As a long-time devotee of grass-fed meat, I was particularly interested in this episode of The Doctor's Farmacy.
Meat has become such a controversial topic in recent years, with untold numbers of articles touting a "plant-based" lifestyle that excludes all animal products as the fountain of youth and longevity, and still others extolling the virtues of high-meat diets such as the "Carnivore Diet," or "traditional" diets with a modern spin, such as the Paleo Diet.
In fact, the topic of meat eating is extremely complex and nuanced, and it's neither fair nor correct to say that all meat is good, nor that all meat is bad. The truth, as always when we're talking about healthy eating, comes down to the sources and types of protein that you are eating, as well as the overall balance of other foods in your diet.
As I've discussed at length before, just because you're "vegan" doesn't mean you're healthy. You can just as easily eat vegan junk food and die an early death as you can when eating a diet containing animal products.
Meat has become such a controversial topic in recent years, with untold numbers of articles touting a "plant-based" lifestyle that excludes all animal products as the fountain of youth and longevity, and still others extolling the virtues of high-meat diets such as the "Carnivore Diet," or "traditional" diets with a modern spin, such as the Paleo Diet.
In fact, the topic of meat eating is extremely complex and nuanced, and it's neither fair nor correct to say that all meat is good, nor that all meat is bad. The truth, as always when we're talking about healthy eating, comes down to the sources and types of protein that you are eating, as well as the overall balance of other foods in your diet.
As I've discussed at length before, just because you're "vegan" doesn't mean you're healthy. You can just as easily eat vegan junk food and die an early death as you can when eating a diet containing animal products.
If you’ve ever wondered if plant-based meat alternatives are nutritionally equal to real, pasture-raised meats, or if they are truly better for issues like inflammation and cardiovascular health, this episode is for you.
In this interview, Dr. Mark Hyman talks with Dr. Stephan van Vliet, a nutrition scientist at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University.
They discuss the increasing prevalence of meat replacements or "plant-based meats," and whether they're any better for you (or the environment) than real meat. They also discuss how the diet of grazing animals impacts both the flavor and nutrient profile of their meat, and much more, including:
In this interview, Dr. Mark Hyman talks with Dr. Stephan van Vliet, a nutrition scientist at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University.
They discuss the increasing prevalence of meat replacements or "plant-based meats," and whether they're any better for you (or the environment) than real meat. They also discuss how the diet of grazing animals impacts both the flavor and nutrient profile of their meat, and much more, including:
- Why the overall composition of your diet matters
- Research looking at grass-fed vs grain-fed bison
- How humans can get unique plant compounds through animal consumption
- Why not all feed-lot feed is equal
- Why cardiac risk from meat consumption may vary depending on the type of meat
- The metabolic health of pasture-raised bison vs feed-lot bison
- Assessing the health of lab-grown meat
- Honoring the wisdom of farmers and indigenous people
One of the things I found most fascinating in this episode was the finding of how nutritionally different plant-based meats are from grass-fed meat. When you think about it, this logically makes a lot of sense, as they truly are completely different substances from different sources, so it's logical that they contain different nutritional compounds. However, most people assume when they're eating plant-based meats that they are eating a substance which is a nutritional substitute for meat, which is clearly not the case at all.
This isn't to say that one or the other is better for your health - in fact, as they explain in the interview, both of these protein sources contained radically different but important nutrients. This implies that both can be a part of a healthy diet, but by avoiding either one entirely, you may be missing out on some important nutritional benefits. Now I'm thinking a plant-based burger may be a good idea once in a while! :-)
Thoughts? Let me know your takeaways from this episode... I'm curious to hear what stood out for you.
To your health,
Rose.
This isn't to say that one or the other is better for your health - in fact, as they explain in the interview, both of these protein sources contained radically different but important nutrients. This implies that both can be a part of a healthy diet, but by avoiding either one entirely, you may be missing out on some important nutritional benefits. Now I'm thinking a plant-based burger may be a good idea once in a while! :-)
Thoughts? Let me know your takeaways from this episode... I'm curious to hear what stood out for you.
To your health,
Rose.
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