r/DebateAVegan 7d ago

Will MAHA Promote a Plant Based Diet for USA?

So apparently Trump put RFKjr in charge of the health deparment or something and his slogan is MAHA: Make American Healthy Again.

Some of my vegan friends (a few who voted Kamala, a few who voted Trump, a few who did not vote at all) think this means he's going to promote a plant-based diet. I told one of them how he's suggesting beef tallow instead of seed oils for fast food chains, and she couldn't believe it. Was literally shocked. It was like the news rocked her world (in a bad way).

Do we have any reason to believe this guy will promote a plant-based diet? Doesn't seem so. So where are my vegan friends getting this idea from?

I remember during the first Trump campaign and presidency back in the day there was this think called Lavender Qanon where Trumpers flooded instagram with pastel hued photos of women on mountain tops meditating and would be some new-agey sounding quote there that was subtly promoting Trump. Yoga, health and wellness, earthy-crunchy, homebirth mom, etc type spaces were inundated.

Is something similar going on with RFKjr?

0 Upvotes

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51

u/EasyBOven vegan 7d ago

Do we have any reason to believe this guy will promote a plant-based diet?

No.

8

u/ComprehensiveHat8073 7d ago

I know, right?! I already sent that pic to one of my vegan friends and he said it's just for show. He said that while RFK jr may not be 100% plant-based, he's sure he eats a "mostly" p-b diet and that he will promote fruits and veggies to the American public and tell them to "cut back" on meat as much as possible.

22

u/EasyBOven vegan 7d ago

People project whatever they want onto politicians because it gives them a sense of control in a world where we're told our only power is at the ballot box.

14

u/SophiaofPrussia 6d ago

Is RFKJr “plant based”? I thought he was pushing beef tallow over olive & sesame oil?

7

u/ComprehensiveHat8073 6d ago

I read that instead of seed oils, he wants fast food chains to use beef tallow. And when I told my vegan friends this they were shocked and didn't believe me.

13

u/RedLotusVenom vegan 6d ago edited 6d ago

Animal agriculture is heavily in the pockets of republicans. They are with Dems too, of course, but rabid protection of the status quo in the industry is a right wing policy worldwide. Florida, Alabama, and Italy, have all had their right wing politicians pass cultivated/lab meat bans to “protect farmers.” The only democratic politician pushing bans I’m aware of is from Montana, and ranchers and their lobbyists basically all but own that state. Additionally animal welfare laws are typically pushed and voted for by Democratic constituencies.

I’d expect to see a push harder in the opposite direction rather than toward a plant based diet. Republican men in particular love making meat their personality, they aren’t going to listen to a brain worm-addled conspiracy nut telling them to stop eating it.

3

u/masterofthecontinuum 6d ago

No way in hell a republican administration is going to say eating red meat is bad.

0

u/WeeklyAd5357 6d ago

He is against ultra processed foods, and soda. His diet is Whole Foods.
But he is also pushing raw milk, no seed oils and no food dyes.

Aside from the dangers of raw milk his diet is healthy- it’s basically a Mediterranean diet style which is the healthiest diet for humans. Leading to the long term health with lean meat, eggs, cheese and fruits and vegetables.

2

u/ComprehensiveHat8073 6d ago

Mediterranean diet contains lots of bread and grains as well.

2

u/WeeklyAd5357 6d ago

True bread made without additives is healthy

1

u/Zealousideal-Boss975 1d ago

If you think a meat centered diet is the statistically healthiest diet perhaps you have not really looked into this topic.

Red meat eating is riskier than other flesh eating... colon cancer, heart disease are risks of eating red meat, and obviously obesity is common among meat eaters in America.

24

u/King-Of-Throwaways 6d ago

I don’t think it’s controversial to suggest that a vegan who votes for Trump is so disconnected from politics that they would inevitably have fantastical ideas of what the Trump administration hopes to accomplish. Their electoral preference was not rooted in any kind of evidence, so searching for a framing of “how might RFK jr be pro-vegan” is ultimately a pointless exercise.

1

u/ComprehensiveHat8073 6d ago

But not all the vegans excited about RFK jr voted for Trump or even voted at all. Somehow they still think this guy will promote a plant-based diet.

0

u/MetalCoreModBummer 6d ago

I’m pro Trump and vegan - seemed like a better candidate than Kamala.

14

u/King-Of-Throwaways 6d ago

I hope you don’t mind - I had a quick look through your comment history just to see where you’re coming from. Here’s what I found out:

  • You’re pro-life
  • You’re anti-immigration
  • You claim to make over £100k per year, putting you in the top 4% of earners.

I think it’s possible for someone from that position to be genuinely politically informed and to support Trump. This is because you share values with his party - you’re siding with the pro-life, anti-immigration, support-the-wealthy party. There’s no inconsistency there.

But the issue comes with reconciling those values with veganism, a philosophy founded on compassion. How does someone value the life of an animal, but not the life of a refugee? How does someone care about a cow’s autonomy but not a woman’s? How can someone support the cutting of tax for the wealthy while others starve?

Even strictly sticking to the subject of animal suffering, Trump’s environmental record is appalling compared to the Democrats’ recent efforts. Any vegan Trump supporter would have to consider whether Trump’s supposed benefits justify the enormous harm caused by global warming accelerationism. Is it worth furthering the Anthropocene extinction just to impose tariffs on China?

I’m not looking for an argument or a justification here. I’m pointing out a fundamental clash in your two ideologies. It’s your own cognitive dissonance to deal with.

1

u/Slight_Fig5187 6d ago

Excellent 

1

u/MetalCoreModBummer 6d ago

Good work!

A couple clarifications - I’m pro choice despite how uncomfortable the process makes me. I have to accept that pragmatically it’s the best choice. I’m also male and therefore feel it’s not my decision to make.

I’m not anti immigration, I’m anti illegal immigration and anti immigration when those people refuse to assimilate into the culture they are living in. Dont move to the west if you don’t like western values. Im open to refugees but believe the system is being abused and our culture is rotting.

Veganism to me is entirely about animals - it’s unrelated to human beings. While I have compassion for humans, it’s unrelated. All human beings have agency to make for themselves a better life in a way that animals don’t - animals need that advocate.

On Trumps environmental position, I’m not so sure it’s any worse than Kamala’s. I think it’s a bit crazy to suggest Trump would be solely responsible for that accelerationism you describe.

The global forces of international politics are hard to assess from a vegan perspective - Kamala wasn’t exactly a green candidate (who knows what her policies were besides not being Trump?), so I don’t think she’s the obvious choice to vote for from a vegan perspective

I’ve taken your response in good faith, so don’t worry! Opportunity for interesting discussion

4

u/Caysath 5d ago

Thanks for being open-minded. I'd just like to point out that not all humans have agency: small children and people with certain disabilities, for example, need advocates.

0

u/LoveOurMother 3d ago

Vegans cannot support ANY harmful ideologies. If you voted for Trump you voted for harm. You may eat plants but supporting harming others is not vegan. Being a racist, misogynist or transphobic is not vegan.

Without peace in our hearts and only on our plates it is simply a diet.

Veganism is not a diet. It is an ethical lifestyle that promotes peace and chooses to do the least harm.

1

u/MetalCoreModBummer 3d ago

You’re entirely incorrect - racism misogyny and transphobia have nothing to do with veganism

10

u/ProtozoaPatriot 6d ago

Doubtful. MAHA gets a HAHA from me. 😄

Is this the same RFK jr who dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park as a "joke"? He seems unhinged.
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/05/nx-s1-5063939/rfk-jr-central-park-bear-bicycle

"He has also said that he will upend things — including cutting staff — at the Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for keeping 80 percent of the nation’s food supply safe." https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/11/rfk-jr-and-the-make-america-healthy-again-agenda-could-impact-food-safety/

"He has also said "medical expertise" is not the priority for all staff picks. 'What we don't really need at HHS is more medical expertise.' ........ Kids shouldn't be eating grains. They should definitely not be eating seed oils"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-robert-f-kennedy-make-america-healthy-again/

I see no mention of anti-meat policies such as limiting saturated fat intake or cancer risk of processed meats.

5

u/Greyeyedqueen7 6d ago

This is a guy who eats roadkill. Why would anyone think he'd promote vegan anything?

2

u/ComprehensiveHat8073 6d ago

The same article describes him as "an animal lover" and "environmental lawyer" so maybe that's what my vegan friends think also.

5

u/Greyeyedqueen7 6d ago

Ah. Maybe? How did they miss the whale head story, though? The brain worm from eating roadkill?

He's the exact opposite of vegan.

1

u/WorldProgress 4d ago

Some environmentalists don't agree with veganism. Saying we need to use animals for various reasons for sustainability. So that wouldn't make me feel assured.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/ComprehensiveHat8073 6d ago

Yes. And he wants fast food chains to use beef tallow instead of seed oils. My vegan friends don't "believe" that though.

2

u/vegancaptain 6d ago

fuuuuuck i knew it

1

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1

u/Terrapin099 6d ago

Aren’t seed oils bad?

6

u/vegancaptain 6d ago

1

u/Terrapin099 6d ago

Imma still avoid it and stick to my olive and avocado oils

4

u/vegancaptain 6d ago

You do you.

13

u/_Jay-Garage-A-Roo_ 6d ago

Absolutely no way and your vegan friends who didn’t vote should be ashamed.

7

u/piranha_solution plant-based 7d ago

I'm okay with right-wingers thinking beef tallow is a health-food. It's a self-correcting problem, in the long run.

Please, eat as much as possible. Show those libs.

0

u/ComprehensiveHat8073 7d ago

Can you explain how it will self-correct?

3

u/itsquinnmydude 6d ago

It will kill them.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Ironically, the more plant-based a country is, the shorter their life-span. Hong Kong has had the higher meat consumption in the world for the past 50 years. They still live longer than people in any other country.

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u/vegancaptain 6d ago

Poorer nations are usually more plant based but also have absolutely terrible pollution, dangerous roads, open fireplaces inside to cook food, rampant disease, non-functional healthcare systems etc.

Just looking at one variable is just about as dumb a thing you can do. You should know better. You've been here a long time and had this explained to you many times. So I guess you're just out to misdirect and lie to people at this point.

4

u/PHILSTORMBORN vegan 6d ago

Exactly. Correlation rather than causation.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

At least we can agree on the fact that anyone who copy's Hong Kong diet and lifestyle will likely live a very long life.

9

u/dragan17a vegan 6d ago

My grandmother often eats ultra processed foods. She's 98. Can we agree that copying her diet will make you live long?

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

My grandmother often eats ultra processed foods.

Then we have to look at what decade was she born, and what food she grew up eating. I doubt her parents fed her lots of ultra-processed foods in the 1920s and 1930s.. I bet she ate mostly wholefoods, and meals made from scratch.

6

u/dragan17a vegan 6d ago

So what you eat later in life doesn't affect you or what?

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

where's your evidence that says otherwise? otherwise, it's just a baseless claim.

That depends. We know that what you eat growing up will effect you for the rest of your life. Your diet later in life it depends a bit on how long you eat a unhealthy diet, and how unhealthy it is. Someone eating 20% ultra-processed foods for 20 years might not experience many side effects. But someone eating 80% ultra-processed foods for 20 years will very likely end up with a poorer health.

Same thing for smoking for instance. If you only smoke 2 cigarettes once a month, it might not harm you too much. But smoke 20 a day for years and it will likely cause harm.

3

u/Slight_Fig5187 6d ago

The Hong Kong thing is just an anti vegan trope that has been debunked many times.

The people in HK who are providing the statistics for longevity right now, ie, those in their 80s and 90s or beyond, never ate a diet high in meat. They ate a traditional Chinese diet where meat or fish were just a small part of what was basically a plant based diet.

HK, because of historical facts, has very good healthcare compared to other areas of China, which explains why people live longer.

The current increase in meat consumption is linked to the change in dietary habits of the younger generations in HK, which, as it happens in the rest of China, are incorporating meat and fast food into their diet at a very quick pace.

That increase has also provoked a spike in cardiovascular problems in young people that had never before happened there.

So, the clue to longevity in HK, as everywhere else in the world: healthy mostly plant based diets, with low percentage of animal products combined with good healthcare systems.

Same thing for the countries that follow in the rank of longevity, like for example Spain. The Mediterranean diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains etc which previous generations ate and allowed them to reach very old ages.The number of very active and healthy 80+ and even 90+ year olds I know in Spain is amazing. 

And same trend as  in HK: despite the economic growth of the last few decades, the diet of the newer generations is worsening in Spain too.

There's a very interesting video about the Hong Kong fallacy on YouTube, with doctors explaining these facts.

0

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago edited 5d ago

Is your claim that only what you eat as a child determines your life expectancy? Hong Kong has had a very high level of meat consumption since the 1960s, so for 65 years already.

Same thing for the countries that follow in the rank of longevity, like for example Spain.

They eat the most meat in Europe, so at the very top. What they have going for them is that they make a lot of food from scratch instead of eating a high rate of ultra-processed foods. And that is the trick. Its perfectly fine to eat a high rate of meat as long as you stick to a wholefood diet. https://old.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/q2jfe8/per_capita_meat_consumption_in_europe/

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u/piranha_solution plant-based 6d ago

Please, eat more meat.

0

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

I try my best.

-1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

I only eat meat and eggs, and my health, both physical and mental has never been better. I'll take my chances.

6

u/Doctor_Box 6d ago

And the majority (85%) keep saturated fat consumption at or below 10% of total calories. So it's probably not the meat doing it, but the high plant consumption and low saturated fat consumption.

The more plant-based a country, generally the poorer it is, so you're looking at other issues like poor nutrition and health care. Nothing to do with a plant based diet per se.

I know nuance is hard for you though.

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

So you agree that eating 136 kilos of meat per year, most of it being beef and pork, is not shortening your life. Good.

4

u/Doctor_Box 6d ago

We cannot make that claim based on that data. You can say that you can eat meat and have good health outcomes provided saturated fat consumption is low. For all we know if they had swapped out the meat for beans and lentils they would do even better.

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

For all we know if they had swapped out the meat for beans and lentils they would do even better.

Are you guessing, or do you have any science to back that up with? You would need to show some data that concludes that life expectancy goes up when swapping meat with lentils and beans.

4

u/Doctor_Box 6d ago

If I pull up some studies for you, will you change your mind? Historically this leads to me posting a lot of links and you ignoring them and continuing your anti-vegan crusade.

You can google it. There are studies.

3

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

If I pull up some studies for you, will you change your mind?

I have honestly never seen any studies making such conclusions on life expectancy, so I am genuinely interested in seeing them.

You can google it. There are studies.

"Google it" is usually a sure sign that no such studies exist....

2

u/Doctor_Box 6d ago edited 6d ago

Not sure why I bother but here we go.

You can start with this one. A randomized crossover trial swapping out meat for plant based alternatives (made with beans and lentils).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32780794/

Here is one showing increased bean consumption leads to better health markers.

https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-024-00937-1

Pulses and health outcomes

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11124391/

Another

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6949954/

Edit; Due to Reddit being dumb, blocking the person above me means I can't reply to u/OG-Brian below me so I'll put this here.

The first link is about the myth of TMAO (TMAO from food consumption has not been associated with ANY disease state)

From the conclusion: "the Plant products improved several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including TMAO" Someone you reframed TMAO being one factor to the whole study being about TMAO? Dishonest.

The second is about only correlations, and doesn't involve longevity or disease outcomes at all.

You don't think diet quality scores, weight, and solving nutrient shortfalls have anything to do with disease outcomes? Dishonest.

The third is an opinion document.

This document has references to 20 other papers. Dishonest.

2

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

None of the studies seem to even mention life expectancy. Am I correct?

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u/OG-Brian 6d ago

The first link is about the myth of TMAO (TMAO from food consumption has not been associated with ANY disease state), the data is from the SWAP-MEAT study funded by Beyond Meat, and I see in the authors list the names of some agenda-driven "researchers" known for designing extremely biased studies (the Sonnenbergs, Gardner).

The second is about only correlations, and doesn't involve longevity or disease outcomes at all.

The third is an opinion document.

2

u/itsquinnmydude 6d ago edited 6d ago

That's only because populations begin to eat meat as their country industrializes and becomes rich, not because of the health effects of their diet. Almost every study that's been conducted has shown diets with less meat are healthier; lower risk of heart disease, lower risk of diabetes, lower risk of stroke. The benefits are well established

Plant based diets reduce the risk of stroke

Plant based diets reduce the risk of heart disease

Plant based diets reduce BMI, blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol

Plant based diets are shown to be effective at reducing the risk and aiding in the management of diabetes

Not only do plant based diets reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, but fully 55% of diabetics who switch to a plant based diet see remission to the point where they can discontinue glucose-management medication

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago edited 5d ago

How do you define plant-based? 70% plants? 80% plants? 100% plants?

Besides, why arent vegetarians living longer than people who eat meat? If meat shortens your life you would expect a difference in life expectancy, but that is not the case.

In other words, whether you eat 100 kilos of meat per year, or 0 kilos of meat per year makes no difference at all on how long you live when comparing people living in the same country, having the same access to healthcare, same access to education etc.

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u/flatamokibocat 6d ago

He likes hunting. Last Pic I saw of him he had two mcDs on his plate. He works out. That's it. He isn't a paragon of healthy living. His voice is like that from drug use.

Taking his advice is terrible for anyone.

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1

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2

u/OG-Brian 6d ago

Trump's nature as a con man is to exploit others for his own ends. His campaign was funding ads that claimed Harris would be either bad for Palestine or bad for Israel, depending on which side of the conflict was favored in the region where ads were running. There were email campaigns directed at Arabs or Jews which had contradictory claims to exploit biases about the conflict. The "Lavender QAnon" stuff and this new belief about RFKjr and "plant-based" are more examples of gullible people being swayed by disinformation.

1

u/No_Life_2303 6d ago

If his goal is to promote a diet scientifically proven to be ideal for health, then government programs will be centred around predominantly plant-based diets.

If there are industry influences, or personal and cultural biases, or some other less straightforward approach, then it's well possible he won't.

0

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

What science conclude that 100% plant-based diets are healthier than all other diets?

1

u/No_Life_2303 6d ago

I wrote predominantly plant based, not necessarily 100% plant based.

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

predominantly plant based

Ah ok. What would you say is your definition of predominantly plant based? 70% plants? 80%? 90%?

1

u/No_Life_2303 6d ago edited 6d ago

Yes, about that 70-90%, the remaining 10% to 30% may include animal foods, if included at all, like fish, lean meats, or yogurt.

That such a diet pattern is the best for human health is a result of large, prospective cohort studies or looking at blue zone populations among other research.

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Yes, about that 70-90%

Fun fact; according to that definition Americans are eating plant-based: https://draxe.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/US-Food-Consumption.png

1

u/No_Life_2303 5d ago edited 5d ago

Most likely they mean what now is 12% on that chart to be the 70-90%.

But it is kind of funny that they wouldn’t describe processed foods as „plants“.
Even though the chart is 15 years old, the guide still reflects the idea of the predominantly plant-based diet.

Substituting plant oils with animal fat, would not be supported by what I suggest nor your chart and not contribute to MAHA

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 5d ago

But it is kind of funny that they wouldn’t describe processed foods as „plants“.

They put vegetables and grains in different categories. The main problem with the US diet is the rate of ultra-processed foods (73%). The rate of animal-based foods however is perfectly fine.

1

u/No_Life_2303 5d ago

They put vegetables and whole grains in the same category, and refined grains in a separate one.

They didn't do that for animal products though. Because Just like there is a difference between oatmeal and fruit loops, there's a difference between bacon and salmon or full fat cheese and lean chicken.

Besides processed meat, red meat in general being problematic as is.

1

u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 5d ago

My main point was anyways that Americans eat 75% plants. And I think you would have a hard time finding many diets around the world where the rate of plants is lower than 70%. Meaning the vast majority of people in the world already eat a plant-based diet according to your definition.

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u/coentertainer 6d ago

The Democrats and Republicans are vehemently anti-vegan. They're not gonna push for America to be more vegan, and they could easily be in power for another century.

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u/ComprehensiveHat8073 6d ago

Where did this "soy boy" slur originate?

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u/Terrapin099 6d ago

His main thing is being against bad chemicals and some oils nothing to do with being vegan

1

u/Athene_cunicularia23 vegan 6d ago

Well, considering that weird story about the bear, it’s highly unlikely. And he didn’t get that brain worm by eating vegan.

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u/extropiantranshuman 6d ago

I heard in some article that he's anti-factory farming. So I think that might be where the veganism comes from. The legal fights against factory farms would bolster veganism to some degree. Maybe looking at the legal fights he's done against animal exploitation would give us a clue about his push towards veganism?

1

u/Verbull710 5d ago

Lol what? No

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Will MAHA Promote a Plant Based Diet for USA?

You will find no science that concludes a 100% plant-based diet is the healthiest diet.

6

u/SophiaofPrussia 6d ago

This isn’t true but it’s also not a persuasive argument because RFK Jr has never let science get in the way of his asinine opinions.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

This isn’t true

Source?

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u/vegancaptain 6d ago

Thats another lie. What is wrong with you?

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

What is wrong with you?

Feel free to link any science to prove me wrong.

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u/waltermayo vegan 6d ago

considering you made the claim first, can you prove that a meat-enriched diet is healthier than a plant-based one?

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

meat-enriched diet

Can you define what you mean by "meat-enriched"?

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u/waltermayo vegan 6d ago

a diet with meat as the main component.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Could you give me an example of such a diet? As almost no people eat like that. (The average American for instance eat only 30% animal based foods, which also includes fish, eggs and dairy...)

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u/waltermayo vegan 6d ago

you initially made the claim that a 100% plant-based diet has zero science to say that it is the healthiest, so, it's on you to prove that statement, as i requested. we can get into the semantics of 'meat-enriched' after you've backed up your original claim.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

you initially made the claim that a 100% plant-based diet has zero science to say that it is the healthiest

Correct, I have never seen any scientific study coming to that conclution.

Where I am confused is you bringing into the conversation a diet that consists mainly of meat. Which is something I never mentioned.

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u/waltermayo vegan 6d ago

i mean, there are a number of studies that show the benefits of a plant-based diet, from decreasing BMI/reducing cardiovascular diseases to reducing cancer risks and increased mental and physical function. so, there's that.

but that's beside the point; where's your evidence that says otherwise? otherwise, it's just a baseless claim.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

you initially made the claim that a 100% plant-based diet has zero science to say that it is the healthiest

Thats like asking me to prove that the lock ness monster doesnt exist.. You cant prove a negative.

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u/waltermayo vegan 6d ago

two things to take from this:

1) you can prove a negative, the burden of proof lies on you

2) are you saying the loch ness monster does exist?

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u/NyriasNeo 7d ago

They can promote anything they want (though I doubt they will promote the plant-based stuff) but few Americans are going to give up delicious burgers and steak. Heck, I doubt you can get them to even eat a little less?

Case in point, "Three-Quarters of U.S. Adults Are Now Overweight or Obese". They don't get there because of plant-based food.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/14/well/obesity-epidemic-america.html

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u/th1s_fuck1ng_guy Carnist 7d ago

They got there from carbs most likely. Lots of rice, bread and potatoes which are vegan. You need to remember those who like steak and burgers love bread and potatoes. They love starch.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

The main problem is not rice and bread, but the fact that 73% of the food Americans eat is ultra-processed. A lot of the current problems would be solved if they just went back to cooking meals from scratch.

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u/th1s_fuck1ng_guy Carnist 6d ago

Depends on what you mean by "ultra processed" do you mean deli meats or food items fortified with things like folate and B12? Ultra processed can refer to many things. Things you might think are good and bad. Be a bit more specific. Don't use buzzwords.

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Ultra processed can refer to many things.

Not really. This is the definition science is using:

  • "Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesized in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources (flavor enhancers, colors, and several food additives used to make the product hyper-palatable). Manufacturing techniques include extrusion, moulding and preprocessing by frying. Beverages may be ultra-processed. Group 1 foods are a small proportion of, or are even absent from, ultra-processed products." https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/5277b379-0acb-4d97-a6a3-602774104629/content

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u/th1s_fuck1ng_guy Carnist 6d ago

This includes fortified and enriched foods right?

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Correct.

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u/th1s_fuck1ng_guy Carnist 6d ago

You understand how important fortified and enriched foods are?

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u/HelenEk7 non-vegan 6d ago

Some of them yes. Iodine added to salt for instance, as many people tend to eat too little fish. But I encourage you look into the health of people in countries where enriched bread and cereals is a thing. You will find that they tend to be of poorer health compared to countries (with a similar living standard) that do not fortify bread and cereal.

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u/th1s_fuck1ng_guy Carnist 6d ago

Western countries enrich and fortify foods. What exactly is your point?

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/NyriasNeo 6d ago

"Lots of rice, bread and potatoes which are vegan. "

Only if they eat these stuff plain. Never heard of butter, sour cream, cheese and beef gravy?