MEAT AND DAIRY DIET
HEART DISEASE
Heart disease is one of the UK's biggest killers, claiming the lives of one in four men and one in six women. Saturated fats, of which meat and dairy products are major sources, can raise cholesterol to dangerous levels and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by blocking blood flowing through the arteries. The risk of developing heart disease is at least doubled, and the risk of a stroke is six times greater with a large waist measurement. Fat is, in fact, vital for a healthy heart but it must be the right type of fat. Saturated fat, which is mainly found in animal products, is the wrong type. Plant sources of good fats (unsaturated) include beans, seeds, nuts and their oils. These all contain essential omega 3 - the subject of much scientific discussion and public concern. The consensus view is that a deficiency of omega 3 is linked to neurological problems and possibly cardiovascular disease. Plant sources of omega 3 are perfectly adequate and,unlike a significant proportion of fish, they do not come loaded with pollutants, such as mercury and dioxins from contaminated seas. Research published by the British Medical Association and in UK medical journal, The Lancet, has shown that a meat-free diet, together with other healthy lifestyle changes, can actually reopen blocked arteries. |
CANCER
The World Health Organisation estimates that dietary factors account for 30 per cent of cancers in industrialised countries, coming a close second behind smoking as a preventable risk factor. Both the American Dietetic Association and the British Medical Association have found that vegetarians are less likely to develop certain cancers. In fact, a landmark study published in the British Medical Journal found that vegetarians suffer 40 per cent less cancer mortality than the population average. One of the largest worldwide studies looking at the effects of diet on health (The China Study) indicated a direct link between animal protein intake and cancer - the more animal protein there was in the diet, the higher the risk of certain cancers. The China Study findings are supported by The World Cancer Research Fund, which spent five years examining 7,000 scientific studies on lifestyle and disease. Among it's key findings was that red meat - beef, pork and lamb - and processed meats are strongly linked to bowel cancer. In contrast, a whole-grain plant-based diet including fibre and antioxidants was linked to lower rates of cancer.
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