The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are impressive. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, nutritional researcher at Cornell University and director of the largest epidemiological study in history, says, “The vast majority of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented simply by adopting a plant-based diet.Dr. Campbell is the author of The China Study in which he exposes many myths about the animal based diet that we eat. You can buy this book at Amzon.com and I urge you to read it- it is pretty mind blowing! If you don’t want all you think you know about a healthy diet blown away then don’t read it!
In 2009 the American Dietetic Association published its position paper on vegetarian diets in which it stated that vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally sound and may provide benefits in prevention and treatment of some diseases.
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
Such diets were deemed to be healthy for everyone including pregnant and lactating women, athletes and children.
It further said that an evidence based review showed that vegetarian diets resulted in a lower mortality rate from ischemic heart disease and that the lower intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in the vegetarian diet together with higher intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fiber, soy and phytochemicals are the factors that may reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
It found from its reviews that vegetarians; “Vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. “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”
So if you are interested in reducing your risk of getting a nasty disease and an earlier death read the China Study and see what you thin. Don’t forget to come back here and let us know what you think by leaving a comment when you have done so.
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