Source: www.bluehorizonfarm.com
Another informative post from Dr. Paul regarding plant food anti-nutrients.
In response to the question: “don’t people who eat a Zero Carb diet have nutritional deficiencies?”
All plants have natural defenses against -predation by animals. (See: Plants Bite Back. ) These include out and out lethal poisons like the ricin a quickly fatal neurotoxin in Castor Beans, lethal cardiac glycosides in Oleander and other nightshades (same family as tomato and potato) and at least 10 highly lethal poisons found in mushrooms.
There are anti-nutrients like the phytic acids found in most cereals and beans that our body can’t break down and which closely bind a large portion of the minerals you get and carry them out in your stool including iron, zinc and calcium. Protease inhibitors found in many plants block full digestion of proteins and there are very few plants that contain all of the 9 essential amino acids humans are unable to synthesize themselves and no plant contains the in a ratio as near the ratio we need them in, as meat.
Lectins and saponins are found in many plant foods and promote autoimmune diseases by damaging the gut lining. Salycilates found in large concentration in both blueberries and coconut oil, of which Aspirin (which is obtained from willow bark) is one, can lead to ulcer and other problems (see your Aspirin bottle for a list). Green leafy vegetables are full of kidney stone forming oxalates which also interfere with calcium absorption.
BOTTOM LINE – Yes, humans can survive eating plants, BUT at a price. Paleontological evidence shows that when humans switched from hunting to farming the average height decreased by 6 inches. Meat has none of the downside, previously mentioned and is complete nutrition as evidenced by the many human cultures that thrive on meat alone, like the Inuit, Masai and Siberian Reindeer people. Any extra vitamins and minerals you think you’re going to get by supplementing plants is going to be more than negated by the anti-nutrients. Meat is complete, optimal nutrition for humans.
EDITED by Dana: I found another article further strengthening our stance on plant foods not being as healthy as they are cracked up to be on Georgia Ede’s website. Here is the link.
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