Should I eat vegetables?

Paul Saladino suggests that reducing intake of cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens improved Forrest Galante's digestive system, and that consuming large amounts of vegetables with oil, Gatorade, and bread can lead to fatty liver, high triglycerides, and elevated blood sugar. He also notes that some vegetables, grains, rice, oats, wheat, and bread can cause issues for some individuals, and that individuals with autoimmune issues may consider cutting out vegetables and grains. Saladino claims that plants including grains, potatoes, and leafy greens can trigger immunologic reactions leading to depression and anxiety. He also states that leafy greens and vegetables contain problematic compounds, and their hormetic benefits are outweighed by negatives and are redundant when other hormetic practices are employed. Saladino suggests that removing vegetables, defined as the non-fruit parts of plants, may improve health by removing seeds which contain digestive enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, lectins, and gluten. He also believes that boron from vegetables and nuts may not be very bioavailable and is not worth obtaining from these sources due to potential issues like phytic acid and digestive enzyme inhibitors. Saladino argues that the assumption that vegetables are universally beneficial and that insufficient fiber intake causes illness is incorrect. He avoids vegetables, leaves, stems, roots, and seeds of plants due to their defense chemicals, and states that the overall evidence for the benefits of exclusively vegetable interventions is not clear, with some studies showing no benefits or even increases in inflammatory biomarkers. Saladino also claims that interventional trials investigating the effects of high vegetable consumption on immunological and antioxidant markers have not shown significant changes. For most individuals with adequate endogenous antioxidant mechanisms, adding vegetables does not enhance antioxidant capacity and may introduce harmful side effects (Paul Saladino). For individuals with autoimmune diseases, sensitive guts, or conditions like eczema and psoriasis, vegetables may not be beneficial due to their defense chemicals (Paul Saladino). Vegetables contain more plant toxins and are more in need of detoxification compared to fruits, making them a less ideal choice for improving acid-base balance (Paul Saladino). Beans, grains, and leafy greens are survival foods and not ideal for human nutrition, especially for women trying to conceive or during pregnancy (Paul Saladino). Forrest Galante experienced regular stomach upset when consuming vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and salads (Paul Saladino). Consuming eight cups of leafy greens daily to obtain sodium and phosphorus is not a good idea due to potential toxins and oxalates (Paul Saladino). Paul Saladino also notes that vegetables may be a source of health problems for some individuals, and are not invariably healthy for all humans at all times due to bio-individuality and varying genetic capacities to detoxify plant defense chemicals. He suggests that the necessity of vegetables may be reconsidered if micronutrients can be adequately obtained from high-quality animal foods. Studies using lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and orange juice to increase vegetable intake have not shown modification of DNA damage markers (Paul Saladino). A study on subjects at risk of cardiovascular diseases found no significant changes in clinical, immunological, or antioxidant markers with high vegetable consumption compared to low vegetable consumption (Paul Saladino). Increasing vegetable intake in overweight or obese post-menopausal women is associated with increased plasma carotenoids but does not modify markers of oxidative stress or inflammation (Paul Saladino). Paul Saladino experienced eczema and moderate gas on a diet of grass-fed meat, vegetables, salads, and avocado. For some sick individuals, the issue may be insufficient vegetable intake, while for others, it could be the chronic accumulation of plant defense chemicals (Paul Saladino). Cutting out vegetables contradicts common health advice and surprises many people (Paul Saladino). A diet increasing vegetable intake with either linoleic or oleic acid had no effect on plasma ICAM or hs-CRP levels (Paul Saladino). Interventional studies demonstrating positive health outcomes from vegetable consumption are not numerous (Paul Saladino). Defense chemicals in vegetables, such as oxalates, may accumulate in joints and contribute to joint pain (Paul Saladino).

The verdict could change with more robust interventional studies demonstrating consistent positive health outcomes from vegetable consumption across diverse populations, or with further research clarifying the bio-individuality of responses to plant defense chemicals and the bioavailability of nutrients from vegetables versus other sources.