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[text flickering]
[tense sparse music]
[upbeat acoustic folk music]
- [Tom] My name's Tom; that's me.
I was born in Yorkshire.
I was a normal child growing up, sort of.
Look at that cummerbund.
Played a lot of football.
I ran quite a lot.
[film projector whirring]
Even won myself a few medals.
[crowd cheering] [crowd applauding]
I had two dogs.
[dog barking]
Oh, yeah, and I didn't eat meat.
[record scratching]
In fact, I've never eaten meat.
Okay, so maybe my childhood wasn't that normal.
'Cause that was the 1980s.
Everybody ate meat.
But since then, things have changed.
Veganism is on the rise and it is continuing to grow.
There are countless articles
now stating the potential health
and environmental benefits a plant-based diet can fix.
But for every positive story related to veganism,
there seems to be another two that contradict it.
And I still can't go a day
without hearing from friends, colleagues, and strangers
wanting to share the many reasons they could never go vegan.
Like, "Vegans are malnourished,
Climate change doesn't exist.
Cheese, bacon.
The food is bloody disgusting.
B12, protein.
"Animals are there for us to eat."
Is it all just one big plant-based con?
Why was I even raised this way?
I need to know more.
I need to know why so many people continue to say,
"I could never go vegan."
[tense thoughtful music]
I've never eaten meat because I was raised that way.
I was curious why my parents made this decision.
So, when I was out one sunny day, walking my pooch,
I decided to give my mum a quick call.
[dog panting]
[phone line ringing]
- [Tom's Mum] Hello?
- Hi, Mum. It's Tom.
I've just got a quick question for you.
When you first told people
you weren't gonna eat meat anymore, how did they take it?
- [Tom] Of course,
I've heard this more than anything else since being vegan.
So, I decided to track down some of the UK's top doctors
and nutritionists so they could tell me all about-
- Protein.
I think everyone who's vegan has heard the question,
"Where do you get your protein?"
- The answer is so simple
that I feel completely stupid repeating it every time.
You know, every single plant food has protein in it.
Our largest land animals
and strongest land animals on this planet,
the elephants, and the great apes, and the giraffes,
are all eating plant foods.
- In the West, there really are no cases
of protein deficiency
because we are actually getting an abundance of calories,
and we know that Western vegans
get more than enough protein.
- The average person needs about 0.8 to one gram
per kilogram of body weight.
Okay, fine, if you're an athlete
or if you're bodybuilding, trying to build muscle,
if you're playing a lot of sports,
then your protein requirements do increase.
But again, only to about 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight.
So again, it's not as high as people think,
and it's all achievable with a vegan diet.
- [Tom] As it turns out, Minil knows what he's talking about
when it comes to getting enough protein.
[upbeat rock music]
[record scratches]
In fact, I quickly realized
there's a whole host of professional athletes,
past and present, benefiting from a plant-based diet.
- I think there is this big misconception
around you can't be vegan and strong.
But there's many of us
that are just living examples of that.
- [Tom] And it's not just professional athletes either.
I was finding ordinary people
benefiting from a plant-based diet, too.
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Like Dean Maher, who's climbed Mount Everest,
which is quite high by all accounts.
- Yeah, it's like a plant-based diet
is our superpower, really.
It's just that recovery.
The last race I did was a 100-mile race.
And the next day, unless I really pushed into my quads,
my legs weren't sore at all.
- [Tom] And Mike Coppock, who I met up with in Barcelona,
as he was about to attempt yet another
ultra running world record.
- I'm about to attempt the fastest known time
on the 225-kilometer GR 5 route, near Barcelona.
- [Tom] What I found even crazier about Mike
is that he'd just done a full shift at work.
Rather than go home and rest like a normal human,
he was about to attempt the world record without any sleep.
Why would you do something like this?
- [laughs] Yeah, it's a good question.
- [Tom] Despite years and years of marketing
linking athletic performance to meat consumption,
more and more athletes are adopting a plant-based diet.
Like Lisa Eble, three times CrossFit champion in Germany
and three times medalist at the German Weightlifting Champs.
[dramatic orchestral music]
- For me, it's the right way.
It's good for the animals, it's good for the environment,
and it's good for my body.
I know I can go to an 80-kilo bar and snatch it.
That's easy. [laughs]
- [Tom] And Jeremy Reijnders,
two times CrossFit champion of Holland.
- I noticed already in the first couple of weeks
that I had more energy.
I had the same kind of training but I was less sore.
I was even able to add extra training during the week
because I could handle more volume
because I felt like I was already ready to go earlier.
- [Tom] Kate Strong,
three times static bike world record holder
and ex-triathlon world champion.
- I was able to digest it quicker,
which meant that I could recover quicker
after very heavy training sessions.
I was sleeping better;
I was waking up more alive, more refreshed.
Feeling better, having more positive thoughts.
- [Tom] Ryan Stills, powerlifting world champion.
Alex Morgan, Olympic gold medalist
and two-time World Cup winner.
Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 champion.
Chris Smalling, ex-Premier League-winning footballer.
Cheavon Clarke, Ex-Olympic boxer.
Dotsie Bausch, cycling Olympic silver medalist.
- [Dotsie] I had no idea
I was literally ingesting rocket fuel
when I switched over to plants.
I stood on the Olympic podium
just five months shy of my 40th birthday.
- [Tom] Carl Lewis,
who ran his fastest ever times as a vegan,
and tennis superstar, Novak Djokovic.
I could keep going, but I think you get the point.
I wanted to get a sense of how impressive
these athletic feats were,
so I made the somewhat foolish mistake
of challenging Lisa to a race walking on our hands.
- Well done!
[Lisa laughs]
Yes!
- [Tom] Safe to say, I won't be doing that again.
- [laughs] Yeah! - Ah!
- [Lisa] Good job!
[hands slapping]
- You don't have to follow those stereotypical norms
of being able to achieve something
through eating animal products.
I feel like it's just been almost embedded
into the fitness industry that you must have to do it,
but we're calling bullshit. [laughing]
I don't know if I'm allowed to swear, sorry. [laughs]
- [Tom] You can swear.
[light thoughtful music]
[phone line ringing]
[door clunking]
- [Tom's Mum] Hello?
- Hi, Mum. It's Tom again.
You know before, when I asked how people reacted
when you said you didn't eat meat,
was it just protein they mentioned
or was there anything else?
- [Tom] So, basically 37 years ago,
my mum was hearing the exact same thing I hear today.
Thankfully, my new doctor friends were ready to clarify
whether they think vegans should be fearful
of nutrient deficiencies.
- What we know about a 100% plant-based or vegan diet
is that it can meet your nutritional needs
for all stages of life, and this has been endorsed
by some of the major dietetic associations around the world,
including the BDA here in Britain.
We've also got the American Dietetics Association
and the Canadians.
- [Tom] It was evident that the majority
of essential nutrients were available
in abundance in a plant-based diet,
but like any dietary pattern,
a small handful just need a little extra care and attention.
- Iodine deficiency is a global problem,
and it's one of the commonest global deficiencies
that we face.
- This trace nutrient is essential for health,
especially thyroid function,
and we only need a very small amount.
- [Tom] Best plant sources are sea vegetables
like nori, dulse, or wakame,
which I imagine for a lot of people, myself included,
sound like made-up words.
Other options of iodine include fortified plant milks,
yogurts, and breads, iodized salts, or a supplement.
Vitamin D is another nutrient
that just needs a little more care and attention.
It's also known as the "sunshine vitamin"
because over 90% of it is derived from sun exposure.
It's actually a vitamin
that more than half the global population
have insufficient levels of.
It is fortified in various plant milks and breads,
but if you live in the Northern Hemisphere,
work long hours indoors, or enjoy role-playing as a vampire,
you should probably supplement, especially in winter.
And of course, everyone's favorite nutrient
of concern for vegans: B12.
- This is a really important vitamin
that's actually made by microbes in the soil.
- A supplement is the most reliable way.
And it's important to mention that many people who eat meat
are also deficient in vitamin B12.
- [Tom] Rohini was right.
B12 wasn't just a nutrient of concern for vegans.
In the US, people above the age of 50
are told to supplement with B12
regardless of dietary pattern,
partly because B12 found in meat comes attached to protein
that requires stomach acid for removal
and proper absorption.
Many older adults
don't have enough stomach acid for this process,
so they're encouraged
to get some of their B12 from supplements
or fortified foods.
All dietary patterns take planning,
but there seems to be a much greater focus on the vegan diet
than most others,
and that's despite the fact that vegans
are at no greater risk of nutrient deficiencies
than meat eaters.
As it stands, they're actually more likely
to have a higher intake of nutrients
than both vegetarians and omnivores.
- Actually, the most prevalent diet in the UK,
you know, the typical British diet, is far from optimal.
We're so deficient in a number of nutrients.
- But the number one dietary deficiency
that you should be thinking about every day
is dietary fiber deficiency.
This is a deficiency that affects
about 90% of people in high-income countries.
And why is that?
It's because our food systems have changed so much
that we depend on meat, and dairy, and processed foods,
and junk foods for 60 to 80% of our calories.
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts,
and seeds in their unprocessed form
generally account for maybe 10% of our calories,
and this is a perfect recipe for a fiber-deficient diet.
- So currently, in the UK,
only one in 10 adults gets enough fiber.
- [Tom] What?
Only one in 10 adults get enough fiber?
Wow!
And it's even worse in the US,
where it's only 5% that get enough.
A similar story in Canada, too, and Europe.
And this is despite the fact
that an adequate intake of dietary fiber
is associated with good digestive health,
a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension,
certain gastrointestinal disorders,
obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers,
and not to mention having a good poo.
- Fiber is only found in plant foods,
and many people are surprised to learn
that there is actually zero fiber in any animal products.
- [Tom] What's crazy
is that even a large chunk of vegetarians
don't get enough fiber.
As I continue to investigate the various reasons
people give for not going vegan,
I also ask friends and family members to help
by sending the most common reasons they've heard.
One that popped up a fair few times
is this idea that consuming meat is masculine.
But what does it actually mean to be masculine?
Does it mean the biggest?
The strongest?
The most athletic?
A protector? Provider?
A carer of those around him?
Whatever it means, a large amount of people
associate red meat with masculinity.
I've heard people argue that it's because men are hunters
and women are gatherers; therefore, we're masculine.
But that scenario played out a long time ago.
I'm not quite sure how shopping
in the frozen aisle of your supermarket for a piece of meat
screams masculinity in quite the same way.
Despite this, growing up, I vividly remember adverts
trying to sell manliness as a meal.
♪ I am man; hear me roar
♪ The number's too big to ignore ♪
♪ And I'm way too hungry to settle for chick food ♪
♪ 'Cause my stomach's starting to growl ♪
♪ And I'm going on the prowl
- [Tom] So just how big a role does advertisement play,
and why is it so effective?
- We don't notice it, because it's around us all the time,
and it's until you stop and go,
"What on earth is going on there?"
that you suddenly start going,
"Well, that's really messed up, actually."
Lying on her back in a very sexually provocative way,
legs in the air with high heels on and fishnet stockings on.
It's really quite a bizarre image.
Men like to consume the bodies of women.
Men like to consume meat as well.
So in order to establish masculinity, manliness,
you can kind of do that by engaging with the practice
of consuming these bodies in this fragmented,
objectified way.
- Sex sells; it always has.
And for years, men have been sold products
based around masculinity and sex.
I mean, the car and tobacco industries
have been doing this for a long time.
But it was perhaps the meat industry
that took it to a whole new level.
Attractive woman, reference to oral sex.
Phallic-shaped object entering woman's open mouth.
Aspirational penis size.
"Eat this sandwich, be a man, get hungry,
get horny, get fed, get laid."
But seriously, is meat masculine,
or is it just clever marketing?
If advertisements focused on women consuming meat,
then men would likely consume less meat.
And it's believed that it's actually men suffering
with masculine fragility that are more likely to eat meat.
And what of the act of sex itself?
[computer keyboard clacking]
We know from various studies
that high meat consumption can impact blood flow.
And as you can imagine,
healthy blood flow is essential for healthy erections.
Whereas high consumption of plant foods
can improve blood flow to the heart, brain, and the penis,
thanks to flavonoids
and cyanins found in various plant foods like apples,
blueberries, and citrus fruits.
Healthy blood flow, healthy erection.
So with all that being said,
is red meat really the most masculine choice?
[laptop lid clunks] [cell phone buzzing]
Now, I have no idea how my mum stumbled across this chap,
but safe to say I was impressed.
I wonder when he went vegan?
I decided to go meet him and find out.
There are a lot of people who believe,
perhaps you get to a certain age
and you think, you know, "There's no point
in me changing anything now; it won't make a difference.
You know, I've been this way all my life; what's the point?"
- [Paul] My message has always been,
it's never too late to do anything, you know?
So I challenged myself to do a million press-ups
between the age of 80 and 90.
I wanna do 100 ultramarathons before my 100th birthday.
- [Tom] Paul became vegan in his early 60s
and didn't start running until he was 82.
But has he seen any differences to his health by going vegan
over 60 years into his life and starting running so late?
- Well, I've got about 30 friends,
email friends I see regularly, play cards with
and go out walking with.
All of them, without exception,
are on some form of medication.
I'm not. No meds, nothing.
[gentle contemplative music]
- [Tom] As incredible and aspirational as this sounded,
it was also anecdotal.
In reality, I can find individuals
that champion any dietary pattern and claim to be thriving.
What does the science say about longevity
in a whole-food plant-based diet?
Well, it turns out, Paul has a point;
it really is never too late.
If a 20-year-old switches from their standard Western diet
to an optimal diet
that is predominantly whole food plant-based,
it's estimated to increase life expectancy by 13 years,
even making a halfway transition to the optimal diet,
and it's expected to add a further six years.
That's because eating extra legumes
can add over two years to life expectancy,
whole grains another two years, and nuts 1.7 years.
Of course, most people I know are older than 20,
but that's the thing.
60-year-olds making the change, just like Paul did,
could live eight years longer,
and 80-year-olds introducing these foods into their life
could be expected to live a further 3.4 years.
Paul was onto something with his claim about medication.
Vegans are up to 58% less likely
to require medication past the age of 60 than omnivores
and vegetarians.
[deep thoughtful music]
At the end of my chat, Paul asked me
if I wanted to join him on his next ultramarathon.
I didn't really, let's be honest,
but he's over 50 years older than me;
I couldn't exactly say no, could I?
- [Announcer] Three, two, one!
Go!
[crowd cheering]
Good luck, everyone! Good luck!
We'll see you when you get back.
[contestants chattering]
- [Tom] We're off, Paul.
We're off. - We're off mate. Yeah.
[contestants chattering]
Put any disease that you think of
next to a plant-based diet online and see what comes up.
And inevitably, it'll say a plant-based diet
is beneficial to any of those conditions.
- [Tom] All right, Paul, challenge accepted.
[deep thoughtful music]
- What should we eat?
What should everybody on the planet strive to eat?
- The Global Burden of Disease study
showed us that food has now overtaken other risk factors
as being the biggest thing
that drives chronic disease in the Western world.
- 74% of the British adults are carrying excess weight.
They're either overweight or obese.
- When it comes to chronic disease risk,
we know that genes only really account
for between 10 to 15% of cases,
and there is a huge amount that we can do
in terms of our lifestyle.
- Studies of populations over time
show us that the more plants we eat,
the less chances of heart disease we have in the future.
- There is only one dietary component
that consistently has been shown
to increase one's risk of developing bowel cancer,
and that's meat.
Even consuming just 200 grams of fruits
or vegetables per day can reduce your risk by 22%.
That's one apple a day to keep the oncologist away.
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer
that is diagnosed in men.
- And hormone-dependent cancers are, in fact,
more likely to be driven
by the increased consumption of animal products,
including meat and dairy.
- So the World Cancer Research Fund states
that "A healthy diet for cancer prevention
is one that's centered around fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, and beans."
That's pretty much a whole-food, plant-based diet.
The American College of Cardiology
recommends a plant-based diet
for preventing cardiovascular disease.
So that's our two top killers taken care of there and then.
- Eight out of 10 women will suffer from hot flushes,
and we know that historically, women who have eaten
whole plant foods,
women who have soya regularly in their diet
tend to suffer less.
- The American College of Clinical Endocrinologists
recommends a plant-based diet
as a first-line prevention for type 2 diabetes.
- My own father was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
in his 50s.
- I think the penny dropped
when I realized that I was losing my vision in both eyes.
- And he put it into remission
using a whole-food, plant-based diet.
- I felt much healthier, and I'm in remission
with regard to the diabetes.
- Irritable bowel syndrome, digestive discomfort,
bloating, gas, indigestion
affecting more than one in five people.
We have got to look at the food on our plate.
Because the science clearly tells us
that the standard Western diet,
which is a high meat, high dairy, high processed food,
high junk food diet, a plant-deficient diet,
is the perfect diet to generate terrible digestive health.
- You know, when you read the studies,
the stats tell us that 80%
of the chronic illnesses that we see in the NHS
could be pretty much wiped out
if we, as a population or citizens, adopted a healthy diet
and other healthy lifestyle behaviors.
- It's not about labeling yourself as vegan or plant-based,
or even flexitarian.
It's about choosing to build your meals
from the ingredients
that are proven to benefit human health.
- If we shifted the whole of our population
towards a plant-based diet, whether it's 85%, 90%,
or even 100% for those that can do it,
we would radically reduce our risk of illness,
and that would make my life so much easier
as a cancer doctor.
- [Tom] My nan died of a massive heart attack
a few years ago.
Since then, I've lost other relatives
to various chronic illnesses.
I never once spoke to them about the food they ate
or their lifestyle.
Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference,
but maybe it would.
The real kicker is the fact that I didn't even try.
Over in Scotland, Sophia has very kindly invited me
to watch her defend her British at the Powerlifting Champs.
Powerlifting consists of three attempts
at three different exercises:
Squat, bench, and deadlift.
In an ideal world, you make the lift,
then you increase the weight on your next attempt.
Sophia is off to a great start
with two fantastic opening lifts of 157.5 kilograms
and 165 kilograms.
On her third squat, she's going for 170 kilograms.
[upbeat techno music]
[audience cheering]
[audience applauding]
And she nails it.
But I quickly learn,
it's not gonna be plain sailing for Sophia.
She's got some strict competition
in the name of Susanna Argile.
Susanna is about to attempt the British record
with a massive 198-kilogram squat.
[upbeat techno music continues]
[audience cheering]
- [Announcer] It's a good lift!
And a new British record for Susan Argile!
- [Tom] At the end of round one, Susanna's in the lead,
with Sophia back in third place.
[upbeat techno music]
[car engine whirring]
Back in Barcelona, Mike is off to a great start,
as he tells me when we meet up with him
at the first checkpoint.
- Yeah, pretty good.
Reasonably fresh.
Just been taking it slowly. [sniffs]
Trying to go as slow as possible. [laughs]
- [Tom] You're ahead of schedule then?
- Yeah, a little bit.
- [Tom] The weather is truly awful.
Worse than in the UK, if you can believe that.
But it's not deterred Mike in the slightest.
- I'm pretty pleased that it's light now,
and now still feeling reasonably good.
The legs are still working pretty well.
So 76 kilometers.
Yeah, I'm still feeling reasonably fresh.
Yeah, avocado and bean wraps are the best.
[people chattering]
See you tomorrow. - Yep, yeah.
- Yeah. - Have a good time.
- Bye. [contestant laughing]
- [Tom] And just like that, Mike's back on his way,
and is two hours ahead of the current record.
While out on a walk with Chan,
my mum kindly sent me another argument
she's had quite a lot over the years.
[cell phone buzzing]
It was a good question because I also hear this a lot.
So, is it more expensive?
[tense thoughtful music]
- Some people really think so.
And if you go to some supermarket chains,
you might get away with that impression,
especially if you buy sort of highly processed, you know,
burger replacements.
But based on basic ingredients,
on the cost of basic ingredients,
it doesn't seem to be the case.
We wanted to really dig out some data
and look at how expensive different, healthy,
and more sustainable dietary patterns,
including a vegan dietary pattern, would actually be.
The biggest cost reduction we found
for vegan dietary patterns,
and the least for pescatarian dietary patterns.
Those could actually be more expensive
in high-income countries.
One thing to illustrate this
is if we look at the weekly cost
of a normal food basket for one person,
in the US or other high-income countries,
it would be about $50 per week.
You can cut that down to just a little bit over $30
if you were to buy the ingredients
for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
- [Tom] Clearly, there's a cheap
and expensive way to eat vegan foods,
so processed foods obviously play their part
in why people think this way.
Plant-based milks are also 60% more expensive
than their dairy counterparts.
And this is troubling when a large portion of people
are actually intolerant to dairy.
But what about fruits?
Cost of fruit is believed to be the barrier
from stopping 1/3 of people in the UK
from eating enough of it.
And somehow,
this means that four ultra-processed beef burgers
are actually often cheaper than four apples.
And upon further research,
I seem to find an explanation for this:
$540 billion has been dished out in government subsidies.
I mean, subsidies don't have to be a bad thing.
Surely, if used correctly,
they could both drive food prices down
and protect a global food system that works for all.
But when used incorrectly,
then nearly all the money pumped in
could harm people's health, the planet's health,
and drive inequality.
The biggest beneficiary of these subsidies
is animal agriculture, such as beef and dairy.
In the UK and many other countries,
livestock farmers simply wouldn't survive
without the taxpayer.
In Wales, a country where a large amount of land
is used to farm sheep, the average farmer's income
hovers around zero pound per year,
meaning almost all the money a farmer receives
comes from public subsidies.
What's worse is that the majority of subsidies
around the world don't even benefit local farmers.
In the US, 10% of farmers mop up
77% of their country's subsidies.
In the EU,
they get the money based on every hectare of land farmed.
The landowners, i.e. the rich, just get richer.
I wondered about how much money arable farmers get.
And thankfully, I had just the person to ask.
So I decided to head over to Iain Tolhurst's organic farm,
in slow motion.
Do you benefit from any subsidization?
- No, at the moment, we don't get any subsidies at all.
We have had little bits of money in the past.
It was never more than 0.3% of our turnover.
- [Tom] How can that be?
This is one of the richest countries in the world,
and yet people have clearly stated
they can't afford to eat certain fruits and veg
because of cost.
A country where only 8% of children aged between 11
and 18 are eating enough fruits and vegetables,
yet we're offering a pittance in subsidies
to arable farmers.
- So if governments wanted to make a difference,
they would subsidize the price of fruit
and vegetables at the point of sale.
- [Tom] But that isn't what governments are doing,
so it turns out that is why four apples
cost more than four processed beef burgers.
[dog panting] [deep thoughtful music]
[cell phone buzzing]
This really got me thinking,
because if animals are here for us to eat,
then which animals do we mean?
[light thoughtful music]
There are currently over 6,300 species of mammal,
and a further 10,000 species of bird.
Yet in the UK, US, and the majority of the West,
we only eat a handful.
We eat the same animals over and over and over again.
The UK's meat consumption is actually currently reducing,
but we still kill and consume 2.6 million cows and calves,
10 million pigs, 14.5 million sheep and lambs,
and over 950 million birds each year.
In the US, it's more like 34 million cows and calves,
131 million pigs,
and 9.3 billion chickens.
In one country, in one year, they eat 9.3 billion chickens.
And worryingly, in the US, meat consumption is on the rise.
If these animals really are here for us to eat,
then why do we eat so few?
There's literally thousands of species to choose from.
- In meat-eating cultures around the world,
people learn to classify a small handful of animals
as edible.
All the rest they classify as inedible
and often disgusting and even offensive to consume.
So, even though the type of animal consumed
changes from culture to culture, all cultures tend to think
of their own choices as rational
and the choices of other cultures as irrational
and often even offensive.
- [Tom] In other parts of the world,
they do eat vastly different animals
to the ones we consume in the UK, US, and most of Europe.
In Japan, they eat wasp crackers, tuna's eyeballs,
and dolphin.
In France, you can order frog risotto.
In parts of Cambodia, they fry spiders.
And in parts of Asia, they eat cats and dogs.
Animals that in the US, it's not only morally frowned upon,
but it's illegal.
- In the West, for example, we don't eat dogs,
but in the East, in some places, people do eat dogs.
But they don't eat all kinds of dogs.
They eat certain kinds of dogs.
So, it's offensive to eat certain breeds,
but eating dogs who are mixed breeds
is not offensive to many people.
So, there really is not a rational classification
for why certain animals are deemed edible
and others are not.
- [Tom] Why don't we farm and eat dogs
like they do in large parts of Asia?
It'd be quite easy to manage.
Dogs are docile.
That's why we test on thousands of them every year
in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.
It would probably be just as easy to farm and eat them, too.
- When we look at a hamburger, we see food,
we don't see dead animals.
And we feel appetized often, anyway.
We feel appetized rather than disgusted.
Now, if somebody were to tell us that that hamburger
was made from a golden retriever,
chances are we would automatically see that hamburger now
as a dead animal rather than as food,
and we would automatically feel disgusted,
and often perhaps even sad, rather than appetized.
- [Tom] 26% of the UK population
have a dog as a companion animal, and 24% have a cat.
People the world over love their cats and dogs.
Although clearly not everywhere.
In China, anywhere between 10
and 20 million dogs are killed every year,
five million in Vietnam,
and another two million in South Korea.
Which is why so many people in the West
campaign passionately against it.
But why?
What's the point?
I mean, in India, Hindus consider cows sacred,
yet we eat over 2 1/2 million every year in the UK.
Should they protest and sign petitions?
Would we listen?
Why do these ethical double standards exist?
Why can you donate to help prevent animal cruelty
on the oldest animal charity website,
but then on their assurance scheme website
find recipes on the best ways to cook the animals?
If these animals are truly here for us to eat,
we seem to be particularly selective in which ones we mean.
The idea of chopping up my dog
and eating his flesh is a truly horrible one.
But how different is it really?
[dog faintly barking]
[cell phone buzzing]
[Tom groans]
- [Cody] Tom, it's Cody.
Quick question.
What makes people turn vegan?
I mean, we've been eating meat since cavemen times.
There's cave paintings of cavemen hunting animals.
There's no cave paintings of cavemen digging vegetables.
Also, talking of animals, animals eat other animals.
I'm an animal.
You're an animal.
You know, we've even got the same teeth as animals.
Carnivorous animals, anyway.
You know, canines and all that.
I'll send you a picture of me teeth, just to clarify.
Anyway, sorry if I've ruined your trip.
Enjoy this and-
[cell phone beeps] [Tom sighs]
[cell phone buzzing]
- [Tom] My friend's mouth
gave me a newfound respect for dentists.
But I was curious to know,
who has the biggest canines in the animal kingdom?
It's probably not what you're expecting.
The hippopotamus has the largest teeth of any land animal.
Their canines can reach up to 1.5 feet.
But they eat grass and fruit.
They don't eat meat.
And sure, some animals, like lions,
use their canines to tear away at meat,
but others use it for social signaling
and to help defend external threats.
Basically, I'm not sure the mere presence of canines
really proves anything.
I mean, have you tried tearing raw meat with your canines?
Because some people actually have, and it's not easy.
[computer keyboard clacking]
It's not what our teeth are designed for.
They're built for crushing and grinding, not for slicing.
That's why they move side to side.
But what about this argument
that we're all part of the animal kingdom
and we should follow the lead of the big cats
and other predators?
I mean, they're not vegan, right?
- And I'm just gonna say absolutely, they're not vegan.
And they'll kill each other for their survival.
But animals also don't fly planes.
They don't go to space.
They don't have Amazon delivery.
So, to compare us to the animals
doesn't really work as an argument.
- [Tom] What were our ancestors' diets like?
Was it all meat?
Did they eat plants?
What about whole grains?
Does it even matter?
- The take-home message is that these hominins,
they would eat whatever they could get in their mouth
and get some nutritional value from.
- Our ancestors ate to survive.
They ate meat and plants for that reason.
And probably more plants than most people realize.
There's also evidence to suggest
we've been eating whole grains for 100,000 years.
But even if there wasn't any evidence to suggest that,
who cares?
Our ancestors were trying to make it to the next meal
and avoid starvation.
Humans today live in a much more complex society
than our ancestors.
We ask moral and ethical questions.
We want to know what's good for the planet.
What's good for us.
What's good for our wallet.
Here in the West, we're trying to avoid the chronic diseases
that are our biggest killers,
so doesn't it make sense to eat the foods
that help them achieve that,
regardless of how many of them our ancestors ate?
I mean, there's so much evidence for eating a diet
that's rich in plants and whole grains,
so would it really matter one way or another
if our ancestors, 150,000 years ago, didn't eat them?
[cell phone buzzing]
[groans] I'm tryna sleep here.
[Tom sighs]
- [Cody] Hey up, it's Cody again.
I've just thought of a fourth one actually:
It's vegan food.
It's foul, honestly.
Anyway, I'll say that-
[light thoughtful music]
- [Tom] Is vegan food terrible then?
How come so many people are genuinely surprised
when they eat something vegan
and find they actually like it?
- "Oh, that's not bad.
This is vegan food?"
And slowly you start to see them open up
and go, "Oh, I could probably do...
What's the name of that one?
Is that recipe in this book here?
Okay, great."
And when they taste the food
and realize that it's really tasty,
then they kinda go, "And this is gonna make me healthier?"
- "It's affordable.
This is gonna make me lose weight.
This is gonna help me lower cholesterol.
This is gonna fill me up.
This is gonna make me have more money.
And it's gonna save me on healthcare costs."
And suddenly, you start realizing
how much this can affect your life in a positive way.
Suddenly, you go, "Oh, I'm gonna do more of this."
- [Tom] I was fortunate to spend some time with them,
get an idea of how they approach cooking,
and also put together a couple of delicious meals.
- Typically, you're using fresh ingredients.
You're using herbs, you're using spices,
you're using things in season.
As a society, we're very addicted to a certain type of food.
And it's not until you can wean yourself off that
that you can stand back and go, "Oh, my goodness!
Like, I was sacrificing my health.
I was sacrificing my well-being."
Now it tasted good, but this food can taste even better.
- [Tom] These meals were quick and easy,
like their Philly steak sandwich
made from lion's mane mushroom
or their famous five-minute chickpea curry.
Let me tell you, they're both delicious.
- What vegan or whole-food plant-based offers
is food that tastes amazing, leaves you feeling good,
having more energy.
- Most people have this one-dimensional view of veganism
as people who eat salads all day, which is totally wrong.
You know, you have people from different cultures
and backgrounds who eat a variety of meals
which are nutritious, healthy, filling.
- [Tom] In fact, it only takes a quick internet search,
and you'll find countless people
cooking up the most delicious vegan meals.
I also frequently hear that people could never go vegan
because it's too difficult,
that they wouldn't know what to cook at home,
and they wouldn't be able to shop or eat out.
So how hard is it?
[groovy upbeat music]
Believe it or not, I'm not a professional chef,
but to create delicious, healthy, and quick vegan meals,
you really don't need to be.
Experiment with it; start with one-pot meals.
Think of your favorite cuisines and dishes;
they will almost always be flavored with plants,
so play around with herbs and spices.
Everything I'm cooking here
can be done in 15 minutes or less,
and most can be batch-cooked to save time later.
You don't need to miss out on the foods you love either.
Put the word vegan in front of your favorite dishes
and just see how many recipes it brings up.
♪ You are
- [Tom] And what about shopping and eating out?
How hard is it?
In the UK, every major supermarket
now has a full vegan range.
There's over 14,000 vegan
or vegan-friendly restaurants in England alone.
And in the US, 48% of restaurants serve vegan dishes now.
And it isn't just the UK and the US;
veganism has gone truly global.
The top five vegan-friendly cities in the world
are now spread across four continents,
and there's over 186,000 businesses
from 180 countries on the Happy Cow platform.
It has never been easier to eat or cook vegan.
But what of the meat alternatives on the market?
How convincing are they?
Sure, we know if it's the health benefits
you're striving for,
then whole plant foods are always better.
But what if you just wanna feel like
you're tucking into your favorite burger or chicken dish?
As it happened, I had a little experiment planned.
I have to present people with three dishes,
telling them one's meat and two are vegan.
I wanna know if people can tell the difference.
Let's see how good these meat alternatives really are.
It quickly became apparent
that not only did everybody like the food,
they also kept choosing different options as the meat dish.
- Maybe the burger.
- Yeah, I'd probably say burger.
- Okay.
- I was torn between the sausage and the chicken.
- I think the chicken was meat.
- Yeah, I'd probably say a burger then.
- I'd say the sausage was the meat.
- Okay. - Yeah.
- The reason why I chose chicken as being chicken
is 'cause it looks fibrous.
- Would it surprise you if I told you
that they're all vegan? [laughs]
- It would to me, it would.
That burger was great.
Really, really.
Yeah.
- I actually preferred that chicken to chicken.
- Oh, did you? [group laughs]
- And if it wasn't meat,
it's much better than I thought it would be.
- Well, I thought the burger was fascinating
'cause it was actually a better burger
than a meat burger was. [Tom laughs]
- It was, yeah. - The sausage is my favorite.
So that's number one.
- That's what surprised me.