Whether you’re a fan of Joe Rogan or not, most will agree that as with many hot topics, he approaches veganism in an interesting way. A self proclaimed ketogenic diet fan, he recognises the ‘benefits’ limiting carbohydrates and consuming plenty of healthy fats. As he claims on his podcast he eats a lot of salad with nuts, seeds and avocado, plenty of vegetables and he avoids refined carbs like white bread and pasta. The only difference is Joe, like those on the keto diet, advocates the consumption of meat.

Joe, however, is no stranger to veganism. He’s invited many vegan guests on his show, like Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, the guys who made Cowspiracy and What The Health; vegan ultra athlete Rich Roll; and Oxford Associate Professor William Macaskill and others, to talk openly about veganism and his approach should be admired.

Regardless of his skit about vegans, which is actually quite amusing, he is evidently interested in plant based diets. His podcast, ranked at number 14 in the Top 20 Podcasts in the U.S., gives his vegan guests a platform. And that platform is big, it’s estimated that the ‘Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast gets 90 million downloads each month. Yet despite the insightful conversations with aforementioned vegans, Joe still publicly advocates meat consumption. With this in mind, we investigated Joe’s main objections to going plant based. Raised by Joe and debunked by us…

5 Ultimate Joe Rogan Vegan-Myths…… De-Mystified!

1. “It’s actually healthy for you to eat grass fed animals”

Joe asserts that eating grass fed meat is a great way to gain healthy fats. In fact a diet heavy in saturated fat, present in grass fed red meat, is not considered to be healthy as it can lead to raised cholesterol. What’s more concerning is the carcinogens present in red meat, which have been identified by the WHO as a Group 2 Carcinogen to humans. Group 1 (processed meat) has been proven to cause cancer and Group 2 (red meat) shows positive associations to developing colorectal cancer.

According to the most recent estimates by the Global Burden of Disease Project the consumption of read meat and processed meat alone could be responsible for nearly 10% of all global cancers!

But it’s not just red meat – all meat and fish when cooked produces heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which multiple studies have shown to cause significantly increased risks of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. So let’s stick to plants for our healthy fats, Joe.

2. “People Have Eaten Meat Forever”

We’ve always eaten meat, we’ve evolved to eat meat, we’re omnivores.

Yes humans thousands of years ago did scavenge, hunt and eat small amounts of meat but they and we certainly did not evolve to eat meat. Our hands, teeth and intestines are typical of herbivores. Our hands are excellent for picking and foraging for fruits and then dexterously peeling and eating them. Our teeth are mostly molars and they grind side to side as opposed to carnivores, designed to eat meat, who chew up and down. But what about our canines? Really? Who would try to use those to tear apart a live animal.

Our intestines like those of other herbivores are very long, whereas species designed to eat meat have short intestines so they can quickly get rid of rotting flesh. Essentially we are behavioural omnivores.

William C. Roberts, editor of the American Journal of Cardiology explains,

“Although we think we are, and we act as if we are, human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us, because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.”

So we are in fact behavioural omnivores, perhaps because we like the taste?

3. “Meat tastes good”

Maybe so. How good does it taste though?

Good enough to kill 56 billion animals every year? Good enough to destroy half of all forests and with it hundreds of species some protected and endangered? Good enough to allow the inhumane treatment of animals on farms and slaughterhouses? Good enough to be the second biggest contributor to global warming? Good enough to cause diabetes, obsesity, heart disease and increased risk of cancer?

Still want the taste. Try meat alternatives, dairy free milk and cheese, and get creative with your cooking.

4. “Only A Few Plants Have Complete Amino Acid Profiles”

Technically this is true, however, you don’t need to get a complete amino acid profile from one source and it’s widely recognised that getting 8 of the 9 essential amino acids present in fruit and vegetables is more than sufficient when combined daily other sources. As Dr. John McDougall details,

“Plant based diet based consisting of unprocessed starches (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), with the addition of vegetables and fruits, supplies all the protein, amino acids, essential fats, minerals, and vitamins (with the exception of B12) necessary for excellent health.”

The following all have complete amino acid profiles: quinoa, buckwheat, soy, rice, beans, seitan, hummus with pitta, and even peanut butter sandwiches!

5. “Explosive Athletes Need Protein From Meat”

Joe believes boxers, MMA Fighters, UFC Champs need protein from meat to sustain muscle and energy for their endurance sports. Joe have you spoken to Nate Diaz? The UFC fighter is reported to be a vegan and he beat Conor McGregor, the only person to ever beat him! And what about David Haye (boxer), Jake Shields (MMA), Timothy Bradley (5 times world champion boxer) and Mac Danzig (MMA and UFC).

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Image Credit: Breaking Wrestling News