I have seen many news articles in the last few years praising a “plant-based” diet. I wondered what “plant based” meant. Is it vegan, with absolutely no animal products? Is it something less draconian? The articles described how vegetables provide valuable soluble fiber and phytonutrients. But I could not see why animal products should be eliminated.

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    I decided to research this topic, and was relieved to find I was not the only one confused. In a 2022 article in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Storz, a German physician, reported his investigation of research about plant-based diets. He found 153 publications about plant-based diets that defined what the term meant. Around 50% of the plant-based diets were vegan. The rest included at least some animal products.

    I certainly agree that vegetables and fruits contain valuable nutrients and fiber, which can promote both our health and that of the microbiome living in our gut. However, I believe different people need different amounts of animal products. In my treatment plans, some patients need very little, confining themselves to eggs, dairy and fish. Others might be told to eat meat three times a day. But all of them should eat lots of veggies.

    The most carnivorous patient in the practice gave me the recipe for one of the mainstays of her diet, the Carnivore’s Delight Meat Pie. While there is quite a bit of animal protein in this dish, it also includes a cauliflower crust and additional vegetables in the filling.

    In his travels around the world in the early part of the 20^th century, Dr. Weston A. Price found many people flourishing on their traditional diets. Their meals always included vegetables, but differed in the amounts of animal products. Like the people, the animals were eating their traditional diets. As I mentioned in a previous email, pastured animals are healthier, and the meat contains phytonutrients.

    But in Dr. Price’s travels, he did not find any vegans. Indeed, a vegan diet does not include Vitamin B12, a nutrient that is required for life. It is therefore hard to see how such a diet could be promoted as the ideal one for anyone.

    So, eat your veggies, along with whatever amount of animal protein is best for you – and you will harvest the benefits of a “plant-based” diet.