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Ex-vegan Miley Cyrus has revealed that feeling like ‘the face’ of veganism was ‘a lot of pressure’.
The singer, who was vegan for around five years, revealed that she had started eating fish again while appearing on a recent episode of Joe Rogan‘s podcast.
‘Malnutritioned’
She claimed that her plant-based diet had impaired her brain function and she needed to consume fish to feel sharper, saying: “When it comes to my brain – you’re not vegan, you can’t be vegan and living this kind and being this quick, but sure you can, some people can, I cannot [sic].
“Now I’m so much sharper than I was and I think that I was at one point pretty malnutritioned [sic].”
Pressure
Speaking about ditching veganism on yesterday morning’s edition of the Edge morning show, as reported by NewsHub, the singer said: “I think life’s about trial and error and finding out what works for you.
“I’m someone that when I feel like something is working for me I want to share it because it feels right… but then you end up holding yourself to a standard that again people just attach to.
“It’s not about saying forever – I’m not saying that I would stay ‘un-vegan’ or not – I think when you become the face of something it’s a lot of pressure.”
Fish and brain function
It’s important to note that despite Cyrus’ claims about eating fish and brain function, a number of health professionals have noted they have no basis in science, among them ND Dr. Matthew Nagra, who said ‘fatigue (mental or physical) can be caused by a myriad of issues, which may not be diet-related, and there’s no indication that she was seeking any medical care’.
“In addition, it’s important to note that the research on omega-3 supplements (EPA/DHA) and cognitive function is mixed, with potential benefit in older adults specifically. Of course, fish is a source of these omega-3s, but so is a vegan algae-based supplement,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
“That being said, it is unclear if vegans even need to supplement since we produce EPA and DHA from short-chain omega-3s (ALA) in foods like flax and our levels don’t vary much from fish eaters. Furthermore, those with genetically elevated levels don’t seem to be protected against Alzheimer’s disease, which is why I just think of these supplements as an extra safety measure, to ensure you get enough.”
Placebo effect
He added: “Something that should give pause is when someone notices drastic improvements with a small dietary change. This SCREAMS placebo effect. On a physiological level, it’s impossible for a few meals of seafood to drastically change omega-3 levels, especially within the brain.
“This becomes even more likely when a vegan has constantly been told that their diet is deficient by those who clearly have not seen the data. We can start to believe it…That being said, we have no clue what Miley was actually eating.
“So before you see all the carnivore doctors posting about this negative anecdote, even though meat is a poor source of omega-3s, remember that an anecdote isn’t science and the overwhelming body of evidence suggests that vegans/vegetarians have lower risk of many non-communicable diseases and all-cause mortality. There’s a reason that health professionals like @drgarthdavis and @brendadavisrd continue to thrive without any signs of slowing down.”
