Just about everyone wants to live a healthy lifestyle. Weekly, we hear about the problems with obesity in our country, and it is now even a problem with school children. Every industry puts the blame on others in the field, and it can be very hard at times to know what the right choice is. The best possible way to do this is through education. We cannot make a solid decision on anything unless we know the facts. There are many health benefits of becoming vegetarian. In this article we will focus on those benefits, and discuss the alternatives.
Looking At the Facts
Vegetarians are almost always considered to be fanatics that are driven by sympathy for animals and refuse to eat meat. Although many vegans have this viewpoint, they are also well educated in the facts behind the difference between vegetarianism and eating meat.
Let's look at some facts.
- The total costs of medical treatment in the Unites States attributable to eating meat are $30 to $60 billion dollars a year. Much of this stems from heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, gallstones and obesity. This doesn't take into account a lot of the food-borne illnesses, such as E coli, which has been prevalent in the country this year. Topps, a distributor of ground beef, recalled 330,000 pounds of ground beef this year due to their meat being tainted with manure. It caused the Topps company to go out of business.
- In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund recommended a diet that is high in plant based foods, along with nuts, fruits and whole grains. At the very least, they recommend that we limit our intake of grilled, cured and smoked meats and fish. The process used in making these cured and grilled meats produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines. All of these things are carcinogens.
- There are about 3 dozen foods that are proven to have cancer fighting properties. These foods include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, which are cruciferous vegetables. Umbelliferous vegetables and herbs, such as carrots, celery, cilantro, caraway, dill, and parsley also help fight cancer. There are many other fruits and vegetables, such as oranges and grapefruit, tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe, grapes and berries that are very beneficial to your health. The best beans, high in protein, include kidney, Lima, pinto, cranberry, navy, Great Northern, garbanzo, soy, and black-eyed peas. Whole grains such as brown rice, oats and whole wheat are also provide special nutrients.
Cancer And Heart Disease
There have been a lot of studies that confirm that a vegetarian lifestyle reduces the threat of cancer and heart disease. A British study proved that lifelong vegetarians have a 24% better chance of beating these diseases. Vegans, who abstain from eating any animal products, show a 57% lower risk of cancer and heart disease than carnivores. Because a vegetarian diet is lower in saturated fats, the statistics for cholesterol show that after just two weeks on a vegetarian diet, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and total/HDL cholesterol may decrease as much as 33%. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Every year, 1.3 new cases of cancer are reported in the United States, with over 550,000 deaths. Studies have proven that six types of cancer are directly related to eating meat and meat by-products. A vegetarian diet is proven by The World Cancer Research Fund to reduce the risk of getting over 18 different types of cancer, including breast, cervix, colon and lung cancer. They recommend a diet high in plant based foods, and if meat is to be eaten at all, it should only be 10% of daily caloric intake.
In Conclusion
We are addicted to a diet high in meat and dairy because of the constant promotion of meat and dairy products in advertising. A vegetarian diet, though good for you, is like anything else - it has its downside. You must be careful to ensure that you get the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Eating salads alone just won’t cut it. We need to keep in mind that proteins are made up of amino acids. The body produces many of them, but 8 cannot be made - they must be gained from food or vitamins. Single plant foods do not contain the amino acids we need in the right proportion, so we must add into the mix such things as beans and fruits. In this way, we gain the essential amino acids needed to keep us healthy. A vegetarian diet is like anything else - it requires common sense. With these guidelines and a little web surfing for more information, you can stay healthy and enjoy freedom from red meat.
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