When you think about the dismal health conditions in the United States and other parts of the world due to our diet, you realize how much damage we have done to ourselves. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America for both men and women. Preventable heart attacks are responsible for most of these deaths. 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. 1/3 of all children in the US are overweight or obese, and obesity is increasingly being diagnosed at a very young age.
We eat like there’s no tomorrow, and then we pay the price, not just individually but as a society, when healthcare costs from preventable diseases run into the billions.
The herbal alternative
About 16 million Americans are currently vegetarian, many of whom are vegan, meaning they consume no animal products or by-products (milk, honey, eggs) of any kind.
Celebrities, world leaders, nutritionists, doctors and children live healthy and energetic lives thanks to a plant-based diet. They enjoy heart health, lower body weight and lower insulin resistance.
Not many people know that Bill Clinton, a former Democratic President of the United States, suffered from heart disease. He announced back in 2011 that he had miraculously reversed his heart disease by following a strictly meat-free diet. Recent research has shown that it supports Clinton’s claim.
The University of Oxford conducted a large study and the results of the study showed that following a strict vegetarian diet actually reduces the risk of hospitalization due to complications from heart disease and the risk of death from heart disease, both by almost 1/3.
The results of the study
45,000 participants took part in the study, which was conducted by the University of Oxford’s health and nutrition experts. About 34% of these study participants followed a strict vegetarian diet. (In this particular study, a vegetarian was defined as a person who does not consume meat or fish).
Study participants were followed for more than 10 years as researchers gathered information about their dietary habits, exercise habits, alcohol consumption and other variables that could potentially impact heart disease risk.
The researchers who conducted the study found that the study participants who followed a strict vegetarian diet were significantly less likely to develop or develop heart disease, even after accounting for the other factors.
Francesca Crowe, PhD, from the University of Oxford was the lead author of the study. In a statement, she said, “Most of the difference in risk is most likely caused by effects on both cholesterol levels and blood pressure.” In her statement, she added, “This demonstrates the important role of diet in preventing heart disease.”
The research by the experts from the University of Oxford also revealed that the study participants who followed a strictly vegetarian diet tended to have a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians and were also less likely to develop diabetes.
Other benefits of a vegetarian diet
This most recent study was one of the largest studies ever conducted to examine the cardiovascular benefits of a vegetarian diet; However, it’s not exactly news that a meat-free diet is associated with a wide range of health benefits.
For example, another recent study followed about 37,000 adults and found that by eating at least one vegetarian meal a day, you can reduce your risk of dying from cancer by about 20%.
Other research has shown that, compared to meat eaters, people who eat a vegetarian diet:
• You have a lower risk of foodborne illnesses
• Experience less severe menopause symptoms
• Have a longer overall lifespan
• Have better insulin resistance
• weigh less and are less likely to be obese
Even if you’re not quite ready to give up your favorite burger just yet, you can still reap health benefits by incorporating slightly more heart-healthy, meatless meals into your overall diet. Choose plant-based foods more often. Fill your plate with healthy vegetables and whole grains. Eat raw whole foods.
Some examples of some tasty foods to consider are:
• Avocado
• Berry
• Nuts
• seed
• Lenses
• Leafy vegetables
• Red, yellow, purple and green vegetables
• Andean millet
• Sweet potatoes
• Steel oatmeal
• Soy milk and soybeans
• Much more
Consider going meatless for a meal or two a week and removing meat from your plate whenever you can.
Replace this meat with black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and other beans that have virtually no fat. Choose fruit for dessert instead of baked goods and raw vegetables for snacks.
Choose a fresh fruit and protein powder smoothie for three lunches a week instead of a burger or chicken lunch.
Small changes can go a long way, and maybe one day you’ll give up meat altogether.
Thanks to J Russell Hart
