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G “ive me a juicy steak or a fine cheeseburger, that's real food as God intended. I don't want no weird fake meats!” You can often hear people proudly say they prefer to eat meat, dairy, and eggs over store bought vegan alternatives. After all, ‘this is what our ancestors ate’. Or at least that’s the story we were told.
Well, I don’t believe there were cheeseburgers back then, or fast food chains on every corner of every city serving fried chicken wings and Big Macs. In fact, half of the foods people eat today and call normal didn't exist in the past.
Today, store-bought vegan dairy, eggs, and meat products come in many forms and from a variety of brands. Some are higher in quality, and some are lower. But are they really less healthy than animal products? Let’s see what science has to say about that and leave the guessing game behind.
Studies compared plant-based meats to animal flesh.They were looking at four of the worst components of the food supply - trans fats, saturated fat, sodium, and dietary cholesterol. The plant-based alternatives were shown to be significantly healthier when it comes to trans fats and cholesterol, and a better choice when it comes to saturated fat.
Although some vegan products contain coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, the overall saturated fat content in plant-based meats averages around only 2 grams per serving. This is considerably lower than the levels found in traditional animal-based meats, highlighting their nutritional advantage.
Trans fats have a bad reputation for a good reason. They pose a serious risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes and have been associated with symptoms of depression, dementia, and lower testosterone in men - even at just 1% of calories. Higher levels of trans fat in the blood is associated with up to a 50% higher risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Although people often fear hydrogenated vegetable oils as one of the sources of these bad fats, did you know that today a major source of trans fats are animal products? They are naturally found in cow, goat, and lamb meat, as well as cow, goat, and sheep dairy products like milk, cheese, ghee, and butter.
According to WHO, both industrially produced and naturally occurring trans fats are equally harmful. The Institute of Medicine states that the tolerable amount is zero, which would mean no animal products in our diet, and yes, no fried foods too.
This is another major issue. It has been shown to increase the risk of all chronic diseases, including 4 major killers - heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal products, while plants don’t contain it. On the contrary, high levels of fiber found only in plant foods have been linked to lower blood cholesterol levels and lower rates of heart disease. So this is another big plus for vegan substitutes.
Sodium levels can vary greatly depending on the brand and type of plant meat substitutes. For some brands the levels may be higher, which is not ideal, but according to the review by Canadian Journal of Cardiology, it doesn’t negate their potential cardiovascular benefits.
Although many people avoid vegan meats fearing they are unhealthy, the majority of them regularly consume processed meats like ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs, and sausages. In fact, these foods are considered normal and acceptable for both kids and adults, often served in school cafeterias and even given to kids in kindergartens. You can also see bacon and eggs being eaten for breakfast in countless movies and tv shows. However, the widespread consumption of these foods doesn’t mean they are healthy or safe, in fact, quite the opposite is true.
In 2015, after reviewing 800 scientific studies, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has declared processed meats like ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs, deli meats, corned beef, canned meat, and jerky as carcinogen type A, meaning there is strong evidence they directly cause cancer.
Eating processed meat increases our risk of bowel and stomach cancer, and even just 50 grams a day, which is for example two strips of bacon - increases our risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. Considering this information, it would be prudent to swap these popular foods for vegan alternatives, as that way we can still enjoy them in a safer version.
Eating a steak, a cow burger or a leg of a lamb is often a preferred choice among meat eating health enthusiasts, especially those who follow ancestral diets. But they might rethink that choice.
Mainly, red meat (referring to all mammalian muscle meat including meat from cows, calves, pigs, lambs, sheep, goats, horses) is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen, which means the current body of evidence indicates it is a probable cause of cancer. A separate meta-analysis associated the consumption of red meat and processed meat with an increased risk of colorectal, esophageal, liver, lung, and pancreatic cancers.
Considering all this, eating vegan meats is again a better choice. Even though plant-based store-bought meats are always a lesser option compared to whole plant foods, they are still much safer for us to eat and enjoy.
Now let’s look at a few more things that are solely a part of animal products, such as steroid hormones, antibiotics, adrenaline, cortisol, and others.
A common practice in raising animals for food is administration of hormones to increase meat and milk production. This can include both natural steroids like estradiol - type of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as synthetic compounds like zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate.
These hormones and their metabolites can be present as residues in meat, milk, and other animal products. The Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health’s 1999 report presented a scientific assessment of the effects of hormone-treated meat on human health, identifying several areas of concern. These included potential neurobiological, developmental, reproductive, and immunological effects, as well as potential immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity.
In the US, an estimated 80% of farmers who raise cows for meat use artificial growth hormones to make the animals grow faster. In the dairy industry 42.7% of large-scale producers in the US use synthetic recombinant bovine growth hormone or rBGH, which has been linked to various types of cancer.
You might think you're safe if you eat meat and dairy from organic farms. But the truth is, there is no such thing as “hormone free” animal products. Hormones are naturally present in all animals used for food, as we are talking about living, breathing beings. Natural estrogens are, for example, up to 100,000 times stronger than environmental sources, like estrogen-like compounds in pesticides, and have been strongly connected to cancer. They are present in all animal products from both organic and standard farms.
Insulin-like growth factor-1 is naturally present in all animal products like meat, fish, dairy, and eggs and is another thing to be wary of. It’s a hormone that speeds up cell division and is directly linked to uncontrolled cancer growth. Elevated levels of IGF-1 can promote cancer in humans, specifically breast, endometrium, prostate, pancreatic, and colon cancer. IGF-1 doesn’t only stimulate tumors to grow but it also helps cancer cells spread to other parts of the body.
If you combine this with other cancer associated compounds that are naturally present in animal products, you get a very successful formula for cancer. And indeed, this disease is the second cause of death in humans worldwide.
During their lives and in the moments before and during slaughter, animals understandably produce high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which flood their systems and increase inflammation. Research shows that these hormones remain present in their tissues and blood and can affect the health of the people who consume them. Another hormone found in animals' blood is adrenochrome, the so-called horror hormone, as it’s being produced in both humans and animals during moments of absolute terror.
Notably, the tissue composition of terrified animals changes - it becomes more acidic, the omega 3 levels are reduced, and the fat profile alters - which can contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. In general, eating stressed animals can increase inflammation in the human body, impair the immune system, and contribute to various health issues.
Adrenochrome has even been tied to schizophrenia, which is not surprising, since eating someone's worst nightmare can’t logically promote happiness, joy, and vitality.
When we eat plant based alternatives, we are not exposed to such stress and trauma, and I think we can all agree it's a huge plus for our health and peace of mind.
Every year, around 63 tons of antibiotics are being used worldwide for treatment and promotion of growth and weight gain of animals used for food.
It's no wonder that significant amounts are found in the milk, eggs and meat. Studies have shown they can cause serious harm to human health, such as cancer and hypersensitivity reactions along with development of antibiotic resistance.
In the USA, antibiotics applied to plants account for less than 0.5% of total antibiotic use.
Plant based burgers, bacon, chicken, and other meat alternatives generally contain pea protein, soy protein, vital wheat gluten, vegetable oils and/or coconut oil. Compared to meat, they are usually lower in saturated fat and higher in polyunsaturated fat and dietary fiber. They also retain some active compounds such as phytosterols and antioxidants, which can all have beneficial effects.
Studies have shown that eating vegan meats instead of actual meat can lower total and LDL cholesterol, as well as reducing apoB, body weight, or waist circumference.
When comparing plant protein and animal protein, studies have found that plants are healthier. “Plant protein has been linked to lower blood pressure, reduced LDL cholesterol levels, and improved insulin sensitivity. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein has been related to a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.”
A study done on meat substitutes from 2017 found that -” these simulated meat-like products, with similar texture, flavor, color, and nutritive value can be substituted directly for meat to all sections of the society”.
So, does it pay off to eat ‘real food’ like steak, chicken legs or cow burgers? No, it doesn’t. We are better off eating even the most processed vegan foods, and would still be healthier.
Ofc, whole plant foods like veggies, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds are always something to strive for, but if you're in the mood for some fast food or want to enjoy familiar flavors, vegan options are definitely a better choice. Plus, they can serve as a helpful stepping stone when transitioning to a plant-based diet or simply wanting to eat more healthily.