11 Comments

The quote about fiber being a nutrient that almost everyone is deficient in is right on. Meat advocates cite B12 and a few other nutrients as supposed arguments against plant based diets, but ignore that deficiency in fiber leads to atherosclerosis and cancer, the two biggest killers in the first world today. Most people also get an excess of saturated fat (mainly found in animal foods), which causes atherosclerosis too.

Of course it's possible to get enough fiber while eating some animal foods, but it requires planning/tracking those specific nutrients. WFPB is extremely simple to state and understand, and it's pretty much impossible to get too little fiber eating WFPB. It's also hard to eat as much saturated fat as a meat-based diet unless you eat a lot of coconut.

That said, I think fiber is a big reason people quit plant-based diets since abruptly getting adequate fiber can cause flatulence and intestinal discomfort. I'd love to see research on how to transition to higher fiber diets. We also need a societal norm shift to recognize that farting is not "rude", but a normal part of physiology that's partly suppressed by the unhealthy standard American diet.

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Now it would also be nice if the “gastronomy” world, starting with the Michelin and 50Best circuses, would start acknowledging this.

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Humanity is notorious for its slow response to scientific evidence. But I'm hopeful that we will eventually get there.

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I am hopeful too. This time however it seems that even the “avant-garde” and “innovators” chefs in the fine dining world are still stuck into an Ancien regime fueled with animal protein.

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Nov 7Liked by Pala Najana

Totally agree. In my experience, food snobs are the absolute worst when it comes to exploring alternatives to time honored "ingredients."

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I have the same exact experience. They are content with slapping a generic “sustainability” label on whatever is even remotely less polluting or less “foie gras-esque” cruel than the average

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Are they 100% plant-based in their cafeteria though?

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10 hrs ago·edited 10 hrs agoAuthor

Hi Keith, thanks for your question. This post focuses on their public communication about the plant-based diet, which highlights the benefits and encourages people to try it out. It will probably take some time for the entire institution to go plant-based. As far as I'm aware, the meals in the hospital are not purely plant-based. I hope they will eventually align all meals - for staff and patients - with the scientific findings they are promoting publicly.

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Great post. I shared it on Twitter but I'm getting ready to leave Twitter for Bluesky because of Elon Musk. I guess I'll message the Bluesky folks to add Bluesky to the share button. While I'm at it, here is a list of people to follow on Bluesky who support media reform in support of democracy: https://bsky.app/starter-pack/protecttruth.bsky.social/3l6qkeqc34m2e

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Wonderful, except veganism is not the point. Veganism is an ethical concern, secular ethics (animal welfare, and the environment), whereas vegetarianism is primarily a religious ethical concern (hinduism, jainism, buddhism, some Christian sects, etc.). Unhealthy vegans are easy to find. A Whole Foods, Plant-Based diet is actually nutrition, and is the core of Lifestyle Medicine. Potato chips and beer is vegan, but it is not whole foods, plant-based compatible.

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Nov 7·edited Nov 7Author

Dear Rogier, thanks for your comment. I agree that veganism is an ethical concern - I have written about this extensively. Updates regarding plant-based diet are relevant nonetheless.

I also agree that a whole-foods, plant-based diet is best for your health. This point is addressed in the article - see above: "Of course, not every plant-based diet is automatically healthy. For example, eating nothing but potato chips is technically plant-based but obviously won’t be healthy in the long run. Eating a well-balanced diet of fruits and vegetables is key. For optimal health, Mayo Clinic experts recommend a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet."

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