Nutrition myths in the vegan community | Ginny Messina

The Proof with Simon Hill

In Episode #217, I sit down with dietician Ginny Messina to address common nutrition myths about the vegan diet.

With an abundance of nutrition “information” presented to us any time we use social media, it becomes difficult to identify whether a claim is fact or fiction. Misinformation is a common issue across all patterns of eating — including a plant-based diet — and understanding the full picture is incredibly important to ensure health and longevity. Ginny Messina, MPH, RD joins me to address common nutrition myths about the vegan diet, providing a broader view that will help plant-based eaters make sense of nutrition needs.

In this episode, we address 16 myths that could have negative health implications if followed. Ginny Messina speaks to the limitations and strengths of the evidence that we have, provides recommendations for optimal health, and discusses the ethical reasons for making diet choices. We also cover supplementation, concerns about vegan diets, and how to evaluate claims you find online.

Specifically, we discuss:

• Intro (0:00)
• Becoming Vegan (3:13)
• Risks of Vegan Misinformation (10:16)
• Whole Food Diets (20:36)
• Are Humans Herbivores? (22:55)
• Protein Myth (25:42)
• Processed Vegan Food (28:05)
• Calcium Needs (30:07)
• Dairy: Cancer & Addiction (33:40)
• Seafood & Mercury (39:34)
• Low Fat (44:18)
• Whole Foods vs Processed (51:47)
• Oil-Free (59:01)
• Raw Foods Diet (1:04:30)
• Vitamin B12 (1:08:35)
• Supplementing (1:23:16)
• Medication & Statins (1:31:38)
• Industry Funded Research (1:34:36)
• Greatest Risk to Vegans (1:39:40)
• Outro (1:43:55)

To connect with Ginny, you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also access her website, https://www.theveganrd.com/, and read her blog post on top vegan resources here. Make sure to check out her books — specifically her latest, updated book, Vegan for Life.

Make sure to head to theproof.com/podcast for the full show notes.

Enjoy, friends.

Simon

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• Simon Hill, Msc, Bsc (Hons)
• Creator of Theproof.com and host of The Proof with Simon Hill
• Author of The Proof is in the Plants
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