Why Animal Foods are Considered Nutrient-Poor
There is little debate about whether or not refined “junk” foods are nutrient poor, but most people
think animal foods “in moderation” are nutrient-rich. By the definition that nutrient rich refers to
what isn’t in a food as well as what is, and the fact that just one or two nutrients doesn't make it rich
in nutrients, animal foods fail the test.
They contain no dietary fiber, which regulates digestion, nutrient uptake, and removal of
waste from the body. Fiber also helps maintain a healthy probiotic bacterial population.
They contain no phytochemicals, which are plant-derived-only chemicals. The thousands of
chemicals (nutrients) that protect the plant from invaders are the same nutrients that
detoxify human cells of free radicals, clean up cellular wastes, and repair human DNA,
activating and strengthening the human immune system.
They are low in antioxidants as compared to plants.
Certain forms of vitamins and minerals in animal form, such as vitamin A and iron, are not
health-promoting for human beings.
They have low to no carbohydrates, which fuel the body (the brain and central nervous
system cannot function without carbs; if you don’t eat any carbs, your body will make
necessary glucose out of your muscle!).
They have no water.
They contain cholesterol from another animal, as well as saturated fat, which is the storage
form of fat from another animal. We need neither cholesterol nor saturated fat from food.
Animal protein promotes rapid growth, revs up enzyme systems, and promotes tumor
growth. It is over-stimulating, which causes rapid aging.
Meats are cooked in ways that increase the toxic properties of the foods, producing known
carcinogenic compounds as by-products (such as heterocyclic amines), as well as other
unhealthful substances.Is Animal Food “Whole Food?”
According the market they are, arguably, but you rarely see it advertised that way. Plant foods are
the poster children of whole foods because they are. Of course, I do not consider animal products to
be whole foods, nor do those associated with NutrientRich.com. That opinion is defined by nutrient
content, not whether or not foods are “grown” or “born” or raised “naturally.” That’s irrelevant in
the definition of a “whole food.” So is whether it’s been pasture-raised, grass-fed, or otherwise
marketed with health buzzwords.
What makes a whole food “whole” is whether or not the food meets the standards of The Three
Golden Rules of Healthy Eating, which define a nutrient rich food—by what it has in it, by what it
does not contain that we don’t need, and the state the food is in when it’s eaten.