Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
In this episode, I evaluate Saladino's claim (formulated years before by Mark Sisson and others) that because plants are rooted in the ground and cannot defend themselves, they defend themselves with plant poisons and are therefore toxic and shouldn't be eaten by humans. I employ several counterarguments:
1. Plants are domesticated. Like domesticated animals, this makes them more amenable to human consumption.
2. Animals have also evolved toxins to avoid consumption. Indeed there are dozens of extremely poisonous animal species and there is no reason to believe that animals have not evolved less poisonous toxins that we might consume from their flesh everyday.
3. If we take Saladino's argument to its logical conclusion, we must conclude that all animals should only consume other animals, including herbivores like rabbits and turtles. However, if rabbits and turtles consumed a carnivore diet, they would develop disease and die. It follows that the argument from "plants are toxic" cannot be applied to all species. Therefore this is an empirical question: we must study in actual scientific studies the impact of plant consumption on health. We cannot resolve it with a priori arguments.
4. Furthermore, even if plants are toxic, disruption of normal biological function can be beneficial in some cases. Indeed, genetic knockouts of important inflammatory genes actually increase longevity in laboratory animals. It follows that even if a plant is "toxic", it might still produce benefit--as longevity drugs do.
5. Finally, I present evidence from COSMOS that, indeed, some plant toxins work in exactly this way. Cocoa flavanols in particular reduce death from cardiovascular disease and from all causes, according to gold standard randomized controlled trial research. Cocoa flavanols are unquestionably "plant toxins", yet they enhance cardiovascular health and cognition.
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For more, find me at:
PODCAST The Kevin Bass Show
YOUTUBE youtube.com/user/kbassphiladelphia
WEBSITE thedietwars.com
TWITTER twitter.com/kevinnbass
twitter.com/healthmisinfo
INSTAGRAM instagram.com/kevinnbass
TIKTOK tiktok.com/@kevinnbass
And above all, please donate to support what I do:
PATREON patreon.com/kevinnbass
DONATE thedietwars.com/support-me
In this episode, I evaluate Saladino's claim (formulated years before by Mark Sisson and others) that because plants are rooted in the ground and cannot defend themselves, they defend themselves with plant poisons and are therefore toxic and shouldn't be eaten by humans. I employ several counterarguments:
1. Plants are domesticated. Like domesticated animals, this makes them more amenable to human consumption.
2. Animals have also evolved toxins to avoid consumption. Indeed there are dozens of extremely poisonous animal species and there is no reason to believe that animals have not evolved less poisonous toxins that we might consume from their flesh everyday.
3. If we take Saladino's argument to its logical conclusion, we must conclude that all animals should only consume other animals, including herbivores like rabbits and turtles. However, if rabbits and turtles consumed a carnivore diet, they would develop disease and die. It follows that the argument from "plants are toxic" cannot be applied to all species. Therefore this is an empirical question: we must study in actual scientific studies the impact of plant consumption on health. We cannot resolve it with a priori arguments.
4. Furthermore, even if plants are toxic, disruption of normal biological function can be beneficial in some cases. Indeed, genetic knockouts of important inflammatory genes actually increase longevity in laboratory animals. It follows that even if a plant is "toxic", it might still produce benefit--as longevity drugs do.
5. Finally, I present evidence from COSMOS that, indeed, some plant toxins work in exactly this way. Cocoa flavanols in particular reduce death from cardiovascular disease and from all causes, according to gold standard randomized controlled trial research. Cocoa flavanols are unquestionably "plant toxins", yet they enhance cardiovascular health and cognition.
===
Like, comment, subscribe.
For more, find me at:
PODCAST The Kevin Bass Show
YOUTUBE youtube.com/user/kbassphiladelphia
WEBSITE thedietwars.com
TWITTER twitter.com/kevinnbass
twitter.com/healthmisinfo
INSTAGRAM instagram.com/kevinnbass
TIKTOK tiktok.com/@kevinnbass
And above all, please donate to support what I do:
PATREON patreon.com/kevinnbass
DONATE thedietwars.com/support-me
