The segment, which referenced data from documentary What the Health, saw Dr. Robert Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist who advocates for low-carb diets, go head-to-head with Dr. Garth Davis, a bariatric surgeon and physician.

They discuss whether plant-based diets are healthier than animal products, whether meat is really killing us, and if industry-funded studies are just muddying the waters of medical research.

With this exclusive re-upload, watch see these doctors thrash out their arguments.

The post WATCH: Could This Be The Best Nutrition Debate Of All Time? appeared first on Plant Based News.

2021 started with a bang, with a dizzying nearly half a million people signing up for Veganuary. 

Throughout the year, plant-based meat companies forged partnerships with the biggest names in the food industry, like McDonald’s, Subway, and Dominos, to name a few. 

A host of high-profile names spoke out about animal exploitation, including Grammy Award-winner Billie Eilish and Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who are both vegan.

Corporations shelled out millions of dollars to place behind alternative protein start-ups, and communities around the globe rallied together to help protect the planet from the climate emergency. 

Klaus Mitchell, director of the PBN annual film series and founder of PBN, said the new short film arrived at just the right time. 

He explained: “More people than ever are paying attention to the vegan movement, and VEGAN 2021 highlights why.

“This short film sheds light on the growing awareness of plant-based living, and why picking up the lifestyle is easier, simpler, and more important than ever before.”

Check out Plant Based News’ YouTube channel for more videos like this.

The post WATCH: PBN’s Annual Short Film ‘Vegan 2021’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

Abel has been vegan for four years since making the switch for ethical reasons. A Londoner of Moroccan-English descent, Abel has worked with some of the biggest names in the dance music industry such as Wookie, Gorgon City, Kaytranada, Don Diablo, and Kygo. 

He has become well known for his style which infuses soul, funk, and pop influences. But Abel is perhaps better known in the vegan community for his song Vegan, which imagines a romantic scenario with a comedic twist. 

Why Zak Abel went vegan

“She said she was vegan, vegan, vegan, just to get with me”

Abel has made it publicly known that becoming vegan was one of the best decisions he has ever made. 

What began as an intellectual debate between friends ultimately changed his life. He explains that once confronted with the ethical arguments against meat and dairy consumption, he no longer saw the logic in continuing to eat animal products. 

His sense of integrity and remaining true to his beliefs is ultimately what pushed him to follow through with the decision to go vegan.

It’s turning to veganism that has allowed him to live his most authentic life. And that’s because he knows he isn’t harming any animals in the process, he says.

Toxic masculinity in veganism

However, he explains, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding that choice.

“Trying to figure out my place in the world and my place as a man in the world really got me thinking. Over the past few years there’s been a lot of discussion on gender especially online and it’s made me think. 

“It’s been really amazing to have a different perspective challenging the world’s perspective and the way society has existed for so long.”

In his latest single Less of a Man, Abel tackles the topic of toxic masculinity head on. 

As outlined on this episode of The PBN Podcast, Abel discusses how being raised by a single mother has instilled empathy in him. Further, it’s influenced his views on masculinity. 

Despite what society conditions us to think about gender and masculinity, Abel hopes to drive positive change by speaking up about empathy, emotions, and mental health through his music.

The post Zak Abel: Why Being Vegan Doesn’t Make You Less Of A Man appeared first on Plant Based News.

She has also had a glowing acting career, in-between encouraging thousands to go plant-based. Passionate about family, animals, and the climate, Maggie details her vegan journey on the Plant Based News Podcast.

She spoke about social justice, systemic racism in the vegan community, and the importance of educating people about a healthy lifestyle.

Maggie on the PBN Podcast

The episode delves into the following topics:

• 00:03:05 Discovering vegetarian and vegan lifestyles
• 00:06:25 Should we tell children where their food comes from?
• 00:09:08 The challenges of eating healthily in the US
• 00:19:32 Childhood and adolescent interests and ambitions
• 00:24:36 Raising children vegetarian
• 00:28:49 Carnism vs. veganism
• 00:32:32 Billie and Finneas embracing the importance of veganism
• 00:37:58 The US Election
• 00:43:02 Donald Trump, misinformation and conspiracy theories
• 00:48:00 The harmful effects of social media
• 00:50:15 Tips for a happy marriage and a balanced family
• 00:53:22 Finding calm within the pressures and distractions of work and social media
• 00:59:08 Acting achievements
• 01:05:58 Support + Feed
• 01:09:57 The importance for white vegans to be vocal about systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter movement
• 01:13:43 VAAO / They’re Trying To Kill Us
• 01:17:39 Stranded on a desert island

‘Deep personal beliefs’

It is Maggie’s strong beliefs that keep her motivated. Meat is an ‘inedible substance’ for her.

She added: “That comes from a belief. If you do something from a belief that is not strictly related to health – because we are going to be less caring about our health than we are the belief of not being cruel – and, destroying the planet and causing agony and pain and suffering.

“That is pretty easy for me to follow through with. So I don’t find it hard… I have deep personal beliefs about the suffering of animals.”

Maggie Baird’s plant-based story

For Maggie, animals have always been close to her heart. She grew up in Colorado, Denver, and is the daughter of a hunter and fisherman. Processed foods were new and exciting during her childhood, but education around health was scarce, she explains.

However, she remembers never wanting to eat meat. Her parents were concerned for her health since being ‘indoctrinated’ by information spread by the meat and dairy industry.

‘I was apologetic’ about being a vegetarian, she says, ‘it was a fringe thing’, ‘we were seen as annoying’.

Since then, she’s been vegan for over a decade and has gradually introduced a plant-based diet to her family as well. She raised both her children, Finneas and Billie, vegetarian. The pair are now vegan.

Listen to the full podcast episode below

Health

Maggie also shared her family’s experiences of improved health since ditching meat and dairy. With cholesterol problems in her genetics, she says she has to ‘practically not eat’ to secure low levels. A lifelong ‘nightmare’ health problem of her husband Patrick was cured when he gave up dairy. And Billie’s health improved too.

“Isn’t that scary that my parents didn’t know that about themselves? They were eating dairy.”

“It’s such common sense that the thing you put in your body every day all day long is going to have the biggest impact on your health. You eat food all day and yet doctors don’t prescribe that as the thing you should be looking at.”

However, Maggie thinks nutritional education among doctors and in society as a whole needs to be improved.

‘Systemic’ racism and privelege

Online, Maggie is outspoken about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I was quite shocked, I was naive. I did not realize that there was a part of the vegan world that was not aware of systemic racism and not involved. You cannot separate food insecurity from systemic racism. You can’t separate the climate crisis from systemic racism.

“It is intersectional and it is really important that people start to acknowledge that and speak out about it. People of color, BIPOC communities are vastly over affected by all of these issues and there is white privilege in being vegan. And we do have to acknowledge that.”

Access to fresh produce is one example of why being vegan for some communities is difficult, she explained.

“I think we have a tremendous racism problem in our country. And it’s deeply embedded in our society. People don’t want to be uncomfortable and it’s horrifying to think about the society we’ve participated in. If we don’t acknowledge our own privilege and address the inequities in our society we can’t ever really make ultimate change.”

Support + Feed

Whilst on tour with Billie, the family enjoyed vegan food from a variety of restaurants before it was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon returning home, Maggie felt concerned for both small-scale plant-based businesses as well as people in poverty.

‘I thought, why don’t we just find a way to get food from these plant-based restaurants, and then people could donate and we could take it to people who need the food’, she said.

Within five days, the website was set up and within a week they began delivering food. Support + Feed now stretches over four cities.

She said: “The basic premise was we’d feed people facing food insecurity through plant-based restaurants, helping to keep those restaurants open and addressing the climate crisis. What we realized as we grew is that of course food insecurity… is a horrendous issue in this country.”

This includes a lack of access to healthy food, she added, across BIPOC communities in particular.

The charity has fed over 60,000 people already and has helped look after the small businesses and their employees.

Acting career and inspiring Billie and Finneas

In addition to inspiring her family and building networks of support across the US, Maggie has had a glowing acting career. Moreover, she co-wrote and co-produced an award-winning movie, Life Inside Out. It was ‘a labor of love’ but a high point of her career. And she starred on screen with her son, Finneas. 

‘I wanted to give them an example that you could make something happen’, she said. Being an actor is determined by others, but she wanted to prove to her children that they could tell their own stories.

For more information about Support + Feed, visit the website 

You can listen to the full podcast episode here

The post ‘You Cannot Separate Food Insecurity From Systemic Racism’, Says Maggie Baird appeared first on Plant Based News.

The project is run by the animal protection charity Mercy For Animals and helps farmers transition to growing plant-based crops. Thus, revolutionizing the current system which, he says ‘exploits anything in its path’.

Rashmit discusses growing up in India, where the dairy industry is still dominated by small farmers. Attitudes towards farmers need to change – and it’s all tied up in privilege, he explains.

What is TransFARMation?

TransFARMation is a project which aids farmers and helps switch the supply chain: ‘Supply follows demand’, says Rashmit.

On the podcast, he explained how three farmers were in the process of switching to farming hemp and mushrooms. This can be achieved over time. One farmer has converted one of his multiple barns previously used to house chickens, into a mushroom farm whilst he learns the basics.

TransFARMation aspires to ‘create a ripple effect and pull all these other farmers to go out and transition for themselves’. The company helps with grant applications and sets farmers up with buyers.

Rashmit explains: “The sentiment of wanting to get out of animal farming is prevalent beyond what you would think. A lot of farmers have realised the hole they have dug themselves into, unfortunately – and want to get out but don’t really know how.”

Since the podcast was released, two more farmers have signed up.

In a statement sent to Plant Based News, Rashmit said: “The transitions are going well, but it’s important to keep in mind that transFARMing is a time-consuming process that is affected by a lot of different variables.

“It’s also impacted by our capacity and bandwidth, which is limited right now.”

‘The controllers of the system will do anything to satisfy their bottom line’

Rashmit is angry at the food system which he says abuses farmers as well as the environment. He said: “It basically exploits everything in its path in order to achieve that triple bottom line.”

It’s a system that traps farmers into contracts. In the US, a ‘tournament system’ is used which is used to ‘pit farmers against each other’. This leads to vast wage disparities, and it functions on maximizing the ratio between the weight of a chicken and how much feed was used.

“The top four percent of US farms, they account for about 74 percent of US farm sales – whilst the bottom 76 percent of farms make a mere three percent of sales, something like that. So, there’s a huge disparity between what the larger operators control compared to what the smaller contract farms are doing.”

Rashmit highlighted the ‘extremely shocking’ conditions meatpacker workers across the US have faced since the outbreak of COVID-19.

“The controllers of the system will do anything to satisfy their bottom line, which is essentially just profits”, he said.

For Rashmit, privilege is a key part of the conversation: “Being ethical is about being conscientious towards other human beings.”

What does it cost farmers to switch?

So how do farmers escape the system?

The going price for CBD and hemp products is fairly high, says Rashmit. But the profitability depends on their scale of production. TransFARMation’s research with hemp and mushroom industry ‘veterans’ indicates that farmers who switch to growing these plant-based crops will ‘significantly increase’ their previous income.

Rashmit explained that if a chicken farmer were to convert one barn into a Shittake mushroom house, profit predictions stretch to $80,000. It would also require less growing space.

Rashmit’s vegan journey

Growing up between Mumbai and the Middle East, Rashmit’s journey to veganism came after a childhood consuming food ‘lathered’ in butter and ghee.

His grandmother went vegetarian after visiting a wet market and watching a chicken be slaughtered. ‘I always knew this story’, he said.

“In the back of any meat eater’s head there’s this awareness that if you do see it, you know that it’s ugly and it’s not something you would do yourself. 

“We just detach ourselves from the reality of how the food we consume comes to our plate.”

India‘s surprising farming system

Ditching meat isn’t as popular in India as some people think it is, says Rashmit – with ‘around 70 percent’ of the population still eating meat. Despite that, attitudes are changing – with The Times of India heralding the benefits of a plant-based diet.

However, it is still the largest producer of cow’s milk in the world. Despite this, the factory farming model hasn’t taken off, Rashmit explains. ‘Small dairy farming is still prevalent in India’ – with ’70 million’ small dairy farmers across the country.

“About a decade ago, [dairy giant] Danon tried to enter the Indian market and establish a factory farming model but failed because it wasn’t able to compete with a small farmer who was producing milk and delivering it to a neighbor.

“I think that’s fascinating because they’ve tried for several years and they actually ended up exiting the market – it wasn’t profitable for them to stay in the country.

Whilst Rashmit believes no one should drink cow’s milk unless they ‘need’ to, he stresses that in order to change the animal agriculture system, those small farmers need to be supported.

What can consumers do to help?

With Rashmit and his transFARMing farmers leading the way, consumers can help by buying more plant-based products.

Speaking since recording the podcast, he said: “If you demand it, producers will have to figure out a way to produce it. If you demand more plant-based foods and household products – that implies an increase in the demand for plant-based ingredients. This, in turn, implies an increase in the need to increase to re for projects such as TransFARMation.”

The company has since established the TransFARMation certification program.

Similar to the Vegan Trademark, it directs consumers towards certified produce. This allows consumers to inform supermarkets they support the concept of farms transitioning from raising animals to growing plants.

Rashmit explains: “If consumers want it, supermarkets will stock it, which means they will buy from transitioning farmers, thereby ensuring that the farmers run a successful business.”

Listen to the podcast episode on Apple Podcasts or via Spotify.

Learn more about Transfarmation via the website.

The post The TransFARMation Project: From Animal Farming To Growing Plants appeared first on Plant Based News.

It has been propelled into the mainstream by the likes of Joe Rogan – who regularly promotes the diet on his podcast.

But is it healthy? And what does the science say?

What can you eat on the carnivore diet?

Firstly, it’s important to note that definitions of the carnivore diet appear to differ slightly between different sources. Some adherents rely entirely on raw meat, others cook it.

Some followers of the carnivore diet choose to include small amounts of low-lactose dairy products in their meals, as well as eggs. However, many stick to exclusively to chicken, pork, lamb, beef turkey, organ meats.

Tea, coffee, and other drinks made from plants are typically not allowed on the diet. Neither are beans, legumes, starches, fruit, or vegetables.

What do the experts say?

Leading plant-based health expert Dr. Neal Barnard regularly speaks out about the carnivore diet. In an exclusive interview with Plant Based News, he branded the diet ‘even more stupid than keto’.

Dr. Barnard made his comments about the diet with speaking to PBN Klaus Mitchell, in a quickfire-style interview format.

“Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, people came up with something even stupider [than low carb diets including Atkins and Keto],” Dr. Barnard said of the carnivore diet.

“These things won’t last, but they come up. They don’t stay popular for very long, and that’s because a low carbohydrate diet eliminates more than half of what you normally eat. 

“Carbohydrates are fruits and starchy vegetables, and starchy grains, and beans – all these things your body is designed for. They are all gone. So if you stop eating so many foods, you’re going to lose weight. But as time goes on, people can’t live with that.

“And it’s lucky they can’t live with [the restriction] because the risk of all the animal products over the long run include heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, among others.

“And they’ve been kind of sneaky with it. It used to be when they did studies on low carbohydrate diets they would more honestly describe when people had adverse reactions, like massively high cholesterol levels. Now they just report averages, so the average cholesterol only went up about 10 points.

“What actually happened was that some dropped because they were losing weight, for others they went through the roof and they’re hiding that from you.”

Is the carnivore diet safe?

Most concerns surrounding the carnivore diet are in relation to lack of vitamins it provides, particularly vitamin C.

In an online interview Cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn criticised people who ‘cling’ to the carnivore diet ‘as a panacea’.

“The big puzzle is…one of the things that plant-based eaters…get way more than anyone else is Vitamin C, which builds healthy walls, builds healthy immune systems…Vitamin C has so many benefits to the body.

“Where are these people – where every chart says meat has no Vitamin C – getting it? Are they eating raw meat that may contain it? Are they eating organ meat?”

Last year, celebrity singer James Blunt revealed he once got scurvy after adopting a carnivore diet ‘to annoy vegans’.

Scurvy, which is caused by extreme vitamin C deficiency, causes symptoms including bleeding gums, rotting teeth, and fatigue among others.

Is meat healthy?

Most health organizations advocate for low consumption of meat, particularly red meat which The World Health Organization classifies as a Group 2A carcinogen.

This means products such as pork, beef, and lamb ‘probably cause cancer’.

Moreover, the WHO says the strongest evidence for an association with eating red meat is for colorectal cancer. However, there is also evidence of links with pancreatic and prostate cancer.

Heart disease

Diets consisting solely of animal products will most likely be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Dr. Joel Kahn says excessive amounts of saturated fat ‘conclusively’ cause heart disease.

The cardiologist spoke to Plant Based News‘ Klaus Mitchell about how a new publication sheds light on the debate about dietary saturated fat and cardiovascular health.

The paper, titled Reduction in Saturated Fat Intake for Cardiovascular Disease, was published by the Cochrane Database, which is considered by many to be the most respected research group in the world.

Discussing the paper, Dr. Kahn told Mitchell: “This new super review by the Cochrane Database…looked at 16 of the best studies, 59,000 people, very detailed information about their diet. Some had high saturated fat diets by design of the study. Some had low saturated fat diets – more meat, more butter, more cheese, less meat, less butter, less cheese.

“At the end of the day, they found that within two years, we can enjoy a 21 percent reduction in our risk of heart attack, stroke, of congestive heart failure, dying of heart disease. And if we do more than the average, if we change our diet more than just average, so there’s essentially no meat, butter, cheese, turkey, and pork, we’ll see even bigger results.”

Are humans designed to eat meat?

A popular argument for the carnivore diet is that humans are designed to eat meat. However, a slew of medical professionals have debunked this claim.

Dr. Justine Butler, from Viva!, says: “Carnivores have sharp teeth and claws that help them to rip their prey apart, tearing off chunks of raw meat and ‘wolfing’ them down without the aid of a knife and fork.

“Their acidic stomachs help to digest flesh quickly and their short intestines allow the rapid expulsion of rotting meat remains. 

“Herbivores, such as rabbits, horses, and sheep, chew from side-to-side and have longer intestines to absorb nutrients. Their saliva (and ours) contains amylase, an enzyme that helps digest starchy carbohydrates found in bread, rice, and other whole grains. 

“Carnivores don’t spend as much time chewing nor do they consume many carbohydrates, so there is no need for amylase in their saliva.

“Their strong jaws can only open and shut and are incapable of moving from side to side as ours do.”

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is It Healthy? What Do The Experts Say? appeared first on Plant Based News.

Plant Based News has always strived to celebrate diversity, and during the current climate, we thought we’d showcase nine of the best podcast interviews we’ve conducted featuring vegans of color.

The PBN podcast, which is nearing its 50th episode, is currently available on Soundcloud, Spotify, and iTunes. 

1. Jay Brave

Jay is an artist and activist, he has become really well known in the vegan community with his viral hit ‘Vegan Shut-up’.

In this intimate conversation with PBN‘s Robbie Lockie, Jay Brave opened up about veganism, gender, and why he doesn’t identify with being ‘black’.

2. Dr. Sailesh Rao

Dr. Rao is the author of the book Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of Butterflies and Carbon Yoga: The Vegan Metamorphosis. He is an Executive Producer of the trilogy of documentaries “THEY Don’t Want You To See”, The Human Experiment (2013), Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014), and What The Health (2017), which explore the systemic causes of human and environmental ill health.

In this podcast, Rao discusses the future of humanity, how his organizations focus on seeing a vegan world by 2026, how we summon the courage to continue our work as advocates, how his granddaughter helped him awaken to his true mission, and much more.

3. Denai Moore

Denai is a singer-songwriter and vegan chef. Denai was born in Jamaica but moved to the UK when she was just 10 years old. Denai has also got a residency at the Jamaican restaurant Buster Mantis, in Deptford London.

She also runs her own popup vegan Jamaican vegan restaurant Dee’s Table.

4. Edric Kennedy-Macfoy

Edric Kennedy-Macfoy was born and raised in West London and worked in the London Fire Brigade for over 13 years, attending many of the capital’s most dramatic incidents during that time.

He also appeared on ITV’s ‘Inside London Fire Brigade’, which saw Edric and his colleagues respond to the Croydon tram derailment of November 2016 and the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.

5. Rachel Ama

Rachael Ama is a joyful, erudite, and inspirational person. She can be found dancing and singing along to her favorite tunes cooking up a vegan storm on Youtube!

Sharing everything she creates and finds from recipes to vegan skincare with warmth and humor – welcoming everyone, whatever their food beliefs, to give the vegan life a go – preferably with the tunes turned up loud!

6. Shanon Whittingham

Shanon Whittingham is a multifaceted Holistic Health Coach, YouTube Host, and Founder of Sincerely Shans. She is determined to take an integrative and functional approach to health and healing. Apart from overseeing her own company, Shanon is a health advocate and coach for various brands and organizations

“Ultimately, I strive to remain undisputed, genuine, and always sincere through what I do and share with others,” Whittingham said.

“As I learned more about caring for my physical, mental, and spiritual health, Sincerely Shans was created to be a platform where others can be inspired and empowered to do the same.”

7. Miyoko Schinner

Miyoko is the founder and CEO of Miyoko’s a world-class vegan creamery. Also known as the Queen of Vegan Cheese Miyoko is a trailblazer in this sector. She has been leading the way for many years.

The podcast covers subjects including how Schinner discovered the vegan lifestyle, leaving stress behind, and her attitude to life.

8. Chris Smalling

Vegan football star Chris Smalling discusses his life as a footballer, the highs and lows of the game, and some of the challenges he faces as an athlete.

In this episode he is also joined with Chef Jamie Redwood who works at the country club that Chris is a member.

9. John Lewis

If you don’t know already, John Lewis is a fitness pro, public speaker, and all-round Vegan Bad Ass.

In this podcast, Lewis discusses his upcoming documentary Hungry For Justice, racism in the vegan community, and PETA’s controversial Superbowl campaign.

“We’ve been brainwashed to think we have to eat the animal, we have to eat that fat, we’ve been told that this so-called ‘soul food’ was ours, and it wasn’t,” he states.

“And the worst thing about ‘normal’ and ‘tradition’, and I put those two words in quotes when I say that, is that it doesn’t make it right.”

You can listen to the full Plant Based News Podcast playlist here

The post 9 PBN Podcast Interviews Featuring Vegans Of Color You Should Listen To appeared first on Plant Based News.

Professional vegan athlete James Newbury, who has been crowned as Australia’s Fittest Man for four consecutive years, has blasted critics of The Game Changers for ‘chasing the dollar’.

Newbury, who came fifth place in the 2019 Crossfit Games, made the comment when discussing the film’s backlash on the Plant Based News podcast with PBN‘s Co-Founder Robbie Lockie.

‘Going against the grain’

“There are few people that would just like to create a bit of controversy just to get an extra couple of clicks on their YouTube channel or get an extra bit of exposure through the media, or whatever it may be, just through going against the grain and saying ‘look this is a complete lie’,” the athlete said.

“So [the criticism is] not surprising,” he continued. “I think a lot of people are just chasing the dollar and, you know, I think thats a big reason why we’ve been taken down the path of ‘you have to eat animal-product, you know, this is the healthy option’- because theres such an exuberant amount of money in doing that.”

Despite the backlash, Newbury argued that The Game Changers had caused more positive change than negative – adding that you will ‘always get a little bit of negative [response] no matter what you do’.

You can listen to the full podcast here

The post Australia’s Fittest Man Blasts ‘The Game Changers’ Critics For ‘Chasing The Dollar’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

Top vegan YouTuber Candice Hutchings, aka The Edgy Veg, has blasted ‘eating disorders disguised as influencer culture’.

The chef, and author of The Edgy Veg cookbook, made the comments when discussing the trend of vegan YouTubers leaving the movement in the latest episode of the Plant Based News podcast.

‘Restricted eating’

“People coming out as ‘I’m no longer vegan’ is blaming veganism itself and the vegan movement. Your health issues, for example, chances are they were not caused by your vegan lifestyle, had you been doing the lifestyle properly,” Hutchings told PBN Co-Founder Robbie Lockie.

“I find with a lot of these people it’s a lot of restricted eating it’s a lot of oil-free, sugar-free, very very restrictive – not reasonable in terms of what a balanced diet looks like – eating disorders disguised as influencer culture.”

‘Blame veganism’

She added: “And I think the easier thing to do is then blame veganism when the quote on quote ‘average normal human being’ doesn’t eat 15 bananas day. So then to turn around and say ‘veganism made me sick’ – well you didn’t give true fair veganism a chance.

“You bought into these diets that are very popular online that are really detrimental to your health and then are wondering why you got sick.”

You can listen to the PBN Podcast here

The post Eating Disorders Are ‘Disguised As Influencer Culture’ Blasts Top Vegan YouTuber appeared first on Plant Based News.

The world’s media has turned its attention to the coronavirus pandemic.

The virus is understood to have originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, it has spread globally, killing around 90,000 people at the time of writing.

But the vast majority of the coverage has failed to examine one crucial fact – the relationship between infectious diseases like the coronavirus and the way we rear and consume animals worldwide.

Coronavirus

This exclusive video, produced and presented by Plant Based News‘ Klaus Mitchell, takes a look at the history of diseases transmitted from animals to humans – and how the way animals are farmed globally creates an environment which makes infectious diseases practically inevitable.

“When any animal is confined in close proximity, with no space to roam, and under immense emotional stress, conditions are ripe for disease,” he says in the video.

“A perfect example is the Spanish flu of 1918. Here, humans were packed together in trenches, malnourished, with the constant stress of combat. Their impaired immunity is likely to have increased the rate of transmission and made the virus highly pathogenic.

“In the same way, livestock are routinely subjected to cramped, confined and unhygienic conditions. Not only does this increase the probability of transmitting a virus, it also raises the prospect of mutations.”

You can find the Plant Based News’ YouTube channel – which features this video alongside many others – here

The post WATCH: What The Media Isn’t Telling You About The Coronavirus appeared first on Plant Based News.