Documentaries/Movies Archives

50 Vegan Documentaries to Watch (Animal Rights, Health, Environment and for Inspiration)

November 1, 2018 By Dishan Mendis 18 Comments

Vegan documentaries can be so powerful and inspiring as visual tools of education, and most importantly as food for thought!

Though most of these documentaries are related to vegan themes, a very few may present you with general topics (especially health documentaries) which may still be beneficial in broadening your understanding.

We encourage you to watch these documentaries with an open mind and see how they can help you lead a life which is compassionate, healthy, and environmentally-friendly!

Animal Rights Documentaries

1) Earthlings (2005)

Synopsis: with rare footage (using hidden cameras), Earthlings shows the practices of animal cruelty in the largest animal farming industries, which solely rely on animals for profit.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 35 min
Google rating: 92%
IMDB rating: 8.7
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon DVD (special extended DVD)

2) Speciesism: The Movie (2013)

Synopsis: A young man’s journey of investigating the hidden truth of “factory farming” and soon discovers a growing political and intellectual movement that believes there is no justification for speciesism
Trailer
Running length: 1h 34min
Google rating: 94%
IMDB rating: 8.3
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (quality HD)
- Amazon DVD

3) Blackfish (2013)

Synopsis: the devastating consequences of keeping intelligent and sentient killer whales in captivity
Trailer
Running length: 1h 23min
Google rating: 88%
IMDB rating: 8.1
Where to watch

4) The Ghosts In Our Machine (2013)

Synopsis: from undercover investigations to joyful rescue missions the documentary shows the lives of individual animals living within and rescued from the machine of our modern world
Trailer
Running length: 1h 33min
IMDB rating: 8.3
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)

5) Dominion (2018)

Synopsis: with drones, hidden and handheld cameras, Dominion exposes the modern animal agriculture & animal exploitation, questioning the morality of mankind’s dominance over animals
Trailer
Running length: 2h
Google rating: 97%
IMDB rating: 9.4
Where to watch
- Official website (free)

6) Lucent (2014)

Synopsis: the cruel side of Australia’s pig farming industry, accepted as standard practice.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 47 min
IMDB rating: 8.5
Where to watch
- Official website (free)

7) Farm To Fridge (2011)

Synopsis: the harsh reality faced by farmed animals and the unseen journey they make from Farm to Fridge
Running length: 12 min
IMDB rating: 8.8
Where to watch
- Official website (free)

8) Meet Your Meat (2002)

Synopsis: actor and activist Alec Baldwin exposes the truth behind humanity’s cruelest invention – the factory farm
Running length: 12 min
IMDB rating: 8.0
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon DVD

9) The Animals Film (1981)

Synopsis: a comprehensive examination of the exploitation of animals in modern society
Trailer
Running length: 2h 16 min
IMDB rating: 8.2
Where to watch
- Official website

10) Facing Animals (2012)

Synopsis: questions our strange behavior towards animals: why do we look away from millions of farm animals while pampering others?
Trailer
Running length: 30 min
IMDB rating: 8.3
Where to watch
- Official website

11) Land of Hope and Glory (2017)

Synopsis: the truth behind UK’s standard animal farming practices featuring over 100 UK facilities
Trailer
Running length: 48 min
IMDB rating: 9.2
Where to watch
- Official website (free)

12) A Fall From Freedom (2011)

Synopsis: a comprehensive film on the sordid history of the captive whale and dolphin entertainment business (premature deaths, trainer injuries, illegal practices, educational misrepresentation, government incompetence, and secret deals)
Trailer
Running length: 1h 22 min
IMDB rating: 8.2
Where to watch
- Amazon prime
- Amazon DVD

13) The Cove (2009)

Synopsis: the most cruel acts against wild dolphins in the world in Taiji, Japan
Trailer
Running length: 1h 32 min
Google rating: 85%
IMDB rating: 8.5
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

14) Shadow Trade (2016)

Synopsis: Thailand’s dog meat trade
Trailer
Running length: 50 min
IMDB rating: 8.7
Where to watch
- Facebook page
- Amazon prime (HD)

15) Death on a Factory Farm (2009)

Synopsis: the undercover investigation of Wiles Hog Farm and the court case against it
Running length: 1h 23 min
IMDB rating: 7.6
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

Health & Food Industry Related Documentaries

16) Forks Over Knives (2011)

Synopsis: impact of animal-based and processed foods
Trailer
Running length: 1h 30 min
Google rating: 92%
IMDB rating: 7.8
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD/Blu-ray

17) What The Health (2017)

Synopsis: what highly processed industrial animal foods can do to our health and why those industries, government, big pharma and health organizations seem to have a hidden agenda
Trailer
Running length: 1h 37 min
Google rating: 87%
IMDB rating: 7.8
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

18) Plantpure Nation (2015)

Synopsis: story of three people on a quest to spread the message of the healthiest diet for mankind
Trailer
Running length: 1h 35 min
Google rating: 98%
IMDB rating: 7.6
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

19) Food Choices (2016)

Synopsis: the impact of food choices on health, planet and other species
Trailer
Running length: 1h 31 min
Google rating: 92%
IMDB rating: 7.4
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD/Blu-ray

20) Planeat (2010)

Synopsis: three men’s lifelong search for a diet good for health, environment and the future of our planet
Trailer
Running length: 1h 27 min
Google rating: 94%
IMDB rating: 7.4
Where to watch
- Vimeo
- Amazon prime

21) Crazy Sexy Cancer (2007)

Synopsis: an inspirational story of a young woman looking for a cure and finding her life after she was diagnosed with cancer
Trailer
Running length: 1h 29 min
Google rating: 73%
IMDB rating: 7.6
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon DVD

22) Swine (2016)

Synopsis: a superbug infecting the UK pig population prompts Guard-Media journalist Jack Tomlins to go undercover in a pig farm in search of truth
Running length: 16 min
IMDB rating: 8.3
Where to watch
- Official website

23) Food Matters (2008)

Synopsis: a discussion on our current state of health echoing the message “we are what we eat”
Trailer
Running length: 1h 20 min
Google rating: 93%
IMDB rating: 7.7
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime

24) Hungry For Change (2012)

Synopsis: exposes shocking secrets & deceptive strategies the diet, weight loss and food industries don’t want you to know
Trailer
Running length: 1h 29 min
Google rating: 92%
IMDB rating: 7.5
Where to watch

25) Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2010)

Synopsis: an inspiring film about Joe who is obese with an autoimmune disease is on a personal mission to regain his health with fresh fruit & vegetable juice
Trailer
Running length: 1h 37 min
Google rating: 93%
IMDB rating: 7.6
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

26) Super Size Me (2004)

Synopsis: Morgan Spurlock studies the influence of fast food industries, and attempts to explore the consequences of a McDonald’s diet on his health for one month.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 40 min
Google rating: 83%
IMDB rating: 7.2
Where to watch
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

27) Eating You Alive (2018)

Synopsis: How the food we consume could be the cause of diseases, and how changing our diet can save our lives.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 48 min
Google rating: 95%
IMDB rating: 8.6
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon DVD/Blu-ray

28) Fillet Oh Fish

Synopsis: An investigation about the source of fish used as filet for many famous and so-called healthy dishes trying to answer the questions such as, where do fish come from? How are they fed? In which waters they live?
Trailer
Running length: 54 min
Where to watch
- YouTube

29) Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes In 30 Days (2009)

Synopsis: a few diabetes patients try to overcome the disease with a raw vegetable diet
Trailer
Running length: 1h 29 min
Google rating: 96%
IMDB rating: 7.7
Where to watch
- YouTube

30) Food Inc (2008)

Synopsis: the cheap means of food production since the drastic growth of fast food industry and the resultant plight due to greater control of food supply by a few multinationals
Trailer
Running length: 1h 34 min
Google rating: 88%
IMDB rating: 7.8
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)

Documentaries for Environment & Species Extinction

31) Cowspiracy (2014)

Synopsis: a journey of an aspiring environmentalist, seeking solutions to critical environmental issues and sustainability.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 30 min
Google rating: 95%
IMDB rating: 8.3
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon DVD

32) More Than Honey (2012)

Synopsis: a study of honeybee colonies in California, Switzerland, China and Australia and trying to understand why bees are facing extinction
Trailer
Running length: 1h 35 min
Google rating: 89%
IMDB rating: 7.6
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD/Blu-ray

33) Racing Extinction (2015)

Synopsis: as scientists believe we have entered the sixth major extinction in Earth’s history, the documentary follows undercover activists trying to prevent a man-made mass extinction
Trailer
Running length: 1h 30 min
Google rating: 97%
IMDB rating: 8.2
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD/Blu-ray

34) Sharkwater (2006)

Synopsis: The importance of sharks’ to the ecosystems & balance of life and humankind’s mass destruction of shark species worldwide
Trailer
Running length: 1h 29 min
Google rating: 95%
IMDB rating: 8.0
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon DVD/Blu-ray

35) Virunga (2014)

Synopsis: a team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas of the UNESCO world heritage, Virunga National Park from armed militia, poachers and other dark forces
Trailer
Running length: 1h 40 min
Google rating: 93%
IMDB rating: 8.2
Where to watch
- Official website

36) Before The Flood (2016)

Synopsis: how climate change affects our environment and what we can do to prevent the demise of everything we cherish today
Trailer
Running length: 1h 36 min
Google rating: 95%
IMDB rating: 8.3
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)
- Amazon DVD

37) The Ivory Game (2016)

Synopsis: exposes ivory trafficking and the deep-rooted corruption while wildlife activists combating poachers making an effort to end the illegal ivory trade
Trailer
Running length: 1h 52 min
Google rating: 93%
IMDB rating: 7.9
Where to watch
- Official website

38) H.O.P.E What You Eat Matters (2016)

Synopsis: the effects of Western diet on our health, the environment and animals
Trailer
Running length: 1h 40 min
IMDB rating: 7.8
Where to watch
- Official website (free)

39) Meat The Truth (2007)

Synopsis: about the intensive livestock production and how it generates more greenhouse gas emissions than cars, lorries, trains, boats and planes added together
Trailer
Running length: 1h 14 min
IMDB rating: 7.9
Where to watch
- YouTube

Vegan Documentaries for Athletes & Bodybuilders

40) The Game Changers (2018)

Synopsis: a quest for the truth behind a dangerous myth that meat is necessary for protein and it introduces the world to elite athletes, being on a mission to make a shift in the way we eat and live.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 28 min
Google rating: 96%
IMDB rating: 8.6
Where to watch
- Official website (not released as of 30 Oct 2018)

41) From The Ground Up (2017)

Synopsis: a former meat-eating college football player goes on a journey to rediscover the athlete within, but this time, as a vegan
Trailer
Running length: 1h 35 min
IMDB rating: 9.3
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)

Inspirational Vegan Documentaries

42) Called To Rescue (2016)

Synopsis: a glimpse into 15 farm animal sanctuaries throughout the US and how the rescued animals are changing lives, lifestyles, and beliefs due to the connection
Trailer
Running length: 1h 5 min
IMDB rating: 9.4
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon prime (HD)

43) Vegucated (2011)

Synopsis: follows three meat and cheese-loving New Yorkers who adopt a vegan diet for six weeks
Trailer
Running length: 1h 16 min
Google rating: 92%
IMDB rating: 7.2
Where to watch

44) Live and Let Live (2013)

Synopsis: the stories of six individuals who ditched animal products for various reasons and show the impact of that decision on their lives.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 20 min
Google rating: 87%
IMDB rating: 7.6
Where to watch
- streamingmoviesright.com

45) Vegan: Everyday Stories

Synopsis: the lives of four remarkably different people who are vegans (an ultramarathon runner who has overcome addiction, a cattle rancher’s wife converting the ranch into an animal sanctuary, a food truck owner cooking up plant-based food, an 8-year-old girl who convinces her family of six to go vegan)
Trailer
Running length: 1h 31 min
IMDB rating: 8.2
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon prime (HD)

46) Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2009)

Synopsis: a touching film that shows how farm animals are being treated, the bond and the struggle of conscience farmers have with their animals with the ultimate outcome, and how some of the farmers have turned their farms into sanctuaries.
Trailer
Running length: 1h 18 min
IMDB rating: 8.7
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon DVD

47) Unity (2015)

Synopsis: voiced by a cast of 100 celebrity narrators, the film questions the inability of the advent of science, literature, technology, philosophy, religion, in preventing mankind from continuous annihilation (killing one another, wiping out animals, and destruction of nature) despite our existence for thousands of years
Trailer
Running length: 1h 39 min
Google rating: 94%
IMDB rating: 7.5
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon prime (HD)

48) The Witness: Tribe Of Heart (2000)

Synopsis: touched by the love of a kitten, a tough New York City construction contractor embarks on a mission to rescue abandoned animals, and take his message of compassion to the streets
Trailer
Running length: 43 min
IMDB rating: 8.5
Where to watch
- Official website (free)
- Amazon DVD

49) May I Be Frank (2010)

Synopsis: the 54-year-old Frank who weighs 290 lbs, with a lifetime of drug & alcohol abuse and being on multiple medications is helped by a trio from a vegan restaurant to take on his weight, health, relationships and loving himself in just 42 days
Trailer
Running length: 1h 30 min
Google rating: 96%
IMDB rating: 7.1
Where to watch
- Official website
- Amazon DVD

50) Vegan 2017

Synopsis: the journey of veganism throughout the 12 months of 2017 showing the triumphs, challenges and adversities it has faced while continuing to grow
Trailer
Running length: 47 min
IMDB rating: 7.8
Where to watch
- Official website

5 Best Vegan Documentaries to Watch

September 19, 2018 By Dishan Mendis Leave a Comment

If you’re in search for the best vegan documentaries that would inspire anyone to go vegan then these are the top documentaries we can highly recommend which are great sources of knowledge & motivation.

Not only these documentaries show the violation of animal rights, but they also show the impact of meat and its production on health and the environment. The last documentary is one of inspiration that shows the vegan journey of three omnivores that decided to try a vegan diet for 6 weeks.

Watch, be inspired, and keep sharing!

1) Earthlings (2005)

Watch Earthlings Trailer Here (Vimeo)

Google Rating: 92%
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10

Theme: Animal Exploitation (food, clothing, entertainment, scientific research and as pets)

Running Length: 1h 35 min

If there is one documentary that would make any human being to go vegan, it would be Earthlings.

This award-winning documentary is narrated with an impressive tone by Academy Award Nominee Joaquin Phoenix who is a long-time vegan.

Earthlings through hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage show the practices of some of the largest industries raising animals for food, clothing, entertainment, scientific research and as pets to profit.

What’s incredible about this documentary is the sheer breadth of animal cruelty it covers possibly due to years of effort by many devoted & hard working individuals.

If such atrocities are committed against humans that would amount to the most evil crimes against humanity such as the Holocaust.

Though at times it could be quite difficult to watch, it is immensely thought-provoking and well articulated with its narration & structure.

In the end, this documentary shows the importance of respecting the rights of all sentient beings and living in harmony since we are all earthlings sharing the same planet.

Awards

Won Best Documentary Feature at the Artivist Film Festival
Won Best Content Award at the Boston International Film Festival
Won Best Documentary Film, as well as the Humanitarian Award to Phoenix for his work on the film at the San Diego Film Festival

Other Reviews:

“If I could make everyone in the world see one film, I’d make them see Earthlings.” – Peter Singer (author Animal Liberation)

“Earthlings is nothing short of a masterpiece” – Lionel Friedberg (producer Animal Planet)

“A real testament to the quality of a film. Earthlings is amazing!” – Professor Cristina Gibson (UC Irvine)

Graphic Content? Yes (the difference is, ‘it’s real’ and happening at this very moment)

How to Watch

Official Website (free)
Amazon DVD (special extended DVD)

2) Cowspiracy (2014)

Google Rating: 95%
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Theme: Animal Agriculture & Environment

Running Length: 1h 25 min

Another groundbreaking environmental documentary from filmmaker Kip Andersen uncovering the most destructive & devastating industry on the planet and inquires the hesitance by leading environmental organizations talking about it.

It shows the environmental impact of commercial factory farming such as global warming, water depletion, deforestation, species extinction, ocean “dead zones” and presents a better path to global sustainability of food demands by a growing population.

One of the most important factors emphasized by the film was that even if transportation sector (motorbikes, cars, trucks, trains, planes etc.) is eliminated, we still have to face an irreversible damage from global warming till we continue to raise so many farm animals.

Certainly, it cannot be regarded as a biased documentary with pseudoscience and the official website has a section where they have listed the basis for all the claims giving links to the relevant sources. You can check it here.

Awards

Audience Choice Award at the 2015 South African Eco Film Festival
Best Foreign Film Award at the 12th annual Festival de films de Portneuf sur l’environnement
Nominated for Cinema Politica’s 2015 Audience Choice Award

Other Reviews

“A documentary that will rock and inspire the environmental movement“— Darren Aronofsky (director of “Noah” and “Black Swan”)

“Cowspiracy may be the most important film made to inspire saving the planet” — Louie Psihoyos (Oscar-winning director of “The Cove”)

Graphic Content? None

How to Watch

3) Forks Over Knives (2011)

Google Rating: 92%
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10

Theme: Food & Health

Running Length: 1h 30 min

Forks Over Knives discusses how certain medical conditions & degenerative diseases can be mitigated, managed or even be reversed, by avoiding animal-based and processed foods. In other words, it promotes a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet in order to avoid, control or reverse diseases.

One of the most important aspects of the documentary was the findings of two scientists from the 20-year China–Cornell–Oxford Project that outlined in the book, ‘The China Study’ (2005) which investigates the link between Western diet (animal-based products & processed food) and chronic illnesses.

While the documentary shows many scientific evidence to support a whole food plant-based diet, it is also mixed with personal experiences which add more variety, making it interesting to watch!

Awards

Documentary/Special Interest Title of the Year (2012) by Entertainment Merchants Association

Other Reviews

“A great film” — Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN’s chief medical correspondent)

“I loved it and I need all of you to see it” — Dr. Oz

“Here is a film that could save your life.” — Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)

“A provocative documentary.” — Oprah Winfrey

Graphic Content? None

How to Watch

4) Speciesism: The Movie (2013)

Google Rating: 93%
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10

Theme: speciesism/animal rights

Running Length: 1h 34 min

If Earthlings was a difficult documentary to watch here’s a documentary with no gore that still conveys the message with an intellectual discourse about the way humans treat animals and the importance of animal rights.

Most of the animals raised for food in the US are confined in large, strange looking “factory farms,” located in remote areas mostly off the radar. But now they’re struggling to keep that secret which is one of the biggest social justice issues of our time.

A young man (director Mark Devries) begins to investigate the underworld of “factory farming” where he takes us on an alarming yet so passionate & entertaining adventure.

The documentary is shot in and around factory farms in the US, with instances of crawling through the bushes at the peripheries of the factories, flying in airplanes above toxic “manure lagoons” (which you may have never seen or believed to exist) and meeting the farm owners at times with hostility.

Along the journey, he also discovers a developing intellectual movement that considers non-human animals are as important as humans taking the viewers face-to-face with them.

The documentary features interviews with some famous scholars & philosophers such as, Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins, Gary Francione, and many others.

Since there are no graphic content it can be a great source of education for children above the age of 12.

Other Reviews

“Tremendously entertaining” — The Huffington Post

“Brilliant and compelling” — Michael Shermer (Scientific American and Skeptic)

Graphic Content? None

How to Watch

5) Vegucated (2011)

Google Rating: 92%
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10

Theme: The journey of three omnivores trying a vegan diet for six weeks

Running Length: 1h 16 min

Vegucated is a documentary that follows three omnivores from New York who decide to try a vegan diet for six weeks and trying to understand what it is to be a vegan.

There is Brian a bacon-loving bachelor who likes meat and eats out all the time; Ellen, a psychiatrist and a single mom, who likes comedy and cooking; and Tesla the college student who avoids vegetables, living with her family.

Other than being tempted by stories of weight loss and regained health, they also discover the hidden sides of animal agriculture

Their journey explores the challenges they face shifting to a vegan diet and ultimately shows how they become so zealous about their new-found cause.

Awards

Best Documentary, Toronto Independent Film Festival, 2011
Chris Award For Best Educational Film, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
Best Food Issue, Cinema Verde Environmental Film and Arts Festival, 2012

Other Reviews

“This film can change your life in so many positive ways” — Kathy Freston (New York Times bestselling author of vegan books and contributor to The Huffington Post)

“‘Vegucated’ digs into some meaty issues” — Washington Post

Graphic Content? hardly any

How to Watch

Related Posts:

50 Vegan Documentaries to Watch (animal rights, health, environment and for inspiration)

What the Health Documentary Review–Get Your Facts!

June 8, 2018 By Dishan Mendis Leave a Comment

If you’ve come here to justify spending 90 minutes of your valuable time watching ‘What the Health documentary’, then you’re at the right place!

Our intention with this review is to show you whether it’s worthy of watching and verify the legitimacy of its health claims (including the credibility of the featured health professionals).

First, we would like to give a big thank you to Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn, the featured professionals, A.U.M. Films & Media and everyone else who contributed towards this intriguing documentary!

What the Health can be considered a documentary with a fresh perspective and a sequel to the award-winning documentary Cowspiracy made by the same creators.

Just to give you a bit of background, Kip Andersen (narrator) is coming from a family history of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Being concerned with his background he is obsessed with health for obvious reasons and followed all the guidelines provided by health organizations to make sure he wouldn’t be another victim like his father or his grandparents.

Though he never smoked, never drank soda, slept well, exercised and managed stress, he realized that processed meat was a Group 1 carcinogen as stated by The World Health Organization just as cigarettes which are in the same category.

This realization and his background compelled him to unravel the massive network the society is exposed to where the government, the health organizations & institutes, and the animal agriculture & pharmaceutical industry, seem to have a conflict of interest and a hidden agenda to drive consumption rather than serving the interests of the public with integrity at all times.

Documentary Highlights:

Issues with health organizations in terms of recommended diets and conflict of interests in funding (funding by meat/dairy producers, pharmaceutical industry)
The adverse health impact of animal products on the public
Debunking the myths associated with animal products
Real life examples of patients undergoing the effects of a meat-based diet and how quickly they recover with a plant-based diet
The connection between GMO feed and pharmaceutical industry with animal farms
Environmental issues with livestock
The health benefits of plant-based diets

Essentially, What the Health tries to draw your attention to the fact that, despite heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of death in US, and diabetes at an all-time high why the leading health organizations in the nation don’t seem to discourage the very foods that cause such illnesses, which is a fair question to ask.

Who is Kip Andersen (narrator and co-producer)?

Besides the aforementioned background of Kip Andersen, he co-produced his first documentary, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, with Keegan Kuhn which was a great success that went viral and ignited an environmental movement.

He is a graduate of Cal Poly School of Business and the founder of A.U.M. Films and Media, a 501c3 non-profit focused on creating films and media that promote thrivability, compassion, and harmony for all life.

Who are The Experts Featured in The Documentary and are They Credible?

Dr. Neal Barnard FACC [1]

Dr. Neal Barnard is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiologists, an adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine, an American author, clinical researcher, and founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

He won the Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer Award in 2016 and has published numerous Journal Publications and Books.

Dr. Garth Davis [2]

Dr. Garth Davis, MD is a bariatric surgery specialist in Houston, Texas and has been practicing for 17 years. He graduated from Baylor University in 1996 and specializes in bariatric surgery and medicine.

Dr. Garth Davis also appeared in the American reality television show ‘Big Medicine’ in which he was in the operating team along with his father [3].

Dr. Michael Greger FACLM [4]

Dr. Michael Greger is an American physician, New York Times Best Selling author, and internationally recognized speaker on a number of public health issues, especially the benefits of whole foods, plant-based diet and the harms of eating animal products. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine.

His book ‘How Not to Die’ made the New York Times Best Seller lists at least three times.

He is a vegan and the creator of NutritionFacts.org.

Dr. Michael A. Klaper [5]

Dr. Klaper is an American physician, author and a vegan advocate who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1972.

He was a NASA nutrition adviser and medical consultant for astronauts.

In 1995 Klaper received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.

Dr. Milton Mills [6]

Dr. Milton Mills, MD is an internal medicine specialist in Falls Church, VA and has been practicing for 26 years. He graduated from Stanford University in 1992 and specializes in internal medicine.

Dr. Michelle McMacken [7]

Dr. Michelle McMacken is a specialist in internal medicine and an assistant professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine. She obtained her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and has been in practice for 11-20 years.

She has been recognized for quality assurance under Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Program & Physician Practice Connections Recognition Program.

Kimberly Snyder C.N.

Kimberly Snyder is a certified nutritionist and multi-time New York Times and #1 Amazon Best Selling author of The Beauty Detox Solution, The Beauty Detox Foods, and The Beauty Detox Power.

Kimberly is a recurring nutrition and wellness expert on The Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show and Access Hollywood and has been featured on many other national shows and publications, such as Good Morning America, The New York Times, Vogue, Elle, InStyle, The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair, among many others.

She is the go-to nutritionist for many of the entertainment industries’ top celebrities, including Drew Barrymore, Kerry Washington, Channing Tatum and Reese Witherspoon, among many others. Vogue named her as one of the top “results-oriented nutritionists.”

Michele Simon JD, MPH [8]

Michele Simon is a public health lawyer who has been researching and writing about food policy since 1996.

She received her master’s degree in public health from Yale University and her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Her work has been featured on CNBC, CBS News, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Reuters, Forbes and has appeared on national TV stations such as CNN, CBS, MSNBC, CNBC, and Al Jazeera. She has also contributed to various outlets such as The Huffington Post, Grist, and Food Safety News..

She has written substantially on the politics of food, and her book, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back, was published by Nation Books in 2006.

In 2013, Simon was awarded the National Association of Nutrition Professional’s Community Award and the Nutritional Therapy Association’s Award of Excellence.

What the Health Documentary Fact Checking (Claims/Stats/Statements We Thought as Important in Checking):

1) Documentary:

“worldwide, we’re looking at approximately 315 million people with diabetes”

Fact checking:

The number of people with diabetes has increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 according to the world health organization [9]

2) Documentary:

“one in ten total health care dollars is spent on people with diabetes”

Fact checking:

According to American Diabetes Association 1 in 4 health care dollars in the U.S is spent as health & wellness provision for the people who are diagnosed with diabetes [10]

3) Documentary:

“The World Health Organization has classified processed meat such as bacon and sausage as carcinogenic, directly involved in causing cancer in humans”

Fact checking:

The World Health Organization has included processed meat in the Group 1 carcinogens due to sufficient evidence of causing cancer to humans [11].

4) Documentary:

“on the Eat Healthy page of American Cancer Society website, they actually encouraged eating Group One carcinogenic foods like processed turkey and canned meats”

Fact checking:

Under the shopping list The American Cancer Society website has recommended canned meats (canned tuna, salmon) and ground turkey breast [12] which is not considered a processed meat according to American Institute for Cancer Research [13] . According to the makers of What the Health, since the making of the film, The American Cancer Society has updated their guidelines to use meat as a side dish [14].

5) Documentary:

“in the US, one out of every four deaths is from cancer”

Fact checking:

This is true according to the American Cancer Society [15].

6) Documentary:

“2/3 of adults are now overweight or, obese”

Fact checking:

According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 2 in 3 adults were considered to be overweight or have obesity [16]

7) Documentary:

“most kids by age ten in the US already have fatty streaks in their arteries, the first stage of atherosclerosis leading to heart attacks, strokes”

Fact checking:

According to one study it was revealed that there is a very high incidence of lipid-laden macrophages (a type of white blood cells) in the intima of the aorta and coronary arteries of young American children killed in motor accidents, where over 50% of children aged 10-14 years showing some signs of early atherosclerosis [17].

8) Documentary:

“diabetes is not and never was caused by eating a high carbohydrate diet, and it’s not caused by eating sugar. The cause of diabetes is a diet that builds up the amount of fat into blood”

Fact checking:

According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, there is a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes if a person is not physically active, overweight or obese. The insulin resistance sometimes caused by extra weight is quite common in people with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can also be caused by certain genes [18].

In another abstract from PubMed, higher intake of saturated fat and trans-fat could adversely affect glucose metabolism and insulin resistance [19].

With regard to sugar, do note that organizations such as American Diabetes Association [40], Diabetes UK [41] and health websites such as WebMD have called it a myth to consider sugar as a cause for diabetes.

Still, it seems sensible to cut down on ‘added sugar’ as a Mayo Clinic article [39] shows, according to studies it is implicated that ‘added sugars’ (eg, sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) in the development of diabetes mellitus and has advised to reduce the intake of added sugars.

9) Documentary:

“carbs consumption was inversely related with diabetes”

Fact checking:

Under the ‘nutritional recommendations for individuals with diabetes’ from the book Endotext, a primary goal in the management of diabetes is to regulate blood glucose to near normal levels as much as possible [20]. The amount and possibly the type of carbohydrate can influence this regulation.

While carbohydrate from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes are considered healthy, carbohydrates from other sources that come with added fats, sugars, or sodium are discouraged.

10) Documentary:

“meat was strongly correlated with diabetes”

Fact checking:

The study done on 60,903 Adventists which was named The Adventist Health Study-2 showed at baseline, those who didn’t consume meat had a diabetes prevalence of 3.2% and a 7.6% prevalence with those who consumed meat on a daily basis. People who consumed less meat on a weekly basis and those who consumed only fish were between the former extremes at 6.1% and 4.8%, respectively [21].

11) Documentary:

“Harvard researchers looked at nine prospective studies finding that just one serving of processed meat per day increased the risk of developing diabetes by 51 percent”

Fact checking:

They found that there is a 51% increased risk with diabetes with daily consumption of processed meat (e.g. 50 grams of one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon) [22].

12) Documentary:

“the leading source of sodium in the American diet for adults is chicken”

Fact checking:

According to United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, chicken is in excess considering the per capita availability, than that of beef [23].

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put a cap on maximum sodium levels in different categories of meat and poultry products [24].

While fresh beef, pork, chicken and turkey can be low in sodium, there are many processed products called “enhanced” which are soaked in salt water.

13) Documentary:

“chicken has nearly as much cholesterol per gram as red beef”

Fact checking:

According to the sources from USDA chicken has approximately 88 mg of cholesterol per 100 g [25] which is similar to beef [26].

14) Documentary:

“I found a study suggesting that eating just one egg a day can be as bad as smoking five cigarettes per day for life expectancy”

Fact checking:

According to the atherosclerosis-journal where the data was gathered from 1262 patients, it was evident that total plaque area (TPA) increases with egg-yolk years which was quite similar to how TPA increases with smoking pack-years. The effect size of egg yolks appears to be approximately 2/3 that of smoking and was suggested that regular consumption of egg yolk should be avoided by persons at risk of cardiovascular disease [27].

15) Documentary:

“yolk of a hen’s egg is the most concentrated in terms of saturated fat and cholesterol”

Fact checking:

You get 1,085 mg of cholesterol [28] and 9.5 g of saturated fat [29] from 100 g of egg yolk compared to 88 mg of cholesterol [30] and 5.9 g of saturated fat from beef [31].

16) Documentary:

“fish is a little different. You’ve got the four worries, which are PCBs, mercury, saturated fat and cholesterol”

Fact checking:

According to a Harvard Health Article referenced from the book Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks (2007) various pollutants get into our food such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat. Fish are no exception. The harmful substances of concern are mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and pesticide residues [32]. Saturated fat in fish can range from 0.1 g [33] to 7 g [34] while cholesterol can range from 7 mg [35] to 142 mg [36] according to the type of fish.

17) Documentary:

“milk is this hormonal fluid, so it’s just packed with sex hormones and natural sex steroid hormones like estrogen”

Fact checking:

According to a review article of Hormones in Dairy Foods [37] all foods of animal origin which include dairy products have oestrogens though varying in degree according to the type of species and physiology

The most concerning hormone content in dairy foods is steroid hormones especially estrogens which have shown to provoke breast and prostate cancers while influencing profound biological effects in animals and humans according to epidemiological evidence.

18) Documentary:

“dairy products increases your risk for various forms of cancer”

Fact checking:

According to an abstract from The Journal of the American College of Nutrition [38], milk and dairy products carry certain micronutrients and other bioactive elements that may have an effect on cancer risk.

The World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research report came into a conclusion that there is a probable link between milk consumption and lower risk of colorectal cancer, a probable link between high calcium diets and a higher risk of prostate cancer.

Our Take on The Documentary

As you can see from the credible panel of professionals featured in the documentary and the ‘fact checking’ we did, it’s NOT a documentary that you would simply want to discard!

This is especially true considering the broad array of health aspects it covers that you as a consumer can benefit by being aware of.

Finally, Let’s Just See a Few Reasons to Watch ‘What the Health Documentary’

To know how the financial interests of corporates, governments, and other organizations can undermine the interests of the public
How animal products can deteriorate your health
The major health benefits of a vegan diet and how you can avoid some of the diseases & prolong your life
The impact you can have to reduce environmental damage by avoiding meat
Be inspired from the speedy recoveries made by people simply due to a diet change
The higher public rating of 7.8 out of 10 from 21,148 viewer ratings suggests, a majority have enjoyed the documentary!

So there you have it!

You can either ignore this valuable documentary and think it is a big fat lie (though our fact-checking says otherwise) or have an open mind to watch it to be enlightened and inspired!

True that there could be a few lapses in the documentary when they gave less weightage on the harmful effects of sugar, compared an egg to 5 cigarettes (though eggs can be detrimental to health), and Dr. Milton Mills’ accusation of the government’s diet recommendations as a form of institutionalized racism can seem quite far-fetched. Yet, as a whole, there’s a lot to gain!

When the officials of renowned health organizations are so reluctant to give interviews let alone answering questions (we were appalled by one officer’s behavior), you should know there is something wrong in the way things operate.

At most, you will lose 90 minutes of your life (if you think you didn’t gain anything), but we believe it can be an eye-opener. This could be about you, your loved ones or friends whom you know that could be suffering due to a lack of knowledge.

Who knows? It can very well be a defining moment paving the way to be a lifesaver!

Official Website: www.whatthehealthfilm.com

What the Health Documentary DVD / Amazon video

Public Rating: 7.8 out of 10 (an average from 21,148 viewer ratings)

Initial release: March 7, 2017
Captions and subtitles: English
Directors: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
Screenplay: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
Producers: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
Executive Producers: Joaquin Phoenix, Greg Anzalone, Jim Greenbaum, and Sheryl & Robert Greenberg
Distributed by: A.U.M. Films & Media