Post by Anton on Jun 28, 2013 16:31:40 GMT
With the proper planning and education, research shows that going
vegetarian is an excellent step to improve and protect your health. By
minimizing processed foods and emphasizing whole plant foods,
vegetarians enjoy a more nutritious and far less toxic way of eating
than the average.
The bottom line: As a vegetarian, you will be better
protected from a range of major diseases, take in more nutrients and
potentially lose a lot of weight.
Weight loss
The high water content and fiber in plant foods is probably to thank for the
weight loss that occurs when an omnivore becomes vegetarian. Overweight
people typically lose 10 percent of their body weight when they switch
to a vegetarian diet, and the body-mass index (BMI) of vegetarians is
generally lower as well. Vegetarian diets have less saturated fat and
are likely to contain less fat overall.
Better digestion
Fiber, the indigestible matter that gives structure to plant foods, is
essential for speeding waste out of the body. Virtually all whole plant
foods have a positive impact on digestion. Animal foods, on the other
hand, contain no fiber and move sluggishly through the digestive system.
This results in constipation and putrefaction of meat in the digestive
tract, letting harmful bacteria linger.
A healthier heart
Fiber has another health benefit - reducing cholesterol. One type, soluble
fiber, actually pulls cholesterol out of the body. Vegetarians also have
a head start on healthy cholesterol, since plant foods
don't contain any. As a result, cholesterol levels in vegetarians are
typically 40 points lower than those of omnivores. Blood pressure is
also lower overall, suggesting that vegetarians have a 20-40 percent
reduced risk of heart
disease and a 30-60 percent reduced risk of stroke. In fact, an
analysis of five studies concluded that vegetarians have a 34 percent
reduced risk of dying from a heart attack compared to omnivores.
Slowed aging
High antioxidant content in many plant foods like berries and raw chocolate
combats the cellular damage caused by unstable oxygen molecules known as
free radicals. Free radicals, which are ingested from cooked foods and
polluted air (among other sources), are one of the main causes of aging.
A diet high in whole and fresh foods can actually turn back the clock
by knocking these down.
Reduced risk of cancer
One of the best reasons to go vegetarian is this: Vegetarians have a 40 percent
reduced risk of getting cancer. There are several explanations for this
statistic. Vegetarians tend to be thinner, and obesity in particular is
associated with increased cancer risk.
The high fiber content of plant foods speeds waste through your system,
which cuts the risk of colon cancer. And diets high in fat and animal
foods spike cancer risk, especially that of breast cancer, through their
action on hormones.
A less toxic body
Since animals concentrate the toxins they ingest in their tissues, meat and milk is
much higher in toxins than plant foods are. Wild fish contain alarming
amounts of mercury; the FDA recommends eating fish only 2-3 times per
week. And the EPA reports that 95 percent of human exposure to dioxin, a
dangerous toxin, comes from consuming meat, fish and dairy. Animal
foods are also often high in pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and
hormones.
Sources for this article include:
www.veganhealth.org/articles/dxmarkers
healthluv.com
www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/
Learn more: www.naturalnews.com/040961_vegetarian_diet_disease_prevention_cancer_risk.html#ixzz2XWqKVN5l
vegetarian is an excellent step to improve and protect your health. By
minimizing processed foods and emphasizing whole plant foods,
vegetarians enjoy a more nutritious and far less toxic way of eating
than the average.
The bottom line: As a vegetarian, you will be better
protected from a range of major diseases, take in more nutrients and
potentially lose a lot of weight.
Weight loss
The high water content and fiber in plant foods is probably to thank for the
weight loss that occurs when an omnivore becomes vegetarian. Overweight
people typically lose 10 percent of their body weight when they switch
to a vegetarian diet, and the body-mass index (BMI) of vegetarians is
generally lower as well. Vegetarian diets have less saturated fat and
are likely to contain less fat overall.
Better digestion
Fiber, the indigestible matter that gives structure to plant foods, is
essential for speeding waste out of the body. Virtually all whole plant
foods have a positive impact on digestion. Animal foods, on the other
hand, contain no fiber and move sluggishly through the digestive system.
This results in constipation and putrefaction of meat in the digestive
tract, letting harmful bacteria linger.
A healthier heart
Fiber has another health benefit - reducing cholesterol. One type, soluble
fiber, actually pulls cholesterol out of the body. Vegetarians also have
a head start on healthy cholesterol, since plant foods
don't contain any. As a result, cholesterol levels in vegetarians are
typically 40 points lower than those of omnivores. Blood pressure is
also lower overall, suggesting that vegetarians have a 20-40 percent
reduced risk of heart
disease and a 30-60 percent reduced risk of stroke. In fact, an
analysis of five studies concluded that vegetarians have a 34 percent
reduced risk of dying from a heart attack compared to omnivores.
Slowed aging
High antioxidant content in many plant foods like berries and raw chocolate
combats the cellular damage caused by unstable oxygen molecules known as
free radicals. Free radicals, which are ingested from cooked foods and
polluted air (among other sources), are one of the main causes of aging.
A diet high in whole and fresh foods can actually turn back the clock
by knocking these down.
Reduced risk of cancer
One of the best reasons to go vegetarian is this: Vegetarians have a 40 percent
reduced risk of getting cancer. There are several explanations for this
statistic. Vegetarians tend to be thinner, and obesity in particular is
associated with increased cancer risk.
The high fiber content of plant foods speeds waste through your system,
which cuts the risk of colon cancer. And diets high in fat and animal
foods spike cancer risk, especially that of breast cancer, through their
action on hormones.
A less toxic body
Since animals concentrate the toxins they ingest in their tissues, meat and milk is
much higher in toxins than plant foods are. Wild fish contain alarming
amounts of mercury; the FDA recommends eating fish only 2-3 times per
week. And the EPA reports that 95 percent of human exposure to dioxin, a
dangerous toxin, comes from consuming meat, fish and dairy. Animal
foods are also often high in pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and
hormones.
Sources for this article include:
www.veganhealth.org/articles/dxmarkers
healthluv.com
www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/
Learn more: www.naturalnews.com/040961_vegetarian_diet_disease_prevention_cancer_risk.html#ixzz2XWqKVN5l
