Aug28
Veggie Benefits
Posted at 03:39 PM | Permalink
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The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates.
Need more proof? Check out the following recent studies:
- According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, people with type 2 diabetes who consumed 40 grams of soy protein isolate per day for nearly two months saw significant reductions in both their LDL cholesterol and the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol. This is just the latest in a long list of studies showing that soy lowers cholesterol—the FDA even permits companies to boast about the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy on their product labels.
- In more soy news, an amino acid found in higher concentrations in soy and other vegetable proteins can lower your blood pressure.
- In addition to clogging your arteries, a low-carb diet makes you stupid—at least that's the conclusion of a recent study at Tufts University in Boston. Scientists there found that young women performed worse on mental acuity tests after just one week on the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets. D'oh—you could've aced that chemistry final if only you'd had a V8!
- Speaking of V8, a Mayo Clinic study has found that eating lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables may reduce your risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bad news for people who hate broccoli—taking antioxidant supplements doesn't have the same effect.
- A study at Oxford University backed up these findings and even went a bit further, concluding that vegetarians slashed their risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, and other blood cancers by 45 percent.
So, how's about we mosey on over to VegCooking.com and get started fixing up a mess of cholesterol-lowering, artery-unclogging, cancer risk–slashing, brain-boosting veggies, shall we?
Posted by Alisa Mullins
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Now this is a kind of article that I would show my non-veg friends. Anyone can just yell about how bad something is, but it takes effort to state something in a positive way and back it up with articles. I fail to see any mention of the "evils" of meat.
Posted by: Edward | August 28, 2009 05:52 PM
Thank you pointing this out.
It really can't be stressed enough that vegetarianism and veganism are HEALTHY.
Posted by: Elaine Vigneault | August 28, 2009 06:30 PM
I'm a strict vegan for the health and welfare of animals, our beloved fellow creatures.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | August 28, 2009 08:46 PM
This needs to be taught in schools, told to patients going to the Doctor, everyone needs to know this important information! Being a Vegan for many years I'm very well read on nutrition, only wish 95% of the population was informed..
Posted by: Rob | August 29, 2009 01:52 AM
I posted it under another section but what the heck I feel like very much to share the news again for the benefit of those who didn't read it and might be inluenced and convinced to adopt at least a veggie diet--I'm not vegan though I use no more cow milk and butter, and cut very much my use of other dairy products and eggs, and when I do use them of course they're organic.
I’m a 45 year-old woman, have been vegetarian for five years now. Last Monday the doctor took my blood pressure and told me “like a young girl: 70/120″. It’s a “side effect” of my dedication to my non human brothers and sisters as I adopted a veggie diet out of love for them, not for health reasons.
Posted by: France | August 29, 2009 08:23 AM
I forgot to say that I used to have very painful rectal cramps, and they have completely disappeared with my new veggie diet a few years ago. They were most painful: I would weep as though I were subject to a torture session and would pace around my place often up to one hour. I had to have medication. My doctor told me that my rectal cramps were extraordinarily severe compared to other people who suffered from the same condition. The first year my cramps went down from several a year to just a few. The second or third year I think I got one or two. And for at least the two last year I got none. I didn't even go back to see my doctor to renew my prescription. They're completely gone and I'm 100% sure they won't ever come back, thanks to my veggie diet.
Posted by: France | August 29, 2009 11:40 AM
Wow, France, it sounds like you've had the most dramatic health turnaround of any vegetarian I've ever heard of. Congratulations!
Edward:
If you are truly interested in the "evils" of meat, you can find information all over the Internet or in books (like Food Revolution by John Robbins or Food Politics by Marion Nestle).
Posted by: Moriah | September 1, 2009 06:31 PM
Everything in moderation, eating mass amounts of meat each meal is probably unhealthy, eating a balanced diet including moderate portions of meat is fine for me, I'm 75 and thank God I have had minimal health issues up to this point. This posting probably won't make the board, I noticed it was slightly biased.
Posted by: Jeremy Schappert | September 2, 2009 11:30 AM
I went veg aged 11, and I'm loving every minute of it.
I didn't go veg for the heatlth reason: I turned because of animals.
Posted by: Fallen Petal | September 3, 2009 02:25 AM