An Omnivore’s Contradictions

Unless you have been living under a stone, we have all heard by now that whole foods are better for us. We are educated to eat whole grain wheat and other unrefined grains. We know that eating whole fruit and vegetables is better than merely drinking juice, and were told to avoid refined foods. 

Whether you are in agreement that real food in their natural wholeness is better than foods born out of a factory or laboratory is besides the point. (I say that because biotech advocates might argue for the superiority of man made foods, but that is not pertinent to this article). The real issue is : Why do animal-eating omnivores who advocate real, whole foods, selectively eat fruit, vegetable, grains whole, but do not eat animals whole? After all, aren’t whole animals also real, whole foods? And if refined foods are indeed bad for us, why is it ok to use highly refined vegetable and seed oils instead of natural, unprocessed fat? Why do animal-eating omnivores like us contradict ourselves? At least (most) vegetarians are consistent in eschewing animal products.

Indeed, if you walk down the aisle of all major supermarkets, one would only see animal muscle meat being sold. What happens to the rest of the animal? The fat, the skin, the connective tissue, the blood, the organs, the glands, the bones etc.? Some people call these "by products". Little do they know, these "by products" of the animals are one of the most nourishing foods that one can find. Our ancestors prized those bits, leaving lean muscle meat for scavengers on the lower rung of the food chain. 

Meanwhile, we flush those nutritional gems down the toilet, rob our bodies of precious vitamins and minerals, and then try to replenish those deficiencies by vitamin supplementation, "enriching" and "fortifying" our food supply, and paying small fortunes for the latest "superfood". Unquestionably, where there are nutritional gaps, I believe supplementation could be a useful bridge. What I cannot understand is the rationality (or irrationality in this case) of first dumping out these natural goodies and then digging into our pockets again to buy synthetic substitutes.

Even more ridiculous, we bought into this idea that unprocessed, unrefined animal fat and organ meats made by nature are toxic for us. At the same time, we think nothing of popping drugs into our mouths, and readily accept a chronic diet of statins as part of a normal and natural process of aging. And since we have effectively cut out animal fat and organ meats from our diets, aren't they supposed to be clogging sewage disposal chutes right now? And yet, it is still our arteries that are being clogged big time. Oh yes, there is an explanation for this : "it is in our genes", and this is supposed to account for the 1 in 4 American with some DNA variance, currently requiring statin use? Really? Has anyone else ever questioned the perversity of this thought process?

Besides the reasons stated above, there are also other reasons why I think our animal consumption is far from ideal. We are creating environmentally unfriendly and unhealthy practices. First, it is sheer wastage. An animal that could have potentially provided for ten now feeds only five. Second, by increasing demand for muscle meat, we encourage farmers to engage in methods that maximize production and profit, with little regard for the health of animals and the environment. However, it is us, the consumers, who will ultimately pay the highest price - with our healths, and sometimes, our lives. 

If you have been giving animal offals, bones and fat the cold shoulder, I shall make no bones about what you have been missing.

But first, lets look at the most celebrated nutrition superstars today : vegetables and fruit. Regardless of your faith, sexual orientation, dietary preference, stature, pizza consumption, the number of teeth you own, etc. you cannot deny that vegetables and fruit are recognized as the gold standards in nutrition today. Just try asking any nutritionist, practically all of us will tell you that they are the answer to anything that is ailing you today.

Obese? Eat more vegetables and fruit. Constipated? Eat more vegetables and fruit. Osteoporosis? Eat more vegetables and fruit. Cancer? Eat more vegetables and fruit. Cardiovascular problems? Of course, eat more vegetables and fruit, with a generous dash of statins.

Yes, vegetables and fruit are indeed magnificent. So how does nutrient density in animal liver stack up against these magnificent superstars? The following comparative table was extracted from the book Deep Nutrition (1):

100g Serving	Apple	Liver	Broccoli
Vitamin A	7	10,602	261
Vitamin B1	0.02	0.2	0.063
Vitamin B2	0.02	4.1	0.13
Vitamin B6	0.07	0.91	0.2
Folate	4	217	108
Vitamin C	8	23	64.9
Niacin	0.1	10.7	0.554
Pantothenic Acid	0.08	4.57	0.616
Magnesium	6	20	21

It is obvious that animal liver surpasses both vegetable and fruit in nutrient density. Especially fruit, which now looks like a 2nd rate actor, instead of a celebrity. From a purely objective standpoint, the mediocre nutrients offered by fruit do not even seem to do much justice in terms of making up for the collateral sugar damage that accompanies fruit consumption (fructose is still sugar). But of course, by all means, consume fruit in moderation if you enjoy them. Just be aware of what you are dealing with.

Also, note that only animal products contain real vitamin A. The forms found in both vegetables and fruit are carotenoids (precursors to vitamin A), which must undergo conversion in our bodies into usable vitamin A. Commonly, we know vitamin A to be an important nutrient for our eyes. Additionally, retinoid (vitamin A is a form of retinoid) is often an active ingredient found in anti aging, anti wrinkle skin products. Lessor known, vitamin A also has fat reducing, appetite inhibiting qualities.  

Liver also contains a concentrated source of iron, zinc, copper and coenzyme Q10. Like iron, copper is necessary in the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells. This mineral is also required for bone formation, works in tandem with zinc and vitamin C to form elastin for our skin, nerves and joints. A deficiency in copper can lead to osteoporosis and high blood fats. Incidentally, a high consumption of fructose can deplete copper and inactivate a copper-dependent enzyme, which is a protective agent in red blood cells. Coenzyme Q10, on the other hand, plays an important part in our immunity, energy generation, improves circulation, and hence benefits the cardiovascular system and has anti aging effects (2).

Next up - animal fats. Lipophobia is so entrenched, it is difficult to wrap the benefits of fats around peoples' heads, and I meant that in the most literal way. You see, good fats are superfood for the brain. The bigger the brain, the more brain-building fat is required. Frequently, we hear of the benefits of polyunsaturated Omega-3s and monounsaturated oils, which are undeniably good. However, they are not the only kinds of fats required by our bodies. In fact, saturated fats make up about half of our bodies' cell membranes. The brain itself is made up of 70% fat, 15% of which is cholesterol. 

Hence, it is plain to see why low fat, low cholesterol diets would actually cannibalize and shrink our brains, leading to neurological dysfunction such as brain fog, depression, dementia, alzheimer's etc. Cholesterol, choline, alpha lipoic acid (all of which are naturally occurring in animal fat and organ tissue) combat oxidation, protect the cell membranes of neurons, and are absolutely essential to the integrity of brain cells. Moreover, saturated fat is abundant in fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, increasing calcium absorption.

Indeed, very few fats can come as close to real, whole foods, as unprocessed, natural saturated fat from an animal. Instead, we have been coached to use highly refined vegetable and seed oils such as canola, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, corn, soy etc. which are perfectly fine in their original natural form. However, the process of extracting oil and the subsequent addition of heat in cooking, mutate these fragile oils into rancid forms. Processing and heat cause oxidation, which alter the molecular structure and configuration of the fatty acids in polyunsaturated vegetable oils. These distorted, oxidized molecules can hamper cellular communication, cause metabolic disorders, inflame and deep fry endothelial cells, damaging our arteries and skin. On the other hand, the molecules in saturated fat are extremely stable and heat resistant. Hence, they are able to withstand any processing or heat involved with cooking, and stop oxidation in its tracks. As such, saturated fat is actually anti oxidative and anti inflammatory.

What about heart health? Isn't consumption of saturated fat linked to cardiovascular diseases? Well, what if I told you the Fat-Heart theory was based on flawed premises? The cholesterol campaign first started when a man named Ancel Keys published a paper in 1953, linking fat consumption with mortality from heart disease in 6 countries. Based on his report, there was a positive, linear relationship between dietary fat intake and deaths from coronary heart disease. But the question hinges on why Mr Keys plotted his curve based only on choice data from 6 countries, when data was in fact available from a total of 22 countries? As it turned out, if information from all 22 countries had been included, the graph would have looked like a random mess of splattered dots instead of the positive, smooth, linear curve that Mr Keys wanted to present. Ancel Keys had engineered his own graph when in fact, there would have been no meaningful correlation between fat intake and heart disease mortality (3). Even more revealing, the American Heart Association has in recent times begun to link sugar intake with cardiovascular health instead. Their scientific statement "Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health" published in the AHA journal Circulation, cites the emergence of new evidence linking sugar to heart diseases (4).

Enough said.

I would now like to switch gears and talk about collagen. An extra-cellular protein that can be found practically everywhere in our bodies, it gives strength and forms the union of our joints, skin, organs, bones, glands, etc. Collagen literally holds everything together for us, connecting us cell to cell. Our collagenous tissue consists of glycosaminoglycans, which are found abundantly in (guess what!) the bones and connective tissue of animals. Regular intake of these juicy animal bits will ensure juicy, wrinkle-resistant skin and stronger joints. On the other hand, if you have been on a diet of pro-inflammatory substances like sugar, flour or rancid vegetable oils, chances are your collagenous tissues are on the fast track to sagging and degeneration due to constant exposure to glycated proteins.

Last but not least, I share my personal mantra on The Proper Way to Eat Animals :

1. Animals are good for us. Do not avoid them. However, waste not, want not is the key.

2. As much as you can possibly stomach, consume real, whole animals.

3. Eat from clean, healthy animals that are humanely raised on their natural diets, free of hormones and drugs.

4. Unless you think of a diet of rubber as being especially nourishing, do not overcook meat.

5. Laud the lard and butter is better. Duck fat is delectable and flow with tallow. Use natural animal fats to cook.

6. Go the whole hog with vegetables. Wasteful and excessive consumption of animal products will result in excessive production of acid. Find balance in your diet by eating loads of alkalizing greens.

7. Be tenacious in making bone broth for your growing children even if it makes you uncool, especially during their growth spurts. Trust me, a very wealthy collagen savings account is super cool for any child.

References:

1. Shanahan Catherine, Shanahan Luke. (2009). Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes need Traditional Food. Lawai, HI: Big Box Books.
2. Balch Phyllis A. (2010). Prescription for Nutritional Healing. 5th edition. New York.  Avery. Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
3. Ravnskov Uffe. (2009). Fat and Cholesterol are Good for you. Sweden. GB Publishing.
4. American Heart Association Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism, The Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. (2009). Circulation. 2009;120:1011-1020.