zlacker

>>lsllc+(OP)
I'm not going to argue for or against any specific conclusion here, but there are several reasons that observational nutrition studies (and reviews of such work, like this one) need to be taken with a grain of salt, including:

- healthy user bias: People who choose a plant-based diet (or in fact, probably just about any structured diet) are more likely to be health conscious in general and more likely to have other healthy habits like exercise.

- latent variables: "meat eaters" follow a wildly diverse group of diets, including those who eat just fresh lean meats, and those who eat heavily processed foods like bacon and sausage. Or those who eat just chicken. Or just fish, etc. A lot of the contradictory claims about "meat" seem to have a lot to do with these distinctions.

- self-reporting errors: Most observational nutritional studies rely on self-reporting of diet - there's a ton of research that shows that people regularly misreport what they eat in these studies (both qualitative & quantitative).

All of this is not to dismiss the results either - a lot of the time observational nutrition studies are the best we have! Doing randomized controlled trials on these kinds of interventions is difficult, so observational studies are often the best we can get, but they're really only a piece of the puzzle.

>>jonnyc+M9
Do you have any evidence that plant-based diets are more "health conscious", and that that by itself explains why they are healthier?

I'm personally vegan for ethical reasons, not health reasons. I wonder how many people actually go plant-based for health reasons, I doubt it's the majority.

>>paullu+Kd
I don't know the data on this, but I'm surprised you're doubtful. Don't you think the media and doctors alike have been pushing the idea that plant-based diets are healthier? My doctor suggests a plant-based diet for health. A family member of mine who gets most of his scientific and historical info from netflix is thoroughly convinced that meat will kill you. Just anecdotes of course.

>>knight+Sh
Honestly, I wish media would be pushing the idea that plant-based diets are healthier. Instead, all I see in the media is advertisements for meat and dairy products. Doctors tell me that "oh maybe it's because you're vegan?" whenever there is ever anything wrong with me, like say, a cavity at the dentist.

I know about 20-30 other vegans, and literally all of them are vegan for ethical or environmental reasons. None of them do it for health reasons, otherwise vegan pizza, vegan hot chocolate and vegan muffins wouldn't have been a thing.

My experience is also just anecdotal of course. And it might also be a difference in culture or country, perhaps.