Non Meat Diets Benefits

According to Donald D. Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic on Healthy Weight, “Eating well – choosing a plant-based diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains – also will reduce your risks of some of our nation’s biggest killers and related conditions. Many cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure, among other conditions, are linked to diet, most notably to diets high in fat and saturated fat. Even without weight loss, adopting a healthier eating style can be beneficial. (Hensrud 49)”

Positing that most of our major health issues, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes, can be prevented (and even in some cases reversed) by following a vegetables-and-whole-grains diet, this dense documentary would rather inform than entertain. Its hale heroes are the nutritional scientist T. Colin Campbell and the surgeon Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., whose combined decades of research into the harmful effects of animal proteins are summarized, along with an extensive history of our worldwide dietary decline.

Meals with more fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of several different cancers among many other diseases. Vegetarians generally have lower body weight than those who eat a significant amount of meat.

Essential's work, as well as that of Dr. Colin Campbell, whose studies of the primarily vegetable-based diets in China show they have fewer diseases such as cancer. That is the type of disease that skyrockets when patients begin eating huge amounts of red meat. (It is true that, among other things, paleontologists have shown that men tend to be meat-eaters, however, when you look at the history of man and meat, you begin to see a corollary between the cattle industry's use of performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids to get their products to market faster and, in the meantime, the customer, faces and eats many useless drugs, for most people. There are some people who do need them, but they are a very rare minority and are monitored by physicians.)

. . 30 to 40 percent of all cancers are caused by diet”(Davis and Melina 32). The consumption of meat has also been liked to Osteoporosis; “When you eat meat, your blood becomes acidic . . .In order to balance all the acidity, your bones come to the rescue by releasing some of their minerals”(Silverstone 17). “Diets”, in America revolve heavily around meat and dairy products; no wonder cancer is the second leading cause of death.

In populations where there was consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meats, showed higher rates of developing cancer than those who have a high fiber, plant based diet like those of vegetarian or vegan diet. A study conducted in Germany showed that those with a plant based diet had a 40% reduced chance of developing cancer versus those who were regular meat eaters. Processed meat are products including: bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats.

The reduction of the amount of saturated fats from one’s diet improves health greatly for cardiovascular health. According to nursingdegree.com, ”Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve… cardiovascular health.” When eliminating food that comes from animals doing so eliminates all dietary cholesterol from one’s diet. Vegan diets go to extreme lengths to prevent heart attack and stroke. Plant-based foods are high in fiber and according to nursingdegree.net, “A diet high in fiber…leads to healthier bowel movements.” While obtaining nutrition from vegan diets also prevent disease at the same time. For example, it is stated in nursingdegree.com,” Eating a diet consisting of whole grains, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, can greatly reduce…chances of colon cancer.”

Research shows that in countries where people eat a pound or more of fruit and vegetables a day , the rate of cancer is half what it is in the United States. Pollan argues that vegetarians are less susceptible to most of the western diseases, and as a consequence live longer than the rest of us(164). Apparently, we can’t live without plants, but we don’t need to eat meat in order to obtain the nutrients we need for growth because they can be found elsewhere (Pollan 165). Since plants are less energy dense than other foods, by eating a plant-based diet one will likely consume fewer calories which is itself protective against many chronic disease (Pollan 165).I agree with Pollan that a plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease.

Meat on the other hand has a possible risk for developing cancer, especially red meat. One theory as to why red meat is associated with cancer lies in the preparation of the meat. The thought is that most

These components all work together to cause major issues like obesity, heart disease, and cancer leading to billions of dollars being put to the treatment of millions of patients each year. Researchers like John McDougall, John Robbins, and David Robinson Simon have put in years and years of research and experimentation to prove to society and the Western culture that we are not fueling our bodies appropriately and in fact, we are causing serious damage that may or may not be reversible. With simple dietary changes, the three big killers-cancer, heart disease, and obesity-can all be eradicated. As proven by hundreds of years of healthy, disease free cultures, we can thrive on a plant-based, starch heavy diet without added animal products high in acid, fat, and cholesterol. The meat and dairy industries survive by telling society that we must consume excessive amounts of protein and calcium to stay healthy when Asian and ancient societies have proven this to be false. Maybe it is time for us to stop treating health problems, most likely caused by poor and harmful diets, with a plant-based diet. These simple and easy changes could be the difference in not only quality of life, but the extension of it. Maybe Albert Einstein was right, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chance for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian

It has been proven that this diet greatly reduces the contraction of major diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Diets high in protein (usually animal protein) are often rich in saturated fat and cholesterol, but low in fiber, phytochemicals, and certain vitamins and minerals since people are eating fewer grains, vegetables, and fruits. (Pope, Nizielski and McCook, n.d.) An example of this is when people consume a lot of meat, especially red meat. This can cause an increase in your “bad” cholesterol which is what usually clogs blood vessels, and leads to heart problems.

One of the diseases that appear most with the adoption of this diet is Coronary artery disease, which is defined as the condition of the arteries. People who have chosen the animal based diet are more prone to this disease because they ingest a lot more dietary cholesterol that tends to stay in the blood stream causing a buildup in cholesterol. A study that was performed in India tested mice and how manipulated casein levels (5% and 10%) affected an aflatoxin diet, this study revealed that higher casein levels had a higher rate of liver cancer than those with lower levels. Colin Campbell repeated this study, but added onto the experiment by recording the appearance of liver cancer in a diet that had a fluctuating casein level (5% to 10%), which yielded similar results when compared to the study done in India. Esselstyn also performed an experiment where he initially started with 24 ill patients but ended with 18 due to some dropping out. His experiment’s result also support that plant based diets are more beneficial to humans in a sense that they are more nutritious and lowering their disease

Some individuals may have chosen to be Vegetarian for health purposes, or out of respect for animals. The health benefits of not eating meat may reduce the risk of a Heart Attack, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. Meat contains saturated fat. Consuming excessive amounts of meat may cause clogged arteries. Clogged arteries force your heart to beat faster, in order to pump blood through the arteries, resulting in high blood pressure. Compounds broken down in meat produce fatty build up causing clogged arteries, and in some cases resulting in a heart attack. Preservatives, such as nitrate, are used to prevent bacteria in processed meat, and are known to cause cancer. Red meat is high in iron and may diminish insulin’s effectiveness of converting sugar into energy causing diabetes.

Many are often mistaken by going on low carb, high protein diets to lose weight, however this method does not necessary have long lasting effects. Studies from the Oxford university press agree that an overconsumption of protein can lead to health hazards such as urinary calcium loss and may lead to bone loss in the long run. These diets are not recommended for everyone especially those with diabetes and kidney problems (Eisenstein et al., 2002). According to Physicians committee for responsible medicine, increase in protein intake may result in health problems such as kidney disease from high amounts of nitrogen in meats overworking the kidneys since the rate at which the liver can change nitrogen to urea may be exceeded. Low fiber, high fat content, nitrogenous compounds, and natural carcinogens are all a contributing factor to colon cancer. Another possible effect is osteoporosis which is caused from the animal proteins consumed. Research done in England showed that increased protein intake linked to an increase of urinary tract stones

Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish). The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits have been associated with the vegetarian