Plant Versus Animal Diet: Is One Healthier than the Other

I plan on covering topics related to protein consumption over the next several blog posts and thought it would be a good idea to explain some of the characteristics of plant-derived protein versus animal-derived protein and whether high protein or low protein is most beneficial, and what amino acid composition is the healthiest.

I will start by stating that there is a lot of clinical data that clearly demonstrates that a plant-based diet is much healthier than an animal-based diet, especially as it relates to overall metabolic health in general, and cardiovascular health specifically.

Consuming a plant-based diet does provide carbohydrates (sugars), proteins, and lipids (fat) just as do animal-based diets. The critical difference is that the amounts and types of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are quite different between these two types of diets and are also compositionally different depending upon the plant or animal source. Since one consumes plant or animal products as a whole, comparison of the diets must take into account these differences as a whole.

For example within a plant-based diet there are cereals, nuts, legumes, tubers, oil seeds etc., each of which have a different composition of protein, carbohydrate, and lipid.

Some of the differences between plant-based diets and animal-based diets that could contribute to the health benefits of a plant-based diet include, but are not limited to, differences in energy density, macronutrient content and ratios (protein, carbohydrate, and fat), vitamins (e.g., A, E, C, and folate), micronutrients (e.g., calcium), fiber, and polyphenol abundance. Fiber and polyphenols, which are both associated with health benefits, are more abundant in plant-based diets and this may be a significant contributor to the benefits of plant-based diets in comparison to animal-based diets. Dietary fats including saturated fats and cholesterol are lower in plant-based diets and these compounds have been studied extensively in association with the detrimental effects of an animal-based diet, specifically one rich in red meats.

An additional consideration is that within the context of either diet there are nutritious foods and non-nutritious foods. For example, in the context of plant-based diets fruit juices, refined grains, and white potatoes are considered unhealthy. Within the context of animal-based diets red meats, processed meats, and eggs (although maybe not so much eggs) are considered unhealthy.

Nonetheless, the causal elements of these two different types of diet that contribute to health or disease are not completely discerned. Attainment of certain nutrients is more robust with an animal-based diet than with plant-based diets. However, animal-based diets deliver higher levels of, and different types of lipids, many of which can contribute to cardiovascular disease, that is not the case with plant-based diets.

Some have argued that it is plant protein versus animal protein that is a major contributor to the health promoting benefits of a plant-based diet. However, only recently has the composition and contribution of animal versus plant protein be examined in detail.

This subject will be the theme for the next several blog posts so stay tuned.