What Is the Healthiest Diet?

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM · October 21, 2016 · Volume 32

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What is the baggage that comes along with the nutrients in your food?

Discuss

Transcript

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Bob and Sally are confused. They want to eat healthy, but there’s so much confusing information out there.

Which diet is really the best one? Yes, there’s calcium in cheese, protein in pork, and iron in beef. But, what about all the baggage that comes along with these nutrients—the dose of dairy hormones, the lard, the saturated fat?

As much as Burger King proclaims you can “Have It Your Way,” you can’t go up to the counter and ask for a burger, hold the saturated fat and cholesterol. Food is a package deal. Dairy is the #1 source of calcium in the United States—but it’s also the #1 source of saturated fat.

But what kind of baggage do you get along with the calcium in dark green leafy vegetables? Fiber, folate, iron, antioxidants—some of the very nutrients lacking in milk.

Plant foods average 64 times more antioxidants than animal foods. By getting most of your nutrition from whole plant foods, you get more of a bonus, instead of baggage.

When the National Pork Board promotes ham as an “excellent source of protein,” I can’t help but think of the famous quote from a McDonald’s senior vice president for marketing who, under oath in a court of law, described Coca-Cola as nutritious because it is “providing water.”

Research shows that a plant-based diet can help you lose weight, can be used to prevent and treat diabetes and heart disease, lower blood pressure, and can help you live longer. It looks like Grandma was right when she said, “Eat your veggies.”

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Sources

Acknowledgements

David Greenberg of WiseStreet.com came up with the whole concept, and took it all the way through to completion—we’re so blessed to have such great supporters!

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Bob and Sally are confused. They want to eat healthy, but there’s so much confusing information out there.

Which diet is really the best one? Yes, there’s calcium in cheese, protein in pork, and iron in beef. But, what about all the baggage that comes along with these nutrients—the dose of dairy hormones, the lard, the saturated fat?

As much as Burger King proclaims you can “Have It Your Way,” you can’t go up to the counter and ask for a burger, hold the saturated fat and cholesterol. Food is a package deal. Dairy is the #1 source of calcium in the United States—but it’s also the #1 source of saturated fat.

But what kind of baggage do you get along with the calcium in dark green leafy vegetables? Fiber, folate, iron, antioxidants—some of the very nutrients lacking in milk.

Plant foods average 64 times more antioxidants than animal foods. By getting most of your nutrition from whole plant foods, you get more of a bonus, instead of baggage.

When the National Pork Board promotes ham as an “excellent source of protein,” I can’t help but think of the famous quote from a McDonald’s senior vice president for marketing who, under oath in a court of law, described Coca-Cola as nutritious because it is “providing water.”

Research shows that a plant-based diet can help you lose weight, can be used to prevent and treat diabetes and heart disease, lower blood pressure, and can help you live longer. It looks like Grandma was right when she said, “Eat your veggies.”

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

David Greenberg of WiseStreet.com came up with the whole concept, and took it all the way through to completion—we’re so blessed to have such great supporters!

Doctor's Note

You can download the Plant Based Diet booklet featured in the video here.

Here I go again, trying to mix things up. This one is thanks to David Greenberg, owner of WiseStreet.com, who graciously donated his team’s time, energy, and resources to create this animation. Please let me know what you think. I’m trying to think of ways to get away from the straight study/quote/study/quote tedium of most of my videos. Yes, it’s a great way to present the primary scientific literature for those who already know the basics, but I also want to try to appeal to those new to the concept of healthier eating. This was going to be the final video of this experimental 11-part series, but an animated summary of How Not to Die was just created, so I’ll be putting that up to wrap out a dozen. Check out the other 10 if you want a good overview—in hopes you’ll get hooked on the science!

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