Vegan or Carnivore?

The header for this article is maybe a bit misleading, but it touches upon a topic that we have talked about lately, and the conundrum goes something like this.

We hear stories about people who switch from a ‘regular’ diet to a vegan diet, and report great benefits from it—the reported benefits are often described as, more energy, healthier weight, weight loss, better cardiovascular fitness, etc. This is all good stuff and who wouldn’t like these benefits—right? Well, here’s where the odd part comes into the picture. We’ve also talked to a lot of people who have switched from a ‘normal’ diet to a carnivore diet, and they say exactly the same thing… The interesting thing is that veganism and the carnivore have nothing in common when you look at what you eat. The one side can’t eat what the other side is eating—so how can they experience the same benefits? Well, let’s dive a bit deeper into what these two perspectives on diets might have in common.

Peter Attia was once asked in an interview what his most simple diet recommendation was—and surprisingly, it wasn’t to go vegan or to cut carbs or fat. His recommendation was as follows:

If your forefathers couldn’t get it 200 years ago, then you’re probably better off not eating it

This is a very interesting approach because it explains a common ground between veganism and carnivore. Both perspectives often focus on real food that was available 200 years ago. So, the common results of these two diets could very well be about what you’re not eating:

·         Refined sugar

·         Ultra-processed foods

It seems humans can live off almost anything nature throws at us—besides what’s been made and optimized in a laboratory. In fact, it can be argued that the body really runs best when it is given a range of different foods for fuels. Both carnivores and vegans, for instance, can run into some trouble over the long haul by missing out on some key nutrients that aren’t available in their diets. There have been cases of carnivores developing scurvy—a condition that develops from vitamin C deficiency, and vegans can become deficient in vitamin B12, which can cause a range of health problems from low energy to increased heart rate. It’s a good idea for anyone on these diets to take a multivitamin, and for vegans to take B12.

Our recommendation is to eat a range of healthy foods found in nature, and to restrict sugar and ultra-processed foods to the category of an occasional treat. Keep in mind that going to extremes (all meat/no meat) has its consequences. As we have written about often, the middle way seems to be ideal in all things.

Until next time

Scott and Lennart