Quote:
Originally Posted by sabotai
I suppose "plant-based diet" could be taken as a code-phrase for vegan, but if you really just pay attention to the studies that are referenced in the documentary, none of them are "OMG Vegan is good and everything else sucks".
One of the main studies that's referenced a few times is one showing the difference between two groups. One group had 20% of their consumption from animal products while the other was at 5%. The 20% showed long term health issues while the 5% showed few if any at all.
It goes back to what was quoted from QS in the first post.
"-Amidst all this, I think the healthful effects of a much-reduced consumption of animal proteins, especially dairy, is very strongly supported. What I don't see enough clear evidence for is the health-driven necessity of going to absolute zero. The most powerful changes seem to take place when going from "high animal" to "low animal" content in the diet. This isn't as thrilling to the animal rights side of the debate, who really really want to have strong science behind their pre-existing viewpoint... but thus far there doesn't seem to be a powerful case (to me) that an absolute vegan diet is separable from one where, say, 5% of your calories come from animal proteins (still far lower than our standard diet here, of course)."
So while the documentary might advocate a vegan diet (implicitly or covertly), the research it cites doesn't quite go that far, nor do many (or any...it's been awhile since I watched it) of the experts that appear in the film.
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And that seems a much more reasonable approach. Again for me though, while it may better for my long term health if I had a more plant based diet, I know having eating habits that I can stick to and keeps me in good physical shape and at a better weight will be far better for my health and happiness than going with diets that I wouldn't stick to and would constantly struggle with.