Fact: Human
anatomy suggests otherwise. We're designed to be able to eat meat occasionally,
as a survival mechanism, but our digestive systems are very similar to
those of the other plant-eaters and totally unlike those of carnivores.
Also, the less meat someone eats, the less their risk of just about
every major disease. Finally, people who don't eat meat have better
physical performance, whether they're athletes or not. The argument
that humans are carnivores because we possess "canine" teeth ignores
the facts that other plant-eaters have these same so-called canine
teeth, and that only plant-eaters have molar teeth. [more on this topic]
MYTH: "Vegetarians get little
protein."
Fact: Plant
foods offer abundant protein. Vegetables are around 23% protein on
average, beans 28%, grains 13%, and even fruit has 5.5%. For
comparison, human breast milk is only 6% (designed for the time in our
lives when our protein needs are as high as they'll ever be).
Professional recommendations for adults range from 2.5% to 10%, and
plant foods supply that easily. [more on this
topic]
MYTH: "Beans are a good source of
protein."
Fact: There
is no such thing as a special "source of protein" because all foods --
even plants -- have plentiful protein. You might as well say "Food
is a good source of protein". In any event, beans (28%) don't average
much more protein per calorie than common vegetables (23%). [more on this topic, inc. chart]
MYTH: "Meat protein is better than
plant protein. You have to combine plant foods to make the protein just
as good."
Fact: This
myth was popularized in the 1971 book Diet for a Small Planet
and has no basis in fact. The author of the book admitted nearly
thirty years ago that she made a mistake (in the 1982 edition of the
same book). [more on this topic]
MYTH: "Vegetable oils are healthy."
Fact: Dr.
John McDougall says: "Sadly, the myth that vegetable oil is health food
isn't true… choosing between dropping some butter or pouring some olive
oil into your frying pan is, nutritionally speaking, like choosing
whether you want to be shot or hanged. Here's why. All
fats--saturated and unsaturated--are involved in the growth of certain
kinds of cancer cells. Scientific research…has consistently shown that
a higher consumption of fats will produce a higher incidence of cancer.
What's worse, the unsaturated fats in such highly touted vegetable oils
as corn oil, safflower oil, and olive oil, and the margarines made from
them, are the fats that most promote the growth of cancer. They're much
better at this double-crossing deal than are the saturated fats that
are so bad for your arteries and heart."
-- The McDougall Program; 1990; John A.
McDougall, M.D.; p. 41-42.
McDougall goes on to explain that fatty foods
(including vegetable oils and tofu ) kill your energy level by making
your blood cells stick together in clumps, can make the skin and hair
oily, and are extremely fattening.
MYTH: "Tofu is a low-fat food."
Fact: Tofu is
54% fat, more than many meats, and way more than the 10-20% of dietary
calories from fat that most vegetarian authorities recommend.
McDougall again: "[Soybeans] contain far too much fat for regular use
by most people… Tofu…is even a little worse… Obviously, tofu is a rich,
high-fat, low-fiber food that should be used sparingly."
MYTH: "Milk is necessary for strong
bones."
Fact: McDougall:
"Where does a cow or an elephant get the calcium needed to grow its
huge bones? From plants, of course. Only plants. … People in Asia
and Africa who consume no milk products after they're weaned from their
mother's breast grow perfectly healthy skeletons in the normal size for
their race. A consistent conclusion published in the scientific
literature is clear: Calcium deficiency of dietary origin is
unknown in humans. Dairy products contain large amounts of animal
proteins. This excess protein removes calcium from the body by way of
the kidneys. Knowing the physiological effects on calcium metabolism of
eating excess protein explains why societies with the highest intakes
of meat and dairy products--the United States, England, Israel,
Finland, and Sweden--also show the highest rates of osteoporosis, the
disease of bone-thinning."
MYTH: "Carbs make you fat."
Fact: Not the
carbs found in fruits and vegetables. Refined carbs, like
sugar and flour, can make you fat, because they're calorically dense.
Fruits and veggies don't have that problem. You can lose weight even
while eating copious amounts of potatoes (as I have). Dr. McDougall
has run a health clinic for 25 years where his patients lose weight
while eating unlimited amounts of buffet-style meals centered on
starches like potatoes.
Carbs don't make you fat, calorically-dense foods do. These
include sugar, flour, oil, milk, and meat.
MYTH: "Hitler was a vegetarian."
Fact: No, he
wasn't. Not in the traditional sense of the word, anyway. Hitler
occasionally reduced his meat consumption on doctor's orders because of
digestive problems, but he frequently cheated. If you want to call that
vegetarianism, you might as well say that all meat-eaters are
vegetarian for the eight hours they're asleep each not and not eating
meat. Of course, educated people will understand that it's irrelevant
that Hitler was vegetarian, but some non-vegetarians delight in
repeating this myth as though they've made some sort of point. (more)
