I watched Game Changers. Should I go vegan?

The Game Changers

 

Let’s take a look at why The Game Changers info is cherry picked, taken out of context, and largely misleading. 

 

This is not to convince you to eat meat, but to show that documentaries are very biased (even when they pretend not to be). They play on our emotions instead of facts, so before making any changes to your diet or believing that going vegan will save your health, be sure to consult the true scientific facts! 

 

 

Claim #1 – Gladiators were vegan

 

 

No, they ate plant based because the slaves were poor and it was all they could get. They also had a lot more fat on them from eating so many carbs which protected them from injuries

 

 

Claim #2 – Protein is not fuel

 

 

Duh, no one thinks protein is fuel. Athletes use protein for muscle synthesis and recovery – carbs for fuel. You don’t need to be vegan to get carbs for fuel. They created a fake argument.

 

 

Claim #3 – Increasing protein depletes glycogen

 

 

No. Eating low carb ketogenic diets can decrease the amount of glycogen stored in the muscles, but it doesn’t deplete it. Also, to reiterate, this is when you eat LOW CARB KETO. You can eat moderate carbs and still be an omnivore while maintaining glycogen stores

 

 

Claim #4 – Being vegan creates superior athletes

 

 

What? No. This is where they cherry-picked athletes that are vegan and made it seem like they are strong because they are vegan. A MAJORITY of professional athletes are omnivores. Like Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, said he ate 100 chicken nuggets per day at the Beijing  Olympics – and he won gold. Not saying we should be eating chicken nuggets, but you can cherry pick athletes in order to make your point for either side.  

 

 

Claim #5 – All protein comes from plants so we don’t need animal protein

 

 

Of course it’s possible to reach your protein needs from plants. But you need to be strategic about it.

• Peas and soy are low in methionine, rice is deficient in lysine, and most plant proteins are deficient in leucine (responsible for muscle protein synthesis)
• On average, vegans only get 14% of their calories from protein – so vegans in the general public aren’t being strategic about their protein intake.
• Animal proteins are more bioavailable and better sources of complete proteins

 

 

Claim #6 – A peanut butter sandwich has as much protein as a steak

 

 

Ugh. 18 g of protein from a peanut butter sandwich needs 1.25 servings of peanut butter and 2 slices of wheat bread – bringing along with it 412 calories, ~40 g carbohydrates, and ~20 g fat. A lean 3 oz cut of sirloin provides 149 calories, 5g fat and 26 g of protein, 0 g of carbohydrates. Why was this even compared again?

 

 

Claim #7 – Animal products clog the arteries and reduce vasodilation 

 

 

• The people in the film gave miami dolphin football players 3 burritos – 1 vegan, 1 with chicken, and 1 with beef, then tested their blood after
• The “blood test” wasn’t a blood test – they centrifuged the blood to show the serum, where the serum after the vegan burrito was clear and after the meat burritos it was cloudy. They failed to test any markers of inflammation or measure vasodilation or endothelial function after demonizing meat for these reasons.
• But anyway – The meat burritos were likely higher in total fat, and the serum becomes cloudy after high fat meals because it is getting transported through the blood via chylomicrons. 
• They also referenced a study saying that avocados enhance endothelial function – i’m not denying this, but they failed to mention that the study was funded by the Hass Avocado Brand, after demonizing any study that is funded by egg, dairy, or meat companies. If the funding source matters to you, be consistent in reporting who is funding what study.
• There is evidence saying that lean sources of meat and animal products do not have a negative effect on endothelial and vascular function, rather it is overall calorie and fat content of the diet that makes a difference, not animal protein consumption.

 

Claim #8 – Animal protein increases inflammation

 

• This claim is based on epidemiological data. These are not reliable sources as the purpose of epidemiological studies is to formulate questions that require further research
• Also, studies show that meat eaters tend to eat more calories overall than vegans, and increased body weight is the driver of inflammation – not meat itself.

 

Claim #9 – Animal protein and CVD/Cancer

 

• Again – mostly a problem of increased body weight and other unhealthy lifestyle factors that meat-eaters tend to engage in (smoking, low exercise, consumption of sugar/hydrogenated oil)
• The film claimed that vegan diets are the ONLY way to reverse heart disease
• Actually – the mediterranean diet is a known and well-studied diet that decreases cardiovascular events and risk factors – and this diet included the consumption of fish and lean meats.
• For cancer – the film claims that “the amino acids that come from animals tend to make our cells multiply more rapidly.” This doesn’t make sense because earlier in the film they said that you can get the same amino acids in plants and animals. They are most likely referring to leucine, which activates mTOR. However, leucine ACUTELY activates mTOR, and it goes back to baseline within a few hours. CHRONIC activation of mTOR may be associated with cancer.
• To further this comparison, exercise also activates mTOR, and it can be activated for days post-exercise, but people who exercise have decreased risk for these chronic diseases.

 

Claim #10 – Gorillas are muscular and they are vegan

 

Gorillas eat about 40 pounds of plants per day. For reference, 1 pound of spinach contains 9.27 g of protein. Gorillas also eat bamboo – calorie and protein dense plants that are indigestible by humans. Gorillas are jacked because they eat A LOT.

 

Claim #11 – Being vegan is better for the environment

 

Not necessarily. Greenhouse emissions from meat production make up 3% of America’s total emissions, and 13% of global emissions. If you are vegan in efforts to help the environments but are also driving a pickup truck or a Jeep, you are quite hypocritical. Driving an electric car will help climate change faster than being vegan will.

 

Again, we are not discouraging vegan diets. But if you are thinking about going vegan, you should be doing it the right way and for the right reasons!