Should you explore a more plant-centered diet, even if you don’t choose to become a full-time vegetarian? It may be a very good idea, especially as a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that balanced vegetarian diets offer distinct advantages over those that give meat center stage. The benefits arise from lower intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein as well as higher intakes of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and nutrients.
The secret of wellness-boosting plant-based diets is an emphasis on fresh produce. Along with generous levels of nutrients and fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables contain unique compounds called phytochemicals. Many of these compounds protect against cancer by both detoxifying and helping the body get rid of carcinogens, as well as discouraging cancer cell formation at various stages of progression.[1]
In the past, vegetarian diets have been described as being deficient in some nutrients, but research over the years has shown that the apparent deficiencies are typically due to poor meal planning. Well-balanced vegetarian diets are appropriate for everyone, including children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, competitive athletes and the elderly.
Moreover, plant-based diets have been shown to be highly beneficial in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, renal disease and dementia, as well as diverticular disease, gallstones and rheumatoid arthritis.[2] Specifically, a healthy vegetarian diet could decrease the incidence of breast, colon-rectal, and prostate cancers.[3]
Certainly, more Americans are making the switch to a vegetarian diet, full or part time, as evidence continues to mount on the positive health benefits of doing so. According to the National Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society, a low fat, high fiber diet rich in fresh produce offers the best disease prevention across the board.
Not only will consuming a nutritious plant-centered diet provide you with greater energy and well-being in the short term, it can help protect against the most serious health problems Americans face today, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
In fact, estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer suggest that as much as 50-90% of the cancer in this country could be eliminated if Americans adopted the diet and lifestyle of low-risk countries. Countries with some of the lowest overall cancer rates in the world include Japan, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Panama, Venezuela, and Mexico, according to the National Institutes of Health. What can we learn from the eating habits of these global neighbors?
The American Dietetic Association states that a well-planned vegetarian diet is healthy, nutritionally adequate, and provides health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Additionally, some studies have shown beneficial results in obesity, cancer, Parkinson disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and urinary stones when comparing vegetarians with meat eaters.[4]
Clearly, a well planned plant-based diet is more likely to include the 6-12 daily servings of fresh fruits and vegetables recommended by the National Cancer Institute, as well as far greater levels of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, fiber, flavonoids, and phytoestrogens than the typical American meat-based diet provides.
World wide, populations that consume plant-centered diets have considerably lower breast cancer rates than those with more Western-type diets. For example, death rates due to breast cancer in the United States are about five times greater than in China, four times greater than in Japan and three times greater than in Mexico, according to the American Cancer Society.
As Neil Barnard, M.D. has noted, populations consuming a plant-based diet not only have lower rates of prostate cancer, but also have a far lower rate of progression once cancer gains a foothold. Colon cancer has been directly linked to meat consumption in multiple studies. This is in part due to the fact that foods rich in saturated fats appear to increase cancer risk in organs related to digestion, like the colon and rectum.
Clearly, the best “cure” for cancer is simply to prevent it altogether, especially since, as the National Cancer Institute estimates, as much as 80% of cancer cases are indeed preventable. A varied, plant-centered diet is an important anti-aging, health-boosting strategy. Not only can it help in the prevention of cancer, but it can also offer powerful protection against cardiovascular disease, a major health threat for many Americans.
According to John McDougall, M.D., cardiovascular disease, which includes most illnesses of the heart and arteries, arises from an underlying disorder called atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol plaques block arteries throughout the body. Atherosclerosis is the cause of most heart attacks and a great number of strokes.
McDougall explains that the whole process of atherosclerosis begins with the consumption of foods rich in saturated fat and cholesterol which comprise the typical American diet, primarily animal products. He asserts that the best way to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease is to decrease our dependence on the foods that promote it, targeting instead a low fat, plant-based diet. Again, even modest efforts can make a difference in your health. Consider just one meat-free meal a day to start, and increase from there. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.
[1] Proc Nutr Soc. 2007 May;66(2):207-1
[2] Forum Nutr. 2005;(57):147-56
[3] Acta Biomed. 2006 Aug;77(2):118-23
[4] Rev Clin Esp. 2007 Mar;207(3):141-3
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