertheless wish to follow a vegan diet should pay attention to an adequate intake of nutrients, especially critical nutrients, and possibly use fortified foods or dietary supplements.” On May 16, 2019, the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium issued an opinion that will make it possible to imprison parents who enforce a vegan diet on their children.
Why do children fail to develop on a vegan diet?
Vitamin B12 This essential vitamin is nowhere to be found in plant foods. It is abundant in animal-sourced foods. Studies show that women with vitamin B12 deficiency in early pregnancy are up to five times more likely to have a child with birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, compared to women with high levels of vitamin B12. Anencephaly is a fatal condition in which the brain fails to develop. B12 is required for the formation of red blood cells and the creation of myelin. Myelin is a fatty substance that surrounds and protects all of our nerve fibres and without it our nerves cannot transmit signals.
Iron. Most people know that we need adequate levels of iron to enable haemoglobin to transport oxygen around the blood stream. However, iron is also essential in brain development. Iron-containing molecules are required for the production of the myelin sheath and of the neurotransmitter dopamine. While iron does occur in many plant foods, it is in a form with very low bio-availability. The iron found in animal foods, which is referred to as heme-iron, is much for readily absorbed. Vegans and vegetarians are much more likely to be anaemic than people who eat meat and consequently, their babies do not get enough iron in the womb.
DHA. DHA stands for Docosahexaenoic acid, which is why we refer to it as DHA. It is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina. It is the most abundant molecule in the brain and is essential for our thought processes. It can only be found in animal-sourced foods especially fish. There is none of it in plants, although they do contain a fatty acid known as ALA, which can be converted to DHA. However, the conversion process is very inefficient and vegans and vegetarians invariably have much lower levels than omnivores.
There are many other components of a healthy diet missing from plant-based foods. A vegan diet cannot provide all the nutrients for the development of a fully functioning, optimised human brain. There is more comprehensive information in the members’ area.
References: The Role of Iron in Neurodevelopment: Fetal Iron Deficiency and the Developing Hippocampus
Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life.