They fought lion’s for god’s sake. In fact, foods like turkey, pork, chicken, and beef are high in L-arginine. So, in this case, comparing a plant-only diet to other diets that have been heavily researched and substantiated by research is warranted. McGregor was originally supposed to be fighting at 155 pounds against Rafael dos Anjos who canceled due to an injury. Our goal is just to make sure people are as informed as possible and help breakdown the science in a digestible manner, because a lot of people don’t know/have never learned how to read published research. It is true that we can’t know with certainty the exact proportion of animal foods vs. plants that our Paleolithic ancestors ate. Likely what happened was that the men became more comfortable wearing the device the second night and then slept better and experienced an increase in erection time because the sleep quality improved. Protein quality assessment: impact of expanding understanding of protein and amino acid needs for optimal health. We are glad you found value in this article! How do we know that a high-quality whole foods diet with some wild-caught salmon, pastured chicken, and grass-fed lamb would not have had a similar impact? For instance, you would have to eat almost one-third of a cup of peanut butter to equal the protein in 3 oz of beef or three eggs; stories about gladiators’ diets ignore important details like the fact that they were being fed the cheapest possible slave diet and had a life expectancy of about two years; and it isn’t easy to consume the amount of amino acids you need for strength and muscle mass when you’re eating only plants—unless you include ultra-processed protein powders in your diet. Tests in petri dishes don’t always translate to the real world. Breen, L., & Phillips, S. (2011). The Game Changers debunked any skepticism that eating plants may have the ability to improve health and performance. Campell WW, Barton ML Jr., Cry-Campbell, D, et al. "Well the animals you're eating, they got their protein from plants, so I really don't see a good argument for it. Volek, J., Sharman, M., & Forsythe, C. (2005) Modification of lipoproteins by very low-carbohydrate diets. McLean, E., et al. Even so, the two met up again 5 months later and McGregor won. Also, plain and simple, we can’t just look at the appearance of test tubes and act as though this is legitimate research. In fact, the common trajectory for vegan athletes involves a “honeymoon” period. Similarly, individuals who consume a plant-based diet that is not well rounded can experience a similar phenomenon. Ruggiero, A. But nonetheless, meat, eggs, dairy, and fish are all attacked, thus sending the message that animal protein should be eliminated from our diets and that its consumption, even in moderation, will slowly kill us! (2000). Whereas for every 22 grams of beans, your body can only use 5 grams (graphic from Peter Ballerstedt). Plant foods require a large colon to ferment and digest fiber into energy. It could not be used for crop production. In total Game Changers fashion, this “study” is flashed across the screen as the first of many warnings that your days of meat-eating are gone. Dilllingham, BL., McVeigh, BL., Lampe., JW., & Duncan, AM. This is scientifically untrue. Except wait…it’s, not a research study! Another criticism of the film is that some of the athletes didn't build their muscle on a plant-based diet, but built their physiques before ditching animal products. With the implication being, “plant based diets did this.”. “Lipolytic response to glucose infusion in human subjects.” American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology And Metabolism 252.2 (1987): E218-E223. And now, I will debunk each of its main claims. Wallace, R. J., Gropp, J., Dierick, N., Costa, L. G., Martelli, G., Brantom, P. G., … Leng, L. (2016). Instead of homemade meals that are balanced and made of whole foods, people end up living off salads and french fries, or rely on genetically modified, processed imitation meat like the Impossible Burger, which are some of the top causes of inflammation. Point 4 : It is well known among serious vegetarians and vegans that soy is not a good source or protein. For example, a group of firefighters came on screen, many of which reported having elevated cholesterol. I used to think you had to eat animal foods to get the protein...but animals are doing you a disservice. However, these benefits may likely be the result of adding plants to the diet, rather than from eliminating meat altogether. I’ve long argued that corporate funding of medical research is a problem. It’s also a problem to consider all research as neutral, and this is coming from somebody with several publications in scientific journals, but that is another topic. A recent documentary called The Game Changers claims otherwise. The Mediterranean Diet, arguably the most studied diet in the world because of its many research-substantiated benefits includes, “fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, lean proteins from fish and poultry; good fats from olive oil; and some dairy–while consuming sweets and red meats on occasion.”[2].