Vegan = higher plasma protein levels = faster recovery time

[The_N]

Vegan = higher plasma protein levels = faster recovery time

[CannondaleKid]

higher plasma protein levels = faster recovery time

I'd be interested to see the science behind that.

[The_N]

@CannondaleKid
It's actually pretty straight forward. Less animal products means less inflammation which leeches away protein and calcium. If inflammation supresses protein production in the liver, then your muscles don't have as much to pull from when recovering

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegan-protein-status/

[joebartels]

interesting video

the ladies like my mane so the last comment concerns me

Hi Doctor Greger..I have been vegan for 5 years and I seem to have a significance of hair loss.

[The_N]

@joe bartels
the hair loss may or may not be related to veganism but I will be the first to admit that many vegans are simply trading in one set of health problems for another because they saw a slaughterhouse doc and decided to quit meat and start eating a bunch of soy w/o really thinking of optimal nutrition any further.

[chumley]

I think nutrition is a largely unsolved mystery of science. There are so many variables and everybody is different. What works well for one person may have a different effect on somebody else.

I know a guy who can hike R3 and eat nothing more than an apple. I also know a guy who can't hike more than a couple hours without a box of peeps.

I am personally incapable of descending a mountain without a beer in me! I'm not so sure that nutrition science can explain any of it.

[The_N]

@chumley
That's exactly it, everyone is different, and it's not about what you eat/put in your body, it's about what is actually absorbed. You certainly don't need science to tell you that the apple is a better choice than the box of peeps

[CannondaleKid]

It's actually pretty straight forward. Less animal products means less inflammation which leeches away protein and calcium. If inflammation supresses protein production in the liver, then your muscles don't have as much to pull from when recovering
nutritionfacts.org/ ... tus/

Sorry, but I wouldn't put all my legumes in one basket based on a Vegan-slanted web-site.

To be clear, I'm not discounting the theory just because it's on a Vegan web-site. But from research I've done into this I've found numerous sites/forums/blogs parroting the same thing yet none offered any research to back up the claim.

Like many other fields, I believe (as does Tracey, who is a Dietetic Technician) that the science of nutrition is almost as evidence-based as phrenology.


But as others stated, I too believe each and every one of us reacts differently to various types of diets. I personally have found some foods that act like poisons to me that others have no trouble with.

[CannondaleKid]

I know a guy who can hike R3 and eat nothing more than an apple. I also know a guy who can't hike more than a couple hours without a box of peeps.

Hmmm, methinks JJ may be a candidate for both of those scenarios. ;)

[Tough_Boots]

Like many other fields, I believe (as does Tracey, who is a Dietetic Technician) that the science of nutrition is almost as evidence-based as phrenology.

isn't that generally the opinion that dieticians have about nutrition, though? Its kind of a petty industry thing that often confuses others because they don't understand the difference between dietetics and nutrition. I think that the explanation given by The N is dietetics and everyone else is confusing it with nutrition. I have a dietician friend (long-term vegan, by the way) who would flip out about this conversation.

I'm fully expecting a trademark massive response from CannondaleKid complete with soapbox ending. ;)

[chumley]

Dietetics? By L Ron Hubbard? Does that make it nutritionology?

[The_N]

@CannondaleKid
Fair enough, it's common knowledge now that animal proteins cause inflammation though. That inflammation then leaves you open to every syndrome in the book. When a cooked piece of animal protein (1/2 of which was destroyed by the cooking process) hits your gut it is treated as a foreign invader which triggers a 'false alarm' response by immune system which then triggers inflammatory response. This makes it more difficult for the food to absorb and function at a cellular level where it needs to work. When the food cant function in the cells, the cells can become deficient and/or toxic which leads to deficiency and toxicity of the whole body making the body less able to function optimally. Science is good for studying new pharmaceutical poisons and getting them approved, not so good for studying epidemiologic nutrition unfortunately.

[CannondaleKid]

I'm fully expecting a trademark massive response from CannondaleKid complete with soapbox ending.

I'm too busy packing to make it a massive response so this will have to do.

Less than two days and we'll be on a flight to Tanzania where as a matter of fact, one of the things we'll be doing is providing basic nutritional information to the people in a remote village. Information that is sorely lacking as over 40% of the children in Tanzania are stunted from lack of proper nutrition. A lack that isn't simply from lack of food, but lack of the proper foods. (Sadly, candy and soda are now part of their diet.)

One of the basic things will be to encourage them to eat the fruit that is plentiful... many don't eat fruit because it is animal food. Go figure...

[SpiderLegs]

I am in agreement that we all need to eat more veggies. But just like we all know a guy who can do a R2R2R fueled on soda and candy, there will always be the one vegan who can do it too. There are some people that can kick butt eating anything they choose. Look at the Tour de France, it's all about recovery. Not a single vegan has ever finished the race. A few have tried, but had to start adding fish or meat to their diet at some point in the race.

Stay away from "diet cults", nothing worse than a fervent missionary for veganism, paleo, Atkins, Zone or other diets out there. We would better served telling people to quit drinking soda, avoid fast food, eat real food and drinking lots of water. Personally I do better on a Mediterranean style diet. Lots of fruits, veggies, meat is a side dish and allows for a drink or three every day.

[trekkin_gecko]

bacon
tater tots
slurpee
coffee

[azbackpackr]

@SpiderLegs
Well said.

[chumley]

We would better served telling people to quit drinking soda, avoid fast food, eat real food and drinking lots of water.

I believe this is currently being tried. If you'd like to see how it's being received, you can spend an entertaining afternoon reading tweets and looking at the associated images posted with the hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama on the twitter.

[The_Dude]

@CannondaleKid
I just have to give a big thumbs up for the random phrenology reference.

P.S. I am a vegetarian that has a real love affair with milk and cheese keeping me from going vegan. Hiking and exercize have done way more to my overall health than diet ever has. I have trended away from the sodas and fast food, but I do have a soft spot in the heart for Ice cream and cookies...

[Tough_Boots]

@The Dude

same here. I've been vegetarian for almost 15 years. It was always discipline in the past that kept me from going vegan. Now I'm just pretty set in my ways so for me going vegan has just about the same likelihood as does eating meat again-- which is about zilch. I can't imagine ever wanting to do either. Though I do have total respect for vegan athletes because of their dedication and understanding of what goes into their bodies. When I was running a lot and cycling more, I did need to supplement with whey protein. I know there are vegan options for protein but then again-- that's the dedication part I lack.


The vegan lifestyle is worth a look into. Yes-- no vegan has completed the Tour de France yet but only one has tried (to my knowledge). I imagine it won't be long until vegans are competing successfully. There are plenty of vegan triathletes now and we're just beginning to have widespread literature out there for vegan endurance athletes thanks to people like Brendan Brazier.

[chumley]

Just gonna say that the Tour de France might not be the best example for any argument. Until they establish that anybody has ever participated in the race without the assistance of drugs, steroids, blood doping, or other nefarious means I don't think their actual diet can be taken into account.

Also Hitler was vegan.
Yay Godwin! ;)