Benefits of being a vegetarian

[Guest guest]

World-renowned figures as diverse as philosophers Plato and Nietzsche,

political leaders lin and Gandhi, and pop icons McCartney and

Bob

Marley have all advocated a vegetarian diet. Science is also on the side of

vegetarianism. Multitudes of studies have demonstrated the remarkable health

benefits of a vegetarian diet.

“Vegetarian†is defined as avoiding all animal flesh, including fish and

poultry. Vegetarians who avoid flesh, but do eat animal products such as cheese,

milk, and eggs, are ovo-lacto-vegetarians (ovo = egg; lacto = milk, cheese,

etc.). The ranks of those who abstain from all animal products are rapidly

growing; these people are referred to as pure vegetarians or vegans. Scientific

research shows that health benefits increase as the amount of food from animal

sources in the diet decreases, so vegan diets are the healthiest overall.

Preventing Cancer

Vegetarian diets—naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete

with cancer-protective phytochemicals—help to prevent cancer. Large studies in

England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less

likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters.1-3 In the United States,

studies of Seventh-Day Adventists have shown significant reductions in cancer

risk

among those who avoided meat.4,5 Similarly, breast cancer rates are

dramatically lower in nations, such as China, that follow plant-based diets.6

Interestingly, Japanese women who follow Western-style, meat-based diets are

eight times

more likely to develop breast cancer than women who follow a more traditional

plant-based diet.7 Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer,

including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries, and prostate.

Harvard studies that included tens of thousands of women and men have shown

that regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk by roughly 300

percent.8,9 High-fat diets also encourage the body’s production of estrogens,

in

particular, estradiol. Increased levels of this sex hormone have been linked to

breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer among

premenopausal women who ate the most animal (but not vegetable) fat was

one-third

higher than that of women who ate the least animal fat.10 A separate study

from Cambridge University also linked diets high in saturated fat to breast

cancer.11 One study linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian

cancer.

The process of breaking down the lactose (milk sugar) into galactose evidently

damages the ovaries.12 Daily meat consumption triples the risk of prostate

enlargement. Regular milk consumption doubles the risk and failure to consume

vegetables regularly nearly quadruples the risk.13

Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to cancer and get abundant fiber,

vitamins, and phytochemicals that help to prevent cancer. In addition, blood

analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher level of “natural killer cells,â€

specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells.14 Beating Heart Disease

Vegetarian diets also help prevent heart disease. Animal products are the

main source of saturated fat and the only source of cholesterol in the diet.

Vegetarians avoid these risky products. Additionally, fiber helps reduce

cholesterol levels15 and animal products contain no fiber. When individuals

switch to

a high-fiber, low-fat diet their serum cholesterol levels often drop

dramatically.16,17 Studies have demonstrated that a low-fat, high-fiber,

vegetarian or

vegan diet combined with stress reduction techniques, smoking cessation, and

exercise, or combined with prudent drug intervention, could actually reverse

atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries.18,19 Heart diets that include lean

meat, dairy products, and chicken are much less effective, usually only slowing

the process of atherosclerosis. Lowering Blood Pressure

In the early 1900s, nutritionists noted that people who ate no meat had

lower blood pressure.20 They also discovered that vegetarian diets could, within

two weeks, significantly reduce a person’s blood pressure.21 These results

were

evident regardless of the sodium levels in the vegetarian diets. People who

follow vegetarian diets typically have lower blood pressure.22-24 No one knows

exactly why vegetarian diets work so well, but probably cutting out meat,

dairy products, and added fats reduces the blood’s viscosity (or

“thicknessâ€)

which, in turn, brings down blood pressure.25 Plant products are generally lower

in fat and sodium and have no cholesterol at all. Vegetables and fruits are

also rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure. Preventing and

Reversing Diabetes

Non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset) diabetes can be better controlled and

sometimes even eliminated through a low-fat, vegetarian diet along with regular

exercise.26 Such a diet, low in fat and high in fiber and complex

carbohydrates, allows insulin to work more effectively. The diabetic person can

more

easily regulate glucose levels. While a vegetarian diet cannot eliminate the

need

for insulin in people with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, it can often

reduce the amounts of insulin used. Some scientists believe that

insulin-dependent diabetes may be caused by an auto-immune reaction to dairy

proteins.27,28

Gallstones, Kidney Stones, and Osteoporosis

Vegetarian diets have been shown to reduce one’s chances of forming kidney

stones and gallstones. Diets that are high in protein, especially animal

protein, tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid.

These three substances are the main components of urinary tract stones. British

researchers have advised that persons with a tendency to form kidney stones

should follow a vegetarian diet.29 The American Academy of Family Physicians

notes that high animal protein intake is largely responsible for the high

prevalence of kidney stones in the United States and other developed countries

and

recommends protein restriction for the prevention of recurrent kidney stones.30

Similarly, high-cholesterol, high-fat diets—the typical meat-based diet—are

implicated in the formation of gallstones. The consumption of meaty diets,

compared to vegetarian diets, has been shown to nearly double the risk of

gallstones in women.31

For many of the same reasons, vegetarians are at a lower risk for

osteoporosis. Since animal products force calcium out of the body, eating meat

can

promote bone loss. In nations with mainly vegetable diets (and without dairy

product consumption), osteoporosis is less common than in the U.S.,even when

calcium

intake is also less than in the U.S.32 Calcium is important, but there is no

need to get calcium from dairy products. For more information on protecting

your bones, contact PCRM for additional reference materials or visit

www.strongbones.org

.. Asthma

A 1985 Swedish study demonstrated that individuals with asthma practicing a

vegan diet for a full year have a marked decrease in the need for medications

and in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Twenty-two of the 24

subjects reported improvement by the end of the year.33 Common Concerns

Some people still worry about whether a vegetarian diet can provide all

essential nutrients. However, it is very easy to have a well-balanced diet with

vegetarian foods, since these foods provide plenty of protein. Careful combining

of foods is not necessary. Any normal variety of plant foods provides more

than enough protein for the body’s needs. Although there is somewhat less

protein in a vegetarian diet than a meat-eater’s diet, this is actually an

advantage. Excess protein has been linked to kidney stones, osteoporosis, and

possibly

heart disease and some cancers. A diet focused on beans, whole grains, and

vegetables contains adequate amounts of protein without the “overdose†most

meat-eaters get.

Calcium is easy to find in a vegetarian diet. Many dark green leafy

vegetables and beans are loaded with calcium, and some orange juices, non-dairy

“milks,

†and cereals are calcium-fortified. Iron is plentiful in whole grains,

beans, and fruits. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a genuine issue for vegans, although very easy to deal with.

Found mainly in animal products, small amounts may be found in plant products

due to bacterial contamination.34,35 However, these plant and fermented foods,

such as spirulina, sea vegetables, tempeh, and miso, do not provide an active

and reliable source,36 so vitamin B12 must be obtained elsewhere in the diet.

Regular intake of vitamin B12 is important to meet nutritional needs. Good

sources include all common multiple vitamins (including vegetarian vitamins),

fortified cereals, nutritional yeast, and fortified soymilk. It is especially

important for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers, and children to get enough

vitamin B12. Special Concerns: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

During pregnancy, nutritional needs increase. The American Dietetic

Association has found vegan diets adequate for fulfilling nutritional needs

during

pregnancy, but pregnant women and nursing mothers should supplement their diets

with vitamins B12 and D.36 Most doctors also recommend that pregnant women

supplement their diet with iron and folic acid, although vegetarians normally

consume more folic acid than meat-eaters.

Vegetarian women have a lower incidence of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and

significantly more pure breast milk. Analyses of vegetarians’ breast milk show

that the levels of environmental contaminants in their milk are much lower than

in non-vegetarians.37 Studies have also shown that in families with a history

of food allergies, when women abstain from allergenic foods, including milk,

meat, and fish, during pregnancy, they are less likely to pass allergies onto

the infant.38 Mothers who drink milk pass cow antibodies along to their

nursing infants through their breast milk. These antibodies can cause colic.

Vegetarian children also have high nutritional needs, but these are met

within a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian menu is life extending. As young

children,

vegetarians may grow more gradually, reach puberty somewhat later, and live

substantially longer than do meat-eaters. For more information on these topics,

visit www.pcrm.org/health. Further Reading

For more information on vegetarian diets, PCRM recommends:

• Breaking the Food Seduction, by Neal Barnard, M.D.

• Foods That Fight Pain, by Neal Barnard, M.D.

• Eat Right, Live Longer, by Neal Barnard, M.D.

• Food for Life, by Neal Barnard, M.D.

• The McDougall Plan, by McDougall, M.D.

• Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease, by Dean Ornish,

M.D.