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HEALTH on a plant-based (vegan) diet A whole-food plant-based diet has been proven to be the healthiest diet. Article in Science Direct... "Plant-based animal product alternatives are healthier and more environmentally sustainable than animal products." __________________ Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (North America) It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. https://www.eatrightpro.org/media/press-releases/positions-and-issues/vegetarian-diets-can-be-nutritious-healthful-environmentally-sustainable-choice-updated-position-paper-from-academy-of-nutrition-and-dietetics Dieticians of Canada Anyone can follow a vegan diet – from children to teens to older adults. It’s even healthy for pregnant or nursing mothers. A well-planned vegan diet is high in fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Plus, it’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol. This healthy combination helps protect against chronic diseases. Vegans have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer than non-vegans. Vegans also have lower blood pressure levels than both meat-eaters and vegetarians and are less likely to be overweight. https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vegetarian-Diets/Eating-Guidelines-for-Vegans.aspx British Dietetic Association British Dietetic Association confirms that well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages As a result of the memorandum the BDA and The Vegan Society will: “Work together to show that it is possible to follow a well-planned, plant-based, vegan-friendly diet that supports healthy living in people of all ages, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding”. https://www.bda.uk.com/news/view?id=179 American Diabetes Association In its 2017 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association maintains that a plant-based eating pattern is an effective option for type 2 diabetes management and encourages clinicians to always include education on lifestyle management. https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/american-diabetes-association-promotes-plant-based-diets Heart and Stroke Foundation Vegetarian and vegan diets can provide all the nutrients you need at any age, as well as some additional health benefits. Vegetarian diets often have lower levels of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than many meat-based diets, and higher intakes of fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. https://www.heartandstroke.ca/get-healthy/healthy-eating/specific-diets/vegetarians Infomalia The five links above are from Infomalia: http://www.infomalia.org/human-health/vegan-diets They also have a page about The Benefits of Ditching Meat here ...and another about Dairy and disease here Other articles 1 A study out of Loma Linda University reported that vegans have lower rates of cancer than both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Vegan women, for example, had 34% lower rates of female-specific cancers such as breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23169929 2 Vegan diets can reverse diabetes much better than diets created by the American Diabetes Association! ~ ABA Diabetes Care http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/8/1777 3 Vegans have a 78% lower risk of diabetes and a 75% lower risk of hypertension. ~ National Centre for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4073139 4 Vegan diets can reduce inflammation much more than diets created by the American Heart Association. ~ American Heart Association, November 2018 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.118.011367 5 Vegans are the only dietary group with a normal BMI range, according to a peer-reviewed study published by the American Diabetes Association. ~ National Centre for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19351712 6 According to a peer-reviewed study published in the British Medical Journal, red meat consumption increased the rate of dying from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes, infections, kidney disease and liver disease. ~ British Medical Journal https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1957 7 A whole-food, vegan diet has been proven to reverse heart disease. http://www.mdedge.com/sites/default/files/Document/September-2017/JFP_06307_Article1.pdf 8 Studies show that vegans have a 50% reduced risk of hypothyroidism. ~ National Centre for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25263477 9 Vegan diets could prevent 8.1 million deaths per year. ~National Academy of Sciences. First published March 21, 2016 Marco Springmann, H. Charles J. Godfray, Mike Rayner, and Peter Scarborough http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2016-03-22-veggie-based-diets-could-save-8-million-lives-2050-and-cut-global-warming 10 The largest group of nutritional professionals in the world concluded that vegan diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. ~ National Centre for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27886704 11 The UK's NHS (National Health Service) website clearly states that "You can get the nutrients you need from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet including fortified foods and supplements." https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/ 12 '.. Subjects with a high daily intake (about 400 g) of fruits and vegetables had higher antioxidant levels, lower indicators of free radical-induced damage against lipids as well as better cognitive performance compared to healthy subjects of any age consuming low amounts (< 100 g/day) of fruits and vegetables. Modification of nutritional habits aimed at increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, therefore, should be encouraged to lower the prevalence of cognitive impairment. J Alzheimers Dis. 2009;17(4):921-7. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2009-1114. High fruit and vegetable intake is positively correlated with antioxidant status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects. Polidori MC1, Praticó D, Mangialasche F, Mariani E, Aust O, Anlasik T, Mang N, Pientka L, Stahl W, Sies H, Mecocci P, Nelles G. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-09/ip-hf090809.php 13 Evidence for health and environmental improvements of the plant-based (vegan) diet ~ Be Vegan Today article. https://docs.google.com/document/d/13my_yY_pz2eFVGPrvneKdZxnlgte3clAn6uxhXhaqps Abstract A higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables in healthy elderly is associated with an improved antioxidant status in comparison to subjects consuming diets poor in fruits and vegetables, but the impact on cognitive performance is unclear. Healthy community dwellers (45 to 102 years old, n=193) underwent cognitive testing and blood withdrawal for the measurement of antioxidant micronutrients and biomarkers of oxidative stress as well as administration of a food frequency questionnaire to assess the daily intake of fruits and vegetables (high intake HI, low intake LI). Ninety-four subjects of the HI group had significantly higher cognitive test scores, higher levels of carotenoids, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol as well as lower levels of F2 alpha isoprostanes than the 99 subjects of the LI group. Cognitive scores were directly correlated with blood levels of alpha-tocopherol and lycopene and negatively correlated with F2 alpha isoprostanes and protein carbonyls. The results were independent of age, gender, body mass index, education, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin. Healthy subjects of any age with a high daily intake of fruits and vegetables have higher antioxidant levels, lower levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress, and better cognitive performance than healthy subjects of any age consuming low amounts of fruits and vegetables. Modification of nutritional habits aimed at increasing intake of fruits and vegetables should be encouraged to lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in later life. PMID: 19542607 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2009-1114 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19542607 _________________________________________ There is now a wealth of evidence to show that the protein increase caused by eating animals is the most significant factor in causing disease among humans. So many studies are now accessible; many diseases have been halted and even reversed on a whole food plant-based (vegan) diet. Conditions like heart disease due to blocked arteries, diabetes, skin conditions and cancers are all seen to be less of a problem. Find more info about the problems of protein here : i) The Nutrition Facts website ii) The Global Water Forum website Of course, a white bread sarnie with margarine and vegan cheese, a packet of crisps and a coke could be considered a plant-based “meal”. This contains so little nutrition which is why it is important to stress the whole-food aspect of eating a plant-based diet. Amongst athletes, a plant-based diet has been shown to increase performance and shorten/enhance recovery time and increase the length of participation. We need to remember that during the 1940's, when Donald Watson founded The Vegan Society, many people thought that, without animal products, people would die of malnutrition! Donald Watson said that vegans should eat as healthily as possible to be an example of how healthy a vegan diet could be. Books: The China Study (Campbell), How Not to Die (Greger) Websites: www.nutritionfacts.org www.pcrm.org Films: Game Changers, Forks over Knives ("Knives" here means surgical blades) and What the Health. Human physiology is like that of a herbivore, not a carnivore. A well-balanced whole-food plant-based (vegan) diet is clearly the optimum diet for good health. Add some info about eating organic, preferably stockfree (to avoid antibiotic resistance), exercise and things start to look much better for the whole population. _______________________ * The definition of veganism is clearly stated on The Vegan Society website as... "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals." _________________ Short URL for this page : https://tinyurl.com/HealthPB100 |
