Harvard Scientists Condemn Animal Protein In The Strongest Possible Terms

Going Vegan857

The health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are becoming more and more obvious. In fact, nobody can seriously argue this anymore. However, this fact gains momentum if independent and highly respected researchers also arrive at this conclusion. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly the case since a study led by researchers of Harvard Medical School found out that exchanging animal protein for plant-based protein has a significant impact not only on someone else’s health but also on one’s longevity. Read on to learn more about the research results!

“The report, which examined the health effects of different sources of protein, found that exchanging just a small amount of processed red meat for plant protein reduces the risk of early death by 34 per cent.

The Vegan Society’s spokesperson, Jimmy Pierson, said: “Here is yet another major piece of quality independent research condemning animal protein in the strongest possible terms. If you want the best chance of living a long, healthy life then meat has to be off the menu altogether.

“Plant proteins like beans, lentils, nuts, grains and seeds, on the other hand, are packed full of wide ranging benefits. They don’t just keep us healthier for longer, they are far more sustainable than meat and fish and, of course, they don’t harm animals. This is the basis of our Grow Green campaign, which encourages plant protein agriculture in the UK,” added Pierson.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital followed more than 130,000 people for 36 years, monitoring their diet, lifestyle, illness and mortality.

They found that switching between 15g and 19g of animal protein – the equivalent of a single sausage – for the likes of nuts, pulses or legumes significantly cuts the risk of early death.  Substituting plant protein for eggs also leads to a 19 per cent reduction in death risk.

The research also found a 10 per cent higher intake of meat was associated with a two per cent higher mortality rate and an eight per cent higher chance of cardiovascular death.

With at least 542,000 people in Britain now following a vegan diet – up from 150,000 in 2006 – and another 521,000 vegetarians wanting to reduce their consumption of animal products, veganism has become one of the fastest growing lifestyle choices.”

Source: vegansociety.com!

Source of research study: jamanetwork.com!

857 comments

  43. Anonymous Reply

    They also used the word “for” in this sentence: “exchanging animal protein for plant-based protein has a significant impact…”. Even though the word “for” should be “with”, given the context of the article I don’t see how anyone should be confused.

    • Beth Hardesty Reply

      I believe that what’s meant in this article is that eating plant-based INSTEAD of eggs is better for your health (not to mention the health and well being of the chickens and their chicks, of course).

  65. Alisha Rispoli Reply

    It wouldn’t matter either way. The conclusions drawn aren’t empirically sound. I’m happy to hear and I love the concept but correlation does not equal causation. Still, I don’t eat meat and don’t plan to anytime soon.

  66. David ConnorSophia Reply

    It matters to me when “Harvard scientists” are quoted. Because then it tarnishes what might be perfectly reasonable and factual.

    I just like claims like this to be backed up. Makes me feel all cosy inside when I read good science. #nerd

  68. Alisha Rispoli Reply

    I don’t doubt the stats. It’s just the inferences that are the problem. But you find that issue w the majority of statistics put out there. It’s safe to say those inclined toward veganism are likely to also live healthier lifestyles in other ways in comparison to the general population and/or the Budweiser drinking red meat eating hunting enthusiast…. And I’m not so sure they could have controlled for all those factors (although they could have so you did ask a good question).

  78. Ethaniel Reply

    I predict either a great awakening towards the enlightenment of humanity, or a whole lot more science deniers, or both.

  81. Julia Kaczan Reply

    Quinoa with orange peppers and a avacado can keep me physically going for 4 hours of hard digging. That’s the same as two egg mcmuffin for me.

  98. Tracie Renshaw Reply

    19th May 2012 7.30pm I chose Veganism as my way of living. Not long, so I can remember the poor gross abusive decisions I made to eat flesh. I love being connected to well informed Vegans sharing information which helps me to help other realize their options.
    My new fave word
    ‘Carnism’ Teds talk by Melanie I believe m, joy

  104. Jodie Glickman Kallas Reply

    The Plant Based Nutrition training I recently finished explained very clearly how damaging the protein heavy diets of the west are….especially in the US…they talked about milk and egg proteins (being the cheapest forms of animal proteins) as the leading causes of accelerated tumor growth in laboratory tests…they actually were able to control the growth and the shrinkage of tumors by adding and then omitting milk and egg proteins from animal diets. All those egg white omelets and “healthy” whey protein products are killing people. Gasoline on the fire..one cup at a time.

  113. Anonymous Reply

    Except that ppl used to think loads of things were good/bad for you until empirical research was able to prove otherwise. I suggest sticking with science!

  114. Cindy Decker Reply

    Science or instinct, its more simple than you think. Our ability to reason and the use of our thumbs has gotten us into more trouble than most care to admit, all backed by science. Good job humans.

  118. Jodie Glickman Kallas Reply

    And none of what I referenced is “made up”… It comes from the Plant Based Nutrition program offered by Cornell University. The program, created by T Colin Campbell, author of The China Study and Professor of Biochemistry at Cornell.

  120. Andria Mercurio-Smitowicz Reply

    What about the benefits for the exploited animals? What about the environmental benefits? If you have Netflix I urge you to watch the documentary Cowspiracy, it focuses on the devastating impact animal agriculture has on the planet.

  125. Jessica DeLisa Reply

    I agree. I am vegan. This article has zero credibility with me because I can not verify the claims. This is poor journalism and no where near scholarly or scientific.

  126. Aaron Wilson Reply

    Sorry Andria,, I was not trying to start a debate… Just compliment people who can live a vegan life style. Takes a ton of will power. I do not believe eating animals is exploiting them and nothing on this earth could change my mind (although I did abstain from meat for several months after reading the book “Toxin” by Robin Cook). I respect your lifestyle. It’s pretty impressive.

  132. Nat Capaldi Reply

    Sounds to me like you just ate way to much cheese. And now you’re having to replace those lost calories with something more nutritious.

  134. David ConnorSophia Reply

    Nat Capaldi Nothing about them specifically. Could say scientists from anywhere. Just that the title uses it specifically and then doesn’t back it up. If there was a paper then why not link to it?

  139. Katrina Waters Reply

    It’s not hard but that’s because I love it. While ai believe everyone could be vegan, I know they won’t be. That’s a decision. So as a vegan, I want to impress on others that if they can’t be vegan, be vegetarian. If you can’t be vegetarian, then be a carnivore but just eat significantly less meat. There is nothing wrong with admitting it isn’t for you. I commend your open mind and your honesty. I commend your politeness ☺

  147. Ken Leech Reply

    “After adjusting for major lifestyle and dietary risk factors, animal protein intake was weakly associated with higher mortality, particularly cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.08 per 10% energy increment; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16; P for trend = .04), whereas plant protein was associated with lower mortality (HR, 0.90 per 3% energy increment; 95% CI, 0.86-0.95; P for trend < .001). These associations were confined to participants with at least 1 unhealthy lifestyle factor based on smoking, heavy alcohol intake, overweight or obesity, and physical inactivity, but not evident among those without any of these risk factors."

  152. Nat Capaldi Reply

    I see the phrase all the time, I wondered why it got used so much as I never seen any other institution thrown around as if that’s instant credibility. But as you say no paper = not good enough.

    • Dimitri Frost Reply

      One should always supply source documents to articles claiming benefits of veganism imho. It really enhances the credibility of our movement. So here’s the paper this news article is based on. http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2540540
      Quote from the paper’s abstract Conclusions and Relevance: “High animal protein intake was positively associated with mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially that from processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein source.” end quote.
      Hope this helps.

  153. Vaiva Girdziunaite Reply

    U just think you can not do it, because all the commercial environment is carnivore. When I go to the supermarket the square meters of Isles that I skip is huge. But once you get used then it’s good. Also, it helps that I love cooking. So, normally I prepare my own vegan lunch. If I am to buy lunch I normally have to go for vegetarian option and eat smth that contains eggs or cheese. However even if I’m not purely vegan, I know that every little helps. I haven’t had cheese or milk or meat in my fridge for 6months and that’s smth to celebrate.

  155. Vaiva Girdziunaite Reply

    Btw, when my boyfriend made pasta bolognese just vegan way it was exploting with flavour, more than the one with meat. And a lot of other dishes I find more tasty regretting I didn’t discover those flavours earlier

  157. Jennifer Alice Reply

    ‘The health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are becoming more and more obvious. In fact, nobody can seriously argue this anymore.’

    Don’t you mean argue against this? This is so badly written, which is a shame because it’s undermines the positive message of the research.

  165. Kathy Callison Reply

    My son and daughter in law are vegan. They are very healthy and look great but it is a lot of buying fresh, cooking from scratch or growing a huge sustainable garden – which is what they do. The food they make tastes great but It is not easy to be vegan.

  173. Lisa Ryan Reply

    Do you know where these percentages came from? For example, a 300g cucumber has about 2g of protein. This is a great graphic but I need to be able to explain the information/stats to all the folks who I know are going to question it ;). I’m just wondering if there is source data so that I can review how they arrived at those numbers. Thanks!

  183. Jennifer Harris Reply

    It may be easy, but a vegan diet is expensive. Out the window goes inexpensive options like a peanut butter sandwich (because bread has milk byproducts in it). Someone pretty much has to cook from scratch using ingredients to avoid animal byproducts in food and that can get expensive real fast. No bean burritos because the tortilla shells have animal protein byproducts. I’ve done the research, a vegan diet isn’t very affordable because of everything that has to be avoided

  188. Terri Sponsler Reply

    There are lots of breads that don’t have eggs, you can have natural pb, you can buy corn tortillas which do not have animal products. And there are whole grain flour tortillas with no animal products as well.

    Eating vegan is not as expensive as eating meat.
    I have been whole food/plant based for 9 weeks and it has not been expensive.
    I eat whole grain bread, natural almond butter, whole grain pastas, potatoes, legumes, lemtils, fruits and vegetables. I don’t eat meat (expensive), dairy, or eggs and other animal by products.

    My whole family is eating healthier, and we are not spending more.

  190. Andria Mercurio-Smitowicz Reply

    Aaron Wilson, you didn’t respond as to whether you believe animal agriculture significantly harms the planet. I don’t particularly care to change your mind on animal welfare if you’ve made up that it isn’t of significance to you but it appears you’ve deliberately ignored the rest of my comment, perhaps because you have little in the way of justifications for ignoring the environmental aspects? Sorry, but your “respect” means very little to me and absolutely nothing to this dying planet. Stop placating yourself by thinking you’re doing enough by “respecting” vegans.

  192. Regan Galicia Reply

    I don’t eat meat and I comment with kindness: This article doesn’t ooze credibility and if the aim is to preach beyond the choir, future pieces have to be tight. I agree with preceding comments, please always have a links to referenced studies. Also, comparing whole plant foods to processed foods (meat or otherwise) is such a waste of nutritious arsenal!

  198. Nhu Nguyen Reply

    can’t focus on the health benefits they’re discussing in the article…focusing on how biased and badly written this article is. thanks a lot SCOM. lol

  204. קיילה גולן Reply

    Conclusions and Relevance: High animal protein intake was positively associated with mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially that from processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein source.

    The above is the conclusion of the study you posted. All I did was copy and paste.

  214. Deangelo Hayes Reply

    Tight, the last paragraph of the study was pretty blunt:

    “High animal protein intake was positively associated with mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially that from processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein source.”

    http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/mobile/article.aspx?articleid=2540540

  217. Dina Bradley Reply

    Jennifer, I spend significantly less money on groceries since going vegan. I also eat all organic now because I save so much money by not buying meat, cheese and other animal products. Kathy there are so many vegan convenience foods out there and more products coming out regularly.

  219. Lorraine Icke Reply

    I’ve been veggie for 2 years , but two weeks ago I joined a vegan plan by Kris Carr …. No going back …… Felt the best I’ve ever felt morally and health wise X

  226. Brooklin Elizabeth Reply

    Eating vegan has been awesome for my wallet! Beans, rice, potatoes, bananas… all healthy staples and super affordable! I find it a simplistic way of eating and cooking and I love that!

  228. Amy Dandro Reply

    It’s not easy having heart bypass surgery or cancer either. Weigh your options. I choose to eat healthy even though it is tough sometimes.

  230. Lana Seifert Reply

    Well depends who you ask…nothing is wrong with animal protein. I believe in balance. Most plants are not sound nutrition like they once were. Depends what you buy. Very limited information to make this a sound conclusion. This is my opinion.

  234. Tom Hanson Reply

    Yes, but please understand this is: 1) that is just their conclusion and is just how the researchers have interpreted the facts, not actual facts them selves.

  235. Tom Hanson Reply

    2) association does not equal causation!! If i need to explain why this is the case then we shouldn’t being having a discussion about the interpretation of these results

  240. Sarah-May Bonnie Buchan Reply

    A vegan diet has never been easier! It’s by choice if people want to make freshly made foods every day but there is endless options readily available on shop shelves, everything from meats to cheeses and biscuits, which done contain animal cruelty. Eating meat was expensive in the 80s but it didn’t stop people doing it!

  241. Sarah-May Bonnie Buchan Reply

    A vegan diet has never been easier! It’s by choice if people want to make freshly made foods every day but there is endless options readily available on shop shelves, everything from meats to cheeses and biscuits, which done contain animal cruelty. Eating meat was expensive in the 80s but it didn’t stop people doing it!

  251. Kary Annj Reply

    I was 30. With cardiomyopathy. I was told I would need a pacemaker…later on a heart transplant. I had skin cancer. Doctors said I’d need butchery. Oh sorry…surgery…what’s the difference. No way. Not me. I’m now 50. I am heathly. I cured both. By ceasing meat. Dairy. And taking large doses of vitamins from http://www.truehope.com. flaxseed oil. Lemon juice all day with pure water. Smoothies packed with nutrition. You can heal anything. http://Www.naturalnews.com is also a great source of information. He well my friends. Harm no living thing. X

  264. Adriana Dacko Reply

    Even if the paper was saying that I need animal meat to be healthy I wouldn’t start eating it. There are other things more important than my personal benefit. Taking others life and their suffer cannot be justified to make myself healthier. Why their lives should be less important than mine? Why animals wellbeing is ignored?

  265. Adriana Dacko Reply

    Grand parents probably ate a lot of meat but great grand parents -I am not sure…Mine lived at times of WWI and between wars and meat wasn’t the main thing on their plates. Going back people did not eat meat every day. They were killing a pig, cow etc only for special occasions and the rest of the year their meals were very simple.

  272. Francoise Caron Reply

    This is good news…one should, however, ensure to make the distiction that the study is on the health benefits of a whole plant food diet and not a vegan one as they’re are many non healthy vegan items out there. Vegans who only eat vegan junk food will not get the same benefits.

  273. Tracie Renshaw Reply

    Cindy Decker I just try to encourage people to watch Melanie’s Ted talk, if and when conversation might turn, ‘I couldn’t, it’s natural’, kinda unknowing crapola speak speak

  276. Lana Seifert Reply

    See again, stick to the vegan lifestyle without adding morals about animals. I eat meat. Plus some days l don’t. Don’t push your personal morals into being vegan.

  279. Tammy Sikorcin Reply

    That’s what I am talking about Tim Darling .Einstein said man would EVOVLE to a plant based diet as well as super awesome Tesla .I have been vegan now for years so if you need any support let me know I am here for youn

  280. Danielle Caroline-b Reply

    Great to have veggies, but just for info- the amount of veggies that you need to have per gram of protein is different for every type of food including meat. For example you may need to eat 10 handfuls of spinach to have the equivalent protein of half a “regular” portion of steak (just an example). Look for foods that have high density protein so that you are sustained like quinoa

  281. Danielle Caroline-b Reply

    Great to have veggies, but just for info- the amount of veggies that you need to have per gram of protein is different for every type of food including meat. For example you may need to eat 10 handfuls of spinach to have the equivalent protein of half a “regular” portion of steak (just an example). Look for foods that have high density protein so that you are sustained like quinoa

  284. Aaron Wilson Reply

    Andria Mercurio-Smitowicz Andria… Sorry, I was not ignoring anyone. In fact this is the only other comment from you that has appeared in my notifications and I answered the first…. To answer your last question.. No I do not believe animal ag harms the planet. I do not buy into the environmental impact BS either. Plain and simple. Yes the planet is dying… All things have a life span.. There is nothing you, I or entire civilizations can do to reverse it. In fact if humand did not exist it would still be dying…. I also do not appreciate your militant$#%&!@*attitude towards someone who does not agree with you or follow your lifestyle. I have said nothing rude, implicating, or disrespectful to anyone here. Quite the opposite… It’s time to put on your grown up panties and realize that not everyone will agree with you and those who dont are not the enemy or out to get you.

  289. Jessica Smith Reply

    There is no weak association between disease and animal based diets the medical and scientific research is littered with evidence. Maybe you should try it.

  294. Lorraine Icke Reply

    Kris Carr is a dietician , she completely believes in th health implications of a truly plant based diet …..
    Her books are a great read and her recipes are excellent . I’m on one of her vegan global detoxes at the moment , I’m enjoying feeling energised that I’m going to stick with it :))
    Although she cuts out wine …….. I may be having a weekend tipple from time to time !!!!! Hahaha X

  300. Adriana Dacko Reply

    Does it really matter? Is it all just about proteins and health? Our health? Is one life more important than other? Is human health more important than animal life? This duscussion is stupid and does not have any sense. I don’t care if not eating animals is healthy. I don’t want eat animals because I love them all. And I don’t feel I have any right to think that my health is more important than animals lives. Why we think dogs and cats deserve our love but cows and pigs not. It is just wrong on so fundamental level that if someone doesn’t feel it than there is no point to discuss. You just can’t convince someone who doesn’t have the same sensitivity as you…

  301. Daniela Raper Coroian Reply

    Vitamin B12, essential amino acids in the right ratio, creatine, carnosine, DHA – most active form of omega3 – saturated fat and cholesterol are only found in animal foods and are all critical for optimal function of the body! Also, there’s a ridiculous amount of insoluble and unhealthy fiber in a vegan’s diet! Too many grains and nuts too, which come with enzyme inhibitors and depleting your body of so needed minerals! Good luck to you all! Check your zinc, magnesium and copper levels!

    • Amy Reply

      B12 supplements available and recommended to most on a standard diet. All plants have all the essential aminos. Omega 3s are in plant foods too. I eat a high fruit diet and consume large amounts of soluble fibre. I also avoid grains and eat very few nuts. You are making a number of assumptions about a ‘Vegan’ diet.

    • Judy Reply

      Most vegans know and allow for this in their food choices. I’ve been vegan for 10 years and just had all my levels checked.
      Perfect results in each area, so it’s more than possible to be vegan and in perfect health.

  311. Anonymous Reply

    http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1968

    “More careful analysis revealed that the association of animal protein intake with an elevated mortality risk only applied to participants with at least one factor associated with an unhealthy lifestyle – being either obese or underweight, heavy alcohol consumption, a history of smoking, or physical inactivity. In fact, the association disappeared in participants with a healthy lifestyle.”

  313. Kylie Glessing Reply

    Joanne Marie Denison science fail. All living things are made up of chains of amino acids. The chains are proteins. Plants have proteins. All essential amino acids, which are those the human body does not make, are available in plants.

  314. Kylie Glessing Reply

    Tom Hanson …sort of like how you are choosing to interpret the evidence by twisting it to suit your own biases and beliefs. OK then.

  319. Dariana Paraschiv Reply

    There is ample scientific evidence ( epidemiological- observational to randomized experimental / peer review articles of in depth findings supporting the article above. In fact classifying animals protein ( all sources casein and meat) as carcinogenic, at same level as asbestos. But I guess Tom- your analytical research abilities have turned an eye bling to evidence in favour of conditioned palate pleasure. If this has no importance to you, does morality play any? There is no justification for use, abuse, exploitation and murder of nonhuman animals. None whatsoever.

  330. LeAndra Renee Sheets Reply

    “Myself, I wouldn’t ever do it…” would be more honest. Anyone can be vegan it isn’t hard and it’s healthy. Most people won’t because living a violent life is easier than practicing non violence. Which is fine that’s just how life is and you have to accept people how they choose to be. But I find your comment more insulting than complimentary.

  334. Allison Christian Reply

    No matter how many studies are done for or against there will be those who agree and those who oppose. Educate yourself be open to other thoughts and opinions. No one is ever one hundred percent correct. There will always be someone being paid enough money to prove or disprove a finding. There will be those who are far right and those who are far left. Find the as close to the middle for you and don’t worry about the others.

  338. Darcy Myers Reply

    Joannna obviously doesn’t have a clue what she is talking about. Meat is far from 100% protein. And your body doesn’t digest meat like a carnivorous animal can. It sits in your body and rots.

  346. Allie McLane Reply

    I appreciate you tagging me in this Er Er <3 and I also appreciate your open mindedness which will make you a well informed and responsible Dr. 🙂

  349. Jessica Revilla Reply

    Some people are just prone to longevity. Like my grandma who lived to 92 on an animal diet. Though she did meatless Monday for church. Anyways she did not have great last years. Her health was not the best, she wasn’t eating much, she had diabetes, bathroom problems, blind in one eye etc. and she had a stroke which led to her death a month later. Now my grandma never exercised in her life so she was very brittle, just no strength. I feel that if my grandmother had led a vegan life with exercise, yoga too. She would have had a better life as she got older. And i think that veganism can bring quality to peoples life young and old. Prevent diseases since many of the diseases that we suffer from in the modern day are food related. It could have given my grandmother who was prone to longevity a better life to the end and given someone who would probably not of had a long life more quality years to enjoy.

  357. Anna Angelika Reply

    Do you people not read ? Seriously !
    That is hardly suggesting not to eat meat , let alone condemn it.
    Meat is part of Harvard healthy plate . They would not put it there if they would oppose to consuming it.

  363. Tess Sissy Reply

    Not being a rapist is healthier than being one
    Being the very reason why a bewildered baby was punched to pulp behind closed doors and then ingesting his body of extreme fear and pain is less healthy than eating what our biological cousins eat (plants, fruits
    Super muscly gorillas and chimps eat amost only plants, not meat and dairy)…. Then people start talking about having a soul and having come to Earth to better themsrlves as spirits. Sure! By beind blind to the mass suffering that they re causing..
    .

  364. Tess Sissy Reply

    Watch free range organic slaughterhouses undercovrr videos and you ll understand that extreme fear and pain are not healthy foods

  374. Laura Slitt Taste of Life Cafe Reply

    The biggest lie ever told and perpetuated is that the human mammal requires any nutrient from animal cadaver. In fact, animal protein is so acidic, the real cause of calcium depletion , kidney failure and many other diet related diseases IS from consuming their bodies, not to mention the moral degeneration that has transpired for as long as human herbivores have needed to consider themselves top of the food chain.

    The diet of death makes a killing for all the economic industry’s that rose from eating dead animals and the lactations from pregnant cows, proteins that cause everything from diabetes to kidney failure and more.. What a legacy that the one animal, human, that considers itself above all others, is the ONLY mammal that adopted a food system that killed itself and the planet it cohabits with other species also impacted by our wayward behavior…

    REALLY humans? Is eating ourselves out of a biosphere the manifestation of intelligent life? Hardly.

    Plant foods hold all the protein we need, and where it originates ! Eating cows who got big and strong from eating plants is as logical as taking medications for diet induced disease…

    Guess that is why we put the word ill in front of logic.

  375. Noah Marion Reply

    “These associations were confined to participants with at least 1 unhealthy lifestyle factor based on smoking, heavy alcohol intake, overweight or obesity, and physical inactivity, but not evident among those without any of these risk factors.” (Song et al, 2016) people need to actually read the full scientific article. these findings are only linked to people who have previous health risks. A massive confounding factor that the news articles are failing to write about.

  377. Stephanie Lippa Reply

    Anna Angelika these are not lies, when I eat a raw bean from my garden I feel it tastes like meat to me, so what is good for me in my mouth may not be that way for you. THANKS

  387. Jay Gillen Watson Reply

    There’s no fibre in meat only cholesterol, saturated fat, viruses, diseases, causing cancer, heart disease, strokes, on and on. No brainer. And you want to risk your health of you and your family for small or any protein difference? Fibre is so much more important than protein. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, pulses, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds – best for you, the planet and the single most important thing, not killing the animals.

  389. Nancy P Reply

    Is there a link to the actual published study? I have not doubt that plant foods are the healthiest and that all animal products carry great health risks. I’d like to be able to find the study before passing along this information.

  390. Romy Gabrielle Reply

    Well all my grandparents ate a meat/egg heavy diet and they all suffered from a combination of diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart attack. Eventually they all died due to their diseases so I can attest to a lower quality of life and shortened life spans due to an omnivorous diet.

  393. Aaron Wilson Reply

    Sara.. u are 100% correct.. i choose not to.. i LOVE eating meat!. Nothing else in the world smells sooooooo good as a steak on the grill!

  396. Han Reply

    Now I knew for quite some time that “protein” is actually a euphemism for animal products, or so the meat industry like to portray proteins. By wrongly explaining it like that they try to confuse the average person into thinking the only source of protein is animal products. So I was somewhat surprised that this article does more or less the same: “… Plant proteins like beans, lentils, nuts, grains and seeds…” Those are plant products, not proteins. They contain a lot of protein.

  405. Laurana Sveback Reply

    Are they comparing this solely to processed meats? Or organic/free range/grass fed/etc meats too?? Of course processed meat-based protein sources are going to have a negative review compared to plant-based protein sources, they’re loaded with additives etc etc. so an article like this is going to favor a plant-based protein diet due to the negative side effects on health after years of eating processed/non-grass fed meats. The world we live in, as Americans, is fueled on “enhanced” meats that lead to these cancers, cardiac diseases, etc. Is there an article comparing plant-based protein (vegan) diets and free-range meat-based protein diets that is available to review? I read a few others than this one and they down-play meat-based proteins based off of the processed meats we all eat. Not disagreeing with this article, I am very intrigued, but also debatable by nature as I am not vegan.

    • Trevor Hiscox Reply

      This study was on all foods so would have included every type of mix of foods ingested, so specific groups would be obvious to spot when difference in health and longevity came into play. The detail of what is worse or better is argument to try and deny the obvious overall implications.

    • ChooseKindness Reply

      Irrelevant. At every meal and/or food purchase, you have an opportunity to choose between supporting kindness or cruelty. We have no biological need to consume animal products. Animal agriculture is destroying our planet and our health.
      You can choose to either be a part of the solution or part of the problem. Plant-based options give us everything we need, are varied and delicious. Why choose to support cruelty?

  409. Christine Reply

    Of equal consideration to whether or not the meat was free range grass fed etc is whether the plant based diet was also organic chemical free etc? Either way the sustainability for our earth and our children’s future is prevalent here.

  415. Paige Gerwing Reply

    I fully believe that plant based diets are the healthiest, but these percentages are not accurate at all. And nothing is sourced/referenced here which makes it even less credible

  419. Anderson Jones Reply

    This list is terribly inaccurate. Are they saying the “dry” weight of those vegetables is x% protein? The majority of the weight would be water. Certainly not that much protein.
    If all you ate was these green vegetables and mushrooms you’d die of protein energy malnutrition (kwashiorkor)

  421. Anderson Jones Reply

    The China study was p-hacking, biased research, with cherry-picked results presented in the book. The data has been reanalysed and tells quite a different story

  423. Beth Burton Reply

    Harvard scientists have no Authority to “condemn” anything. People who have valid educations respecting any theology need to attend to the words which are likely being thrown about by the unlearned…. or worse, being purposefully used to deceive.

  428. Lynda Lander Reply

    I respect everyone’s choice, but honestly it isn’t hard at all to be vegan with all the products out there today. Cooking is as simple as you want it to be. Just my experience.

  430. Anderson Jones Reply

    Lynda Lander unsurprisingly, not in the academic literature, being a response to a book. Here is a very nice analysis and discussion using the raw data available online though

    https://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/

    Also, remember that the China study is ecological and epidemiological data, and there for can only be used to generate hypotheses, not make firm conclusions. There are hundreds or thousands of epidemiological nutrition studies published. Results do vary, but there certainly isn’t a consistent pattern of overall negative health with intake of animal products.

    Furthermore, many find health benefits for certain animal products. Fish would be a standout here.

    I am a vegan, but I’m also a scientist (dietitian, phd). There are plenty of good arguments to make for a plant-based diet that aren’t health related. Let’s not fall into the trap of confirmation bias.

  432. Pinar Phillips Reply

    Diet is incredibly difficult to study. Read Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s book, “Whole,” to understand why. I think it’s also very possible to be an unhealthy vegan. I was one for a year before converting to a true whole foods plant-based diet with no added oils. Never going back.

  436. Thom Speechley Reply

    This statement is confusing or just poor grammar.

    “Substituting eggs for plant protein also leads to a 19 per cent reduction in death risk.”

    Don’t you mean “with plant protein……”

    The article supports plant protein. I thought eggs were animal.

    • Going Vegan Post authorReply

      Yes, indeed! The statement is confusing. It was taken from the original article our article is referring to. So, the mistake had been made with the original article. We have corrected this sentence as it was definitely supposed to be like this: “Substituting eggs for plant protein also leads to a 19 per cent reduction in death risk.” Thank you for your feedback!

  442. Darcy Myers Reply

    Anderson Jones actually I am not protein deficient at all. My blood work shows I am in perfect health. Vegan for 5 years btw.

  446. Jennifer Groves Reply

    A vegetarian diet is great ~ as long as the government isn’t forcing your choice. But that IS the plan with the UN.

    If you haven’t read the UN’s book on Agenda 21, you can download it here. It’s not about “saving” the planet, it’s about “global redistribution of wealth”–i.e. aimed primarily at the U.S. Which explains why our so-called “leaders” keep condemning this country.

    But the UN explains all this in its very first chapter.

    https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf

  447. Hannah Houshangi Reply

    Jennifer Harris – bread and corn chips and tortillas where I live are vegan… Doritos original are vegan. I’m in New Zealand. I eat pretty much everything a meat eater eats – just vegan versions. Try it. It honestly isn’t hard nor expensive. I have burritos, burgers, cakes, curries, lentil spag Bol and lasagnes, (white sauce can still be made using non dairy milk)… everything you normally eat can be veganised quite easily.

  453. Elena Fomina-Singleterry Reply

    Tom Hanson I am a veg, on ethical grounds. But I agree that all sources should be presented fairly without adjusting and twisting. That way it would be fair and also more likely to convince meat eaters to stop eating animals since they know the info is fair.

    However, the conclusion by the researches quite obviously is not in favor of animal protein. Given that it’s Harvard we are taking about, given that Harvard is not exactly PETA and has no “bias”, I will take this study as confirmation that animal protein is bad.

  454. Elena Fomina-Singleterry Reply

    Ofcourse it’s about animals. For people like and I. However for people who can’t empathize to the same extend, there needs to be studies that show that meat eating is bad for people. So it’s important that studies are presented fairly and are linked to the source. A meat eater might roll his or her eyes at the sentiment “Do it for animals” but will be more likely to listen if it’s explained to him or her how meat is really bad for their health

  455. Peter Mcknight Reply

    I wonder if these are the same reputed scientists that took millions of $$ from big sugar industry to fudge data results that claimed type 2 diabetes was caused from Trans fats, and not from sugar??

    • Patrick Elliott-Brennan Reply

      Link? I’m curious as to whether you’ve checked this yourself or your just ‘saying stuff’?

  456. Adriana Dacko Reply

    Yeah, well people know smoking, drinking alkohol, taking drugs, eating junkie food, drinking coca cola etc. is unhealthy but still they keep doing it, don’t they? I am not sure if any research can convince anybody. Problem I personally have with researches is I don’t trust them. One day they tell you one thing and a month later someone else tells the other, completely oposite thing and all you get is confusion. And apparently to make real difference to your health you need to be not only vegetarian but vegan. Watch “Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death” on YouTube
    https://youtu.be/30gEiweaAVQ

    • Patrick Elliott-Brennan Reply

      “One day they tell you one thing and a month later someone else tells the other, completely opposite thing and all you get is confusion.” This is not factual. On very rare occasions this may occur, but again it’s very rare.

      I think you’re confusing what you read in some media sources with research. There is a lot of research on a lot of subjects.

      For example, you probably use the brakes and fuel in your car despite the research being ‘contradictory’. You do realise there is research that shows you car can burst in to flames and your brakes can fail. Which of the research papers do you ‘trust’?

      Actually the research generally shows both are reasonably safe and effective but there are problems with both, as shown in research.

      Don’t get confused by possibility v probability. It’s possible your car brakes will fail, though not probable.

  458. Taylor Brooke Reply

    Some people eat plant based solely for health benefits and do not care about animals. I’m the opposite though. I do it for them first, they’re my main priority. I just reap the other benefits.

    • Michelle Cummings Reply

      I know I can’t even imagine doing it for any other reason. I always wonder why I feel so odd or apologetic for it being all about compassion. Why is it so weird

    • Going Vegan Post authorReply

      Dear Dr. Kilgore,

      you’re more than welcome! I am running this ad on FB promoting your colleaques’ study since September 6th. By now, unfortunately the ad costs still exceed by far the revenue we make from this website to cover its costs. So, I would be more than happy if you let your colleaques and others know about this website in order to extend its exposure.

      Moreover, it would be awesome if you placed a link on your website to my website. This would make my website rank in Google very fast causing your articles published on my website to gain tremendous exposure almost overnight.

      By the way, two days ago I published another article promoting another study done by you and your colleques. This was before I had read your comment. You can read it here:

      You can write to me using the following email address (info@goingveganhealthbenefits.com). This way, it’s forwarded to me instantly.

      Many blessings,
      Dr. Robertino Bedenian

      • Vegan Mom Reply

        I think you have a typo: “Substituting eggs for plant protein also leads to a 19 per cent reduction in death risk.” I’m assuming it should be the other way around – substituting plant protein for eggs leads to a 18 per cent reduction in death risk.

        • Going Vegan Post authorReply

          Hi,
          indeed, this is typo. It should be the other way round. We just corrected it. Thank you very much for telling us about it.

          Many blessings

  463. Theresa Koorsen Reply

    keep at it its all mind over what really matters and that’s your health! There are a lot of vegan substitutes for those days when your caving something, call me anytime! Cheering you on! ❤️

  465. Starr Roberts Reply

    You write: “They found that switching between 15g and 19g of animal protein – the equivalent of a single sausage – for the likes of nuts, pulses or legumes significantly cuts the risk of early death. Substituting eggs for plant protein also leads to a 19 per cent reduction in death risk.”

    Is this a error? You say eating eggs rather than plant protein cuts your risk of death by 19%. This seems to be contrary to the purpose of your story.

    • Going Vegan Post authorReply

      Hi,
      indeed, this is typo. It should be the other way round. We just corrected it. Thank you very much for telling us about it.

      Many blessings

  466. DG Reply

    Kindly reference the actual study.
    For example a link, the authors or the formal title of the study.
    Otherwise, it is VERY hard to trust the article you’ve published – you’re either lazy or you’ve been VERY creative (feel free to interpret that).

    • Going Vegan Post authorReply

      Hi, you can find the source of the research study at the bottom of the article or you can click here to get to it.

      Many blessings

  467. Tanya Cleary Reply

    That’s likely because you’re afraid to eat carbs. Starches are what fills us up. Plants alone won’t do it. Potatoes are some of the most satisfying foods on the planet. As long as you eat whole carbs – without fat – you can eat until full and still lose weight. The only reason we veiw whole carbs, like potatoes and rice, as bad here is because we only eat them with fat – butter, cheese, and oil.

  472. Lacinrad Reply

    Veganism isn’t a diet or lifestyle. A plant based diet is a healthy diet. Stats: age 48 and zero health problems. 5’3 and 125 pounds. Happy, healthy, and veganism makes it easy to stay on the diet for life. Double entendre intended. Vegan 4.5 years

  473. Nate O'Dafence Reply

    I find it interesting that the study explored the health benefits of substituting “processed” red meat for plant based protein. I agree that such a dietary change as this would in fact improve ones health, and that a vegan diet is a very healthy lifestyle. But since we’re talking about processed red meat such as the aforementioned sausages, surely a change to something like fresh salmon, a high quality cut of rib-eye steak or perhaps even nothing at all would also show significant health improvements. I also noticed that the abstract of this study say it included “participants with at least 1 unhealthy lifestyle factor based on smoking, heavy alcohol intake, overweight or obesity, and physical inactivity” which happened to also be the group which show the best results. So as previous comments have mentioned, this is far from totally unbiased proof of the superior health benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

  479. Pete Del Campo Hartman Reply

    While the report from Havard University merits immediate and serious consideration, it recently came to light that Harvard researchers in the 1960s were paid by the sugar industry to switch the results of their research so that fat, not sugar, was the reason for obesity. I’m not suggesting this report be tarred with the same brush; but Harvard University as an respected, impartial, credible resource took a hit in my books.

  490. Rob Reply

    “processed red meats” doesn’t = all animal protein. the argument wouldn’t hold if chicken, turkey, fish etc were included in the sample

  495. Tina Shurtleff Reply

    The two areas across the world where people live the longest and the healthiest are Okinawa Japan and an island off the coast of Italy. Both places have very little meat consumption and no cows milk. They use goat milk. Dateline did a program on these people who
    Live into their 100’s

  496. Tina Shurtleff Reply

    I stopped for the animals but am reaping the health benefits. I donate blood every 3 months and have never been turned down for low iron. My cholesterol is very low. Glad I stopped.

  499. Ivana Reply

    Since it appears that a relatively small decrease in the amount of animal protein consumed leads to a fairly significant health benefits, I’m wondering where the line actually falls as far as how much animal protein can be put back into a strictly vegan diet before health benefits begin to decline. Couldn’t essentially the same benefits be realized by someone who doesn’t run shrieking from the occasional meal including some dairy, or a small piece of fish or chicken once or twice a week? Is there any research out there proving that this must be an all-or-nothing endeavor?

  501. Casey Biernacki Reply

    I had a nice paragraph written about how I read this article and how this post manipulated the conclusion. Then I read some of these comments and hated myself for taking the time haha

  503. Judy Centola Reply

    Read ” the food revolution ” by john robbins. Anyone looking for creditbility of changing to a plant based diet, will have ALL the answers after reading this book.

  513. Nancy Juhasz Plodzik Reply

    Ya know what’s really sad, i went to a Diabetic class at my local hospital and those dieticians push meat and dairy like you wouldn’t believe, just cause they are low in carbs….i was just sitting there with my jaw on the floor how sad 🙁

  526. Linda Charbonneau Reply

    C’est intéressant de savoir que la recherche confirme notre expérience: bonne santé, système immunitaire fort et grande énergie…tout cela sans aucun produit animal…donc sans souffrance pour personne!

  531. Dawn Wesselby Reply

    Anderson Jones plant protein is easier for most people to digest. So long as you have legumes and /or quinoa in your diet you get plenty of protein.

  543. Shauna Bertram Reply

    Being vegan is not a “silly cult”. It’s understanding that torturing and eating animals is not good for animals, our health or the environment. Educate yourself. I am so sick of people referring to it as a cult, as if we are a bunch of sick weirdos. It’s so strange how much people care about vegans as if it personally effects them.

  545. Matilda Jambour Reply

    It is very easy to be vegan. Been one 55 years, raised 9 kids. Cheapest way to eat, never sick – not are my kids (now adults)
    Anecdotal? Yes – but enough evidence for me.

  547. Matilda Jambour Reply

    No – none. But being vegan isn’t about 100% – it’s about doing as much as it practicable and possible to ensure our lifestyles don’t cause the use and abuse of other sentient beings.

  550. Pete Del Campo Hartman Reply

    You are welcome to believe whatever you want. You obviously didn’t research her page before you made that comment. May I suggest you read her FB page and the comments people post. Her diet is all about optimizing eating for your mitochondria. Doing so reversed the effects of MS. And my comment said “paleo-based”.

  571. Rachel Maxwell Carpenter Reply

    The title here is incredibly misleading. They simply found that those who were getting a HIGH amount of protein from meat slightly benefitted overall from eating more veggies. This is common sense. moderation is important, which those people weren’t practicing before the study. Also, the vegan movement neeeds to start addressing sustainable meat sources. Not all meat is created equal. We know industrial fsrming is bad. Let’s talk about real sustainability that requires animals as part of a symbiotic closed-loop system. It’s a

  572. Mardi Gammon Reply

    Dariana I’m assuming you’re referring to the WHO’s categorisation of processed meat to be of the same class as asbestos and cigarettes? If so, that classification has absolutely nothing to do with how carcinogenic a product is, but is based on the amount of evidence behind the claim.

  584. Nimfa Sigua Reply

    I and my intuitions have known this all along..anything that don’t have fibers and will not come out easily out of the body should not be in the body to begin with..

  592. Alison McHallam Reply

    Thanks Lorraine Icke for the info, will definitely look her up. Great to hear your feeling so well with good diet etc….Good for you. ☺☺☺

  599. Olivia Dineen Reply

    There’s no actual science in this report. There’s no mention of what types of animal protein, the source of the meat – whether hormones, preservatives, preparation changes the study, whether red meat vs other meat is studied, whether a plant based diet that still incorporates small amounts of meat for other benefit is possible..it’s all claims and talking 2% chances of mortality. There’s so many other factors in your chances for mortality…the article essentially says people eating lots of meat benefitted from upping their veggies. I believe in plant based diet. I don’t believe this. Not all meat is created equal

  601. Olivia Dineen Reply

    There’s no info provided on the source of the meat or plants, environment, what else the person consumes or their lifestyle… This article is crap. It’s ok that you guys just want people to stop eating animals. But give actual science if you’re going to blast conclusions

    • Christine Reply

      The science is in the source of the study link at the bottom of this summary article.

  603. Olivia Dineen Reply

    Paleo diet and forms of ketosis have completely reversed many diseases caused by high carbohydrate and sugar intake leading to fungal and yeast takeover of the body systems, opposed to the fearmongering exploited to make people fear fats and up their carbs

  608. Olivia Dineen Reply

    Amen..I’ve tried both diets – paleo and vegan.. I personally cannot consume grains, legumes, soy, much sugar at all..so I did whole food vegan, very difficult to eat enough, consumed way too much fruit and insoluble fiber, my health worsened, my guts were destroyed.. the only diet that I’ve found to reverse, correct and implement the greatest health of my life (I’m talking reverse serious life long conditions) is plant based paleo. Plant based as in 60%+ vegetable, ideally 75%+ and the rest healthy proteins and fats. This article had no actual science as far as the metabolization and actual nutrients within the meats vs plant proteins, where the meat was coming from, where the plants come from, whether contaminated with pesticides or not, whether hormones, pesticides, etc play a role, what percentage of the vegan diet was vegetable and what types (root veggies vs debateable fruit veggies, nightshades etc), how much sugar was consumed daily, other factors such as lifestyle, weight etc for mortality rates, and on top of it there’s typos and no link to the source of the article. Harvard is no exception to lying to the public either.

  609. Olivia Dineen Reply

    My zinc/copper balance went NUTS (no pun intended) while trying vegan diet. I am now dealing with copper toxicity from improperly implementing the diet, which yes I will take responsibility for my improper implementation maybe, not to say it can’t be done correctly, but this article provides no information on ANY of this

  610. Olivia Dineen Reply

    I believe strongly from experience that exposure to pesticides, xenoestrogens, preservatives etc can destroy your gut and health on their own, and consumption of a high amount of this is possible with a meat eating or vegan diet, more likely with vegan as everything you’re consuming is a possibly contaminated plant or grain. There needs to be specific studies that incorporate these factors. There is no way well save the planet if we all consume contaminated GMO plants. The meat industry is horrid as well. But all science concluding anything about consumption of either NEEDS to incorporate these factors for it to be valid in any way or for us to reach conclusions