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The Game Changers is a 2018 American documentary film about athletes who follow plant-based diets.
Directed by Oscar®-winning documentary filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, and Chris Paul, The Game Changers tells the story of James Wilks — elite Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner — as he travels the world on a quest to ...
- Overview
- Recap of the film
- Strengths of the film
- Limitations of the film
- What does the research say?
- Is the vegan diet right for everyone?
- An evidence-based healthy diet
- The bottom line
If you’re interested in nutrition, you’ve probably watched or at least heard of “The Game Changers,” a documentary film on Netflix about the benefits of plant-based diets for athletes.
Although parts of the film are credible, it’s been criticized for cherry-picking data to suit its agenda, making broad generalizations from small or weak studies, and being one-sided toward veganism.
“The Game Changers” is a pro-vegan documentary that follows the journey of several elite vegan athletes as they train, prepare for, and compete in major events.
The film takes a hard-line stance on veganism and meat consumption, even claiming that lean meats like chicken and fish are bad for your heart and can lead to poorer health outcomes.
It also offers a wide-ranging, surface-level look at some major areas of research regarding the potential advantages of the vegan diet.
The film suggests that vegan diets are superior to omnivorous diets because they promote heart health, decrease inflammation, lower cancer risk, and improve physical performance.
Summary
“The Game Changers,” a documentary that follows several elite vegan athletes, gives a broad overview of some of the alleged benefits of plant-based diets.
Although it’s come under heavy criticism, the film gets a few things right.
Well-planned vegan diets can provide just as much protein as diets that include animal products, along with all nine essential amino acids — the building blocks of protein that you must obtain through food.
Still, most plant proteins are incomplete, meaning that they don’t provide all of the essential amino acids at once. Thus, vegans should eat a variety of legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains to get enough of these acids (1).
Properly planned vegan diets can also provide sufficient quantities of nutrients like vitamin B12 and iron, which can sometimes be difficult to obtain when you don’t eat animal products (2).
To meet iron needs, vegans should eat plenty of lentils or leafy green vegetables. Nutritional yeast and supplements can also provide vitamin B12 (3, 4).
Furthermore, vegan diets may protect against heart disease and some cancers compared with diets that include animal products (5, 6).
Research bias
Just a few minutes in, it’s clear that “The Game Changers” is pushing veganism. Although the film cites a lot of research, it completely ignores studies on the benefits of animal products. It also overstates the significance of small, observational studies. The two alleged studies conducted during the film itself — measuring the cloudiness of professional football players’ blood and the nighttime erections of college football players after eating meat — were informal and unscientific. What’s more, the film accuses the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association of funding biased, pro-meat research, although plant-based organizations like the Soy Nutrition Institute have also been involved with research with potential conflicts of interest (7).
All or nothing approach
The film takes a hard-line stance on people’s eating patterns, advocating for a strict vegan diet with no animal products. “The Game Changers” not only vilifies red and processed meats but also claims that animal proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs are equally bad for your health. While vegan diets can be healthy and beneficial, a large body of evidence supports the health benefits of vegetarian diets, which don’t restrict all animal products, as well as omnivorous diets (8, 9).
Dismissal of the challenges of vegan diets
Finally, the film’s focus on elite athletes presents some issues. Throughout “The Game Changers,” vegan diets are made to seem easy and convenient. However, the athletes profiled in the movie have access to significant financial support, along with teams of trainers, dietitians, physicians, and personal chefs to ensure that their diets are perfectly optimized. Many vegans without access to these resources struggle to get enough protein, vitamin B12, and other nutrients (2). Additionally, following a vegan diet may limit your options when dining out. As such, you may need to take time to plan your meals or cook more at home. Summary “The Game Changers” has several notable drawbacks, including a strong pro-vegan bias and reliance on small, unscientific studies.
Heart health
“The Game Changers” repeatedly discusses the beneficial effects of the vegan diet on cholesterol levels and heart health. Indeed, vegan diets have long been linked to lower levels of total cholesterol (10). However, while the vegan diet is associated with lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, it’s also tied to lower HDL (good) cholesterol — and doesn’t appear to affect triglyceride levels (10). Alternatively, a less restrictive diet that permits some animal foods may increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels, potentially lowering your risk for heart disease (10). Additionally, the film fails to mention that excessive sugar intake may increase your risk for heart disease more than animal foods. Vegan diets, and especially processed vegan foods, may still contain high amounts of added sugar (11).
Inflammation
“The Game Changers” also asserts that plant-based diets are anti-inflammatory, especially when compared with omnivorous diets. It goes so far as to contend that meats widely considered healthy, such as chicken and fish, are inflammatory. This claim is flatly false. Many foods — both animal- and plant-based — can contribute to inflammation, such as added sugars, highly processed foods, and seed oils like vegetable and soybean oil (12, 13). Likewise, several animal and plant foods are widely considered anti-inflammatory, such as olive oil, many fruits and vegetables, certain herbs and spices, and foods rich in omega-3 fats — including fatty fish like salmon (14). Compared with a low fat omnivorous diet, a vegan eating pattern improves inflammatory markers (15). However, diets that include animal products, such as the paleo diet, are likewise associated with decreased inflammation (16). Plant-based and omnivorous diets alike can be inflammatory or anti-inflammatory depending on the foods they’re comprised of, as well as other factors like total calorie content.
Cancer risk
Long-term human studies indicate that vegan diets may decrease your risk for any type of cancer by 15%. This is in line with claims made in “The Game Changers” (5). However, the film wrongly suggests that red meat causes cancer. Research often lumps red meat in with processed meats like bacon, sausage, and deli meats — which are linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, such as breast and colon cancer (17, 18). Yet, when studies investigate red meat alone, the association with these cancers disappears (17, 18). While a vegan diet may decrease your risk for certain cancers, cancer development is a multifaceted issue that requires further study. Overall, unprocessed red meat does not appear to increase your cancer risk.
Nutrients of concern
Several nutrients are difficult to get on a vegan diet, so you should structure your meals appropriately and take certain supplements. Nutrients of concern include: •Protein. Vegan diets must be carefully planned to include all nine essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein (26). •Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal foods, so vegans may benefit from a supplement. Nutritional yeast is a vegan condiment that’s often a good source of this vitamin (2, 3). •Calcium. Given that many people get calcium through dairy products, a vegan diet should include plenty of vegan calcium sources, such as fortified cereals, kale, and tofu (2, 27). •Iron. Some plant foods like lentils and dark leafy greens are rich in iron, but this iron isn’t as easy to absorb as iron from animal sources. Therefore, vegan diets run the risk of iron deficiency (2, 4). •Zinc. Like iron, zinc is easier to absorb from animal sources. Plant sources of zinc include nuts, seeds, and beans (2, 28). •Vitamin D. Some studies suggest that vegans are more prone to vitamin D deficiency, though supplements and sunlight exposure can resolve this issue (2, 29). •Vitamin K2. This vitamin, which helps your body use vitamin D more effectively, occurs mostly in animal foods. Supplementing is a good idea for vegans (30). •Omega-3 fatty acids. These anti-inflammatory fats may improve heart and brain health. Although they’re found in high levels in fish, vegan sources include chia and flaxseeds (2, 31). A robust and structured vegan diet is a fine option for healthy adults. However, other populations may need to practice caution with the diet, especially children.
Children and adolescents
As they’re still growing, infants, children, and adolescents have increased needs for several nutrients that may be difficult to obtain on a vegan diet (32). In particular, infants shouldn’t be fed a vegan diet because of their needs for protein, fat, and a variety of nutrients like iron and vitamin B12. Although soy-based, vegetarian baby formulas are available in the United States, relatively few vegan formulas are. While older children and adolescents can follow a vegan diet, it must be carefully planned to incorporate all appropriate nutrients (32).
Older adults and those with chronic illnesses
As long as it’s balanced, a vegan diet is acceptable for older adults. Some research indicates that sticking to a plant-based diet can help prevent age-related weight gain when compared with diets that include higher amounts of animal foods (33). Furthermore, evidence suggests that plant-based or vegetarian diets can be therapeutic for certain conditions, such as fibromyalgia. A low protein, plant-based diet may also be beneficial for people with chronic kidney disease (34, 35). If you have any concerns about dietary needs for your age or health condition, consult your healthcare provider or a dietitian. Summary Vegan diets may require meticulous planning to prevent nutrient deficiencies, especially in children. In particular, you should be sure you’re getting enough protein, omega-3 fats, and vitamins B12, D, and K2, among other nutrients.
Despite claims from advocates on both sides of the fence — from adamant vegans to passionate carnivores — numerous dietary patterns promote healthy eating.
Most healthy diets provide adequate amounts of protein, whether from animal or plant sources. They also contain healthy fats from meat or plants, such as avocado, coconut, and olive oils.
Furthermore, they emphasize whole, natural foods like unprocessed meats, fruits, vegetables, starches, and whole grains. They also curb highly processed foods and drinks, including soda, fast food, and junk food (36).
Finally, healthy diets limit added sugars, which are tied to an increased risk for obesity, unwanted weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer (37, 38, 39).
Summary
Healthy diets can be plant-based or include animal foods. They should provide adequate protein and healthy fats while restricting processed foods and added sugars.
“The Game Changers,” a pro-vegan documentary chronicling the efforts of several vegan athletes, is correct in some ways.
However, the science is not quite as black and white as the film makes it appear, and some contentions in the film are simply not true.
While a vegan diet may provide several health benefits, the film tends to overstate these claims while ignoring research on other eating patterns.
Healthy diets, regardless of whether they include animal products, should emphasize whole, unprocessed foods alongside adequate amounts of protein and healthy fats while limiting added sugars.
With James Wilks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrik Baboumian, Dotsie Bausch. A UFC fighter's world is turned upside down when he discovers an elite group of world-renowned athletes and scientists who prove that everything he had been taught about protein was a lie.
- (22K)
- Documentary, Sport
- Louie Psihoyos
- 2019-09-16
Meeting visionary scientists and top athletes, a UFC fighter embarks on a quest to find the optimal diet for human performance and health. Watch trailers & learn more.
Watch the Game Changers movie, an award-winning documentary by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul. Coming soon to digital.
Chris Paul is a nine-time NBA All-Star who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, two Olympic gold medals, and led the NBA in assists four times and steals six times.
