In the “at least things haven’t gotten worse” department, the price of food and other essentials stabilized somewhat but remains well above what it was pre-pandemic. Factors maintaining high prices include the continuing effects of the pandemic on the food chain and the impact of the Russia/Ukraine war.

Meanwhile, climate chaos (a phrase that’s much more accurate than the anodyne “climate change” or “global warming”) is already causing havoc, contributing to higher food prices by bringing droughts to some places and floods to others, leading to crop failures and economic hardship.

In many parts of the world, climate chaos will continue to hamper food production, particularly in areas suffering from prolonged drought and relying more and more on groundwater — leading to accelerated aquifer depletion. This threatens to create massive disruptions when wells run dry — something that’s already happening in many places and is likely to intensify dramatically in the years ahead.

I was stunned by a recent opinion piece in the New York Times about Uzbekistan’s disappearing Aral Sea. A photo accompanying the article shows rusted boats stranded in a lifeless desert that used to be a thriving port — now 75 miles from the nearest body of water.

All these developments highlight the critical importance of eating lower on the food chain. Doing so can save massive amounts of land, water, and other natural resources — and can significantly reduce the food system’s contribution to climate chaos.

And, as we frequently discuss on this site, eating more plants, fewer animals, and less processed food can also be a great move for your health.

In short, the mission of the Food Revolution Network is more important than ever.

A Couple of the Many Lives Changed by the Food Revolution

At FRN, we’re privileged to hear, almost every day, from people whose lives have been touched by our message. Some of the stories we hear make us cry! And all of them fill us with determination to carry on and to spread the word.

Here are just a few of the memorable member stories from 2023:

WHOLE Life Club member Diane M. from Saugerties, NY, USA, wrote:

“With WHOLE Life Club, I sought support and information to help me on my journey to a…  whole food, plant-based diet. It has done that and a whole lot more! I have lost over 120 pounds since September 2022. My A1c dropped from 10.4 to 4.5, my triglycerides are now in a normal range, my LDL cholesterol has dropped tremendously, and my HDL cholesterol is in a healthy range and creeping higher. I feel so much better, with more energy, motivation, and a healthier mindset. Thank you to WLC and all its members! I enjoy how positive everyone is, and the nonjudgmental way the leaders include everyone as they teach, no matter what phase students are in on their journey.”

Plant-Based Coaching Certification graduate Terry Baker from Oro Valley, AZ, USA, wrote:

“Food Revolution Network’s Plant-Based Coaching Certification was truly the answer to my prayers, and I am so eternally grateful. I value the PBCC so highly because not only did I learn about the vast intricacies of the human body and exactly what it needs to be truly healthy at any age, but also I gained the knowledge and confidence to successfully share this vital information with others, hoping to end unnecessary suffering and disease. Do not hesitate in taking this course! You have no idea what a beautiful, powerful, and positive impact you could have in this world! Thank you to EVERYBODY in the Food Revolution Network for making this course possible.”

The Future of Plant-Based Eating

More and more people around the world are showing an interest in moving toward a more plant-based diet, and the number of people who make the shift is also increasing.

Veganuary — a fun portmanteau of vegan and January — broke all previous records with more registered participants than ever, from nearly every country in the world. And many of those folks maintained a more plant-based diet after the 31 days of the event.

More and more restaurants, businesses, and other organizations are responding to an increased demand for plant-based options — and sometimes leading it — by cutting down on animal products or eliminating them altogether. NYC Health + Hospitals, which operates 11 public hospitals in New York City, now serves plant-based meals to inpatients by default. Not only are the meals healthier than before, but they’re also changing perceptions of how “hospital food” tastes — with chefs creating dishes inspired by Latin American, Asian, and other cuisines representing the populations served by these institutions.

In a move that might have seemed unbelievable just a few years ago, the US Conference of Mayors (a nonpartisan organization that includes the mayors of all 1,400 US cities with populations of 30,000 or more) ratified a resolution supporting a plant-based approach to fighting the epidemic of chronic disease, mitigating climate chaos, and saving money desperately needed by the municipalities.

The number of restaurants offering plant-based menu options is also increasing. According to research by the Plant Based Foods Association, 95% of restaurants that offer plant-based selections expect sales of those items to remain steady or increase. And four times as many foodservice operators were planning to add plant-based options as the number that were planning to remove them.

A student-led campaign in the UK, Plant-Based Universities, is working to get all university catering facilities to transition 100% of their menus to plant-based. Begun in late 2021, the campaign has given a voice to students who are voting to remove animal products from university food halls specifically to address the climate crisis.

And in the US, Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts won our “best acronym” award by introducing the Peas, Legumes, and Nuts Today (PLANT) Act in the House of Representatives on July 28, 2023. If passed, the act would establish an Office of Plant-Based Foods and Innovative Production at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and help fund farmers who produce ingredients specifically for plant-based foods, like legumes and mushrooms. It would also create a research program to further the development of plant-based proteins that could replace meat and offer technical and financial assistance to businesses that move the food industry in a more plant-forward direction.

Plant-Based Diets Continue to be Better for Your Wallet, Health, and the Planet

One of the nice things about advocating for more plant-based eating is that it tends to make people’s lives better right away — starting with their wallets. A study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine found that adopting a low-fat vegan diet led to a 16% reduction in grocery bills, for an average savings of $500 per person per year.

If you’d like to avail yourself of the economic advantages of a plant-based diet, a good place to start is our article 7 Healthy Recipes for Eating Plant-Based on a Budget.

While the benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet to your pocketbook can be felt immediately, it might take a few days, weeks, or months to notice health improvements. But scientific research continues to find more and more evidence that such improvements are likely.

A 2023 study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine followed 59 patients with type 2 diabetes as they were placed on a low-fat, plant-predominant diet for six months, along with receiving standard medical treatment. By the end of the study, 37% of the patients, whose average age was 71, had their diabetes in remission.

A 2023 study published in the journal Nutrients looked at how diet, genes, and lifestyle factors contribute to obesity by analyzing body fat in adults. Researchers discovered that a plant-based diet helped reduce the risk of obesity, even for those with a genetic predisposition to higher body fat.

Another article published in the past year collected data from 55 recent human trials on the effects of a plant-based diet on cardiovascular disease. The authors wrote that the preponderance of evidence showed that incorporating more plant foods into the diet can protect against heart disease and may also help prevent other chronic conditions.

Plant-based eating, especially a diet rich in whole foods, was also found to be predictive of mental health. A 2023 study found that a high-quality plant-based diet may offer protection against depressive symptoms and should be considered as a lifestyle-based treatment for people suffering from the condition.

And in November 2023, the results of a carefully conceived and remarkable randomized controlled trial involving 22 pairs of identical twins were published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Network Open. The study authors concluded: “The findings from this trial suggest that a healthy plant-based diet offers a significant protective cardiometabolic advantage compared with a healthy omnivorous diet.”

What About the Earth?

One of the major drivers of the trend toward more plant-based eating is increased awareness of the scope of the chaos wrought by human-made climate change. While switching to electric vehicles and replacing energy-guzzling appliances with more efficient ones are steps in the right direction, the impact of these actions pales in comparison with the effects of adopting a plant-based diet.

Research published in the prestigious journal Nature in 2023 found that, on average, vegans produce 75% fewer food-related greenhouse gas emissions than meat-eaters. And plant-based dietary patterns also reduce harm to land, water, and biodiversity.

Becoming a B Corp

Speaking of impacts on the world around us, we wanted to share some exciting company news about FRN. In 2023, FRN submitted an application for B Corp status with high hopes that the submission will be approved in 2024 (our Owners and Board members are Ocean Robbins and John Robbins, as you might guess).

A B Corp, or benefit corporation, is a type of company that’s recognized for meeting higher standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corps are committed to generating positive impacts on society and the environment.

The application process includes an extensive review of the company’s mission and where its impact is and is not aligned with that mission. The review looks at things like donation of money, products, or services to social causes and at-risk communities; decreasing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and production of waste; use of renewable energy and resources; support of tree planting and other forms of carbon sequestration; equitable compensation of team members; integration of mission-related responsibilities into employee performance evaluations and job descriptions; and providing employment and advancement opportunities for women, people of color, and other traditionally marginalized groups.

Since we started FRN in 2012, our mission has been front and center. We’re committed to healthy, ethical, sustainable food for all! So becoming a certified B Corp seems to be a natural next step to formalize our values.

Our 2023 Contributions to the Food Revolution

In 2023, thanks to you, our million+ community members, and 25+ FRN staff, we accomplished an amazing amount.

• We published 106 articles on nutrition, health, and sustainability topics and more than 148 new plant-based recipes. Our content reached more than six million unique readers, and our website was accessed over 13 million times.
• Through customer purchases of our digital products, we supported the planting of over 75,000 organic fruit or nut trees that will sequester more than 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide while providing food to low-income communities with Trees for the Future.
• In terms of non-digital products, Food Revolution Network put out its first physical cookbook this year. Real Superfoods: Everyday Ingredients to Elevate Your Health was published by Hay House on October 31, 2023. Over 9,800 people took part in the Real Superfoods Challenge leading up to its publication. And the book was an Amazon bestseller in its first week!
• Ocean delivered a captivating and inspiring TEDx Talk at the prestigious TEDx Alexander Park this year, and the excitement is contagious! His presentation, entitled “Eating Your Way to Happiness,” has already racked up more than a million views.
• Ocean was a featured speaker at Holistic Holiday at Sea, a plant-based cruise to the Caribbean, where he presented two keynotes. More than 150 FRN members and hundreds of other wellness enthusiasts participated in the cruise. To find out more about the cruise and get a $50 onboard credit for the next one, visit the Holistic Holiday at Sea website.
• Across our social media pages, Food Revolution Network had a combined reach of 5.6 million people, over 6.2 million impressions, and over 560,000 followers. Video content was the preferred medium on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
• The 2023 Food Revolution Summit was a special one, debuting as a full docuseries for the very first time. This year’s Summit reached 437,302 participants who viewed over 209,800 hours of empowering and groundbreaking content.
• We debuted FRN’s first foray into the coaching world with our Plant-Based Coaching Certification (PBCC). New and experienced coaches learned unique skills to help them empower their clients to transform their lives through a plant-based lifestyle. In the first cohort, PBCC welcomed 244 students. Graduation timing is flexible, but by the end of 2023, more than half of the inaugural cohort had already graduated. After completing a brief exam administered by the Lifestyle Prescriptions University in partnership with the nonprofit Lifestyle Medicine University Foundation, graduates received 24 CE/CPD credits from the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching and 24 CE/CPD credits from the CPD Standards Office. Additionally, for RDs/RDNs, all activities offered by the Food Revolution Network’s Plant-Based Coaching Certification were eligible to receive CPEUs by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
• FRN helped over 10,468 people improve their blood sugar balance and metabolic health with our Tackling Type 2 Masterclass and course with Brenda Davis, RD.
• Over 46,990 people received transformative guidance on implementing a healthy diet with our Food for Health Masterclass, and nearly 2,900 went on to enroll in the Plant-Powered & Thriving course it introduces.
• We shared The Need To GROW — an award-winning, solutions-based environmental documentary — with more than 181,300 audience members.
• We gave an awe-inspiring look into the mushroom kingdom to more than 61,600 people with the film Fantastic Fungi.
• The groundbreaking health film From Food to Freedom debuted to over 81,300 viewers.
• Our Healthy Heart Masterclass reached over 23,500 people, with 1,500 enrollments in the Healthy Heart course with holistic integrative cardiologist Mimi Guarneri, MD.
• FRN relaunched our Brain Breakthroughs Masterclass, taught by husband and wife neurologist team Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, to over 31,700 people, and shared their Healthy Brain course with over 1,750 people.
• More than 19,850 people participated in our first-ever Eat the Rainbow Challenge with the reopening of WHOLE Life Club registration.
• We helped over 3,300 people take small steps every day for two weeks with our 14-Day Plant-Powered Accelerator. Participants received healthy eating secrets straight to their inboxes to support lasting changes to their diets.
• And within WHOLE Life Club, we provided 53 Action of the Week videos, 12 expert interviews, 312 recipes, and monthly live member events (In the Kitchen Live Calls, Culinary and Coaching Q&As, and Community Connection Calls) with our WLC community, which has grown to more than 10,000 active members.

The Most Popular Food Revolution Network Blog Posts Published in 2023

These were FRN’s most popular new posts of 2023.

• Is Bone Broth Good for You? (88,432 views)
• Plant-Based Lysine: Do You Need Meat To Get Enough Lysine? (87, 715 views)
• The Importance of Fiber in Gut Health and Hormonal Balance (64,881 views)
• Goitrogens: Should You Worry About Their Effect on Your Thyroid? (58,403 views)
• The Zesty Truth About Limes: Exploring Their Health Benefits and Potential Risks (50,054 views)

The Most Popular Food Revolution Network Recipes of 2023

Snacks dominated the top-viewed recipes list this year, along with a couple of tasty and legume-filled curries. Unsurprisingly, our Super Simple Homemade Date Paste made the top ten again but has been dethroned as the most popular recipe.

Our most popular recipes for 2023 were:

• Easy Cheesy Herbed Crackers (18, 474 views)
• The Best Creamy and Crunchy Snack! (14,486 views)
• Thai Almond Chickpea Curry (13,409 views)
• Super Simple Homemade Date Paste (13,403 views)
• Sweet Red Lentil Curry (13,214 views)
• Creamy Vanilla Cinnamon Chia Pudding (13,206 views)
• Cherry Cheesecake Smoothie (12,376 views)
• Super Seedy Granola (9,794 views)
• Oatmeal Banana Bites (9,393 views)
• Sheet Pan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (9,139 views)

On a Personal Note

In 2023, my dad, colleague, and dear friend — and FRN cofounder — John Robbins, experienced the progression of a health condition, post-polio syndrome, that has had a significant impact on his life and on our family. He is working with it in a profound way, and we shared about it in this video. We have received nearly a thousand deeply moving responses to this sharing, and they have lifted our family’s spirits. The way my dad is working with this condition is profoundly moving to me — and to many other people, too.

My dad and I are profoundly privileged to work with an amazing team of 25+ at FRN. This is, without a doubt, the most friendly, cooperative, dedicated, accountable, and effective team either of us has ever been a part of. The FRN team works virtually, and as much as digital tools like Zoom and Slack allow us to collaborate and be in each others’ lives, they aren’t a perfect substitute for in-the-flesh human interaction. So I’m delighted to share that in October 2023, we hosted our first in-person team retreat since 2019.

Thank You for All that YOU Do

We work hard at FRN, and sometimes the mission that we’ve staked out, along with the tasks and deadlines that bring that mission to life, can feel daunting. So it’s important for us to constantly remind ourselves that the food revolution movement is a mission much bigger than my dad, much bigger than me, much bigger than any one person, and much bigger than the FRN staff. It’s a movement that is growing and gaining traction, saving lives and bringing healing to our world.

And that movement includes you, about whom I’ve saved the last word.

FRN has a voice and influence because of you. When famous and influential people and brands consider whether to partner with us, one of the things they look at is our “reach.” Because we’re over a million members strong, we can work with the folks who gave the world movies like Fantastic Fungi and The Need to GROW. We can interest a book publisher like Hay House in publishing our cookbooks (with another coming back for final editing next week for publication in 2024).

We can attract an all-star lineup to share their ideas in our annual Food Revolution Summit because they know that a huge audience is there to “eat up” their wisdom — and use it to improve the lives of themselves and their loved ones, their communities, and the entire world.

There’s a video that was published in 2009 on YouTube that went viral and has now amassed over 24 million views. Titled “Sasquatch Music Festival 2009 — Guy Starts Dance Party,” it’s a 3-minute clip showing a lone dancer doing a series of pretty goofy moves. After a while, he’s joined by his first follower and then a second. A little over one minute into the video, it suddenly turns into a dance party — a mass movement. The energy grows and becomes contagious. When I first watched it, I wanted to jump through my laptop screen and join in.

Without you, dear reader, my dad, our staff at FRN, and I would still be the first three dancers, enjoying ourselves but lacking impact at scale. Your willingness to embrace the mission and the frequent calls to action — and to share and amplify the messages and make them your own — is what allows us to make the contributions highlighted above.

So please know how absolutely grateful we are to you for all the ways you generously support our work and provide loving and helpful feedback to help us improve. And for all the ways you assume leadership in your families and communities, day in and day out.

Like: Moving toward a plant-based diet. Choosing organic produce when you can. Buying local, from farm stands and farmers markets. Buying less and loving more. Donating to worthy causes. Loving the people you love with your whole heart. Trying new healthy recipes from our blog articles. Sharing articles, films, and healthy food with friends and loved ones.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you for caring about the food that you eat and the food you share with others. Thank you for caring about the well-being of the people who produce that food.

Thank you for aligning your actions and purchases with your values, and for being willing to look at inconvenient truths and adapt your behavior accordingly.

Thank you for all the ways in which you strive to be the change we all wish to see, and to manifest, in the world.

Here’s to all we accomplished together in 2023, and to the healing, compassion, and beauty we’re creating, one meal at a time.

May all be fed. May all be healed. May all be loved.

Ocean Robbins and John Robbins

Cofounders, Food Revolution Network

Tell us in the comments:

• How has the food revolution impacted your life in 2023?
• What was your favorite Food Revolution Network article from this past year? What made it special for you?
• What are you looking forward to in 2024?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Irina_Strelnikova

Read Next:

• Food Revolution Network’s End of Year Review: Looking Back on What We Accomplished in 2022
• Why the Global Rise in Vegan and Plant-Based Eating is No Fad (30x Increase in US Vegans + Other Astounding Vegan Stats)

The post Looking Back: Food Revolution Network’s 2023 Year in Review appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

But by the end of the 20th century, the dieting trend was starting to decline. The reality that diets very rarely produce sustained weight loss started to sink in. People gradually shifted their emphasis from shrinking their size to improving their health.

The Health at Every Size and Body Positivity movements were central to this shift. And the Dove brand received widespread praise for its Real Beauty campaign, featuring models with full-figured bodies.

By the 2010s, polls were showing record lows in the percentage of people who wanted to lose weight, and news outlets were reporting that fewer than 1 in 5 people in the US was dieting. All this spelled trouble for the weight loss industry.

Fast forward to the present day, and — shazam! — the semaglutide drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have hit the scene. It turns out that people still want to lose weight after all.

The New Weight Loss Drugs

If companies needed reassurance that weight loss can still be big business, they’ve gotten it. Novo Nordisk, the Danish corporation that makes Ozempic and Wegovy, is now the most valuable company in all of Europe, with a market capitalization of $425 billion dollars, an amount greater than the entire economy of Denmark.

But what are these drugs, and how do they work? Are they really that effective for weight loss? What are the benefits of being on them, and what are the side effects? And, more importantly, are they safe?

There are indeed some surprising benefits — and also eye-opening risks — to semaglutide drugs for weight loss. And in this article, we will cover all of them. We’ll even introduce you to an alternative approach that research shows produces weight loss results equal to Ozempic and Wegovy, without the negative side effects. (Hint: it’s not weight loss surgery, and Big Pharma is not involved).

But first, we need to start at the beginning. Should people even try to lose weight in the first place? And why have conventional approaches to weight loss failed them?

A Rise in Obesity and its Health Effects

Over the last 50–75 years, the average weight of the human population has risen steadily, in lockstep with dramatic changes to our food supply.

According to the World Obesity Atlas, by 2035, fully one-half of all people worldwide, over four billion people, will be living with overweight or obesity. And that’s not good news, for many reasons.

There is still a tremendous stigma associated with excess weight, making overweight and obesity difficult to live with, both socially and psychologically. Obviously, we should continue to strive to reduce that stigma. And people should aim to be healthy, and to love and respect themselves, their bodies, and the people around them, no matter their size.

If negative stigma were the only issue, universal size acceptance and body positivity would be the straightforward answer. However, research continues to confirm that body size is not at all irrelevant to human health.

Furthermore, health-promoting efforts like exercise do not fully offset the risks of carrying excess weight. For example, in a large study of over 50,000 people, researchers found that even robust levels of physical activity don’t neutralize the profoundly damaging toll that obesity takes on cardiovascular health.

Alas, excess weight is simply not benign. It’s linked with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, conditions of poor well-being like fatigue and chronic pain, potentially life-ending conditions like heart disease and 13 forms of cancer, and, of course (as we were all reminded by the media over and over in 2020 and 2021), severe illness and potential death from diseases like COVID-19.

Bringing our body composition in line with the body fat ratios that our ancient ancestors used to have may well be the healthiest for longevity, not to mention quality of life along the way.

The Truth Behind Weight Gain and Weight Loss

So, what’s driving all this weight gain?

It’s easy to assume that our sedentary lifestyles are to blame. But research shows that active people in hunter-gatherer tribes actually burn no more calories than sedentary people in the Western world.

How can that be?

It turns out that, when we’re very active, the body compensates by burning significantly less fuel the rest of the time, resulting in little to no change to overall daily energy output.

Keep that in mind the next time you think you’ll go to the gym to “burn off” the food you’ve just eaten. You can do that workout, and it will absolutely be healthy for you overall. But when you come home afterward, your body will shift into low gear. (And after a few days, you will have burned no more total calories than if you had just stayed home.) This is part of the reason why exercise won’t make you thin.

Ultra-Processed Foods

More and more experts are starting to converge on the opinion that the true cause of the obesity pandemic is all the ultra-processed food we’re eating. And indeed, solid research shows that ultra-processed foods drive us to eat more and gain weight quite rapidly.

In fact, even when controlling for total presented calories, energy density, and grams of protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, sugar, and salt, on a processed foods diet (versus an unprocessed diet of nearly identical composition), participants in the above trial ate significantly more and gained weight in as little as two weeks.

People eating ultra-processed foods don’t just gain weight, though. Their brains and bodies change. Inflammation rises, baseline insulin levels go up, and triglycerides increase. Together these changes are associated with leptin resistance, a condition that means the brain never gets the signal to stop eating.

Plus, ultra-processed foods are addictive, creating the same deficit in dopamine receptors that’s characteristic of cocaine and heroin addiction. And this change in brain chemistry causes powerful food cravings that further drive people to overeat.

This is all bad news for humankind because ultra-processed food consumption is only becoming more and more prevalent.

Today, a full two-thirds of the calories children consume is not what their grandmothers would have called “food” at all, but rather industrial concoctions born in a factory and poured into a plastic wrapper. And the trends aren’t stopping — they’re just going global.

Every 10 hours in 2023, a new McDonald’s opened in China, with a record 900 new franchises added by the end of the year. That’s on top of the roughly 1,200 new KFC and Pizza Hut stores that opened in China as well. The US has spread its “cuisine” around the world — with devastating effects.

How the Brain Can Sabotage Weight Loss Efforts

On a personal level, for the 70% of people in industrialized countries today carrying excess weight, the conundrum is that once weight is gained, it’s incredibly difficult to shed for good. And this is by design.

The brain is happy to allow us to gain weight. After all, fat stores are what will keep us alive when food becomes scarce over a long winter. But the brain fiercely protects our current body weight (even if it’s too high for optimal health) by launching a full-fledged hormonal assault when we lose weight. It very deliberately toggles our hormonal dials: lowering thyroid hormones (reducing our metabolism), increasing ghrelin (triggering hunger pangs), and lowering leptin (so the brain comes to think we’re starving), making sustained weight loss about as easy as holding our breath while climbing a long staircase.

Many people engage in yo-yo dieting and ultimately find themselves demoralized. In a nutshell, diets don’t work. People tend to lose perhaps 2–7% of their starting weight (when they might be aiming to lose several times that much). And then, almost always, they gain it back. Indeed, weight loss programs don’t tend to publish results beyond one year, because after that, weight regain is the norm.

Enter Ozempic and Wegovy

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No wonder people are looking for a different solution. And for people who have tried everything else, the new weight loss drugs are offering much-needed hope again. Celebrities of every ilk, from actors, models, and comedians to business magnates and even the former Prime Minister of the UK, are talking about their use of these drugs. But is the hype warranted? Let’s dive in.

What Are the New Weight Loss Drugs and How Do They Work?

Semaglutide drugs were originally designed to help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. They work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which has an appetite-suppressing effect.

Tirzepatide drugs, which are also part of the current weight loss trend, mimic both GLP-1 and the hormone GIP, but overall have a similar effect. They increase insulin released from the pancreas and decrease glucagon from the liver, which balances out blood sugar. As a result, people lose weight because they become less interested in eating.

Additionally, these drugs modulate dopamine levels in the addictive centers in the brain, resulting in fewer cravings and decreased anticipation of pleasure from eating. In animal models (FRN’s stance on the use of animals in medical research is here), these drugs were able to reduce cocaine, amphetamine, alcohol, and nicotine use, too. And in fact, reports are flooding in that people on Ozempic and Wegovy are not just eating less, they’re also smoking fewer cigarettes and losing their taste for alcohol.

With the double whammy of less hunger and fewer food cravings, weight loss results can average upwards of 15% of starting body weight. This is many times greater than what people can expect from a conventional weight loss program.

From that perspective, it definitely is the case that semaglutide drugs can work for weight loss. However, from the perspective of a 300-pound person looking to lose perhaps 35–60% of their body weight, the prospect of losing 15% of their starting weight isn’t exactly a home run.

For context, the average person getting Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery — the approach that results in the most dramatic weight loss but also comes with a 3.34% mortality rate — can expect to lose a lot of weight initially and then regain a fair bit, settling at a net loss of about 25% of their starting weight after five years. Certainly, weight loss surgeries are far more invasive and involve a host of risks. But are weight loss drugs risky, too?

Is Semaglutide Safe?

The question “Are they safe?” requires us to consider our standards for safety and our tolerance for risk. Is driving a car safe? Flying in an airplane? Jumping out of an airplane with a parachute?

One might argue that carrying a lot of excess weight isn’t “safe,” which means it really comes down to managing risk. So, what are the risks of semaglutide and other weight loss drugs?

Gastrointestinal Symptoms

The main side effects of semaglutide drugs are gastrointestinal in nature, and they can range from very mild to severe. Many people who start on these drugs experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, sharp pain, belching, gas, bloating, or intestinal blockage.

For some people, the side effects are problematic enough that they stop taking the drug. In fact, many prominent celebrities have done so because it made them feel too sick. But most people find that the side effects subside with continued use. Starting on a low dose and then gradually increasing it can reduce the likelihood that GI symptoms will be debilitating.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any clear long-term data on what these drugs do to the gastrointestinal system over time.

Thyroid Cancer Risk

People taking semaglutide drugs may also have an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, so people with a family history of the disease are cautioned not to take them. As a result, the FDA has put a black box warning (its highest level of warning) on the Ozempic and Wegovy packaging for thyroid cancer.

That said, a meta-analysis of 45 randomized controlled trials showed an increase in thyroid disorders, but not thyroid cancer. Because these instances are rare occurrences, more research is needed.

Muscle Reduction

Finally, many outlets have reported that semaglutide drugs reduce lean muscle mass (rather than just fat mass). But there are also several studies that contradict that claim — so the jury is still out on this point.

How Much Does Ozempic or Wegovy Cost?

One of the biggest downsides to semaglutide drugs for weight loss is the financial cost. Getting a weekly injection (and yes, most of these drugs are administered by injection) of Wegovy can cost over $1,300 per month in the US — that’s around $16,000 per year. The drugs are priced significantly lower in other countries (although still expensive). But these sky-high prices are resulting in insurance companies dropping these medications from their plans, so getting coverage can be difficult.

There are innumerable plans, and policies change frequently, so a Google search is not likely to help you determine whether insurance will cover Ozempic or Wegovy. If you have health insurance, the best way to find out is to contact your insurance provider directly. There are some coupons and programs that help people pay for the drugs. But the bottom line is that the financial investment is likely significant.

And the cost doesn’t just impact the user. Any time insurance providers, even including governments, pay for an expensive treatment, the cost is ultimately absorbed by everyone in their covered pool — through higher premiums and/or taxes. This means that if costly weight loss drugs come to be used widely, the price of medical insurance could go up for just about everyone.

Weight Regain

If you’re not prepared to be on the drugs for the rest of your life, then it’s also important to know that, once the drugs are discontinued, most of the weight tends to come back rather quickly.

One large study found that participants regained two-thirds of the total weight they’d lost within the first year of stopping the medication. This is perhaps not surprising. When you stop taking cholesterol medication, you expect your cholesterol to go up again. The same logic applies to semaglutide drugs.

It would be nice if the brain would adapt to your new, lower weight and allow you to maintain it as a “new normal.” But it doesn’t. This means that someone taking the drugs for weight loss will either need to prepare to be on them for life or adopt new lifestyle interventions that will allow them to manage their weight when they wean off.

The trouble is that, when appetite and cravings are artificially suppressed, motivation is not strong to adopt rigorous new eating habits. If the person could have done that in the first place, they would have lost weight without the drug.

Are There Long-Term Studies on the New Weight Loss Drugs?

Unfortunately, no. We don’t have a lot of long-term data on Ozempic or Wegovy. But the first GLP-1 agonist to be approved for type 2 diabetes was Byetta (Exenatide) in 2005. You can think of it as a first cousin to Ozempic and Wegovy.

That drug does have a study on long-term outcomes. Results showed that Exenatide continued to provide blood sugar stabilization to type 2 diabetics with no unexpected adverse events for seven years.

Semaglutide drugs also seem to protect people from death and adverse events from heart disease, so much so that the FDA has approved Ozempic as a treatment for heart disease.

In a double-blind, randomized clinical trial with 17,604 patients, weekly semaglutide injections were found to reduce cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks by 20%.

Are There Alternatives to Ozempic and Wegovy?

Since the Ozempic and Wegovy craze has hit the world, reports have been coming out that eating more fiber (the kind naturally found in whole, plant-based foods) can have a semaglutide-like effect.

Interestingly enough, just the act of chewing increases GLP-1 release. It also decreases the release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. That’s super interesting because ultra-processed foods are designed to minimize chewing, and experts have highlighted the stark difference in chewing intensity and frequency between eating the standard American diet versus a diet of whole, real foods.

In short, it’s reasonable to conclude that, if you’re eating the right foods, the results that people are getting with Ozempic and Wegovy should be achievable through diet alone.

And, there is a line of research that shows exactly that. Over the past nine years, a habit-based program focused on eliminating ultra-processed foods and eating only whole, real foods, Bright Line Eating, has published weight loss results comparable to semaglutide drugs.

Full disclosure: I developed this program, which grew out of my decades of research in the field, and I’m the CEO and owner of an organization that champions bringing this body of work into the world. The following graph shows the weight loss results, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, of many of the most common commercial weight loss programs, compared with Bright Line Eating and semaglutide drugs.

References:

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Bright Line Eating is the only commercial weight loss program that addresses the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods. Indeed, it’s tailored mainly for people who score between 7 and 10 on a Food Addiction Susceptibility Scale that goes from 1–10. By taking this short quiz, you can see how you score.

Research also shows that losing weight within a community like Bright Line Eating is associated with positive “side effects” such as higher energy, greater feelings of connection, better quality of life, decreased depression, and fewer days of poor mental health — and that with this way of eating, hunger and food cravings go steadily down.

The Future of the Weight Loss Industry

Without a doubt, the genie is out of the bottle. Weight loss drugs are here to stay. And the development of further drugs in this category is progressing rapidly.

Currently, the drugs approved for weight loss require regular injections because the peptides in semaglutide don’t absorb well through the digestive system. But Novo Nordisk has innovated a pill form of semaglutide called Rybelsus that the FDA has already approved for the treatment of diabetes.

In November of 2023, the FDA also approved Zepbound, a new tirzepatide drug developed by Eli Lilly, for weight loss. Given the multibillion-dollar market that’s available here, there’s no doubt that the rapid development of new options will continue. And as generics come out (Novo Nordisk’s patent on Ozempic expires December 5, 2031), the cost will eventually come down at least somewhat from the current stratospheric levels.

About 45% of people polled in the US say they would consider taking a weight loss drug. That comes down to 16% if it’s not covered by insurance. But these are people who have come to believe that sustained weight loss is largely impossible without a pharmacological or surgical solution.

But the results of Bright Line Eating highlight the reality that lifestyle-based approaches are worth pursuing, and that ultra-processed food addiction needs to be addressed for people to be successful.

Losing weight when you’re hungry and plagued by food cravings is unsustainable. We now live in a world where there are drugs that can take away excessive hunger and addictive food cravings. But emerging evidence shows that we can eat to reduce hunger and cravings as well. Not to be Twiggy, but to be healthy.

Tell us in the comments:

• Are you trying to lose weight or have you tried to in the past?
• What do you find most challenging about weight loss?
• Do you plan on trying a semaglutide drug like Wegovy or a more natural alternative?

Featured Image: iStock.com/CR

Read Next:

• What No One Tells You About Weight Loss
• 11 Top Weight Loss-Friendly Foods

The post Are Semaglutide Drugs Like Wegovy and Ozempic Safe and Effective for Weight Loss? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The principles of eating so-called alkaline-producing foods were first made clear by French biologist Claude Bernard, a giant of science who made many important discoveries, including that the liver stores and releases glycogen and the pancreas releases digestive juices.

It was Bernard’s word on what was later called “homeostasis” that led to the evolution of the alkaline diet. Bernard believed that among the factors that promoted or disturbed a healthy internal environment was the pH of the body and blood. He theorized that an acidic environment, in particular, is a breeding ground for chronic disease — and that what you eat can impact your bodily pH.

Variations of this acid-alkaline dietary pattern have existed since the beginning of the 20th century. But its popularity skyrocketed again in the last few decades via early health influencers like Robert Young, author of The pH Miracle, and the Honduran herbalist Dr. Sebi (who inspired many people to adopt a vegan alkaline diet).

But is there any truth to these theories that the pH of food impacts blood pH, and, therefore, susceptibility to disease? And is the alkaline diet inherently a healthy dietary pattern?

In this article, we’ll take a look at the alkaline diet, comparing its claims to the available scientific evidence.

Understanding pH

In order to understand the alkaline diet and its claims, we need to at least have a basic understanding of pH. Potential of hydrogen or pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a liquid. The pH scale goes from 0.0 (highly acidic) to 14.0 (highly alkaline or “basic”) with a neutral point of 7.0.

Our stomachs are very acidic environments with a normal pH of 1.5–3.5. We secrete hydrochloric acid to help us digest our food, activate enzymes, and break down proteins into amino acids. Maintaining those stomach acids also helps protect us from pathogens in the digestive system.

On the other hand, blood is slightly basic or alkaline, with a pH of 7.35–7.45. The body’s acid-base balance is mainly controlled by the respiratory system and the renal system (kidneys). Maintaining this equilibrium is important for the functioning of basic bodily systems, and any disturbance in this pH can be a serious (and even life-threatening) problem.

So What Does the Alkaline Diet Claim?

The central claim of the alkaline diet is that what you eat can alter the pH level of your blood and cells. And that a more alkaline body pH (achieved from the food you eat) can prevent many diseases, including cancer and osteoporosis, while also providing increased energy and well-being.

When it comes to cancer, the theory is that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment, so ingesting more alkalizing foods will create a more alkaline and anticancer environment. In this view, eating too many acid-forming foods can put your body into a state of acidosis and result in a decrease in blood pH, with serious metabolic and respiratory consequences in the body.

The bone health theory goes like this: Your body works diligently to keep your blood pH at a healthy level in your arteries and slightly lower in your veins. If you acidify your blood (by eating acid-forming foods, among other things), your body will do whatever it can to achieve equilibrium, including pulling calcium, an alkalizing mineral, from your bones.

To sum it up, the standard Western diet, according to this theory, degrades health and increases the risk of chronic diseases because it promotes an acidic body environment. And an alkaline diet alkalizes the body and blood, staving off chronic disease.

The Alkaline Diet: Foods to Eat vs Avoid

So what foods are supposed to contribute to this alkalizing effect in the body, and which foods don’t?

Most alkaline diet protocols encourage you to eat more alkaline foods that, when metabolized, also leave an alkaline “residue” in your body. Eating this way doesn’t necessarily mean removing all acidic foods from your diet, but instead prioritizing alkaline foods (75–80% of your diet) over acidic ones (20–25% of your diet).

Alkaline foods include many, but not all, vegetables, as well as some fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, and cold-pressed oils. Neutral and low-acidic foods are also okay in moderation, the majority of which are fruit. Most of the high-alkaline foods are green in color, with leafy greens, green vegetables, and sprouts topping the list.

On the other hand, the foods to avoid on an alkaline diet are those believed to produce an acidic effect. Meat and poultry, dairy, eggs, bread, sweets, and condiments; processed, canned, and fast foods; and beverages like coffee, alcohol, and tea are all off-limits on an alkaline diet.

What the Alkaline Diet Gets Right

Ultimately, there’s a lot of focus on the consumption of whole, plant-based foods and the elimination of most animal products and processed foods on the alkaline diet. So whether or not the underlying theory of the alkaline diet is accurate, there’s no question that eating the preferred foods — whole plants — confers many nutritional benefits.

Conventional Western-style diets are notoriously low in fiber, which is one of the most severely lacking nutrients in industrialized societies. But because the alkaline diet prioritizes whole, plant-based foods, it can make it much more likely you’ll achieve the 25–35 grams of recommended fiber per day.

Eating more fruits and vegetables also means that you’ll be ingesting lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And choosing whole foods over processed or fast foods improves your sodium-to-potassium ratio, which can benefit bone health, reduce muscle wasting, and mitigate other chronic diseases such as hypertension and strokes.

The diet may also be helpful for people with chronic kidney disease because it tends to be relatively low in protein. One systematic review showed evidence that the inclusion of alkaline-producing fruits and vegetables or a vegetarian diet low in acid-producing protein (animal products) can slow kidney disease by reducing metabolic acidosis.

In effect, the alkaline diet can be a perfectly healthy eating pattern for many people because it’s predominantly a plant-based one.

What the Alkaline Diet Gets Wrong

Food Affecting Blood pH

The big problem with the claims made by alkaline diet proponents is that they’re based on a misunderstanding of pH and how the body regulates blood pH. The relative alkalinity of the foods you eat doesn’t generally affect the alkalinity or acidity of your blood.

Acids are continuously being produced in the body during normal metabolic processes, but they don’t influence overall bodily pH in healthy individuals. Your body works hard to keep that 7.35–7.45 blood pH range, which is slightly on the alkaline side. If there’s too much acid or base in your system, built-in physiological buffers get rid of it through your urine.

Changing your diet might change the pH of your saliva or urine, but it’s practically impossible to affect the pH of your blood by what you eat. The only times that blood pH is affected is in the case of an acid-base disorder such as advanced stages of shock, diabetic ketoacidosis, or kidney failure — all of which are medical emergencies and not the result of not eating enough alkaline foods.

Focusing on the Wrong Benefits

Not only does the alkaline diet theory misunderstand the mechanisms through which your body regulates its pH, but the narrow focus on this one attribute of plant-based foods ignores the many benefits of plant-based eating that are actually backed up by science. A whole food, plant-based diet supplies an abundance of powerful antioxidants, fiber, and a rainbow of health-promoting phytochemicals. In short, the alkaline diet’s health benefits are real, but they likely have little to do with pH.

Confusing and Restrictive

With a focus mostly on pH and choosing the most alkaline foods, there’s a risk of dietary restriction to the point of nutrient deficiency. It’s easy to get confused about what you are and aren’t supposed to eat, as there’s a lack of consistency in the recommendations, which vary widely. Some lists, for example, say that mushrooms are highly acidic, while others tell us that they are alkalizing.

Little to No Scientific Backing

And most problematic of all, there’s minimal scientific evidence to support the alkaline diet’s biggest claims around diet alkalinity protecting against chronic disease or affecting blood pH.

One 2010 study found that low urine pH predicted neither low bone density nor bone fractures, while another from the same year discovered no correlation between dietary acid load and bone mineral density in older women. A 2011 study found no correlation between dietary acid load and lower bone density, except possibly in older men.

And a 2016 review of over 8,000 published articles relating to dietary pH and cancer found a single clinical trial on the topic. This trial found no relationship between the acid load of the diet and bladder cancer. The researchers concluded, “Despite the promotion of the alkaline diet and alkaline water by the media and salespeople, there is almost no actual research to either support or disprove these ideas.”

The Bottom Line

The alkaline diet, which focuses on pH balance, is a popular diet with many adherents and proponents. It is inherently whole food, plant-based, which can be great, and it’s been shown to be helpful for chronic kidney disease. But beyond that, there’s little to no scientific evidence to support its other health claims. In fact, it’s likely that its benefits have more to do with all of the known advantages that come with a whole food, plant-based diet that steers clear of added sugars, highly processed foods, and animal products.

Tell us in the comments:

• Were you already familiar with the alkaline diet? Have you ever tried it?
• What do you think of the alkaline diet approach?
• What other dietary patterns do you have questions about?

Featured Image: iStock.com/vaaseenaa

Read Next:

• Does Science Support the Blood Type Diet?
• A Guide to Going Plant-Based: What to Eat, Benefits, and How to Succeed

The post The Alkaline Diet: Separating Fact from Fiction appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

In this case, arguing back is generally not an effective approach. Instead, I’d suggest quietly introducing them to plant-based cooking, without making a big thing out of it, so they can experience its benefits (and lack of downsides) for themselves.

With the rise of plant-based eaters as a consumer segment, there are more delicious and satisfying meat-free options than ever before. You can easily find meat and dairy analogues that will actually fool the omnivores in your life into thinking that they’re eating the “real thing.”

So in this article, we’ll take an unblinking look at the obstacles you may face when introducing plant-based eating to meat-eaters. We’ll explore various “marketing” strategies, and give you a roundup of dishes so mouthwatering, your friends and family won’t even miss the meat.

Why Some People Are Reluctant to Give Plant-Based Foods a Try

When trying to influence others to eat differently, it’s important to understand why they have certain preferences in the first place. So let’s look at why some meat-eaters push back when offered plant-based fare.

Familiar Tastes

First, there’s the simple matter of taste. Many people have grown up with animal proteins as staples in their diet. It’s a familiar taste that they know and love. Meat, especially red meat, has an umami flavor that can be very appealing because it signals the presence of amino acids (the building blocks of protein). The browning effect seen when cooking meat also involves the Maillard reaction, the same reaction that makes toast and caramelized onions taste good.

Preferences for familiar foods also make sense evolutionarily. Before globalized transportation, whatever people got as babies and toddlers was, statistically speaking, what they were likely to encounter for the rest of their lives. It just wouldn’t do for kids growing up in Kerala, Yucatan, or Sichuan province to dislike spicy food.

Misconceptions About Plant-Based Eating

Second, many people harbor misconceptions about plant-based foods. They might believe that plant-based foods lack flavor or won’t satisfy their hunger. Or they may have internalized a prejudice still reinforced by many health professionals today, that plants can’t provide sufficient protein.

You can try to counter these myths with evidence, but I’ve found that people are most amenable to updating their beliefs through exposure, not argument. A great plant-based meal can invalidate beliefs about taste and satiation. And once someone has realized they enjoy plant-based eating, they might be more open to scientific evidence about the health-giving properties of such a diet.

Some misconceptions are more deeply held, and may even be unconscious. One example is that plant-based foods aren’t “manly” because meat is associated with hunting and traditional masculinity.

If someone holds this belief and is open to reexamination, I recommend showing them The Game Changers documentary. The scene where the urologist tests the erectile capacity of three male college athletes after meat- or plant-based meals may convince the manliest man that plants are the way to go!

If the meat-eating man in your life isn’t yet ready to watch a documentary showing that plant-based eating enhances both sexual and athletic performance, I’d again recommend starting with food rather than discussion. As vegan chef and racial justice activist Bryant Terry puts it, “Start with the visceral, move to the cerebral, and end with the political.” By visceral, he means giving them the experience of delicious plant-based food before trying to change their minds.

Going Against Heritage

Another deep-seated belief is that eating plant-based means rejecting and maybe even betraying one’s family and culture of origin. The thinking goes, “What kind of Italian would I be if I didn’t eat meatballs?” Or “What kind of Hungarian would I be without goulash?” etc.

Again, there’s a powerful counterargument, which is that most traditional cultures were largely plant-based until quite recently. Meat may have been eaten on special occasions, or added to dishes as flavoring or a condiment, but the vast majority of most people’s calories came from the plant foods that grew within walking distance of their villages.

But again, I’d wait to spring that argument on someone until you’ve shared a delicious, plant-based version of someone’s favorite family recipe.

Fear of the Unknown

A third reason people might resist trying plant-based dishes is simple fear of the unknown. That’s kind of the flip side of the exposure effect, and it also makes good evolutionary sense. The person who tried that unfamiliar fruit in the wild might have discovered a delicious source of nutrients, or they could have ended up as a cautionary tale about how Virginia creeper berries may look like grapes but can effectively poison you.

The key to overcoming fear of the unknown is to sprinkle in a generous dose of “known.” In this context, that means making plant-based versions of familiar dishes and using flavors, textures, and ingredients that are already familiar and accepted.

Strategies for Introducing Plant-Based Foods

Conversation and contemplation approaches are all very well and good, but at some point, the rubber has to meet the road — or, more accurately, the tofu has to meet the tongue. Here are a few strategies to gently introduce plant-based meals so as not to trigger an omnivore’s resistance.

Themed Plant-Based Days or Meals

In the old-timey times, meat was often reserved for special occasions. You can flip the script by creating special occasions reserved for eating plant-based. The most famous of these is the “Meatless Mondays” initiative, which invites people to sample the plant-based lifestyle once a week. Research shows that people are more likely to adopt a significant change on Mondays, thanks to what behavioral scientists call the “fresh start” effect.

Of course, Monday isn’t the only day of the week with a first letter just begging for an alliterative plant-based pairing. What about Taco Tuesdays, with totally or predominantly plant-based fillings? Or Smoothie Sundays? Three-Bean Salad Thursdays? (OK, that’s stretching it a bit.)

Gradual Introduction

Also known as the “camel’s nose under the tent” strategy, gradually introducing plants into a meat-lover’s diet can take several forms. One is to start by incorporating plant-based ingredients into familiar recipes.

Lentils can sub in for part or all of the ground beef in meat sauces, sloppy joes, and chilies; chickpeas can supplement or replace tuna or eggs in tuna or egg salads; and a combination of walnuts, mushrooms, and beans added to or used instead of ground meat in hamburgers and meatballs are healthier substitutions.

The trick here is to incorporate these substitutions and supplements into foods that the omnivore in your life already knows and likes.

Taste-Alike Options

Another way to get meat-eaters to try plant-based options is to have the plants look, feel, and taste like meat. There are some naturally “meaty” plant-based foods that can mimic the texture and umami flavoring of meat. And the world is now awash in plant-based meat analogues that are becoming more and more convincing.

1. Tofu & tempeh are both versatile protein sources that can take on various flavors. Made from soybeans, both originate in East Asia and have become increasingly popular in the West.
2. Lentils are more familiar to a wider number of people and can be less intimidating than other sources of plant-based protein. They’re super versatile legumes, and you can feature them as the main ingredient in a variety of soups, stews, chilies, tacos, and casseroles.
3. Seitan, also known as “wheat meat,” has a texture similar to that of beef or chicken. It’s made from wheat gluten, and takes on the flavor of whatever it’s marinated or cooked in.
4. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit known for its meaty texture. It’s often a substitute for pulled pork in vegan versions.
5. Mushrooms are great for adding meaty texture and umami flavor. Portobellos are great on the grill, shiitakes can add meat-like depth to Asian dishes (and can make a base for delicious plant-based bacon), and some varieties of oyster mushrooms taste a bit like seafood (hence the name).
6. Plant-based meat brands such as Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and an increasingly growing field of competitors can also provide great transitional foods, as the taste and texture are typically very familiar to meat-eaters. They do have their limits in terms of health, though; so at some point, you may want to phase them out in favor of more whole-food alternatives.

For tips on helping family members move toward plant-based eating, we’ve got a whole other article for you.

Scrumptious Swaps: 7 Meat-Free Meals Even Carnivores Will Crave

Prepare your taste buds for an incredible dining experience made entirely possible through plants! With so many plant-based ingredients that can double as meat substitutes, you’ve got nothing to lose by giving them a try. The key to making a meal crave-worthy for meat eaters is balancing rich umami and savory flavor with a hearty and chewy texture. Together, these flavors and textures can transform even the humblest of plant ingredients into an oft-requested recipe!

1. Portobello Mushroom “Steak” Sandwich

Mushrooms are often paired with meat to further bring out both ingredients’ umami flavors. But mushrooms also make for a great meat replacement on their own in a plant-based diet. Mushrooms’ juicy, meaty texture and savory flavor give them a similar mouthfeel to meat, albeit a much healthier version. Mushrooms have zero cholesterol, trans-fatty acids, and saturated fat. And they have tons of nutrition such as B vitamins, selenium, copper, and vitamin D (if sun-exposed). Plant-based and meat eaters alike will find this “steak” sandwich just as indulgent as a meat-based version due to the delicious marinade that infuses the mushrooms.

2. Jackfruit Carnitas Pizza

Jackfruit Carnitas Pizza is a great plant-based recipe for the meat eater in your life. It’s piled high with shredded Mexican-spiced jackfruit, sweet pineapple, red onion, and (optional) jalapeño for just a bit of heat. This pizza tastes just like you are biting into a smoky meat lovers pizza — except it’s all plants! Jackfruit mimics the texture of meat and takes on any flavors you add to it, making it a versatile ingredient that is perfect for a “meaty” pizza. We think your meat-loving friends and family members will be extra happy with the textures, flavors, and nutrition in this comforting, meat-free meal.

3. All American (BEAN and BEET) Burgers

These All American (BEAN and BEET) Burgers are big on taste as well as health-promoting nutrients. They’re moist, hearty, and brimming with healthy doses of iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids — not to mention flavor. No need to reach for the meat with these beauties around. Meat eaters can enjoy these tasty bean and beet burgers grill-side, and relish in the fact that their body will be as happy as their belly is!

4. One-Pot Tempeh Sausage Pasta

One-Pot Tempeh Sausage Pasta makes a delicious plant-based swap for a traditional spaghetti Bolognese dinner. Tempeh is a hearty plant protein that takes on any flavor you add to it. In this case, savory herbs and spices transform tempeh into meaty sausage crumbles. The result is a healthy and delicious meat substitute that improves even more with the addition of red tomato sauce and pasta. No one will even notice they’re not eating actual meat!

5. Korean-Inspired TLT with Pickled Veggies and Spicy Mayo

This Korean-Inspired TLT with Pickled Veggies and Spicy Mayo is a unique twist on a classic BLT, with tofu standing in for bacon. Protein-rich tofu is marinated with lots of garlic and ginger, slathered with spicy Korean-inspired mayo, and piled high with pickled veggies. Once all the fixings are on, chewy tofu will take on all the various flavors used in this dish, which makes for a delicious mouthful. Don’t be surprised if this becomes your new favorite sandwich!

6. Mushroom Lentil Chorizo Taco Bowl

The easy-peasy, plant-based chorizo in this recipe shares the smoky and savory flavors of traditional chorizo. But this version is exponentially more nutritious since it’s made with walnuts, lentils, and mushrooms. It’s a delightful meat substitute for all sorts of recipes. In this taco bowl, the chorizo adds so much wholesome flavor, texture, and nutrition that you’ll happily forget about its meat-based counterpart. What’s more, it is simple to assemble once you have the chorizo and whole grains ready to go.

7. Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Sweet Pineapple Salsa

Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Sweet Pineapple Salsa is a showstopper! The jerk tofu is a delight to both plant-based and meat eaters who enjoy exciting flavors and exploring diverse cultural cuisines. Tofu is generously rubbed with a flavorful Jamaican jerk spice blend and baked until slightly crispy, then topped with juicy and sweet pineapple salsa. This dish is equal parts sweet and spicy with a familiar meaty texture.

Give Plants a Chance!

Plant-based eating challenges traditional Western notions of what a meal should be, and so may be hard to “swallow” for people brought up on meat-based diets. But it’s not necessary — or even effective — to hit people over the head with arguments to go plant-based. There are several behavioral and culinary strategies that can make people more willing to explore plant-based options.

Ultimately, you just might find that the people in your life start asking, “Where’s the beet?” instead of “Where’s the beef?” as they discover the flavorful possibilities and positive impact of a plant-based lifestyle.

Tell us in the comments:

• If you’ve become more plant-based over time, what were some of the dishes and food strategies that helped you transition?

• What are some meat-based meals that you can use to introduce plant-based options?

• What has and hasn’t worked in terms of getting the people around you to eat less meat?

Featured Image: iStock.com/vaaseenaa

Read Next:

• Veggie Burgers and Plant-Based Meat: Pros and Cons
• The Top 5 Vegan Myths Debunked

The post From Beef to Beets: Plant-Based Recipes for Meat Lovers appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

We know that meat has a substantial impact on the planet and that plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable. But exactly how much impact does the food we eat have on environmental outcomes, and what difference would following a vegan diet make compared to consuming a high-meat, or even low-meat diet?

We studied 55,000 people’s dietary data and linked what they ate or drank to five key measures: greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. Our results are now published in Nature Food. We found that vegans have just 30% of the dietary environmental impact of high-meat eaters.

The dietary data came from a major study into cancer and nutrition that has been tracking the same people (about 57,000 in total across the UK) for more than two decades. Those who participated in our study reported what they ate and drank over 12 months, and we then classified them into six different groups: vegan, vegetarian, fish eaters, and low-, medium-, and high-meat eaters based on their self-reported dietary habits.

We then linked their dietary reports to a dataset containing information on the environmental impact of 57,000 foods. Crucially, the dataset factored in how and where a food is produced — carrots grown in a greenhouse in Spain will have a different impact from those grown in a field in the UK, for instance. This builds on past studies, which tend to assume, for example, that all types of bread, or all steak, or all lasagna have the same environmental impact.

By incorporating more detail and nuance, we were able to show with more certainty that different diets have different environmental impacts. We found that even the least sustainable vegan diet was still more environmentally friendly than the most sustainable meat eater’s diet. In other words, accounting for region of origin and methods of food production does not obscure the differences in the environmental impacts between diet groups.

Vegans vs Carnivores

Unsurprisingly, diets containing more animal-based foods had higher environmental impacts. Per unit of food consumed, meat and dairy have anywhere from three to 100 times the environmental impact of plant-based foods.

This can mean huge differences between the two extremes, vegans and high-meat eaters. Vegans in our study had just 25% of the dietary impact of high-meat eaters in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, for instance. That’s because meat uses more land, which means more deforestation and less carbon stored in trees. It uses lots of fertilizer (usually produced from fossil fuels) to feed the plants that feed the animals. And because cows and other animals directly emit gases themselves.

It’s not just emissions. Compared to the high-meat eaters, vegans also had just 25% of the dietary impact for land use, 46% for water use, 27% for water pollution, and 34% for biodiversity.

Even low-meat diets had only about 70% of the impact across most environmental measures of high-meat diets. This is important: You don’t have to go full vegan or even vegetarian to make a big difference.

Global Impact

These findings are crucial as the food system is estimated to be responsible for around 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of the world’s freshwater use, and 78% of freshwater pollution. Around three-quarters of the world’s ice-free land has been affected by human use, primarily for agriculture and land use change such as deforestation, which is a major source of biodiversity loss.

In the UK, meat-eating declined over the decade to 2018, but in order to meet environmental targets, the National Food Strategy and the UK’s Climate Change Committee recommend an additional 30%–35% reduction.

The choices we make about what we eat are personal. They are highly ingrained habits that can be difficult to change. But our study, and others, are continuing to solidify evidence that the food system is having a massive, global environmental and health impact which could be reduced by a transition towards more plant-based diets. We hope that our work can encourage policymakers to take action and people to make more sustainable choices while still eating something nutritious, affordable, and tasty.

Tell us in the comments:

• Does sustainability factor into your food choices?

• Are you surprised by these findings?

• Will these results change how you eat or think about your diet?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Aamulya

The post Vegan Diet Has Just 30% of the Environmental Impact of a High-Meat Diet, Major Study Finds appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

If so, you might be a plant-based eater. Or (are you sitting down right now?) you might instead adhere to quite the opposite: a carnivore diet.

Carnivore diets — and yes, there are several — have surged in popularity in the last few years. Starting on the far fringe of nutrition and wellness, the carnivore movement has burst more into the mainstream through books by doctors, publicity on podcasts, and testimonials from popular wellness influencers and online personalities.

While low-carb diets are nothing new (Atkins, South Beach, and keto are all examples), carnivore diets take this trend to a whole new level. Instead of just low-carb, many of them are “zero-carb,” promoting the exclusive consumption of animal-derived foods while shunning most (or all) plants.

Carnivore diet advocates claim that eating nothing but animals is the optimal way for humans to eat. They believe that by doing so, you can achieve your ideal weight, grow big muscles, alleviate autoimmune disease, cure brain fog, and improve your digestion. And if the diet seems extremely limiting, don’t worry; advocates believe you can still get every nutrient you need from animal products alone.

So in this article, let’s explore if there is any scientific basis for these carnivore claims. And while we’re at it, we’ll also look at the diet’s environmental impact. Rather than fan the flames of this particular culture war, let’s separate fact from fiction to make well-informed decisions about our nutritional paths.

What Is a Carnivore Diet?

A carnivore diet means getting the vast majority (or all) of your calories from animal products. A typical carnivore menu includes red meat, game meat, fish, poultry, and organ meat. Some versions also include dairy and eggs, or small amounts of low-starch vegetables like avocados and cucumbers, while others do not. The diets are either extremely low-carb or often no-carb, which means, by definition, excluding all or most plant-based foods.

Carnivore diets are similar to certain forms of keto (ketogenic) and Paleo (Paleolithic) diets, which are often meat-heavy and plant-poor, but carnivore dieters go an extra step. Instead of meat being the centerpiece of every meal, it’s basically the only piece. This puts eaters into ketosis, the body’s “emergency state” that allows it to convert stored fat (and, in extreme cases, protein) into ketone bodies that can be used for fuel when the body’s preferred fuel, carbohydrates, isn’t available.

But for die-hard carnivores, avoiding plants isn’t just about achieving ketosis. There’s also an avoidance of plants because of “antinutrients,” a refrain also seen with Dr. Steven Gundry’s warnings against lectins.

Proponents of carnivore diets make the case that animal products are easier to digest than plants. Asking followers to “[T]hink about it from a plants [sic] point of view,” Dr. Paul Saladino claims that since plants can’t run away or fight back, they create their own pesticides to deter over-predation. And so animals like us experience compromised health because those compounds mess with our digestion, preventing us from absorbing some nutrients and causing intestinal and immune distress.

But in reality, many animals do eat plants (and thrive off them). And many of the antinutrients in plants have profound health benefits and are mostly eliminated anyway during cooking.

We’ll see in a bit if the facts support or contradict this dietary approach. First, though, let’s go deeper into the weeds — or the organs, if we’re relying on flesh-based metaphors here — to explore the prominent subtypes of carnivore diet you’re likely to encounter.

Carnivore Diet Subtypes

The Carnivore Diet

The “standard issue” Carnivore Diet was popularized by Shawn Baker, a former orthopedic surgeon and diet influencer. Baker had his medical license revoked in 2017 by the New Mexico Medical Board for ethical violations and “incompetence to practice as a licensee.” (To some of his fans this only proves that Baker is a truth-teller fighting a corrupt system.)

Baker’s version of the diet allows the consumption of only meat, fish, and other animal products like eggs and certain dairy products.

The Ancestral Diet

The Ancestral Diet is similar to the Paleo diet but prioritizes meat over all other foods. In a nod to reality, it includes seasonal fruits and vegetables in small amounts. It also allows some dairy and fermented foods. Ancestral Diet adherents characterize it as more than just a diet; they see it as a comprehensive philosophy of living that includes a return to nature.

Pros of the Ancestral Diet include avoidance of processed foods and inclusion, although limited, of some plant-based foods.

The Lion Diet

The Lion Diet is where carnivore meets elimination diets. Those on a Lion Diet limit themselves to beef, salt, and water. It got a lot of press when Mikhaila Peterson, daughter of best-selling Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, promoted it as a cure for depression, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle weakness, night sweats, asthma, insomnia, PTSD… and a whole lot more. Jordan Peterson adopted the diet as well, and promoted it on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and his own popular YouTube channel.

The Nose-to-Tail Diet

The Nose-to-Tail Diet has been popularized by Dr. Paul Saladino and Brian Johnson, an online influencer known as the “Liver King” due to his propensity to consume raw liver on the regular. The muscle-bound Johnson has nothing but scorn for most modern men, whom he accuses of being submissive, sub-primal, and weak. They have been brainwashed to eat vegetables rather than dominate, kill, and eat other species, he argues, and so lead mediocre and unsatisfying lives.

Theories of human development aside, this diet consists of eating all parts of the animal, including organ meats, connective tissue, and bone marrow (essentially nose-to-tail of an animal), as well as some fermented plant foods.

The Plant-Based Backlash

When you listen to the rhetoric of some of the carnivore movement’s most enthusiastic proponents, you might get the idea that, in addition to any health benefit or scientific claim, there’s also a significant element of backlash to plant-based diets.

Traditionally, meat-eating has been associated with masculinity and machismo (although films like The Game Changers are starting to challenge that association), so the rise of plant-based eating has triggered a “culture war” response that goes far beyond nutrition. There’s a lot of name-calling and invitations to settle differences through MMA cage matches, for example.

I haven’t personally been invited into the octagon by a carnivore enthusiast to duke it out, but I do have a number of friends who adopted a carnivore diet approach and initially experienced some of the promised benefits. Their inflammation lessened, and most lost weight — at first.

None of them stuck with it long-term, because they found it — and I’m quoting them all here — “gross.” But still, their stories left me with questions. How could they possibly benefit, even for a short time, from a diet so diametrically opposed to the plant-based diet that most science shows is the healthiest for humans? Isn’t too much meat bad for everything from heart disease to type 2 diabetes to obesity?

Let’s dive in to explore the health claims of carnivore diets, and what the research really says about eating this way.

Health Claims of Carnivore Diets

Carnivore advocates claim a broad array of health benefits. I don’t have the space here to examine every single claim, so I’ll focus on the most common ones: weight loss, brain health, reduced inflammation and remission of autoimmune disease, and improved digestion.

Spoiler alert: The scientific evidence supporting these claims is — and I’m being extremely charitable here — limited and inconclusive. There are no long-term, large-scale clinical trials that specifically examine the effects of carnivore diets on any of these aspects of health. Instead, there are a lot of anecdotes, a few online surveys, and small studies of limited scope and duration.

Carnivore Diets and Weight Loss

Currently, no studies have been conducted that looked at weight loss with carnivore diets. However, the theory that low-carb diets are supposed to lead to weight loss is known as the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model (CIM) of obesity.

Proponents assert that eating carbs triggers a release of insulin, which, according to this model, leads to hunger and overeating, and ultimately, fat storage and excess weight.

One study did show that low-carb diets high in animal foods can lead to weight loss. But, the diet did include some plant foods. The bigger issue, though, was its severe calorie restriction. The study’s average low-carb dieter took in fewer than 1,500 calories per day — an amount that all but guarantees weight loss in most people, regardless of the foods consumed.

A clinical trial published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine in 2021 tested a low-fat, minimally processed, plant-based diet against a low-carb, minimally processed, animal-based diet.

Participants could eat as much of their assigned diet as they wanted — no limits other than personal preference and satiety. And the results directly contradicted the predictions of the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model. Those eating the low-fat diet consumed almost 700 fewer calories per day than the low-carb eaters. “Despite the large differences in calorie intake,” the researchers reported that “participants (expressed) no differences in hunger, enjoyment of meals, or fullness between the two diets. Participants lost weight on both diets, but only the low-fat diet led to a significant loss of body fat.”

Indeed, other studies have shown that the most weight-loss-friendly foods are, in fact, plants. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition even concluded that each additional year of adopting a vegan diet decreases the risk of obesity by 7%.

Meanwhile, increased fat intake and high-fat diets (looking at you here, carnivore diets) actually have a strong association with increased body weight and risk of overweight and obesity.

Carnivore Diet and Brain Health

Proponents of carnivore diets often describe better cognitive function and improved mental clarity. But, as of this writing, no scientific studies have been conducted to investigate these claims.

The only evidence I could find was a survey of people who belonged to carnivore groups on social media. Of course, a survey is inherently lacking objectivity in some pretty big ways. For one thing, only people who had been on the diet for at least six months were invited to take the survey. It stands to reason that if someone had a worsening of symptoms after, say, two months — they would probably stop the diet. And, for another, the group of people “surveyed” were themselves members of identity groups that subscribe to the ideology of the diet enough to belong to a group of fellow adherents.

This seems kind of like asking a group of fish if they enjoy swimming; you’re unlikely to get an unbiased opinion.

Nevertheless, in the context of this less-than-objective methodology, many of the survey respondents reported high levels of satisfaction and improvements in overall health and well-being, including cognitive and psychiatric symptoms, which they attributed to their diet.

There are many possible reasons for these alleged improvements. Of course, the carnivore diet could have been helpful, at least in the short run, for this particular collection of people. Or it may be a case of the placebo effect, which can, at least in the short run, lead to dramatic benefits for a great many people.

But mental gains can also be plausibly explained by what carnivore dieters have eliminated: substances like alcohol, refined sugars, and processed foods. It’s not hard to imagine many people feeling better after giving those up.

Diet is one of the key lifestyle factors that can be modified to significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s plant-based diets that contain key nutrients like polyphenols and fiber that protect against the insulin resistance that can lead to Alzheimer’s.

There’s also solid evidence that plant-based foods can boost mood. Plus, the more saturated fat (remember that for most people the vast majority of the saturated fat in their diet comes from animal products) that people consume, the higher their risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders. Mono- and polyunsaturated plant fats, on the other hand, reduce that risk.

If there’s one food that you can think of as a brain superfood, it’s actually leafy greens — although greens are not allowed on a strict carnivore diet. However, in one study, those who ate the most greens were the proud owners of brains that were functionally 11 years younger than those who ate the fewest.

Other brain protectors include berries — eating blueberries and strawberries delayed cognitive decline by two and a half years in one study. Some interpretations of the carnivore diets do allow fruit — ostensibly because plants “want” us to eat their fruit to spread their seeds.

Carnivore Diets, Inflammation, and Autoimmune Conditions

In the same somewhat dubious survey discussed above, some respondents wrote that adopting a carnivore diet led to improvements in various inflammatory conditions. Out of hundreds of survey respondents with prior autoimmune conditions, 10% claimed complete resolution, and another 14% reported improvement.

Mikhaila Peterson also claims she healed her autoimmune issues through the “Lion Diet” and referenced those survey results in her TEDx talk as corroborating evidence. (TEDx refused to publish her talk, explaining that it failed to adhere to their content guidelines and lacked nuance, offering a purely anecdotal experience and no actual scientific evidence.)

A core mechanism of autoimmune disease is a malfunctioning immune system. While we don’t yet understand the causes and initial triggers of many autoimmune conditions, we know that lifestyle choices, particularly related to food, can play a key role in managing and, in some cases, even reversing many of these diseases.

But it’s plant-based diets that have been proven to help with inflammation and autoimmune disease. Meat and high-fat, animal protein-rich diets on the other hand, especially red meat, have consistently been associated with more inflammation.

So how do we reconcile the science with the experience of Mikhaila Peterson and other carnivore diet adherents? It’s possible that a body in an inflamed state could find certain compounds in plants triggering, and that, in some cases, taking a break could provide relief.

But this is not a great long-term solution. Rather than live in a metaphorical “food bubble” in which nothing challenges the chronically inflamed body, the goal should be to bring down inflammation so that eating plants — which offer myriad powerful health benefits — doesn’t cause symptoms. Traditional elimination diets can allow for a more methodical and less draconian approach.

Carnivore Diets and Digestion

A study that is objectively even less rigorous than the social media study already mentioned asked a couple hundred carnivore dieters about their “beliefs and experiences.” Here as well, dieters claimed improvements in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Crohn’s disease.

But again, the vast majority of objective research points to carnivorous dietary patterns contributing to a greater likelihood of IBD, not remission from it.

Advocates of carnivore diets claim that plant foods are high in toxins and harmful compounds like antinutrients, those nasty compounds plants produce to discourage us from eating them.

And it’s true that when isolated from the foods that contain them, antinutrients may lead to some unwanted effects. But when consumed as part of a varied whole foods diet, they participate in diverse and complex interactions with vitamins, minerals, and the gut microbiome, and can actually contribute to significant health benefits.

Another explanation for why some people experience improved digestion during the initial phase of a carnivore diet is the complete absence of fiber. However, if someone was already consuming low amounts of fiber — and only 6% of the US population gets the recommended amount — they likely lacked the microbial diversity required to adequately digest that fiber.

Fiber increases microbial diversity and gut health; studies show those consuming the most fermented and fiber-rich plant foods had a more diverse gut microbiome — and a stronger immune system, with decreased inflammatory markers — compared to those who consumed less.

Meat, of course, contains zero fiber, and therefore a meat-only diet is not a recipe for long-term health. On the contrary, one meta-analysis study found every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day cuts mortality risk by 10%.

Carnivore Diet Risks and Side Effects

We’ve looked at the purported benefits of carnivore diets. But what about the risks? Is there the possibility of unwanted and serious side effects?

In fact, there are many anecdotal reports of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects with extremely low-carb or zero-carb diets. These include diarrhea, constipation, weight gain, muscle cramps, hair loss or thinning, insomnia, dry skin, itchiness, heart rate changes, brittle fingernails, and menstrual irregularity.

Bowel irregularity, whether diarrhea or constipation, is typically caused by a lack of dietary fiber. But many of the other symptoms are attributable to nutritional deficiencies and imbalances that can occur in any extreme diet that lacks diversity. The carnivore diet, in particular, is missing not just fiber but also antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and prebiotics — all of which are essential for good health.

Without vitamin C from fruits, vegetables, or supplements, carnivore dieters are actually at risk for scurvy, putting them in the company of 17th-century British sailors. And vitamin C and other antioxidants are important for combating free radicals in the body. How serious is that? The buildup of free radicals, or “oxidative stress,” is a leading cause of deterioration and disease, including memory loss, autoimmune disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Most dietitians, even those who don’t advocate for plant-based diets, consider carnivore diets dangerous for humans. Animal protein is associated with heart disease and poor markers of metabolic health such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Red and processed meats are considered carcinogenic, with particular contributions to colorectal cancer. And as we saw earlier, high animal product consumption is also associated with Alzheimer’s, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.

Meat also promotes the growth of unfavorable bacteria that leads to the production of TMAO, which inflames the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels) and further promotes heart disease.

And high-meat diets can deliver worrisome quantities of heme iron, which has prooxidant effects that promote cardiovascular disease.

Eating plant foods, on the other hand, has consistently contributed to a reduction in chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer while promoting longevity.

All in all, relying almost solely on animal-derived foods goes against most medical and nutrition advice which is that eating more whole plant foods and less meat, eggs, and dairy is actually the healthiest way to eat.

Carnivore Diets’ Environmental Impacts

When we evaluate the health of a diet, it makes sense to look at how it impacts not just the individuals following it, but the planet as a whole. And eating mostly meat has serious implications for the environment.

Adopting a meat-free, and especially beef-free, diet is one of the most powerful things an individual can do to help fight climate change. That’s because animal agriculture is like a protein factory in reverse, cycling amino acids through animals instead of sourcing them directly from plants.

Shifting from animal to plant foods can also significantly decrease the amount of land required for agriculture, which in turn can lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Animal agriculture is a leading cause of deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest — one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Forests are being cut down not just to provide grazing land for cattle, but also to create fields to grow crops that get turned into animal feed. And grass-fed meat is not much better either, as it can use even more land per pound of food produced.

Additionally, most cattle feed in the industrialized world is bioengineered (aka GMO), which contributes to a number of environmental and health problems globally.

At the risk of stating the obvious, eating nothing but animal products is not great for the animals either. More demand for meat means more animals slaughtered to meet that demand. And the overwhelming majority of that meat is produced in factory farms.

Animals so confined are given huge quantities of antibiotics to fatten them up and to keep them alive — drugs that are contributing to the alarming rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

In short, what’s bad for the animals also ends up being bad for us.

Carnivore Diets Are Not Healthy — for People or the Planet

The carnivore diet’s alleged benefits have sparked fierce debate in the wellness world. But the scientific basis for these claims remains limited and inconclusive at best. While some individuals report success alleviating autoimmune conditions and experiencing weight loss through total elimination of carbohydrates, and of course I wish these people nothing but the best of health, there has so far not been a single comprehensive study suggesting that the results are replicable or sustainable.

Given what we do know about nutrition, it seems likely that you can achieve similar or better results using moderate caloric restriction, or with an elimination diet. And both of these methods are likely going to be far more healthful than eating nothing but meat and other animal products.

There are also concerns about potential nutritional deficiencies, chronic disease impact, and environmental ethics of meat-centric diets. From a global perspective, these diets magnify the environmental harms associated with meat production. And by eliminating plant foods, carnivore diet followers are missing out on powerful dietary compounds proven to increase longevity and improve health outcomes.

As researchers continue to investigate the impact of diet on our well-being, it’s evident that incorporating a wide array of nutrient sources, not limiting them, holds the key to promoting both individual health and global sustainability.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you know anyone who’s adopted a carnivore diet?
• What do you think of the carnivore diet?
• How much do environmental concerns influence what you eat?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Luke Chan

Read Next:

• What’s All Wrong About Annals Of Internal Medicine’s Red and Processed Meat Advice

The post The Carnivore Diet: What the Research Really Says About its Impact on People and the Planet appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

And then there’s Tom Brady, the recently (twice) retired quarterback widely regarded as the best to ever play the game, with seven Super Bowl wins to his credit. Brady’s latest retirement came at the age of 45 — 23 full seasons after getting chased, hit, and slammed to the turf by the world’s most scary 6’3”, 310-pound opponents.

In addition to genetic explanations, or just plain luck, there’s a third (and most likely) possibility as to how Brady pulled this off. Since 2004, Brady has been eating an entirely whole-food diet that’s largely plant-based, which has allowed him to maintain muscle mass and recover quickly from injuries.

So what’s the connection between diet and muscle health? What about Brady’s diet, in particular, contributed to his health and career longevity? And also, if you’re not a professional athlete, why should you care about building and maintaining muscle mass as you go through life?

Let’s “tackle” that last question first.

Why Building Muscle Is Important for Good Health

Strong muscles are important for everyone, even if you’re not an athlete, bodybuilder, or your family’s designated jar opener. Being strong allows you to support your body in various situations and positions, and allows you to perform essential movements like lifting, gripping, bending, and pulling.

Stronger muscles produce stronger bones and joints, which can help prevent injury, as well as stave off degenerative bone diseases like osteoporosis. But increasing muscle mass and strength can also prevent chronic diseases that are seemingly unrelated to your ability to do bicep curls and squats.

Stronger muscles aid your metabolism, which makes sense if you think about the fact that one of the main functions of metabolism is to get fuel to those muscles. One 2013 study found that bigger, stronger muscles actually combated insulin resistance and prevented the development of type 2 diabetes in mice. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

The need to maintain muscle mass becomes more critical as you age because muscle loss occurs naturally with aging. As much as it pains me to write this, muscles start deteriorating in your 30s. Between ages 40 and 60, most people lose an average of 8% of their muscle mass every decade. After 60, the loss typically accelerates at an even faster rate.

Let’s drive home the seriousness of muscle loss by using its scary medical name: sarcopenia (from the Greek sarco, meaning flesh, and penia, meaning poverty). Studies show that sarcopenia comes with many health consequences: People get diseases sooner, move less easily, and can die earlier.

Muscle strength and mass are even associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. So leg day may actually turn out to be brain day.

So what are some of the best ways to build muscle?

How Do You Build Muscle?

I know this is Food Revolution Network, but I’ve got to start by telling you that you probably can’t build much muscle in the kitchen (unless you’re lifting weights in there, or have the world’s heaviest cast iron pans). The best way to grow your muscles (here’s another scienc-y word — hypertrophy — to describe that phenomenon) is through exercise. And, in particular, the kind of exercise known as resistance training.

Resistance training is any physical activity that causes the muscles to work against some opposing force (like a weight). There are two main varieties: isometric and isotonic. Isometric exercises keep joints still, while the muscle group strains against the resistance. Examples of isometric exercises include planks, wall sits, held yoga poses, and so on. In other words, your muscles are working, or you collapse downward (because that’s where gravity wants you).

Isotonic exercises involve moving muscle groups against some resistance. Examples include push-ups, sit-ups, and lifting weights.

You can combine isometric and isotonic training by, for example, resting at the top of a push-up before going down again, or holding a squat near the bottom for a few seconds before straightening your legs.

Do You Have to Use Heavy Weights?

Many people believe that for weight training to effectively build strength and mass, you need to lift heavy weights. Hence the oft-repeated (though misleading) saying: “No pain, no gain.” But in one recent study, people in their middle age, who opted for lifting lighter weights, gained as much strength and muscle growth as those who favored significantly heavier weights. These findings challenge the prevailing notions in the fitness community, which often advocate that only substantial weights can yield effective results.

As well, there is another groundbreaking research study, which stands as the most comprehensive meta-analytical review on resistance training to date. Remarkably, it found that there isn’t a singular superior way to lift weights. It didn’t matter whether people engaged in routines featuring heavy or light weights, nor if they engaged in frequent or infrequent sessions and sets. Everyone experienced marked enhancements in muscular strength and mass – regardless of their age or gender — if they put in the time. These findings highlight the universal efficacy of resistance training in sculpting a stronger, more muscular physique for anyone committed to the process.

Unfortunately for the couch potatoes of the world, however, just thinking about the gym or buying a gym membership or even walking in the front door and buying a smoothie, doesn’t help all by itself. You have to actually use the weights.

How Hypertrophy Works

Let’s get back to that term hypertrophy (which, remember, is the fancy word for muscle growth and not a high-strung, gold-plated figure on a pedestal) and examine what has to happen biochemically for it to occur.

To put it simply, resistance training grows muscle cells first by damaging them and allowing them to recover, and then repairing them. When you use muscles beyond their current capacity, they respond by sustaining “micro-tears” (rhymes with bears, not fears — perhaps because they aren’t actually crying, although sometimes it might feel that way). Then during recovery, your body repairs these tears with combinations of proteins and hormones to help them grow back bigger and stronger.

This is known as adaptation; it’s like your muscles are going, “Wowza, that load was uncomfortably heavy. We’d better grow stronger just in case an even bigger challenge comes along next week.” And the key trigger of adaptation is volume: the total weight lifted during a given exercise. The higher your volume, all other things being equal, the more hypertrophy, and the stronger and bigger your muscles become.

Load also matters. There’s evidence that fewer repetitions of heavier weights cause more micro-tears and leads to greater hypertrophy — although experts caution that this shouldn’t be your only style of workout.

Frequency is also important. Working your muscles on a regular basis, and changing up the specific exercises, enhances muscular adaptation and thereby facilitates them growing stronger.

Diet and Muscle Growth

Caption: Vanessa Espinoza, Vegan Athlete, Personal Trainer, and Nutrition Coach

So resistance training is the first step in building muscles. But as we’ve just seen, muscles don’t get built when we lift weights or hold planks. Rather, that’s where they get torn down.

Muscles rebuild and grow during recovery, with a basic recipe of rest plus nutrition. The food you eat gets turned into the proteins and hormones that grow your muscles and lead to adaptation, as well as the energy required to fuel the process and to allow you to repeat workouts again and again.

Food has a lot of different jobs to do when it comes to building muscle. And one of the most important is to provide amino acids to replace the ones damaged during exercise. The macronutrient source of amino acids is our pal protein. That’s why athletes need lots of protein.

But while protein is necessary, there are many other nutrients that also contribute to muscle growth. And too much of the “wrong” kind of protein can actually damage your health and reduce your longevity.

The Role of Protein in Building Muscle

When you consume foods that contain protein, you digest them into their component amino acids, which your body uses as the building blocks for various tissues, enzymes, and hormones that keep you going. In the context of resistance training, protein is necessary for muscle building and repair to occur after exercises are complete. And eating protein shortly after exercising has been shown to support muscle synthesis — although researchers disagree on both the optimal amount of protein and the timing window that leads to the best results.

On the other hand, eating too much protein (or more than your body needs) can lead to a variety of health issues, potentially shortening your life.

Excess protein is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, as your body lacks a mechanism for storing protein (unlike carbohydrates, which get stored as glycogen, and fats, which get stored as fat). So if you consume more protein than your body can use, it either gets broken down for energy or converted into fat — and both processes can be hard on your body.

The majority of people eating the modern industrialized diet are already eating too much protein. And many of them are doing so based on the erroneous belief that if some protein is good, then more must be better. To calculate how much protein you really need, follow the steps in this comprehensive article on plant-based protein.

Why Animal Protein May Not Be the Best for Your Health

The source of your protein matters as well. The ill effects of excess protein are almost exclusively found in people over-consuming animal protein. While there’s a common misconception that animal protein is nutritionally superior to plant protein, and that people — especially athletes — who eat a plant-based diet probably aren’t getting enough protein, that myth has been comprehensively debunked.

Not only does a diet rich in plant protein provide adequate amounts of all of the essential amino acids, it also protects the body from too much insulin-like growth factor 1. IGF-1, as it’s known by its friends, is a hormone produced from protein that helps control the growth and development of organs, muscles, and tissues in the body.

IGF-1 is crucial for your body’s development when you’re young, and plays a role in hypertrophy as well, but too much of it can negatively affect your health. High IGF-1 levels are associated with increased cancer risk, for example. And animal protein, but not plant protein, spikes IGF-1 levels in your body.

B Vitamins and Muscles

Protein isn’t the only important nutrient when it comes to muscle building and athletic performance. B vitamins also play a role. Your body needs them to convert proteins and sugars into energy, as well as for synthesizing and repairing the red blood cells that carry oxygen to the rebuilding muscles.

Two vitamins in the B family, folate (B9) and vitamin B12, are critical cofactors in energy production and in the rebuilding and repair of muscle tissue damaged by physical activity. Folate, in particular, has been associated with muscle strength in large-scale population studies. And there’s an association between niacin (a form of vitamin B3) and vitamin B6 intake and physical strength in older people.  And vitamin B12 helps regulate levels of homocysteine, a by-product of protein metabolism.

Carbs and Muscle Growth

When it comes to getting swole (or maintaining muscle mass), we can’t forget about carbohydrates. They’re the principal energy source that we use to move, so we need them to fuel our workouts. Carbs also stimulate insulin production, a powerful anabolic hormone (meaning that it stimulates growth, including that of muscles).

And if your workouts involve endurance activities, dietary carbohydrates can support and enhance your performance, since they’re your muscles’ preferred energy source during moderate- to high-intensity activity.

This is why many endurance athletes engage in the practice of “carb loading” prior to the start of their event.

Fat and Muscle Growth

You also need to consume some healthy fats to support muscle growth. These include monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids, which also promote the production of muscle-building hormones. Compared to the saturated fat in animal products, polyunsaturated fats are more likely to promote gains in lean muscle mass as opposed to being stored as fat.

A Supplement to Consider: Creatine Monohydrate

Many weightlifters and bodybuilders supplement with creatine monohydrate to aid muscle growth. And unlike some other supposed performance-enhancing supplements sold at the gym (or in shady online infomercials), there’s actually plenty of evidence to support its effectiveness.

A 2022 meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials of creatine monohydrate supplementation and muscle gain found that people — especially those who were young and healthy — who trained hard achieved greater muscle growth than those who trained similarly but did not supplement.

You might be thinking, but hold on a minute! There are other substances that grow muscles but come with some nasty and potentially life-shortening side effects — for example, anabolic steroids. They’re notorious for helping perfectly talented mortals to win epically long bicycle races and break home run records while increasing their odds of premature heart attacks and strokes, liver disease, kidney failure, and psychiatric imbalances.

Is creatine another “Faustian bargain,” helping to grow muscles today at the expense of health tomorrow?

In a word, no. Current research not only finds no dangers but actually supports taking creatine to improve, of all things, cognition and brain health. And the gains are particularly impressive in vegetarians, who, by virtue of avoiding meat, typically have less creatine in their diets and their tissues.

In 2003, researchers published a study showing improvement in both memory and intelligence tests in vegetarians who consumed five grams of creatine a day for six weeks. And a 2011 study found that vegetarians who supplemented with 20 grams of creatine monohydrate for just 5 days improved their memories compared with those taking a placebo.

Both Exercise and a Healthy Diet Will Help You Gain Muscle

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Caption: Torre Washington, Vegan Competitive Bodybuilder & Fitness Coach

To summarize so far: Weight-bearing exercise by itself won’t build muscle unless supported by your diet. Diet alone can’t build muscle unless you’re also stressing your muscles through resistance training. But when you combine the right kind, frequency, and intensity of exercise with a healthy diet, you can build and maintain muscle mass throughout your life.

There are dozens of professional plant-based athletes who prove that both muscle mass and performance aren’t hindered by not including animal products. In addition to Tom Brady and a bunch of Tennessee Titans in the NFL, there have been Olympic weightlifters (Kendrick Farris), tennis greats (Venus Williams), basketball players (Chris Paul), soccer stars (Alex Morgan), and Olympic cyclists (Dotsie Bausch).

Even the most famous bodybuilder of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has “terminated” the meat-heavy diet of his professional lifting days in favor of a mostly plant-based diet. The actor who delivered the iconic put-down “You hit like a vegetarian” in the 2013 movie Escape Plan has more recently been promoting a plant-based diet, especially for bodybuilders and other athletes in the second half of life.

And closer to home, I work out regularly with my dad, John Robbins, who is now 76 and still stronger than me (and I’m no weakling, thank you very much). One of my life goals, in addition to bringing about a food revolution of healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all, is to bench press more weight than my dad before he hits 100!

Best Plant-Based Foods to Build Muscle

So let’s get to the details. What are some of the best foods to help preserve and even increase your muscle mass and strength?

1. Legumes

Both beans and lentils are good sources of plant-based protein and complex carbohydrates, as well as providing dietary folate.

For more on beans and how to use them, see our article here.

For more on lentils and how to add them to your diet, see our article here.

2. Tempeh

Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake that originated in Indonesian cuisine, delivers plant-based protein and a variety of B vitamins, with the added bonus that the fermentation it’s undergone may help make its nutrients more bioavailable.

For much more about tempeh, see our article here.

3. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are high in protein and healthy fats, as well as folate and vitamin B6.

Here’s a comprehensive article on nuts and your health.

And if you’d like to find out about making your own nut and seed butters, this article has got you covered.

4. Quinoa

Quinoa, a pseudocereal originally cultivated in the Andes region of South America, is a gluten-free whole grain with a nutty, creamy taste. It’s high in protein, including all nine of the essential amino acids, and provides complex carbohydrates as well.

For more on quinoa (including how to pronounce it), check out our article here.

5. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can’t be beat for the delicious way they deliver long-acting complex carbohydrates, as well as vitamins B3, B5, and B6.

For everything you didn’t realize you wanted to know about sweet potatoes and your health, here’s an article dedicated to these terrific tubers.

6. Oats

Oats provide a ready source of glucose to muscles while still being low glycemic (i.e., not spiking blood sugar), in addition to biotin (B7), vitamin B1, and protein. A 2020 study found that oatmeal eaten before a high-intensity workout actually blocked the formation of some of the inflammatory compounds that typically form after such exercise.

Find out more about the health benefits and environmental considerations of oats.

Muscle-Building Recipes

You probably don’t need fancy (and expensive) formulas to enhance your athletic performance. All you need is a healthy, energizing, and muscle-enhancing diet to support your fitness goals. From hearty plant-based proteins to energizing and B vitamin-rich greens to fiber-rich carbohydrates, these nutrient-dense recipes make a great template for a performance-enhancing meal plan and are a delicious way to enjoy the key nutrients required to thrive on a plant-based diet.

1. Simple Homemade Granola

Simple Homemade Granola is an easy-to-prepare breakfast cereal or midday snack that fits right into a healthy diet for peak performance. This lightly sweetened crunch-fest offers plenty of fiber, healthy fat, and plant protein that results in a delicious, wholesome recipe to make again and again. Plus, the combination of fiber-rich oats and protein-packed nuts and seeds makes it a highly nutritious way to support muscle recovery and growth!

2. Plant Protein-Powered Salad

Boasting 20 grams of plant protein per serving, our Plant Protein-Powered Salad contains healthy fats, fiber, and a spectrum of phytonutrients. This salad is a great example of how you can optimize nutrition for muscle growth while meeting your protein needs with ease. What’s more, this salad is nourishing and satisfying!

3. Tempeh Sausage Pasta

Tempeh Sausage Pasta hits all the right notes for a wholesome meal that has tons of flavor and nutritional value. Tempeh is a hearty plant protein that takes on any flavor you add to it. In this case, savory herbs and spices transform tempeh into meaty sausage crumbles. The result is a healthy and delicious meat substitute that gets even better with the addition of red tomato sauce and pasta. Essentially, this is an all-in-one meal with high-quality plant-based protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and vitamin-rich veg that makes eating for muscle building simple and delicious!

4. Hearty and Healing Lentil Burgers

Hearty and Healing Lentil Burgers do double duty. They’re hearty and savory enough to leave you feeling satisfied and nourishing enough to support your fitness goals. Plus, there are plenty of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and lots of plant protein and beneficial fiber in every delectable bite. This is a perfect meal to pile high with even more nutritious veggie toppings to take its nutrient quotient to the next level.

5. Peanut Butter Smoothie for Weight Gain

Creamy peanut butter pairs surprisingly well with leafy greens in this nutrition-maximizing blender creation. In addition to spinach and peanut butter, the banana and dates ensure that it’s naturally sweet and delicious. Plus, this is a great post-training liquid meal thanks to healthy servings of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, which work together to help replenish your body and keep you feeling energized!

Building Muscle on a Plant-Based Diet Is Possible!

Building muscle is necessary for strength and important for overall health. And it becomes especially important with age. To build muscle, you need a combination of both exercise and nutrition.

Protein, as well as B vitamins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, all contribute to muscle mass and strength. Whole foods, plant-based sources of these nutrients can help your body to meet its needs while bringing down inflammation. And unlike foods of animal origin, plant-based foods can help protect you from chronic diseases.

By including some of these foods and recipes, along with getting in resistance training and other forms of strength training exercise, you can build and maintain muscle while laying the groundwork for a long and strong life.

Tell us in the comments:

• Are you an athlete, or do you work out regularly?

• Now that you’ve read this article, do you understand how to build muscle on a plant-based diet?

• What’s your favorite post-workout meal?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Hispanolistic

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• Plant-Based Hiking Food Ideas: What to Eat Before, During, & After a Hike

The post Building Muscle on a Plant-Based Diet: The Best Foods & Nutrients to Eat appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Of course, the odds that a vegetarian or vegan will be eating the same foods as everyone else aren’t great. No wonder Vedentam laughed at the irony. As a vegetarian, he’s not exactly poised to maximize trust and cooperation by sharing the same food with his colleagues and friends. And for vegans and other plant-based eaters, it can be even more of a challenge.

Sharing Food with Others: The Good and Bad

As Alice Julier observes in her book, Eating Together: Food, Friendship, and Inequality, sharing food is often a crucial component of all kinds of gatherings, from political campaigns to union drives to religious events. Whether conscious of it or not, these organizations are creating feelings of connection and solidarity through the sharing of meals.

But when you don’t eat the same as other people do, these situations can prove isolating rather than uniting. And even more so if your dietary preferences are outed and people hesitate to invite you either out of a sense of guilt or exclusion since “there’s nothing you can eat.”

In situations where camaraderie and cohesion have already been established, differences in food choices are usually more navigable. Your friends and family love you, and while they may not understand your choice to avoid or limit certain foods, they probably aren’t going to stop loving you because of it.

Our closest friends and family may know about our distinctive food choices, and they may have even accepted them and adapted to them on our behalf. Perhaps they have gone so far as to join us in eating some of the same foods, or maybe they are always sure to provide food options that work for us when we join them in a meal.

But our business contacts, colleagues, and new acquaintances don’t know how we eat unless and until we tell them. And it can feel fraught to do so, especially if our diet is radically different from the standard American diet (SAD) or the animal product-laden foods that are the norm in many countries and cultures around the world.

Navigating Food Choices and Feelings

Years ago, when I ate the SAD diet, meal invitations were easy to say yes to and easy to show up for. In fact, I often felt some excitement knowing that I’d get to try a new dish and enjoy the connection and bonding that results when people come together to share food. But that was when I ate like most other people.

Of course, sharing my food choices is a risky endeavor because others can feel like I’m looking down on them for not doing what I do. I can’t tell you how often people say to me that just because they eat animals doesn’t mean they don’t love animals.

What I’ve come to see is that while I’m feeling self-conscious, and sometimes even lonely in my food choices, those around me are often experiencing guilt and even shame for theirs. The truth is that many people don’t feel great about the food they eat or how much of it they choose to consume. In fact, according to a 2019 survey, nearly a third of all food Americans eat makes them feel guilty.

Realizing how many people feel self-conscious about their food choices gives me more compassion and understanding in regard to why they might not always be fully supportive of mine. In the moment, they very likely have a subconscious desire for me to eat the same foods as them, so they won’t feel so bad about what they’re eating. They may feel that if I join them in eating those foods, they will be better able to enjoy those foods.

Now that I eat differently, a simple invitation to eat together can send me into a nervous tailspin, as I try to figure out how I’m going to navigate this ancient ritual of “breaking bread” together. Especially because some people can be downright hostile about plant-based eaters.

The Reality of the “Lonely Vegan”

While writing this, I hopped over to my Facebook page and was horrified to see a recent post from a colleague, quoting Anthony Bourdain: “Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.”

To my horror, a hateful volley of comments ensued as the omnivores applauded Bourdain and attacked a lone vegan with the audacity to join the conversation. This post came from someone I know and have networked with. I literally felt sick to my stomach with shock and grief. But it was also a teaching moment because it helped me see that those feelings of loneliness and isolation don’t occur in a vacuum.

And by the way, that obnoxious quote from Bourdain appears in his book, Kitchen Confidential, where it is immediately followed by this sentence: “But as a professional, the post punk concept of vegetarianism as a dietary alternative was always an interesting one to me.”

Bourdain was a chef and television personality who was known for his unfiltered and provocative opinions. But he acknowledged the importance of vegetarian and vegan diets and respected those who chose to follow them. In some of his interviews and writings, he said that he understood the ethical and environmental reasons behind vegetarianism and recognized that vegetarian dishes could be creative and delicious.

But it can be lonely being a vegan or a vegetarian. Research has linked loneliness to dietary restrictions of any kind, whether due to food allergies, religious prohibitions, weight reduction, vegetarianism, veganism, or anything else. Even children with food allergies can experience isolation due to their food restrictions. About one-third of all children with food allergies experience bullying just because they don’t eat the same foods as other kids.

So, despite the heartwarming reality that plant-based options have enjoyed a dramatic recent surge in popularity, plant-based eaters can still navigate feelings of loneliness and isolation. There are often threads expressing that sense of isolation on Reddit and Facebook groups with the words “lonely vegan” in the title.

So what can whole foods, plant-based eaters do?

Leading by Example

In general, I prefer to live by example. And hopefully, my health and vitality will speak for themselves.

As I age, it seems that my diet and lifestyle are enabling me to avoid many of the chronic health conditions that impact my friends and colleagues — even those who are ten to twenty years younger than I. It’s sad for me to witness their decline when I know that changing their diet would make a huge difference in their health, quality of life, and longevity.

But I also know that they know, or will soon learn, that I eat very differently than they do. I would rather allow them to come to me to ask how I am achieving my good health and emotional well-being than to preach at them and risk adding to their suffering by creating even more feelings of shame.

Even when people do seem genuinely curious to learn, sadly, the truth is not always greeted with enthusiasm. I’m thinking of one family member who wanted to know the details of my diet, so she could also enjoy the same good health. But when I shared my food choices with her, she quickly realized she was not ready to give up some of her favorite foods. And sadly, she continued to get sicker and sicker.

I also know that allowing those I love the dignity of their own choices is important, both to preserve our connection and to respect their decisions about their bodies — just as I wish for them to respect mine.

Eating with Others Is Beneficial to Your Health

What’s most important to remember is that there are advantages to eating together even if you don’t consume the same foods.

It’s well-established that social bonding is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. As research from The Big Lunch and University of Oxford’s Professor of Psychology, Robin Dunbar, illustrates, social eating boosts happiness, feelings of well-being, and one’s overall satisfaction with life. In fact, research has shown that having a good social support network is every bit as impactful as giving up a 15-cigarette-a-day smoking habit. And interpersonal social networks may be more crucial to physical health than exercising, or losing weight if you are obese.

The bottom line is: Our health depends upon social connection with others.

Not only that, but time with friends also feels good! Social bonding releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. In turn, those hormones have many beneficial effects on our health.

Get Out There and Spend Time with Others

What we eat really matters, but so does our lifestyle. And it’s important that we spend time with other people, even if they don’t eat like we do. You may prefer to socialize while doing non-food activities, as I do. But I think the advantages of eating together are powerful enough that it makes sense to also find ways to bond with others through social eating, even when we eat differently.

Some people are meeting online to share a meal through social media, Meetups, and even online forums. You can also meet like-minded eaters at health food stores, CSAs, farmers markets, and the like, where there may already be clubs or events centered around plant-based eating.

But some of my favorite social events don’t even include food. I love to go on hikes with people, paddle boarding, or take a walk with my dogs. If I must attend a food-centered event, I prefer potlucks.

Potlucks take the focus off what I specifically eat and allow me to bring a dish that meets my needs but that others can enjoy, too. The fact that I am not eating a lot of the other foods provided doesn’t stand out as much in a crowd — that is, unless one person is particularly attached to my trying the meat-based dish they brought with them. When that happens, the uncomfortable feelings return while I look for a gracious way to either change the topic or share why I avoid animal products.

But when I eat with people who don’t share my food choices, I find it’s far more enjoyable if I can explore what I have in common with them besides food. And it can also sometimes be an opportunity to share my favorite vegan dishes with people who may be convinced that I only eat salads (not that there is anything wrong with salads — I love them!).

You’re Never Truly Alone

It may feel isolating at times to follow a dietary path that deviates from the norm. And it can be tempting to either avoid certain social gatherings or to eat food that you know isn’t right for you. But it’s important to remember that you can share meals with people whose food is different from yours, without compromising on your dietary goals.

Embracing a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle may set you apart, but it also supports your emotional, mental, and physical well-being — while serving as an example of what is possible for those you care about. Keeping your heart open to positive social interactions and enriching experiences with both strangers and loved ones also supports your long-term health. And if you remember that most people feel some discomfort around their food choices, you can lead the way towards less judgment, shame, and isolation for all of us, regardless of what we eat.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you ever felt lonely or isolated after changing your diet?

• What ways have you found to navigate eating with others who don’t eat like you?

• How do you connect with other plant-based eaters?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Kiwis

Read Next:

• Three Loving Ways to Stick to Your Diet at Social Gatherings

The post Do Your Food Choices Leave You Feeling Lonely? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

It can’t be totally random, though, because the prevalence of eczema is rising around the world, afflicting about 10% of children and young adults, and 2–5% of all people.

And while there are many treatments for eczema, including hygiene practices, identifying and avoiding personal triggers, and even corticosteroids, they don’t always work. And even if medicated creams work at first, sometimes people can develop tolerances to them with prolonged use, and more and more supplementary treatments may be required.

People in remission from eczema may dread their next relapse, and feel powerless to prevent their flare-ups. And as with most conditions that resist conventional medical intervention, people who suffer from long-term eczema may turn to alternative treatments, lifestyles, and diets.

But some evidence suggests that eczema may go hand in hand with food allergies. Food allergies are also on the rise, and researchers are paying special attention to the barrier function of the skin as it relates to allergic conditions. Might consuming certain foods increase the likelihood of both food allergies and atopic dermatitis? And might some foods protect against or reduce symptoms?

A man in Hong Kong allegedly cleared up his eczema on a largely plant-based diet. A woman’s severe eczema almost completely disappeared after she adopted a whole foods, plant-based approach. And another woman who had swollen eyes and flaking skin for 20 years saw her symptoms go away after four days of plant-based eating.

Are these isolated, idiosyncratic cases, or examples of the placebo effect? Or is it possible that a plant-based diet may really be helpful in the treatment of eczema, at least in some cases? After all, a quick search on Amazon reveals dozens of books on eczema diets, cleanses, detoxes, and other approaches — all of which claim success where mainstream medicine cannot.

In this article, we’ll explore the evidence for the claims that a plant-based diet, along with other lifestyle choices, can help relieve eczema suffering. First, though, let’s find out more about the disease — and what triggers it.

Understanding Eczema

As we’ve seen, eczema is also called atopic dermatitis. A quick peek at the etymology of the two words gives us insight into the disease. Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, which can result in itching, flaking, swelling, oozing, and crusting. And atopic comes from the Greek words a and topos, which together mean “out of place” — i.e., unusual or strange.

In essence, eczema is a chronic condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry, cracked, and inflamed. So basically, if your skin were a party, eczema would be that awkward guest who not only refuses to leave but also insists on playing the Macarena on repeat. It’s out of place and it definitely makes its presence felt!

In infants and young children, who are most likely to suffer from eczema, the areas typically affected include the face, the outside of the elbows, and the knees. In older children and adults, eczema generally appears on the hands and feet, the arms, and the back of the knees. We don’t know why the condition often migrates from one part of the body to another.

Another eczema mystery is what causes the disease. (The one thing we know for certain, and it’s good news, is that the condition isn’t contagious.) It can run in families, suggesting either genetic or environmental factors, and it often develops alongside other conditions, including asthma and hay fever.

Eczema so frequently occurs in tandem with allergies that there’s reason to suspect an immune system link. Just as allergic reactions appear to be the result of overactive and confused immune responses, eczema, too, may be the skin’s overreaction to harmless stimuli.

While there are some autoimmune conditions that affect the skin — including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and dermatitis herpetiformis — eczema is not caused by the body attacking itself. Still, research shows that people with eczema are at higher risk of a number of autoimmune conditions, including alopecia, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and ulcerative colitis.

What Triggers Eczema?

One of the most troubling aspects of eczema is the seeming unpredictability of the course of the condition. There are periods when the skin is clear and free of symptoms, called remissions, and times when it flares up.

It’s not entirely random, though. Certain things can trigger flares in susceptible people, including stress, environmental exposures, and food.

Stress and Eczema

We know now that stress is a lot more than a state of mind. Acute and chronic stress can cause big physiological changes throughout the body, including some that can trigger or exacerbate eczema. New understandings of the “brain-skin connection” point to the release of stress hormones, especially in large quantities or over an extended period of time, as sometimes fueling eczema symptoms.

As you can imagine (or may even know from personal experience), living with eczema is stressful in its own right, leading to a potentially vicious cycle in which stress triggers eczema, making it harder to sleep or relax, which in turn exacerbates the stress, and so on.

Research has shown that the skin immediately picks up on stress. What might be less obvious is that it’s also a target of stress responses.

As the largest organ of the body, the skin is one of the key sentries keeping track of the outside world for signs of threat. Specifically, the skin is an important barrier for immune functions, maintaining homeostasis between the external environment and internal tissues. When it’s working properly, the skin lets in the good stuff and keeps out the bad. With eczema, stress can weaken this homeostasis, increasing inflammation and immune function dysregulation.

Personal Care Products and Eczema

Exposure to certain chemicals and toxins in the environment may also trigger eczema in some people — which could partly explain why prevalence is on the rise.

It can be challenging for an individual to figure out what they’re sensitive to. And it may take time, focus, and an action plan to eliminate various exposures to see if doing so leads to any relief.

Some of the most commonly implicated exposures include personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, and other products that come into contact with the skin. Products that contain fragrances may increase itching, and those with sodium lauryl sulfate may irritate the skin of people prone to eczema.

Another category of eczema triggers includes fabrics. In particular, wool and some synthetic fibers appear to cause irritation and trigger symptoms in some people.

Environment and Eczema

There are also environmental factors that tend to be much harder to avoid. The weather itself can be an eczema trigger; specifically, cold and dry air, or very humid air, can lead to flares in susceptible folks.

Indoor air quality also plays a role, as house dust mites, mold, and pollen are all potential triggers. And if you have a furry friend living with you, that furry friend’s fur may not be much of a friend if you’re prone to dermatitis.

Indoor air can also be compromised by gas stoves, furniture off-gassing, construction materials, paints, and anything else that releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The category of exposure that you may have the least control over is outdoor air pollutants. Chemicals from car exhaust, power plants, cigarette smoke, and even wildfires can all impair your skin’s ability to make healthy oils, leaving skin more easily irritated.

Food and Eczema

As we’ve seen, there’s a correlation between eczema and food allergies. Researchers estimate that up to 30% of children with eczema also have a food allergy — the most common ones being milk, egg, soy, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, fish and shellfish, and/or sesame.

Roughly the same percentage of adult eczema sufferers will also develop a food allergy in their lives, and experience symptoms such as hives, itching, difficulty breathing, or intestinal distress immediately after eating a specific type of food.

Interestingly, a distinct type of atopic dermatitis seems to have a direct link to food allergies right from the start. Children with this condition tend to show skin irregularities all over, not just in areas with active lesions.

However, in a broader sense, allergy specialists often view atopic dermatitis as an initial stage in the sequence known as the “atopic march.” This term describes a common pattern in some children, where atopic dermatitis evolves into food allergies and may even further develop into respiratory allergies or allergic asthma.

[Find out more about food allergies and what you can do about them.]

Can a Plant-Based Diet Help with Eczema?

Unlike medical specialties like cardiology and endocrinology, dermatology hasn’t yet acknowledged the potential health benefits of a plant-based diet. A 2022 review article noted that dermatologists typically advise against plant-based diets.

To be fair, there aren’t many studies that look specifically at the relationship between plant-based diets and eczema. We’ve seen a few anecdotal reports, which should not be dismissed just because they aren’t randomized controlled clinical trials. However, we do have some evidence suggesting that plant-based diets may help with eczema.

• A 2018 study asked 169 atopic dermatitis patients what changes they were making in their diets to treat their eczema, and whether their symptoms were improving. The greatest benefits were reported in those who added vegetables, especially organic ones, to their diets.
• A case study published in 2020 shared the story of a four-year-old patient with severe, persistent eczema. Ten days after the little girl was placed on a dairy-free elimination diet, her symptoms had improved by 76%. By the end of four months, she was in remission from eczema symptoms.
• Another study from back in 2001 took 20 eczema patients and put them on a strict plant-based diet. After just two months, they showed reduced markers of inflammation and immune response and a dramatic reduction in symptoms.
• And a 2021 Greek study on adolescents found that the more fruit, vegetables, and legumes they ate per week, the less they suffered from all atopic diseases, including eczema, allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal cavities, and not a fear of rhinoceroses), and asthma.
• Interestingly, eating a plant-based diet during pregnancy may also lower the odds of an infant having eczema in their first year of life, according to a 2020 study.

There’s clearly much more research on eczema and plant-based diets that’s necessary. But we do know that plant-based diets contain many foods and compounds that are helpful for skin health, the immune system, and combating inflammation. They also generally eliminate some common food triggers and allergens, such as dairy, eggs, and shellfish. And whole food, plant-based diets also cut out processed foods, which are pro-inflammatory.

Food and Nutrients That May Help with Eczema

In general, diets rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods may decrease inflammation and improve antioxidant status, thus positively affecting skin health. And probiotic and prebiotic foods, including fermented foods and those high in fiber, can also support a healthy gut microbiome and a balanced immune system — which may help improve eczema symptoms. These are just some of the nutrients and foods that help eczema go away.

Fermented Foods and Eczema

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, and plant-based yogurt are not only high in antioxidants, they also deliver lactic acid-producing bacteria (LABs). The LABs support the “good” populations of gut bacteria and also improve local and systemic immunity.

Researchers surveyed 9,763 Korean adults in 2012–13 and found that those consuming large amounts of fermented foods (defined as eating fermented foods an impressive 92+ times per month!) had less atopic dermatitis than those who weren’t as committed to those foods.

For more on fermented foods, read our article: Fermented Foods: What are they, and how can they boost your health?

Fiber and Eczema

If you think of your gut as a party for probiotics, then dietary fiber is their all-you-can-eat buffet. Fermented foods, high in probiotics, are essentially the life of the party — but they can’t sustain themselves without a steady supply of dietary fiber — their version of party food.

In 2021, a group of Korean party planners — I mean, researchers — found that the more fiber-filled buffet options people had (i.e., the more dietary fiber they consumed), the less they had to worry about uninvited guests like eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis.

Fast-forward to 2022: A team of international researchers discovered the magic trick that happens when gut bacteria hit the fiber buffet hard. The short-chain fatty acids they produce can boost the bouncer at the door (the strength of the outer skin barrier), reducing the chances of allergens and related diseases crashing the party early.

Fiber-rich foods include all the usual suspects: legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies. Essentially, everything you’d find at a whole food, plant-based diet party — which sounds like a bash your gut would definitely want to RSVP to!

For more on why fiber is good for you, the best kinds, and the best sources, see our article, here.

Omega-3 and Eczema

In the modern industrialized diet, there’s a huge imbalance between the intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, with the former being consumed in much larger quantities than the latter.

Research shows that excess omega-6 is a risk factor for eczema, while omega-3 appears to inhibit an over-the-top immune response, such as cytokine production that can trigger inflammation of the skin.

A 2021 overview article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences suggests that balancing the omega-6 GLA with omega-3 fatty acids may inhibit inflammatory responses, with positive effects on skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

High omega-3 foods include flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and certain forms of algae. And many vegan omega-3 supplements, like this one by Complement, are produced from algal oil.

For more on why omega-3s are important — and what the best sources are for your health — see our article here.

Vitamin D and Eczema

Vitamin D may also play an important role in easing or suppressing eczema symptoms. A 2016 meta-analysis found four randomized controlled trials that, taken together, suggest that vitamin D supplementation could safely reduce eczema symptom severity.

A 2019 meta-analysis found lower vitamin D levels in eczema patients than in healthy controls. And it highlighted three interventions in which vitamin D supplementation reduced eczema severity.

However, a 2023 meta-analysis argued that vitamin D didn’t improve eczema across the board, and that it appeared to make a positive difference in adults but not in children.

The confusion may arise from the question of whether the relationship between vitamin D levels and atopic dermatitis is causal, and if so, in which direction. That is, does low vitamin D increase the risk of eczema, or does having eczema decrease vitamin D levels, perhaps by compromising the ability of the skin to synthesize the vitamin from sunlight — or perhaps because eczema sufferers are less likely to expose their skin to the sun?

If you aren’t getting sufficient vitamin D via sun exposure, there are some foods that can deliver the nutrient, including fortified plant-based milk and orange juice, and UV-exposed mushrooms. There are also supplemental forms of vitamin D, like this highly bioavailable liposomal version from our friends at Purality Health.

For more on vitamin D, including how much you need and how to get enough, see our article, here.

Vitamin E and Eczema

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to reduce inflammatory compounds in patients with atopic conditions, including eczema.

A 2015 randomized trial gave participants either 400 IU of oral vitamin E or a placebo for four months. And the researchers found that the vitamin significantly reduced itching and the extent of skin lesions.

A 2020 review of the full medical literature on the relationship between vitamin E and eczema concluded that supplementation “has great potential as an adjunctive treatment for AD (Atopic Dermatitis) owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities.”

While 400 IU is considered a safe dose, there are risks of getting too much vitamin E from supplements. You may not need to supplement if you focus on foods naturally high in vitamin E. These include nuts, seeds, avocado, mango, bell pepper, and leafy greens.

For more on vitamin E, including why it’s important and the best sources, see our article, here.

Eczema-Friendly Recipes

If you (or anyone you love) suffer from eczema and are inspired to see if a healthy diet can help, these eczema-friendly recipes are sure to make it a tasty transition.

Incorporating at least one of these recipes a week just might do wonders for the overall health of your immune system, microbiome, and skin.

Each recipe features foods packed with fiber and powerful, anti-inflammatory nutrients that could improve eczema symptoms. They’re also free of many of the most irritating food allergens, such as dairy, eggs, and shellfish.

1. Apple Walnut Oatmeal Bake

This comforting dish is full of healthful, anti-inflammatory ingredients to help soothe your skin during an eczema flare. Rich in calming and fiber-rich oats, omega-3-packed chia and walnuts, and vitamin D-fortified plant-based milk (if you use fortified plant milk), you could call this a breakfast made for healthy skin!

2. Kelp Salad with Baked Tempeh and Kimchi Miso Dressing

Kelp Salad with Baked Tempeh and Kimchi Miso Dressing brings together highly nutritious fermented foods, including tempeh and kimchi, which support a healthy microbiome. Helping supply your gut with the good bacteria it needs may reduce incidences of eczema flares.

This flavorful salad also has omega-3 fatty acids from the hemp seeds, calcium from the tahini, iodine from the kelp, iron from the beets, and zinc from the pumpkin seeds. You’ll cover lots of your nutritional bases with this one plant-powered salad!

3. Creamy Mushroom Soup with Chickpeas and Kale

Creamy Mushroom Soup with Chickpeas and Kale is a super cozy bowl of nourishing plants that provides comfort in more ways than one. In addition to the soup’s mouthwatering umami flavors from mushrooms, chickpeas, kale, and cashews, it packs a nutrient-dense punch! It’s a potent source of vitamin E, vitamin D (depending on the amount of sun exposure your mushrooms get), fiber, and protein, just to name a few. This soup is a delicious way to nourish your skin barrier and gut microbiome.

Reach for Plants to Support Your Skin from the Inside Out!

While scientific evidence supporting dietary interventions for eczema is still limited, the link between diet and overall skin health is strong enough that you may want to prioritize a healthy, plant-based diet as a first-line treatment strategy. A diet rich in nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds holds promise in providing essential nutrients, reducing inflammation, and supporting skin barrier function.

Prioritizing skin-supporting nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, probiotics, and vitamins E and D, could play a vital role in managing eczema.

The benefits of plant-based eating also come from what the diet eliminates. Avoiding potential allergens or trigger foods and pro-inflammatories, such as dairy and processed foods, could help in many cases.

Reducing stress and exposure to environmental toxins can also play a meaningful role in reducing eczema symptoms. In severe cases, consulting a health care professional may be necessary, to develop an individualized approach tailored to specific needs and preferences.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you have eczema? If so, do you know what triggers it for you?

• Have any diet and lifestyle strategies reduced flares and lessened symptoms?

• Have you tried eliminating certain foods and increasing others?

Featured Image: iStock.com/nensuria

Read Next:

• 10 Foods for Healthy, Radiant, Younger-Looking Skin
• What Can You Eat for Clearer Skin? The Best (and Worst) Foods for Acne

The post Eczema and Diet: Can Going Plant-Based Help Your Skin? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Actually, it’s PVT TIM HaLL, a mnemonic familiar to medical students cramming for their Biochemistry 101 exams. It refers to the nine essential amino acids: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, arginine, leucine, and lysine. (Sorry, no Donner or Blixen or even Rudolph.)

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. And proteins are essential for the growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues, as well as the production of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. So an essential amino acid — without which you can’t make many of the proteins you need to live — is a pretty big deal.

What makes these nine amino acids “essential”? There are about 20 amino acids that make up all the proteins in our bodies (“about,” because there’s some debate about whether selenocysteine and pyrrolysine count). But the essential amino acids are considered essential (also called “indispensable,” which immediately makes me want to sing “Unforgettable,” by Nat King Cole) because humans and other mammals cannot synthesize them and, therefore, must obtain them from food or supplements.

This article focuses on PVT TIM HaLL’s second L, lysine. We’ll see that lysine does a lot of very important things, including fighting viral infections, helping your body absorb calcium, and playing an important role in the formation of collagen.

But if you look up which foods contain lysine, you’ll see a menu largely composed of animal products: meat, eggs, and cheese. If you’re a plant-based eater, you might find this a cause for concern — are you in danger of missing out on this essential nutrient?

Let’s find out!

Lysine Benefits and Uses

We’ve known about the existence of lysine since 1889 when a German chemist named Edmund Drechsel isolated the amino acid by hydrolyzing casein, a protein found in milk. (“Hydrolyzing” means breaking proteins into their component parts.) And over the years, researchers have discovered more and more critical roles that it plays in our bodies.

Is Lysine an Antiviral?

Lysine does play a role in counteracting virus infection and replication. Some viruses that infect humans need another essential amino acid, arginine, to survive and reproduce. So if lysine and arginine are out of balance in favor of arginine, those viruses can gain a foothold.

Lysine and arginine compete in a number of cellular pathways. And lysine not only blocks some of the activity of arginine but also increases the production of an enzyme, arginase, that breaks down arginine and decreases its concentration in cells.

That’s why lysine is sometimes recommended to prevent the cold sores that appear on the mouth, lips, and sometimes, the genitals, of people infected with some forms of herpes simplex virus (which, according to a 2017 study, includes about 90% of all adults). But, in theory, your lysine-to-arginine ratio seems to matter more for herpes than lysine on its own.

There have been a couple dozen studies conducted on supplemental lysine and herpes sores over the past 50 years, most of which are inconclusive due to small cohorts, short duration, or self-reporting rather than clinical evaluation. But there’s a decent amount of evidence that sufficiently high doses of lysine (in some studies, 3 grams per day) could help prevent recurrence, if not shorten recovery from an existing flare-up — especially when combined with low-arginine diets.

A 2021 study out of Taiwan also found that L-lysine (an active form of the amino acid) supplementation, in conjunction with a low-arginine diet, was effective in reducing the chances of getting infected by COVID-19 and a newly emergent strain of the influenza A virus.

And a case study on an 11-year-old girl with pityriasis rosea (which may have viral origins) also showed L-lysine’s antiviral effectiveness. After four days, new eruptions ceased, and the original lesions started to regress and fade. The authors conclude that L-lysine might be a safe way to treat pityriasis rosea to reduce both its severity and duration.

Lysine and Muscle Building

Lysine may also play a role in building muscles and enabling you to maintain muscle mass as you get older. A 2014 study from Japan tested the fetal serum of various animals and found less muscle wasting when lysine was added to the serum. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

A 2020 study out of Greece also found that the higher the blood levels of a lysine metabolite called pipecolic acid, the greater women’s muscle mass and muscle strength. And those levels tended to drop as the women aged.

Lysine and Bone Health

Getting adequate protein is important for keeping bones strong and healthy. But until recently, scientists didn’t know if there were specific amino acids that were more important than others in terms of outcomes like bone density and risk of osteoporosis.

A 2016 UK study took a clever approach to the question by observing dietary intake and bone health in identical twins. The researchers found that the twins who consumed more amino acids, including lysine, had higher bone mineral density.

A 2020 study from India also found that lysine supplementation, along with calcium and vitamin D, could improve bone health, and, therefore, overall health and physical fitness.

Lysine Skin Benefits

As a key ingredient in collagen formation, lysine is critical for healthy skin. Through a complex series of chemical reactions that made my head spin when I read about them, lysine gets turned into substances called reactive aldehydes. These aldehydes can then interact with other parts of collagen to form strong bonds between collagen molecules.

For people with osteoarthritis, it’s very important to get sufficient lysine, as well as the amino acids proline and glycine, to help regenerate cartilage damaged by the disease.

Lysine Brain Benefits

Lysine plays a role in brain health by contributing to the synthesis of neurotransmitters — chemicals that transmit signals between brain cells, allowing for proper communication within the brain. Two of the neurotransmitters most responsible for mood and motivation, serotonin and dopamine, both depend on lysine for their existence.

Lysine also enhances cognitive function and memory by participating in the formation of collagen, the same protein that makes up skin and cartilage. In the brain, collagen provides structural support to blood vessels. By maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, lysine helps ensure proper blood flow to the brain, which is vital for delivering oxygen and nutrients necessary for optimal brain function.

For more on how to build collagen naturally for benefits to your skin and your brain, see our article here.

How Much Lysine Is Recommended?

The amount of lysine to consume for optimal health depends on your age, sex, and weight. Daily lysine intake requirements range from 64 mg per kilogram of body weight for infants (who need proportionally more lysine than adults) to 30 mg per kg of body weight for adults. The recommended upper limit is 300–400 mg/kg per day.

Check out this resource for US-recommended daily allowances of the essential amino acids broken out by age and sex.

If you’re more comfortable with your weight in pounds rather than kilograms, here’s a quick formula for lysine goals in adults: Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 (that will give you your weight in kilograms). Then multiply that number by 38 to get your recommended adult daily intake of lysine in milligrams.

For example: If you weigh 150 pounds, divide that by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms: a little more than 68. Multiple 68 x 38 to get 2,584 mg or almost 2.6 grams.

And if you’re wondering about lysine recommendations for children, here’s a handy table.

Foods Rich in Lysine

While the foods with the highest concentrations of lysine tend to be animal products, there are many rich plant-based sources to choose from.

Here’s a list of some plant-based foods that can go a long way to helping you reach your daily lysine requirements.

Lysine per 100 grams:

• Pumpkin seeds — 1,386 mg
• Tofu — 883 mg
• Lentils — 630 mg
• Almonds — 568 mg
• Navy beans — 527 mg
• Quinoa — 239 mg
• Cauliflower — 217 mg

If you have an active herpes simplex infection, the folks at VegFAQs have also compiled a list of the best high-lysine, low-arginine vegan foods.

Do You Need to Combine Foods to Get Enough Lysine?

There’s a persistent myth that people who avoid animal products have to be super vigilant about combining foods to get all the amino acids at the same time, so they can make complete proteins. This has been thoroughly debunked, as scientists discovered that all plant foods contain all nine essential amino acids.

In order to ensure sufficient lysine intake, all you may need to do is get enough protein overall — no measuring of specific amino acids is necessary. That’s because some foods are higher in one particular amino acid, while others are higher in another one. If you’re eating a balanced diet with a variety of whole plant foods, you’re probably getting more than enough protein, and the amino acid ratios just tend to work out.

Your body is much better at doing these calculations than your mind, and it’s adopted the elegant strategy of maintaining pools of free amino acids that it can use to do all the complementing for you.

For an in-depth look at plant-based protein, see our article here.

What About Lysine Supplementation?

While most people can get all the lysine they need from a balanced and varied whole food, plant-based diet, a few groups may have special needs for lysine that would require supplementation. For example, burn patients may benefit from supplemental lysine as they recover. And people prone to herpes simplex cold sores may want to supplement with 500 mg a day (or even more) for prevention, especially during times of high stress. If you are dealing with an active herpes outbreak, some studies indicate that supplementing with three grams per day may be beneficial.

However, because supplements are isolated nutrients, they may not always agree with our bodies in the same way they would when consumed as food. L-lysine is the biologically active isomer of lysine used in supplements. And you can probably take up to 6,000 mg/day safely without triggering any adverse reactions. But some people may be sensitive to supplemental L-lysine and experience nausea, stomachache, or diarrhea.

Plant-Based, Lysine-Rich Recipes

As we learned, lysine is essential for our immune system and protection against viral infections in the body. Luckily these protein-rich recipes are a tasty way to ensure you’re getting plenty of lysine (and a few other immune-supporting nutrients as well) in three delicious and easy-to-prepare dishes!

1. Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Pumpkin Seed Pesto is a delicious way to boost your lysine consumption (and a few other essential amino acids) with ease. Pumpkin seeds are a real superfood and one of the top plant sources of lysine. This seedy, herby spread is also a great source of iron, magnesium, and zinc. With so many nutrient-rich ingredients that contribute to a healthy diet, this spread is sure to become a household favorite in no time!

2. Lentil Quinoa Meatballs

These Lentil Quinoa Meatballs are one of the tastiest ways to enjoy and ensure your daily lysine intake. Both lentils and quinoa are protein powerhouses, and the addition of sunflower seeds adds even more lysine. With eight grams of protein and fiber per serving, these delicious bundles of whole food goodness offer oodles of vital nutrition!

3. Chocolate Cream Dream Pie

This seemingly indulgent chocolate pie gets its creamy texture from none other than silken tofu. Not only does the tofu offer a delightfully smooth mouthfeel, but it’s also loaded with plenty of plant-based lysine (and all the other amino acids, too) for a healthy dessert that is satiating and nourishing. Whip up this chocolaty concoction for a special occasion or to punctuate the end of an equally nutrient-dense meal.

The Low-Down On Lysine

Lysine is an essential amino acid necessary for good health. It offers important health benefits, including antiviral support, muscle building, bone health, skin health, and brain function. While animal products tend to have higher concentrations of lysine, plant-based foods like pumpkin seeds, tofu, lentils, almonds, and quinoa can provide substantial amounts, too.

While lysine supplementation may be necessary for specific cases, such as burn patients and those suffering from frequent cold sores, it is generally recommended to obtain nutrients from a well-balanced diet rather than relying solely on supplements. But if you want to supplement lysine or a high-quality plant-based protein, it’s generally safe for most people (and might be beneficial for some). As always, it may be advisable to consult with a health care professional for individual dietary needs and considerations.

Tell us in the comments:

• Did you learn anything new about lysine from this article?

• What are your favorite plant-based foods that are high in lysine?

• Which high-lysine recipe will you try next?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Zerbor

Read Next:

• What Is Choline, and Can Vegans Get Enough?

The post Plant-Based Lysine: Do You Need Meat To Get Enough Lysine? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.