When it comes to nutrition, and especially
when it comes to vegan nutrition, we tend
to focus on what we’re not getting enough
of, and the dire consequences of nutritional
deficiencies. What about our protein? Iron?
Zinc? B12? Omegas? And on and on. And while
these concerns are important, the truth is,
at least in America, it’s not what you’re
not getting enough of that will kill you,
but what you’re getting too much of.
Hi it’s Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome
to another vegan nugget. If you’re not familiar
with my channel, you may not know that I have
an entire series covering all the nutritients
of greatest concern to new vegans with the
incredibly knowledgeable Dr. Michael Greger
of Nutritionfacts.org, which is linked up
there and down below.
While I had the pleasure of talking to Dr.
Greger for that series, we branched off into
some other topics. One of which is the state
of the field of nutrition and how Dr. Greger
believes it's focus is completely off. I wanted
to share with you his fascinating look at
the real nutritional dangers for which we
seem to have a collective blind spot.
There's all sorts of ways your
body makes sure you get enough of stuff, right...maybe?
Look, there wasn’t even a nutrition of science for the first couple millions years of our existence, right?. Our bodies
had to figure it out on their own. The whole
field of nutrition was based…the foundation
of nutrition, based, you know...back the first part
of the twentieth century on deficiency diseases.
We discovered scurvy. We discovered beriberi, and pellagra.
So the whole mindset of nutrition is..."are we a deficiency
disease", “are we not getting enough,”
right? But, I mean, when's the last time a friend
of yours was diagnosed with pellagra or beriberi, or some of these actual...or scurvy. These deficiency diseases.
Okay now, have you ever heard of anyone diagnosed with
the overnutrition symptom like heart disease or diabetes,
or high blood pressure, or...I mean
these are diseases of not under consumption - of over consumption. Cause overconsumption
of saturated fat and cholesterol, and sodium,
etc. So, but still the field of nutrition is in
this kind of deficiency mindset making sure everybody
gets enough. Whereas people are dying by the
millions, not...at least in the developed world.
Not by what they’re not getting enough of
but what they are getting way too much of. So, that's why...
...there really needs to be this change in thinking.
The whole field of dietetics towards let's
make sure you're not getting enough. And there's
something we really, you know, are concerned about, I mean,
there are a few nutrients that ninety seven
percent of Americans don’t get enough of:
Fiber! 3% of Americans get enough fiber. 98%
of Americans don’t reach the minimum for
potassium right? Where is potassium found?
Greens, beans okay. So, I mean,
you want a deficiency disease? That’s what
you should be going after but most of the
diseases are caused by getting too much of
the bad stuff. And so, that's really where we
need to think. I mean, that's what people are going
to die of. That’s what your family is going to die of.
And of course I’m happy to talk
and assuage fears about not getting enough
of these various, you know, wacky things. But
you should kind of have faith that your body kind of
figured it out, and that if we eat a variety
of whole healthy plant foods, we should be
fine unless our diets are just packed with
empty calories junk where we’re getting
enough calories to walk around every day,
because we are eating candy bars, but we’re
just not eating enough food. Well, then okay you
can run into, you know, deficiencies. But other than
that you know, other than the B12 issue, I think you
should be comfortable, you're getting
enough, and the most important thing is that
you’re not getting too much of the nutrients
of concern that are killing people.
I hope you enjoyed this bonus with Dr. Greger.
What are your thoughts on our collective focus
on deficiencies while we’re dying of excess?
Do you feel the field of dietetics needs a
makeover? I’d love to hear your thoughts
in the comments! And for any deficiency questions
you have, be sure to check out my nutrition
series with Dr. Greger,
again linked below, and in the sidebar.
If you enjoyed this video, please give it
a thumbs up and share it around to help inform
others. If you’re new here be sure to hit that
big red subscribe button down there for more
awesome vegan content every Monday, Wednesday,
and some Fridays. If you want to help support
Bite Size Vegan, check out either of the support
links in the video description below, and for
perks & rewards for your support, click on
the Nugget Army icon or the link in the sidebar.
Now go live vegan, change your focus, and
I’ll see you soon.
You’re vegan?
Where do you get your...
Omega 3s?
Protein?
Calcium?
Protein?
Iodine?
Protein?
Magnesium?
Protein.
Iron?
Protein?
Zinc?
Vitamin D?
Protein.
B12?
Protein.
Protein?!
Let's...ask a doctor.
Protein..