I’ve recently seen a large number of friends post about this documentary, as reference to an ensuing decision to adopt a Vegan lifestyle. I think a vegan lifestyle, albeit restrictive, can be predominantly healthy due to its focus on increasing plant-based, wholesome and unprocessed foods.
I appreciate the social, animal advocacy and environmental sentiments behind such movements and believe them to be of great importance. However it is also key to note that cutting out entire food groups could have a negative effect on some individuals. An improvement in health could also be seen under a Flexitarian / Part-Time Vegan plan.
Before deciding, it should be noted that this documentary does demonstrate some conflicts of interests due to the biased background and agenda of its creators. Here is a great review from FightThefads.Com (snippet below): click here to read the original article
Some Choice Takeaways
- Not all class 1 carcinogens are equally dangerous. Doseage is important. Apple pips contain the deadly poison cyanide but it doesn’t mean that accidentally eating one or even a hundred apple pips is going to kill you.
- A high GI diet has been linked with increased risk of T2DM (sugar + refined carbs being the main culprits)
- Antibiotic resistance due to animal agriculture is a problem, but the UK has stricter regulations to help prevent this (although this may change post Brexit…)
- Current scientific evidence does not suggest eating dairy increases mortality after a breast cancer diagnosis
- Collaboration between health professionals and the food industry can be useful – transparency is key
- The film-makers do not have scientific backgrounds but do have confirmation bias. They are not a credible or impartial source of nutritional information. However our diets and the way in which we consume food in general, is undoubtedly food for thought.
