Buzz
In the wellness space, the familiar is considered dull. Why would anyone want to hear the same advice repeated: that almost any type of exercise is beneficial, and a balanced diet should include a range of foods, including vegetables? It's far more captivating to watch someone reveal 'hidden' information that mainstream health professionals supposedly don't want you to know.
On TikTok, a group of (predominantly) white (mostly) men proudly declare that they don’t consume vegetables, and neither should you. Ready to explore this?
The reasons TikTokers claim vegetables are harmful to your health
Here's a tale with a kernel of truth: Vegetables are plant parts—roots, stems, leaves, and possibly seeds. Plants don’t want to be consumed, so they produce toxic compounds to protect themselves, aiming to deter any would-be eaters, including humans.
This narrative is repeated across various TikTok videos, often followed by claims of specific toxins, health issues, and vegetables to avoid for optimal health. The term 'anti-nutrients' is sometimes thrown in, though it doesn’t necessarily align with these toxins. We’ll dive into those details later.
(The TikTokers seem to overlook the fact that any interaction between a plant and its consumer is part of an ongoing battle. The plant develops toxins, and the eater evolves resistance. Have they never watched their garden attract insects, slugs, and squirrels? Do they really believe we are more vulnerable than these creatures? So many questions.)
There’s often a concession that 'some' individuals can consume vegetables without issue, but those with health problems are advised to stop eating most or all veggies. Fruits are occasionally criticized too, though some TikTokers claim they’ll eat fruits but avoid vegetables altogether.
Are vegetables truly harmful to your health?
What? Absolutely not! There’s a wealth of scientific evidence supporting the idea that the more vegetables you consume, the better.
Of course, these studies have limitations, as all studies do: they tend to be observational and often group various types of vegetables together while using different methods of measurement. Nevertheless, the consistent and overwhelming result is that vegetables lower our risk for many health problems.
For instance, a 2022 study aimed at examining the evidence behind vegetable recommendations concluded that consuming about 12 ounces of vegetables daily, compared to none, reduces the risk of strokes, coronary heart disease, and esophageal cancer. A 2008 study found that eating at least three servings of vegetables daily cuts the risk of coronary heart disease by 70%. (A 60% reduction was also observed with five servings of fruit.)
This 2017 meta-analysis found that the more fruits and vegetables you consume, the lower your risk for the above chronic diseases and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even all-cause mortality. The more you eat, the better, with benefits peaking at around 600 grams for cancer prevention and 800 grams for other health benefits. To put it into perspective, 800 grams is about 28 ounces, or five to seven servings of fruits and veggies per day.
So, what’s the deal with these alleged toxins and anti-nutrients?
Two things are true: yes, vegetables do contain toxins and anti-nutrients. But, these aren’t harmful enough to affect us in typical amounts and with standard food preparation methods.
As the studies mentioned earlier about vegetables and health indicate, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Eating more vegetables doesn’t make people sick; it makes them healthier. There's no need to obsess over the specifics of what lectins, sulforaphanes, or tannins do to our bodies when the overarching conclusion is clear: we should be eating more vegetables.
But if you’re curious about the details, let’s explore some of the main figures from the anti-vegetable TikTok community.
Lectins
Lectins are plant-based proteins that attach to carbohydrates. They can interfere with nutrient absorption and sometimes cause digestive issues. For instance, there are numerous reports of individuals experiencing vomiting and diarrhea from lectin poisoning after eating undercooked kidney beans. This is why it’s crucial to boil your beans for 10 minutes, not just soak and slow-cook them. (Canned beans are already safe as they've been sufficiently cooked to eliminate the lectins.)
According to Harvard’s Nutrition Source explains, 'It’s important to note that consuming foods with high levels of active lectins is uncommon.' Cooking effectively neutralizes or reduces lectin levels in foods, so it's unlikely you're ingesting significant amounts of lectins in your meals.
TikTokers who claim that lectins cause gastrointestinal distress aren’t providing evidence from clinical studies. Apart from cases of lectin overdose (like the poisoning from kidney beans), most of the research is based on non-human studies or vegetables that aren’t typically eaten by humans. Sure, some people might be sensitive to specific lectins, but are vegetables causing widespread harm to health? The answer is clearly no.
Lectins have benefits as well: they act as antioxidants and can help slow down carbohydrate absorption, potentially preventing blood sugar spikes after meals. Foods rich in lectins include legumes (such as beans and lentils) and whole grains, all of which are packed with fiber, vitamins, and other nutritious components. There’s substantial evidence showing that, overall, these foods are beneficial to our health.
Oxalates
It’s been known for some time that consuming large amounts of foods high in oxalates or oxalic acid is harmful. For example, rhubarb leaves, which are high in oxalates, are discarded when rhubarb is sold. Other vegetables, especially leafy greens like spinach (and even potatoes!), contain smaller amounts of oxalates.
However, most vegetables you find at the grocery store don't have enough oxalates to pose a health risk. Cooking these vegetables further reduces their oxalate content. If you’ve had a history of kidney stones formed from oxalates, the American Urological Association recommends limiting high-oxalate veggies. (But don’t eliminate them entirely like some TikTokers suggest, just enjoy them in moderation.)
Notice how the risks seem drastically different when you compare TikTok rants to advice from medical experts. While TikTok tells you oxalates cause kidney stones and kidney failure, Colorado State University’s nutrition center clarifies that most kidney stones are formed by the body, not from oxalates in food. Their advice? Drink plenty of water to prevent kidney stones and include oxalate-rich plant foods in your diet, as research suggests they have a crucial role in disease prevention.
The negative reactions to vegetables aren’t as dramatic as TikTok might lead you to believe.
For TikTokers, the ideal medical scenario is when you’re feeling a bit off and can’t pinpoint the cause. Then, you’re encouraged to try their diet, supplements, or at the very least, keep watching their videos, which boosts their engagement.
In reality, there are plenty of occasions where toxic reactions to vegetables can happen, and the effects would be severe enough to require urgent medical care. This is exactly why organizations like the FDA, WHO, and others caution against exposing ourselves to particularly dangerous substances. They stress the importance of properly cooking kidney beans, avoiding rhubarb leaves, steering clear of honey from mountain laurel and rhododendron flowers, and not consuming peach pits or apple seeds. (Note: accidentally eating a seed or pit won’t harm you, but don’t consume them in large quantities.)
TikTokers might try to use this information to scare us away from vegetables that are perfectly safe to eat. For example, one video claims that celery is poisonous because it contains an acid that can increase your risk of sunburn. While the sunburn part is true, the poison part isn’t. Celery juice can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, and so can lime juice, leading to a reaction called “margarita hand.” One woman had an intense reaction after eating an entire pound of celery before going to the tanning salon. This doesn’t mean you should avoid celery altogether.
Don’t believe the videos from sea moss supplement companies claiming that celery’s acidic pH shows it’s man-made and not a natural food (what?) or that broccoli can stay in your digestive system for up to 4 weeks unless you buy their sea moss supplements. (This is just another version of the age-old myth that your intestines are full of trapped poop).
Meanwhile, many of the compounds that TikTokers demonize–such as tannins, sulforaphanes, and glycoalkaloids–have both potentially harmful and beneficial effects. Here’s an article from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center recommending cruciferous vegetables specifically for their sulforaphane content.
In conclusion, vegetables are still good for us, no matter what TikTok says. I’m not going to make you eat them–I’m not your mom–but please, don’t buy into the fearmongering online.
