Vegan vs. Omnivore Whole Food Meals: Which is Best for Building Muscle? by Jerry Brainum 4/25

 

 

An omnivore is a person or an animal that consumes both plant and animal-based foods. A vegan or vegetarian consumes only plant foods, although several vegetarian nutrition types exist. For example, a strict vegan will only consume plant-based foods without animal food intake. Other kinds of vegetarians will eliminate meat and dairy foods but still eat fish. Still other people who call themselves vegetarians eliminate meat and fish but will consume milk and eggs. Such people are called "lacto-ovo vegetarians," and among them was the late multi-Mr. Universe, Bill Pearl, who lived to age 91. The rationale for becoming a vegetarian varies. Some adopt vegan eating styles because they believe eating only plant foods is healthier, resulting in less disease and extended longevity. While there are aspects of vegan eating that do favor health improvements, such as lower blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides) and lower blood pressure, both of which promote a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, the most recent studies that compared vegan and omnivore eating styles on longevity show no advantages of either. What counts is eating "clean" and avoiding processed foods, refined sugars, and excessive calorie intake. If you do all of that, it doesn't make much difference whether you choose to go vegan or remain an omnivore. Physical activity also plays an important role; whether you are a vegan or an omnivore makes no difference. The body is a machine programmed for movement, and without sufficient activity, degenerative diseases are the inevitable result, mainly cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two greatest killers. The other motivation for becoming a vegetarian is ethical; such people love animals and don't want to eat them. 

Some recent articles have said no scientifically valid reason exists to consume animal-based foods, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and poultry. These naysayers say that all required nutrients are obtainable from eating only plant foods. That, however, is not true. The primary problem with vegan nutrition from a nutritional point of view is the notable lack of a few essential nutrients. For example, vitamin B12 exists only in animal protein foods. While some vegan advocates claim that B12 does exist in certain plant foods, the form of B12 in such foods is not only not commonly consumed by humans but also isn't usable by the human body. Thus, unless a strict vegan consumes a B12 supplement, they will get a B12 deficiency and all the health problems that come with it, such as degeneration of the brain and nervous system. This problem is efficiently dealt with by ingesting a B12 supplement, and many are synthetic and lack animal content, so they are suitable for even the strictest vegan. Other nutrients may also be in short supply in pure vegan diets. These include iron, calcium, iodine, and others. Unless vegans supplement these missing nutrients, their health will decline. A few celebrities who decided to become vegans . . .