Carnivore Diet: Plants Fight Back

The carnivore diet is a highly restrictive diet that eliminates all food groups except animal products. It is purported to help with weight loss, muscle building, and living a healthy lifestyle. However, this diet is not without its drawbacks. Consuming only animal products means that the diet is high in saturated fat, which is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. It also lacks dietary fibre, which can lead to constipation and other digestive issues. Vitamins and mineral deficiencies are also likely, as plant-based foods are rich sources of vitamins A, C, and B12.

On the other hand, plants have evolved various defence mechanisms to protect themselves from being eaten by animals. Plants cannot run away from their attackers, so they have developed physical and chemical defences. Thorns on roses and spikes on trees are examples of physical defences, while caffeine in coffee beans and glucosinolates in mustard seeds are examples of chemical defences. These defences can make plants taste bad or even be toxic to herbivores.

Thus, the carnivore diet, which excludes plant-based foods, can be detrimental to one's health due to the lack of essential nutrients and an excess of saturated fat. At the same time, plants have their own ways of defending themselves against being consumed, making the argument for including them in one's diet even stronger.

Plants have evolved to be eaten by animals, including humans

Humans have also selectively bred plants to be more palatable and nutritious. Ancient tomatoes, for example, were the size of berries, and potatoes were no bigger than peanuts. Corn was a wild grass with small, tooth-cracking kernels. Cucumbers were spiny, and lettuce was bitter and prickly. Peas were so starchy and unpalatable that they had to be roasted and peeled before eating. Carrots were white and scrawny, and beans were laced with cyanide. Through selective breeding, humans have made these and many other plants more edible and nutritious.

Plants have also evolved to be eaten by animals as a defence mechanism. Since plants cannot run or bite to defend themselves, they have developed toxins to ward off predators. These toxins can cause death within minutes or have slower, less pronounced effects, mainly due to years of selective breeding. While these toxins are often not potent enough to kill a human, they can still cause long-term health problems when consumed regularly, especially in the context of a dysfunctional digestive system.

Some proponents of the carnivore diet argue that plants are harmful to humans and should be avoided. They claim that plants contain toxic chemicals and anti-nutrients that can cause various health problems. However, there is little scientific evidence to support these claims. In fact, there is no single ancestral human diet, and humans have evolved to be omnivores, eating both meat and vegetables. While it is true that some plants contain toxins, humans have evolved to identify and avoid poisonous plants, and modern agriculture has allowed us to cultivate and consume a wide variety of nutritious and safe plants.

Cooking and processing plants can remove toxins

Plants have evolved to produce a variety of toxins as a defence mechanism against predators. These toxins can be harmful to humans, but cooking and processing plants can remove them.

For example, cassava, a staple crop for hundreds of millions of people, contains high levels of hydrogen cyanide, which is toxic to humans. Soaking cassava roots in water and cooking at high temperatures can reduce the levels of this toxin.

Another example is kidney beans, which contain high concentrations of toxins called lectins. As few as four or five raw beans can cause severe stomachaches, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Lectins are destroyed when dried beans are soaked for at least 12 hours and then boiled vigorously for at least 10 minutes. Tinned kidney beans have already been through this process, so they can be consumed without further treatment.

Similarly, toxins called solanines and chaconine are found in all solanaceous plants, including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. These toxins are produced in response to stressors like bruising and UV light. While levels are generally low, higher concentrations can be found in potato sprouts and bitter-tasting peels and green parts, as well as in green tomatoes. To reduce the production of these toxins, it is recommended to store potatoes in a dark, cool, and dry place and avoid eating green or sprouting parts.

Cooking and processing plants can also reduce the levels of toxins called glucosinolates, which are found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, and microwaving have been shown to significantly reduce the levels of glucosinolates in these vegetables.

In addition, the toxin-producing potential of cyanogenic glycosides, which are present in plants such as cassava, sorghum, stone fruits, bamboo roots, and almonds, can be reduced through cooking and processing. These toxins can cause acute cyanide intoxication, leading to rapid respiration, a drop in blood pressure, dizziness, headache, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhoea, mental confusion, and even death.

Overall, cooking and processing plants can effectively remove or reduce the levels of various toxins, making them safer for human consumption.

Plants contain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients

Vitamins A, C, E, and B vitamins are all found in plants and offer a range of health benefits. For example, vitamin A supports eye health and immune function, while vitamin C aids in growth and development.

Minerals are also abundant in plants, with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium being the most crucial for plant growth and development. These minerals support leaf formation, flower growth, nutrient uptake, and metabolism in plants. Additionally, plants contain smaller amounts of sulfur, magnesium, calcium, and trace amounts of zinc, copper, and manganese, all of which contribute to their overall health and functioning.

Phytonutrients are natural chemicals produced by plants to protect themselves from insects and the sun. They possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, offering potential health benefits to humans. Carotenoids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, and phytoestrogens are some of the most common phytonutrients found in plants. Carotenoids, for instance, are responsible for the bright colours of fruits and vegetables and have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and improved eye health. Flavonoids, on the other hand, are known for their antioxidant and anticancer properties, contributing to healthy cell communication and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

While some proponents of the carnivore diet argue that plants contain toxins and anti-nutrients that are harmful to humans, it is important to recognise the wealth of scientific evidence highlighting the nutritional benefits of plant-based diets. Vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients found in plants offer protection and support for the human body and are essential for maintaining overall health and well-being.

Medication is often derived from plants

Plants have long been used as traditional remedies, and their many health benefits are now being used to fight some of the world's biggest killers, such as heart disease and cancer. Today, around 11% of the drugs considered 'basic' and 'essential' by the World Health Organisation are derived from flowering plants, and there are many more from those without flowers.

For thousands of years, plants and plant extracts have been used as medicines. Ancient civilisations created concoctions of seeds, herbs, leaves, fruit and bark to treat a wide variety of illnesses. The ancient Egyptians, for example, recommended heated herbs for asthma, mint and sandalwood to aid healthy digestion, and juniper for chest pains. They also advocated the use of aloe vera, which is still applied to burns and ulcers, and honey, which is valued for its natural antibacterial properties.

Medicinal herbs, leaves and roots are used to prevent and treat common ailments from colds and anxiety to nausea and skin ailments. Chamomile can make us feel soothed and relaxed, while ginger can boost digestion and echinacea is thought to support the immune system.

The humble aspirin, for example, is a modern miracle medicine and one of the most widely used drugs in the world. It's extracted from the bark of the willow tree, which was recommended for the treatment of aches and pains by the ancient Egyptians. People used to chew twigs to alleviate pain and it's still possible to buy willow bark for this purpose. However, most people take over-the-counter aspirin pills in which the active ingredient, salicylic acid, has been replicated synthetically. Aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and even be beneficial in the fight against cancer.

Morphine, a strong painkiller commonly prescribed after surgery or for broken bones, is an extract of the opium poppy that is now synthesised in labs. Opium (morphine) was first isolated from poppies by pharmacist Friedrich Serturner in the early nineteenth century, before pharmaceutical chemistry was recognised as a science. Heroin, another derivative of the opium poppy, was also first synthesised for medical use before its potent addictive properties were recognised.

When it comes to treating cancer and its symptoms, the natural world has given us dozens of helpful ingredients that could help save millions of lives. Childhood leukaemia is treated with drugs derived from the Madagascar periwinkle, a decorative herb native to the island of Madagascar. The Indigenous People of the island traditionally use the plant to treat diabetes. When western researchers were investigating its chemical properties in the 1950s, they realised that extracts from the plant contained chemicals with anti-cancer properties. This discovery has given us two closely related drugs, vincristine and vinblastine, which can kill cells that are rapidly dividing, like cancer cells.

Plants are an abundant source of potential new medicines and often serve as chemical templates for the design of novel drugs to treat humanity's most serious ailments. We're finding new candidate plants all the time. Researchers then spend months and years isolating their active ingredients and reproducing them in a lab.

The carnivore diet is extremely restrictive and likely unhealthy in the long term

The carnivore diet is not backed by scientific research. No controlled studies have analysed the effects of the diet, and the few studies that do exist have raised concerns about their methodology and accuracy. The diet is also unnecessarily restrictive, difficult to follow, and does not offer much variety.

The carnivore diet is high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and may lead to excessive sodium intake, which is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other negative health outcomes. The diet also eliminates highly nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, which contain beneficial vitamins, minerals, fibre, and plant compounds such as antioxidants.

The complete elimination of carbs is not recommended or necessary for diabetes management, and a balanced diet that includes wholesome, high-fibre carbs is preferred. The carnivore diet may also be problematic for certain populations, such as those with chronic kidney disease or those who are sensitive to cholesterol.

Overall, the carnivore diet is unnecessarily restrictive and is likely unhealthy in the long term. A balanced diet with a variety of healthy foods is more sustainable and will likely provide more health benefits.

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