Tag: Meat vs plants

According to a 2023 study published in *Nature Food*, diets rich in plant-based foods can result in up to 75% less greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution than meat-rich diets. This growing body of evidence has sparked a global debate: is plant food truly superior to meat?

The food industry accounts for a significant portion of the world's total energy consumption, with estimates pointing to a figure of up to 30%. This intensive energy use is not uniform across all products, leading many to question: which food requires the most energy to produce?

According to a 2022 review, meat provides a disproportionately higher percentage of key vitamins and minerals to the global diet compared to its overall mass. This raises a key question: is meat high in micronutrients, and if so, how does this affect a balanced diet?

According to a 2023 review in *Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases*, following a vegetarian diet may provide health benefits, but an unhealthy vegetarian diet can also increase morbidity. This finding highlights that the debate of whether are non-vegetarians healthier is far more complex than it appears.

For approximately 99% of human history, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, but modern research indicates there was no single "original diet of humans". The diet was, in fact, highly adaptable and varied immensely based on geography, climate, and the availability of local food sources. This debunks the common misconception that early humans ate a uniform, meat-heavy diet.

According to a 2022 study published in *News24*, the global demand for meat has more than tripled in the last 50 years, but ongoing research continues to highlight the health benefits of plant-based diets. Navigating the debate of what is more healthy, meat or plants, involves understanding the unique nutritional contributions and potential drawbacks of both dietary choices.

According to a 2023 Yale study, vegan diets generate 75% less heat-trapping gas and water pollution than meat-rich diets. This compelling statistic is just one of many reasons why a plant-based diet is better than meat for both human and planetary health.

According to a 2017 study published in *JAMA*, consuming just 3% less animal protein and replacing it with plant protein was associated with up to a 19% lower risk of death from any cause. The question of what is healthier, meat or plants, is not a simple one, as both offer unique nutritional benefits and potential downsides, with the answer often depending on the overall quality and balance of one's diet.

Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that the human body lacks the necessary enzymes to break down cellulose, the primary component of grass. This fact provides a clear answer to the question: **What is easier to digest, meat or grass?** The answer for humans is undeniably meat, due to our unique physiological makeup and digestive capabilities.