The Key: 100% Plants

For centuries, humans have always consumed both animals and plants, and while there are currently more people consuming strict ‘plant-based only’ diets than ever before, it’s worth addressing a question I’m often asked: Isn’t it necessary to eat animal protein for a healthy diet? This type of question is usually followed by a similar claim: that somehow ‘eating 100% plant based is not healthy for a human body.’ In this week’s column, let’s explore if we, as humans, could live healthily on 100% animal based diet, versus living healthily on 100% plant based diet.Firstly, we can’t live on 100% animal based foods because they lack Vitamin C, which means the immune system cannot strengthen, and you wouldn’t recover from sickness as fast. The absence of Vitamin C would likely lead to rashes, and even gum disease, not to mention consistently bad breath. Furthermore, animal based foods have zero fibre, which would result in poor digestion and constipation. While many perceive an ‘all-animal meat’ diet as a diet of strengths and muscle, the reality is that fibre is absolutely crucial to a healthy diet and living without it would make life very uncomfortable. Fibre (which is not found in animal meat) builds a diverse, robust microbiome in your intestines. Your microbiome is key to determining everything from how well your basic digestion is able to take place, as well as the status of your immune system, and even your mood. In addition to this, numerous studies suggest that meat is not only ‘not ideal’ for the human body, but it often worsens our body health, and may actually be making us sick or contribute to bringing on life-threatening diseases. It’s because the human body is able to best function on natural, plant-based foods that are full of fibre, antioxidants, unsaturated fat, essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, and cholesterol-free protein. We need 13 vitamins in order to live, and although you can actually get most of them from eating a variety of meats — folate, along with essential Vitamin C and E, pretty much only come from vegetables, mostly leafy greens, and citrus. And if you still think ‘Well maybe I can live without certain vitamins, so long as I have some’ — think again.Many vitamins cannot be fully absorbed by the body without the help of other vitamins. For example, while meat and protein is rich in vitamin K, our bodies require an adequate amount Vitamin E (from plants) in order to fully absorb and benefit from the vitamins. Unlike eating 100% plant-based foods, there are also big health dangers involved with consuming a lot of red meat. Red meat has long been linked to cancer, along with pancreatic and prostate cancers to a lesser degree. The World Health Organisation report on red meat supported that. When cooked at temperatures exceeding 300°F, meat flesh produces certain chemicals that are carcinogenic — a scary reality which further emphasises the need for us to eat plants. While you may ‘survive’ eating only animal based diet, you wouldn’t be able to live in a healthy way. It’s why dieticians and nutritionists consistently recommend eating vegetables and plants when consuming animal foods. Unlike animal meat, people can not only live healthily eating 100% plant based, they can thrive. Eating a whole plant based diet that consist of, leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts, sprouts, seeds and legumes is the healthiest diet a human could ever adapt to have. There are no limitations. We do not need meat. What’s more good of a news for 100% plant based eaters? Following a plant-based diet can help prevent, treat, and even reverse most of today’s chronic diseases. It’s the power of the plant! To summarise — while we can’t live even a little bit of a healthy life on solely animal foods, our bodies can live their healthiest life on a 100% plant based diet, otherwise known as whole food Vegan.* The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92