Remote View
ReThink Meat Series - 8 Episodes
ReThink Meat Series - 8 Episodes
Here is the full playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttgJtY-SPpI&list=PLabGT_eoaDQim1TD868KyUDpIbSLxYQO6
25 comments
-
EP1 - Why Do We Fear Meat? The Shocking Origins of a Misguided Narrative - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttgJtY-SPpI
Ever wondered why meat is often blamed for our health problems?
It turns out the answer isn’t as simple—or scientific—as you might think. In Episode 1 of ReThink Meat, we dive into the surprising origins of the anti-meat movement, revealing a tangled web of religion, entrepreneurship, biased science, and industry-driven agendas.
Discover how figures like Ellen G. White, Ancel Keys and the rise of Crisco shaped public opinion, why seed oils became dietary staples, and how conflicts of interest skewed scientific conclusions about meat and disease. By the end of this 18-minute deep dive, you’ll walk away with a whole new perspective on meat and the real culprits behind the chronic diseases plaguing modern society.
👀 What you'll learn: The religious roots of the anti-meat movement. How an entrepreneurial genius turned seed oils into “health food.” The science that demonized meat—and why it doesn’t hold up. Who really benefits when we fear animal products. If you’ve ever questioned whether meat deserves its bad reputation, this episode will fascinate you and help you make your own informed decision.
☑️ Study links: docs.google.com/document/d/1kvRF5ymuxCf73ivSMdz_1GXC4049hVcH/edit#heading=h.jl77ljlx896z
-
-
EP2 - The Truth About Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Red Meat - https://youtu.be/EVJkhT2yoIo
Are saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and red meat really the enemies of your health? In Episode 2 of ReThink Meat, we uncover the truth about their supposed connection to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—and what the latest science actually says.
This 22-minute episode exposes the shaky origins of the anti-fat narrative, revealing how conflicts of interest, hidden research, and oversimplified science created one of the biggest misconceptions in dietary history. From the American Heart Association's support of seed oils to the controversial WHO classification of meat as a carcinogen, we separate fact from fiction and reveal the true dietary culprits.
👀 What you'll learn: The origins of the myth linking saturated fat to heart disease. Why dietary cholesterol is not as dangerous as you’ve been told. Shocking new studies that were hidden from the public. How conflicts of interest shaped America’s dietary guidelines. The truth about red meat, its role in cancer risk, and what the science says today.
This episode will change the way you think about meat, fat, and the real causes of chronic disease. Don’t settle for outdated advice—get the facts and rethink what you thought you knew about animal products.
Study links: docs.google.com/document/d/1on6jebC_JAN-QUv5dvgbLo_KsUvfTxVHXEY-DGjqCmI/edit?tab=t.0
-
-
.
-
-
-
EP 3 - Why Meat is Essential: The Health Benefits You Can’t Ignore - https://youtu.be/qsZCJYerAxQ
Is meat really necessary for optimal health? Episode 3 of ReThink Meat dives into the fascinating history and undeniable health benefits of meat, showing why it’s not just important—but irreplaceable—for human well-being.
From its role in human evolution to its impact on modern health, this 23-minute episode uncovers why meat has been essential throughout history and why no culture has ever survived without it. Learn how meat supports appetite control, fat loss, muscle growth, and provides critical nutrients you simply can’t get elsewhere.
We’ll also explore: Why animal products were critical to our evolution The research behind a meat-only diet and its surprising health benefits. How a woman reversed her autoimmune condition with a meat-inclusive diet backed by clinical trials. The weight loss, cardiovascular, and longevity benefits of whole food diets that include meat. Why meat is key for appetite control and building muscle in a way plants just can’t match. And how much meat you should eat for best results Walk away with a new appreciation for meat as a modern-day health tool and discover how much meat you need for optimal results.
Meat in human evolution, Why humans need meat, Meat and brain development, Evolutionary diet science, Carnivore vs omnivore, Meat-eating across cultures, Traditional diets and meat, Animal protein and growth, Is meat natural for humans?, Anthropology of eating meat
-
-
EP 4 - And Veganism - https://youtu.be/eVvAZ3udiyU
I don't like posting about other diets, as everyone should be able to make their own choices. However, given the frequency of these arguments and talking points against ASF in other non-diet communities I think posting this ReThink Meat episode is a net benefit to the dialog.
The Vegan Diet: Myths, Risks, and What You Need to Know
Is a vegan diet as healthy and sustainable as it’s made out to be? In Episode 4 of ReThink Meat, we take an open-hearted, nonjudgmental look at the vegan lifestyle and separate fact from fiction.
This 27-minute episode busts 4 common myths about vegan diets—including the idea that “everyone is doing it” and that it’s the most sustainable choice. We also dive deep into the nutritional challenges of a plant-only diet, revealing why it’s so difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs from plants alone.
👀 What you'll learn:
- Which nutrients are hardest to obtain on a vegan diet (and why they matter).
- The irreversible consequences of B12 deficiency, especially for kids.
- How vegan diets impact mental health, bone health, athletic performance, and critical life stages like pregnancy, childhood, and lactation.
- Firsthand accounts of people who’ve struggled with long-term vegan diets.
- Why some countries actively discourage vegan diets for certain populations.
- While this episode highlights the serious risks of a vegan diet, it does so with compassion and respect for individual choices. Walk away with a deeper understanding of the challenges and consequences of this lifestyle—and the tools to make informed decisions about your health
-
I found these two paper's from the episode particularly interesting about the environmental impacts of ruminants and nutritional arbitrage of a PBF diet (the proposed replacement for all pasture land).
Ruminants have exist before humans, they are not hurting the environment, they are the environment. Sustainable regenerative ruminant based agriculture is key to maximizing the output of the land.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1707322114 Nutritional and greenhouse gas impacts of removing animals from US agriculture
only reduced total US GHG by 2.6 percentage units.
This assessment suggests that removing animals from US agriculture would reduce agricultural GHG emissions, but would also create a food supply incapable of supporting the US population’s nutritional requirements.
Interestingly on this model, calories and carbohydrates would increase but there would be more nutritional gaps.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00945-9 Levelling foods for priority micronutrient value can provide more meaningful environmental footprint comparisons
-
:::spoiler Episode 4 - References Part 1
ReThink Meat: And Veganism | episode four Claim: Only Approximately one half of 1% of adults in the US self-identify as vegan and most people abandon the diet after 3 months (Faunalytics, 2014) (Buxton, 2022). Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033062022000834?via=ihub https://osf.io/7cqmw/ https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Great_Plant_Based_Con/GMhuEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
Claim: It's also been estimated that 84% of those who try veganism end up reverting to eating animal foods in some capacity (Faunalytics, 2014). And there are 5-times more former vegetarians/vegans than current ones (Faunalytics, 2014). Sources: https://osf.io/preprints/osf/7cqmw
Claim: Second, models have shown if all Americans went vegan, it would not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, a 2017 analysis estimated a 2.6% reduction in GHGs and widespread nutrient deficiencies if 300 million Americans made the switch (White & Hall, 2017). According to professor and air quality extension specialist, Dr. Frank Mitlhoener… Sources: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1707322114
Claim: Much of the soy, corn and wheat in vegan products are grown in monocultures treated with pesticides and other environmentally-harmful chemicals (Dorgbetor et al., 2022). Not to mention many fruits and vegetables are imported (Karp, 2018). Sources: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/10/1518 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/dining/fruit-vegetables-imports.html
Claim: …many of the models suggesting plant foods result in fewer GHG emissions use fossil-fuel dependent feedlot beef as a comparison rather than other types of beef production that can sequester carbon and improve environmental health (Guo et al., 2022) (Scarborough et al., 2023).
Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9367784/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-023-00795-w
Claim: A 2018 analysis for example, estimated that between 63 and 127 million field deaths per year in the US are due to plant based agriculture. For perspective, 40 million cattle and 120 million pigs are estimated to be slaughtered for consumption each year in the US (Fischer and Lamey, 2018).
Source: https://r.jordan.im/download/ethics/fischer2018.pdf
Claim: “Producing wheat and other grains for vegan/vegetarian diet results in at least 25 times more sentient animals being killed per kilogram of usable protein, more environmental damage and a great deal more animal cruelty (Archer, 2011).”
Claim: A recent paper by Doctor Lauren Cordain outlined most common health risks that can occur via vegan diet induced nutrient deficiencies including depression, anxiety, hypothyroidism, sarcopenia, hair loss, dermatitis, anemia and osteoporosis or bone fractures (O'Keefe et al., 2022).
Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033062022000834
Claim: True vitamin B12, which is important for your brain and the health of your nervous system, is almost exclusively found in animal products and was found to be deficient in 92% of vegans, versus 11% of meat eaters (Herrmann et al., 2003).
Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522032683?via=ihub#s0030
Claim: Due to anti-nutrients, you would absorb .8 mg of iron from beef yet only .18 mg from spinach, in servings both containing about 3.5 mg of iron (Vasconcelos & Oliveira, 2004) (Hurrell & Egli, 2010) (How Much Iron Do You Actually Absorb From Food?, n.d.)
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15302522/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20200263/ https://lilynicholsrdn.com/iron-absorption/
Claim: And though you can obtain certain essential omega three fatty acids for plants, the longer chain forms like EPA and DHA, which are critical for the heart, brain, and immune function are only found in animal products, which is likely why up to 50% of vegans can be deficient (Swanson et al., 2012) (Rosell et al., 2005, 5).
Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3262608/ https://ajcn.nutrition.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0002-9165%2823%2929563-5 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16087975/
Claim: It’s also important to note that due to the complexity of whole foods, supplemental nutrients don't often yield the same health benefits (Jacobs & Tapsell, 2007).
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17972438/
Claim: In fact, for certain nutrients like calcium and beta-carotene, their supplemental forms have been linked to an increased risk of disease (Boland & Grey, 2011) (Blumberg & Block, 1994) while their whole food forms are linked to decreased risk (van Vliet et al., 2020).
Sources: https://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d2040 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8090376/ https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00128/full
Claim: The brain is a hungry organ and accounts for only 2% of total body weight and requires 20% of our daily calories (Siegel et al., 1999).
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20385/
Claim: According to a 2018 analysis. The most important nutrients for depression prevention and treatment include many nutrients often deficient in vegan diets (LaChance & Ramsey, 2018).
Claim: Recent research has also provided evidence that avoiding meat can increase the risk of mental health issues with a 2020 review concluding that 11 of the 18 studies found meat abstention was associated with poorer psychological health (Dobersek et al., 2021).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32308009/
Claim: Other studies have found not eating meat is associated with a:
2X risk of depression 3X risk of self harm 2X the prevalence of suicide attempts
Sources: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/how-does-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-young-australian-vegetarian-and-semivegetarian-women-compare-with-nonvegetarians/1B49FD85C44CCDA7AEF40972F28B29BF Table 3 (Taken prescription medication for depression): 4.2 for meat / 8 for veg
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/how-does-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-young-australian-vegetarian-and-semivegetarian-women-compare-with-nonvegetarians/1B49FD85C44CCDA7AEF40972F28B29BF *Look for TABLE 2 (Deliberate self-harm)
https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(01)00258-0/abstract
Here is the figure to show the 2x prevalence of suicide attempts (Table 1): https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Characteristics-of-vegetarian-adolescents-in-a-Perry-McGuire/c54a2b48406d132c310bbb29ff04171f655f4b46/figure/0
Claim: And finally, meat-inclusive Mediterranean and ketogenic diets have shown promising results in clinical trials for improving (and even reversing) brain-based issues like depression, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s (Dobersek et al., 2021) (Brietzke et al., 2018) (Ułamek-Kozioł et al., 2019) (Jensen et al., 2020) (Shafiei et al., 2023).
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32308009/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33233502/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30075165/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31635247/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33233502/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36928725/
Claim: A lack of calcium and vitamin D are two of the biggest concerns (Menzel et al., 2021) but studies have also shown - omega 3 fatty acids (Sadeghi et al., 2019), vitamin B12, vitamin A (Menzel et al., 2021), zinc (Hyun et al., 2004) and selenium (Menzel et al., 2021) are also important.
Sources: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/685 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2017.1405908?cookieSet=1 https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/685 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15321813/ https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/685
Claim: A recent study also showed that vegans had 2x the risk of hip fractures (Tong et al., 2020).
Sources: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-020-01815-3#citeas
Claim: Another analysis of twenty studies noted that, compared with omnivores, vegetarians and vegans had higher fracture rates and lower bone mineral density at the femoral neck and lumbar spine (Iguacel et al., 2019).
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30376075/
Claim: And when a vegan and vegetarian diet was compared with the meat-inclusive Mediterranean Diet in those with Rheumatoid arthritis, the meat-inclusive Mediterranean diet proved more successful in reducing pain (Schönenberger et al., 2021).
Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8706441/
Claim:. Deficiencies in iron, zinc, and vitamin A are common in vegans, and are also associated with menstrual cycle disruptions. One study compared ovulation of women aged 19 to 27, and 7 out of 9 meat eaters ovulated while only 2 out 9 non-meaters ovulated (Pirke et al., 1986).
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3096794/
Claim: Vegan diets can also be an issue for those who hope to become pregnant, as a recent study revealed that 90% of women trying to conceive in developed countries are already nutrient-deficient (Keith et al., 2023).
Sources: Study: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1004260
Article: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-pregnant-women-vital-nutrients-situation.html
-
-
EP 6 - And The Way We Raise It - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw9FRK56KL4
The Hidden Costs of Factory Farming & The Regenerative Revolution
Factory farms dominate our food system, but at what cost? In this eye-opening episode of ReThink Meat, we dive into the disturbing history of factory farming and its devastating effects on human health and the planet. From the rise of antibiotic resistance and hormone-laden meat to soil degradation, toxic pesticides, and environmental pollution, this system is broken—and unsustainable.
But there’s hope.
Join us as we explore the transformative power of regenerative agriculture, a solution that prioritizes the planet and the people. Hear the inspiring stories of regenerative farmers who are rebuilding soil health, restoring biodiversity, and securing water resources—all while creating a future where farmers, an ethical and sustainable food system and generations to come, can thrive.
-
:::spoiler Episode 6 - References Part 1
ReThink Meat: And The Way We Raise It | episode six Claim: When you walk into a grocery store today almost all animal products come from factory farms (Anthis, 2019) (Zampa, 2019)… Sources: https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/us-factory-farming-estimates https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/latest/blogs/which-animals-live-factory-farms-us/ https://faunalytics.org/fundamentals-farmed-animals/
Claim: In factory farms the problems are numerous. Crowded conditions, gestation crates (Anomaly, 2015) Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9757169/#%3A%7E%3Atext=First%2C+crowding+animals+together+in%2Cby+animals+being+kept+in
Claim: …calves separated from their mothers within hours of birth (Busch et al., 2017) Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5354428/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Separating+the+calf+from+the%2Cwith+milk+or+milk+replacer
Claim: …painful procedures like tail docking and beak clipping with no anesthesia and millions of animals euthanized every year that don’t fit into our efficient production systems (Morrison & Hemsworth, 2020) (Lawrence, 2016) (Animals Australia, 2021).
Sources: Tail docking: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7552632/ Beak clipping: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/24/real-cost-of-roast-chicken-animal-welfare-farms https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/debeaking Euthanizing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSiluTAOaQ
Claim: However, several advances in the 1900’s – including the discovery of supplemental vitamins and antibiotics, surpluses in grain production, refrigeration, transport and a booming population (Pasado's Safe Haven, n.d.) – led to dramatic changes and a prioritization of efficiency over ecology.
Claim: Though today, a 1200 pound steer can be produced in 14 months with grain feeding (Pollan, 2002), cattle before 1850 consumed mostly grass and were harvested between 4-5 years. (Cordain, et. al., 2005) (Whitaker, 1975).
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine/power-steer.html https://www.performancemenu.com/article/31/The-Paleo-Diet-for-Athletes/ https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130282268756882432
Claim: Widespread consolidation has also led to a system where four Multinational Companies control approximately 85% of the beef market (JBS, National Beef) (Lakhani et al., 2021) (Polansek et al., 2021)
Sources: https://www.reuters.com/business/how-four-big-companies-control-us-beef-industry-2021-06-17/ https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2024/january/concentration-in-u-s-meatpacking-industry-and-how-it-affects-competition-and-cattle-prices/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/jul/14/food-monopoly-meals-profits-data-investigation
Claim: …and according to Robert F. Kennedy, In Iowa, the rise of pork factory farms put at least 45,000 farmers out of business. (Kennedy, 2023) (“Smithfield Foods: The Truth Behind Its Pigs and Factories,” 2003)
Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08RXal8XTm4 https://theecologist.org/2003/dec/01/smithfield-foods-truth-behind-its-pigs-and-factories
Claim: This industrialized system means razor thin margins for farmers which may be why farmers have high rates of suicide. (Forrest, 2022) (Peterson, 2020).
Sources: https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1856210606 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6903a1.htm
Claim: First, is the looming threat of antibiotic resistance and the fact that about 80% of antibiotics worldwide are used in animal production (Martin et al., 2015, #)
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4638249/
Claim: Second, Factory farms are also a source of numerous novel pathogens. Outbreaks have been known to spread quickly through the cramped conditions of CAFOs and infect the humans that care for them. Like Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterial infection that kills over 11,000 Americans annually (Dweba et al., 2018) (Lina et al., 1999), and bird flu strains like H5N1 (Graham, 2008), which threatens a very real pandemic risk because of its ability to mutate and infect people more easily (Farm Forward, 2023).Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6278885/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10524952/ https://www.cdc.gov/antimicrobial-resistance/media/pdfs/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf?CDC_AAref_Val=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fdrugresistance%2Fpdf%2Far-threats-2013-508.pdf https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2289982/ https://www.farmforward.com/news/can-you-get-bird-flu-from-eating-chicken/
Claim: While over 30 have been used historically, only 6 remain due to safety concerns (Stephany, 2001).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11505585/
Claim: The European Union banned the import of hormone-treated meat in 1988 (Congressional Research Service, 2015) and one report also linked an estrogen used in livestock, (zearalenone ) with early puberty (Massart et al., 2008),
Sources:
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/R40449.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18410776/ https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(07)00983-3/fulltextClaim: A recent analysis by a non for profit called Moms Against America by Zen Honeycutt also revealed alarming levels of several chemicals including pesticides, antibiotics and ionophores and fast food meat (Mills, 2023).
Source: https://www.momsacrossamerica.com/fast_food_glyphosate_herbicide
Claim: The pesticides used to grow the corn and soy fed to animals also has a number of deleterious effects and were originally created as weapons of war during WWII (Kuca et al., 2009) (ScienceDirect, 2021) (Carson, 2022).
Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/parathion https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123744845000663 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209597/ https://joegardener.com/podcast/chemical-age-how-tools-of-war-became-agricultural-chemicals/
Claim: It’s estimated that 72 million birds are killed every year in the US alone (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, n.d.) (3 Billion Birds, n.d.) by pesticides that also harm dozens of endangered animals.
Source: https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds
Claim: According to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans. (Benbrook, 2019) (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2015)
Sources: https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-018-0184-7#%3A%7E%3Atext=The+US+EPA+considers+glyphosate%2Cvivo+via+the+oral+route.%E2%80%9D https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf
Claim: Studies have found that it may cause DNA damage and increase the risk of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Kwiatkowska et al., 2017) (Weisenburger, 2021).
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28351773/#%3A%7E%3Atext=To+sum+up%2C+we+have%2CDNA+methylation+in+human+cells https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691517301497?via=ihub https://www.clinical-lymphoma-myeloma-leukemia.com/article/S2152-2650(21)00151-8/fulltext#seccesectitle0005
Claim: As of May 2022 Monsanto had paid out $11 billion dollars setting over 100,000 Roundup lawsuits (Gaines, 2024) (ELIAS, 2019) (Gonzales, 2019).
Sources: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/product-liability/roundup-lawsuit-update/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Monsanto+has+settled+over+100%2C000+Roundup+lawsuits%2C+paying%2Cout+about+%2411+billion+as+of+May+2022 https://apnews.com/article/8196f16997d74abb83f22a88f2e57d12 https://www.npr.org/2019/05/13/723056453/california-jury-awards-2-billion-to-couple-in-roundup-weed-killer-cancer-trial
Claim: Despite all the evidence, Monsanto still claims that glyphosate is perfectly safe. Though they have removed Glyphosate from their residential products (brown, 2021), it is still available for commercial use, effectively applied to 298 million acres annually in agricultural settings (Environmental Protection Agency, 2019).
Sources: https://thecounter.org/bayer-glyphosate-products-roundup-residential-2023-cancer/ https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/documents/glyphosate-response-comments-usage-benefits-final.pdf
Claim: And experts like soil scientist Jessica Chiartas, worry that the combination of chemicals used today may be far more dangerous than any one alone….(Lovejoy & Fiumera, 2019)
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6920984/
Claim: And #5 Factory farms produce up to 1 trillion pounds of manure every year - roughly 2 times the amount produced by humans (Hribar, 2010) (Environmental Protection Agency, 2005).
Sources: https://www.hecweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CDC-report.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/documents/glyphosate-response-comments-usage-benefits-final.pdf
Claim: In pasture-based systems, manure works as fertilizer, but massive amounts of manure from factory farms can contain over 100 harmful compounds that pollute our air and waterways (Hribar, 2010) and are linked to asthma (Barrett, 2006), lung disease (Bongers et al., 1987), and nausea (Hribar 2010).
Sources: https://www.hecweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CDC-report.pdf
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.114-a241a https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3689717/:::
-
-
-
EP 5 - And The Environment - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVpR4TBou7w
Meat and the Environment: Debunking 7 Myths About Cows, Meat and Climate
Are cows really destroying the planet? In Episode 5 of ReThink Meat, we challenge the most common environmental myths about meat, revealing how much of what we hear about cattle and climate is based on flawed science and misinformation.
This 27-minute episode explores:
- 4 reasons the methane problem is overblown and why cows ≠ cars.
- The truth about water use, grain consumption, and their impact on cattle farming.
- Why fossil fuels, not cows, are the real culprits behind climate change.
- Surprising insights from Dr. Frank Mitloehner on why going vegan isn’t the environmental fix you think it is.
- How plant-based diets can sometimes be less sustainable than beef.
- Why not all animals harm the planet—and some actually regenerate ecosystems.
- The big-picture economics of grass-fed beef—and why it’s not always more expensive than you think.
- You’ll walk away surprised by how pervasive false narratives about cows and climate have become—and empowered to make informed choices about meat that benefit both human and planetary health.
-
EP 7 - And Nutrient Density - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXYd5Ic5FwU
Factory-Farmed vs. Grass-Fed: The Shocking Truth About Animal Products Does it really matter how your meat is raised?
The answer might surprise you. In Episode 7 of ReThink Meat, we uncover the often overlooked nutritional differences between factory-farmed and grass-fed animal products—and why they matter for your health.
Why did we start feeding animals grain instead of grass? And how has this shift led to a dangerous imbalance in dietary fats that could be fueling chronic inflammation? We dig into the science, revealing how the way animals are raised affects thousands of nutrients like fats, vitamins, minerals, and even powerful phytonutrients.
Plus, we share human health studies showing why grass-fed beef isn’t just better for the environment—it may also be be better for you. And wait until you hear about the 90% difference in metabolites between plant-based burgers and real beef—proof that we’ve vastly oversimplified the true nutritional power of meat.
What if meat is more nutrient-packed than we’ve ever imagined?
-
-
:::spoiler Episode 7 - References Part 2
Claim: And while the massive increase in seed oil consumption and the lack of fish is the main reason for the disruption in this balance, grain-feeding our animals is also contributing (DiNicolantonio & O’Keefe, 2021)…
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8504498/
Claim:
More vitamins and minerals (Daley et al., 2010)
Elevated levels of antioxidants and phytonutrients (Daley et al., 2010) (van Vliet et al., 2021)
Beneficial saturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, DPA) (Daley et al., 2010)
A low omega 6:3 fatty acid ratio (Nogoy et al., 2022)
And for those of you looking to build muscle and increase the protein in your diet, leaner meats with less fat and more protein - may also be something you can look for (Van Vliet, n.d.) (Daley et al., 2010).
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2846864/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8728510/
Highlight:
Grass-fed beef also contains an increased level of total n-3 PUFA which reduced the n-6 to n-3 ratio thus can offer more health benefits than grain-fed.
https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-9-10
Claim: Several studies have shown that, when compared to conventionally raised eggs, often from factory farms, pasture-raised (not always the same as cage free and free range) eggs have:
50% more B9 (important for mental health and energy production) (Tolan et al., 1974) 70% more B12 (important for brain health, DNA, and nervous system function) (Tolan et al., 1974) 2X as much vitamin E (Research Shows Eggs From Pastured Chickens May Be More Nutritious, 2010) (Karsten et al., 2010) 38% higher vitamin A concentration (Karsten et al., 2010) 3-4X vitamin D which Americans are widely deficient in (Kühn et al., 2014, #)Sources:
Note: B9 = Folic Acid
Full study, from 1974:
See table 4 for B9 (folic acid) and B12
Original study:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24607306/
Highlight:
The study shows that the vitamin D3 content of egg yolk was three- to fourfold higher in the groups that were exposed to sunlight
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532266/
Claim: Research has also shown that pastured eggs can contain more than double (study says “three times as much”) the total omega 3 fatty acids and less than half the omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio which is vital for healthy inflammation levels (Karsten et al., 2010) (Sergin et al., 2022).
Sources:
Study actually says " three times as much omega-3 fatty acid content"
Original study:
Claim: That being said, most factory farmed chickens consume exclusively grain and do not live on pasture, while pastured birds consume grass, bugs and a little bit o f grain - and these differences do affect the nutritional composition of their meat (Sergin et al., 2022)….
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9658713/
Highlight:
Pasture-raised hens are able to forage on phytochemically diverse grasslands and scavenge for invertebrates, allowing them access to nutrients such as fats, vitamins and minerals, and secondary compounds including antioxidants that benefit both animal and human health
Claim: Research has shown pasture-raised chickens have significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a lower 06:03 ratio, sometimes more iron and antioxidants and even, higher protein levels than conventionally raised chicken as was seen in chicken farmer, Matt Wadiak’s analysis (Husak et al., 2008) (Badger, n.d.),
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119393885?via=ihub#bib16
Claim: We typically think of pork as the “other white meat,” but what may surprise you is that most pork you buy at the grocery store has a very inflammatory 06:03 fatty acid ratio as was noted by pioneering pig farmer John Arbuckle (Dugan et al., 2015)..
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4693156/
Claim: Other research has revealed pastured pork can have higher levels of heart and immune-supportive vitamin C and D, iron, antioxidants and that consuming omega-3 rich pork may even reduce certain risk factors for heart disease (Lindqvist et al., 2009) (Is Bacon Paleo?, n.d.). (Larson-Meyer et al., 2017) (Rivero et al., 2019) (Coates et al., 2008)
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18634706/
full study:
https://thepaleodiet.com/is-bacon-paleo/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6680544/
Full study for omega-3 rich pork:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377840103002530?via=ihub
Claim: All cows begin their lives on grass. But it's what they consume in the last 30 to 90 days that totally changes the nutrient profile of the meat. (Gomes da Silva, et al., 2017)
Source:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5625619/
Claim: Nonetheless, grass-fed beef consistently offers several advantages.…
#1. Higher levels of protein, typically because it is leaner (Van Vliet, n.d.)…
Source:
https://www.rootsofchange.org/wp-content/uploads/Nutrient-Density-Data-Report-Sample.pdf
Claim: 1.5-3x higher (study says 2-4 x) levels of a special and beneficial type of trans fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that is inversely related to the risk of colorectal and breast cancer and may have heart-protective and weight loss benefits (Van Vliet, n.d.) (Benbrook et al., 2018) (Dhiman et al., 1999, #).
Source:
CLA levels in grass-fed cows’ milk were about double those of grain-fed cattle as well.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29876120/
https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(99)75458-5/pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10531600/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429457/
See table 2
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17449580/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12196420/
Claim: Increased antioxidant levels that protect our cells from oxidative stress like GSH and SOD (van Vliet et al., 2021) (Descalzo et al., 2007) (Gatellier et al., 2004)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22063662/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22061512/
Claim: higher levels of vitamins like B vitamins (thiamine & riboflavin), Vitamin A & its precursors and Vitamin E & its precursors. (Magan et al., 2020) (Daley et al., 2010) (Descalzo et al., 2005)
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7278826/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2846864/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22063278/
Claim: Several advantages were also noted in the largest study to date which I got to play a small role in, the Beef Nutrient Density Project, with Dr. van Vliet and the Bionutrient Institute (Defining Nutrient Density in Beef — The Bionutrient Institute - Understanding the Science… From Field to Plate., n.d.)….
Sources:
https://www.bionutrientinstitute.org/beef
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4869019/#__ffn_sectitle
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2846864/
Claim: The research also found more minerals like iron and calcium in Grass Fed Beef. Which aligns with previous research showing higher levels of Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Iron, Sodium and Phosphorous in Grass Fed meats (Williamson et al., 2005).
Sources:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2005.00525.x
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0085300&type=printable
:::
-
-
-
EP 8 - And Confusing Meat Labels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBhuvidGhLQ
The 10 Most Misleading Meat Labels and What You Need to Know
Do you know what the labels on your meat actually mean? Many of the claims we see—like “natural,” “grass-fed,” “cage-free,” and “organic”—are far less transparent than they seem.
In this episode of ReThink Meat, we take a closer look at 10 of the most commonly misunderstood labels and the verification processes behind them.
What you’ll learn:
- What “made in America” really means The truth about “raised without antibiotics” The difference between cage free, free range and pastured The limitations of grass fed and organic labels
- How oversight and loopholes impact what these labels truly represent.
- 4 practical tips for selecting meat that supports your health, the planet, and your values.
In just 18 minutes, this episode will give you the tools to make more informed and intentional choices, helping you align your purchases with what matters most to you.
25 comments