Health Benefits of a Plant based diet
According to studies outlined in PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) avoiding animal products in the diet has many health benefits.
According to studies outlined in PCRM article Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters. Japanese women who adapt a western diet are more likely to develop breast cancer. Vegetarian's contain more white blood cells than meat- eaters.
Cholesterol cannot be found in a plant based diet. As long as trans fatty acids from hydrogenated oils are avoided, a vegetarian diet will not cause cholesterol buildup in the arteries. In fact a vegan diet can actually help reverse atherosclerosis and lower blood pressure.
A vegan diet has also been effective in regulating blood sugars helping in prevention and reversing of diabetes.
A diet high in protein causes the body to excrete large amounts of calcium and other minerals that can lead to osteoporosis, kidney stones and gallstones.
Asthma has also been shown to be higher in people not eating vegan diets.
What's Wrong with Dairy Products?
The high cholesterol content in dairy increases risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dairy may contain calcium but it has been linked to the onset of osteoporosis. The calcium in dairy is not absorbed and utilized as the calcium in spinach, kale, almonds or wheat grass is. And, the high protein level can lead to the depletion of calcium in your body. D toxicity from milk can also increase the outflow of calcium.
Consumption of dairy has been directly linked to the ineffectiveness of insulin and the onset of Type one diabetes.
Dairy consumption has been shown to triple a women's likely hood of developing breast cancer.
Mothers who drink milk pass cow antibodies along to their nursing infants through their breast milk. These antibodies can cause colic.
Dairy contains lactose which is a problem for those who are lactose intolerant. Specifically it causes gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea, and flatulence. 95 percent of Asian Americans, 74 percent of Native Americans, 70 percent of African Americans, 53 percent of Mexican Americans, and 15 percent of Caucasians are lactose intolerant.
Milk is often contaminated in factory farming because cows are fed hormones to increase production. This can result in mastitis, enlarged and infected utters, that is often treated with antibiotics that make it into the milk along with pesticides and other drugs.
References
* Physicians Committee for responsible medicine
* Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health
* What's Wrong with Dairy Products?
Fri May 12 08:28:00 -0600 2006
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