Veg 101 - The Whys
Diet and Disease
According to the American Dietetic Association, "Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” That's right: not only is plant-based eating nutritionally "adequate;" it can actually prevent disease!
In the United States alone, 1.3 million people are killed each year by heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, all of which have been strongly linked to diets high in animal products. In this section, we'll examine the role that plant-based eating can play in preventing vascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases, and other chronic conditions.
Vascular Diseases
Vascular diseases, including heart diseases and stroke, are caused by blockage of the arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the body's vital organs. The blockages are caused by a build-up of fatty plaque along the artery walls. This condition is called atherosclerosis. Total blockage of an artery leading to a portion of the heart or the brain brings on a heart attack or stroke. Nearly 860,000 Americans die each year of vascular diseases.
-American Heart Association
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt are important factors in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Cholesterol is the key component of the fatty plaques associated with atherosclerosis. Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol level more than any other factor. Salt consumption promotes water retention and blood volume, leading to hypertension, which contributes to the incidence of heart disease and stroke, as well as to rupture of blood vessels.
Transitioning to a plant-based diet is a great way to reduce your risk of vascular disease. While all animal foods contain cholesterol, plant foods are cholesterol-free. In fact, the antioxidants and folic acid in plant foods protect arteries from plaque formation. Plant foods are also naturally low in saturated fats and salt, and the potassium in plant foods reduces hypertension.
Cancer
The term "cancer" refers to a variety of diseases that occur when cells grow out of control, spread through the body, and interfere with the function of one or more vital organs. Cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, and digestive tract have all been linked with diets high in animal foods. Nearly 260,000 Americans die of these types of cancer each year.
Animal products provide carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) many inroads to your body:
- Consumption of animal fats raises blood testosterone and estrogen levels, promoting prostate and breast cancers, respectively.
- Carcinogenic pesticides spread on animal feedcrops accumulate in the fatty tissues of the animals that eat them. When ingested, these animal fats interact with bile acids in the digestive tract to release carcinogens.
- Animal fats heated to high temperatures, as in deep-fried foods, also form carcinogens. The National Toxicology Program, a government interagency program, lists four distinct heterocyclic amines "formed during the cooking of meat" as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."
- Nitrites in hot dogs and other "cured" meat products are known carcinogens.
- The Insulin Growth Factor (IGF) in dairy products promotes malignant cell growth.
Conversely, increasing your intake of plant foods can reduce your cancer risk. Plant foods contain fiber, which helps prevent cancer of the digestive tract by speeding food transit before the release of carcinogens. Fiber also reduces the risk of breast cancer, perhaps by lowering estrogen levels. Plants also contain antioxidants and flavones that impede formation of cancer cells.
Diabetes
The cells of our body feed on glucose, with help from a hormone by the name of insulin. Certain animal proteins in the bloodstream can block insulin from playing its vital role, leading to Type II diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disease which causes shortness of breath, vomiting, dehydration, and eventually contributes to heart and kidney diseases. Diabetes kills nearly 70,000 Americans each year.
Poor eating habits have caused a rise in the incidence of this disease among children. For some, cow's milk generates antibodies that destroy the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, leading to Type I diabetes.
Infectious Diseases
Pathogens that thrive in animal foods are the primary causes of infectious diseases. Lumped under the innocuous label "food poisoning," Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monocytogenes cause an estimated 9 million cases of stomach cramps, vomiting, and general misery each year, according to The Centers for Disease Control. Occasionally, these infections are fatal.
All meat and poultry products are required to carry warning labels because the USDA has been unable to vouch for their safety. In many cases, pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter are introduced to the human food supply by eviscerating equipment that spills fecal matter into the cavities of the birds' bodies.
In 2002, following repeated incidents of school food poisoning, the USDA decided to irradiate meat destined for the school lunch program. Meat products also contain antibiotic residues, which build up resistance in pathogens and render antibiotics less effective in treating infectious diseases.
Chronic Conditions
-Paul W. Crawford, M.D.
Chair of Medical Affairs
American Kidney Fund
Kidney stones and other kidney diseases are typically associated with excessive consumption of meat, dairy, and other proteins, which the kidneys convert into fat and waste products. Kidney stones can cause severe pain, urinary obstruction, and kidney damage. Kidney diseases kill nearly 40,000 Americans each year.
Lactose tolerance: Dairy products are responsible for a number of serious digestive and allergic reactions. Nearly 50 million Americans, including 75% of African Americans and 90% of Asian Americans suffer from severe cramps caused by lactose intolerance. Common allergic reactions include asthma, skin rashes, and ear infections.
-Hill, James O., and Trowbridge, Frederick L. Childhood obesity: future directions and research priorities. Pediatrics. 1998; Supplement: 571.
Obesity is reaching new heights in the United States. Since the early 1960s, the obesity rate has more than doubled for both men and women. According to the American Heart Association, for the years between 1999 and 2002, 27.6% of men aged 20-74 fit the clinical definition of obesity. For women in the same age range, the prevalence was 33.2%.
Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 and higher, is a risk factor for a number of other ailments, including vascular disease. Each year, 300,000 Americans die from conditions caused or worsened by obesity.
The good news is that, according to an American Academy of Family Physicians Report (November 2000), genetics contributes to only about 40% of obesity variance. This means that, through diet and exercise, the power to control your weight and preserve your health is in your hands.
Check back soon for an Automatic BMI calculator.
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