Evidence Based
Carnivore dieters and other animal food aficionados frequently claim that plants are completely unnecessary for human health and are, in fact, largely responsible for many modern diseases like obesity, arthritis, diabetes, and so on.
They’re right in that you can survive without eating plants because you can get every nutrient needed to sustain life from animal products, but they miss the mark in claiming this as evidence that their way of eating is superior to omnivorous eating.
Although you don’t need to eat plants to survive, most research shows you probably do need to eat plants to thrive—to maximize your health, longevity, and wellbeing.
The reason for this is plants contain an abundance of nutrients that are difficult to get from animal products alone.
For instance, while you can get enough vitamin C from organ meats to stave off scurvy, studies show that you’ll probably enjoy a number of health benefits from consuming more than the absolute minimum amount needed to not die, including better immunity, mood, and blood cell health.
The same thing is true of fiber and phytonutrients, which are only found in plant foods. Although you don’t technically need either of these nutrients to live, thousands of pages of research show that you’ll probably be healthier, live longer, and feel better by regularly eating fiber and phytonutrients.
For example, studies conducted by scientists at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Imperial College, the University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and Tufts University, as well as many others from universities all around the world, have shown that eating more fiber helps reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and diverticulitis, to name a few.
Research also shows that various phytonutrients offer similar benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, improved brain health and function, improved colon health, lower blood pressure, and improved blood vessel function and lower blood cholesterol.
So no, you don’t need to eat plants to survive, just like you don’t need sunlight, fresh air, sex, friendship, or soap. But unless dry humping a cardboard box in Tyler Durden’s basement is your idea of fun, you yearn for more than mere survival.
+ Scientific References
- O’Hearn, Amber. “Can a Carnivore Diet Provide All Essential Nutrients?” Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity, vol. 27, no. 5, 22 Aug. 2020, pp. 312–316, https://doi.org/10.1097/med.0000000000000576.
- Padayatty, Sebastian J., and Mark Levine. “New Insights into the Physiology and Pharmacology of Vitamin C.” CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 164, no. 3, 6 Feb. 2001, pp. 353–355, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC80729/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2020.
- Hemilä, Harri. “Vitamin c and Infections.” Nutrients, vol. 9, no. 4, 29 Mar. 2017, p. 339, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/4/339, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9040339.
- Maggini, S, et al. “Essential Role of Vitamin c and Zinc in Child Immunity and Health.” Journal of International Medical Research, vol. 38, no. 2, Apr. 2010, pp. 386–414, https://doi.org/10.1177/147323001003800203. Accessed 16 Sept. 2020.
- Levine, M., et al. “Vitamin c Pharmacokinetics in Healthy Volunteers: Evidence for a Recommended Dietary Allowance.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 93, no. 8, 16 Apr. 1996, pp. 3704–3709, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8623000/, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.8.3704.
- Teucher, Birgit, et al. “Enhancers of Iron Absorption: Ascorbic Acid and Other Organic Acids.” International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. Internationale Zeitschrift Fur Vitamin- Und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal International de Vitaminologie et de Nutrition, vol. 74, no. 6, 2004, pp. 403–19, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15743017, https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831.74.6.403.
- Levi, Fabio, et al. “Refined and Whole Grain Cereals and the Risk of Oral, Oesophageal and Laryngeal Cancer.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 54, no. 6, 1 June 2000, pp. 487–489, https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601043. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.
- Aune, D., et al. “Dietary Fiber and Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.” Annals of Oncology, vol. 23, no. 6, June 2012, pp. 1394–1402, https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdr589. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.
- Pereira, Mark A., et al. “Dietary Fiber and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease.” Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 164, no. 4, 23 Feb. 2004, p. 370, https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.164.4.370. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.
- Rimm, Eric B. “Vegetable, Fruit, and Cereal Fiber Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease among Men.” JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 275, no. 6, 14 Feb. 1996, p. 447, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1996.03530300031036. Accessed 27 Mar. 2020.
- McKeown, N. M., et al. “Carbohydrate Nutrition, Insulin Resistance, and the Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in the Framingham Offspring Cohort.” Diabetes Care, vol. 27, no. 2, 27 Jan. 2004, pp. 538–546, care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/2/538.long, https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.27.2.538.
- Wang, Xia, et al. “Flavonoid Intake and Risk of CVD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.” British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 111, no. 1, 16 Aug. 2013, pp. 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1017/s000711451300278x. Accessed 3 Feb. 2020.
- Spencer, Jeremy P. E. “Flavonoids and Brain Health: Multiple Effects Underpinned by Common Mechanisms.” Genes & Nutrition, vol. 4, no. 4, 15 Aug. 2009, pp. 243–250, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775888/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12263-009-0136-3. Accessed 19 Aug. 2019.
- Crozier, Alan, et al. “Bioavailability of Dietary Flavonoids and Phenolic Compounds.” Molecular Aspects of Medicine, vol. 31, no. 6, Dec. 2010, pp. 446–467, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mam.2010.09.007. Accessed 29 Apr. 2020.
- Perez-Vizcaino, Francisco, and Juan Duarte. “Flavonols and Cardiovascular Disease.” Molecular Aspects of Medicine, vol. 31, no. 6, Dec. 2010, pp. 478–494, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mam.2010.09.002. Accessed 26 Nov. 2020.
- Khalesi, Saman, et al. “Green Tea Catechins and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.” European Journal of Nutrition, vol. 53, no. 6, 27 May 2014, pp. 1299–1311, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0720-1.
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