Go veggie, live longer
YOUR FIVE-PLUS A DAY…: Keeps death’s door away.
People who follow a vegetarian diet can enjoy an almost 12 per cent lower mortality rate than their meat loving counterparts, a new study has found. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine in June, followed 70,000 members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church over a six year period.
“Vegetarian diets are associated with lower all-cause mortality and with some reductions in cause-specific mortality,” the authors concluded. “Results appeared to be more robust in males. These favorable associations should be considered carefully by those offering dietary guidance.”
While most of us know we should be getting five serves of veg a day, we don’t always understand why or how it contributes to living a longer life.
Nutritionist and health author Dr Rebecca Harwin says that the consumption of meat increases inflammation in the body and is the cause behind many of our modern day diseases.
“The chance of falling victim to one of our major killers such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes can be increased for meat eaters due to their exposure to hormonal disrupting toxins and potentially harmful bacteria,” she says. “Increased consumption of processed meats and fatty red meat can largely be to blame.”
On the flip side, a vegetarian diet consisting of a variety of fruit and vegetables boosts valuable antioxidant levels which assist in combating inflammation. Add to this a higher intake of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre and other vitamins and minerals and it is easy to understand the results from this study.
It’s a common misconception that vegetarians are more likely to get sick due to the lack of iron intake from meat. Dr Harwin says that with careful meal planning it is entirely possible to receive all the nutrients required for a healthy life from a vegetarian diet. “Protein, iron, B12, zinc and omega 3 fats are all essential to maintaining energy and wellbeing,” she says.
Replies
Lou, you may be getting tired of my comments, jack of all trades me, i studied nutrition st SFU. All things in excess are bad, and shortages in the system also. Most of the trace elements like copper, silver, gold, are leached out of the soil, such that the vegetables etc do not contain them anymore, creating a shortage in our bodies. Therefore, we MUST supplement in order to get even the basic nutrients. An organic vegetarian multi vitamin with minerals, including copper, manganese, magnesium, selenium, iron etc should do the trick, but one must also add gold and silver solution, if available, occasionally,
Some vitamin pills use only very basic vitamins, and with no co-factors to help in absorption, therefore multi vitamins with co-factors is a help. Eat with food, that is best. Vit C supplements will get rid of cold systems, vit. D supplements can help prevent a variety of illneses as it boosts the immune system.
Follow the instructions of the manufacturer , re how much to use. Supplements can be used until the bottle is gone, then use something else and skip that supplement for a while, the idea being to avoid addiction or over use of any one item.
I find that multi vitamins and so-called herbal GREEN food and libido boosters, (testosterone) are noticeble in having an effect that one can feel.. Also, Vit D and C are indispensible.
Many spices and herbal items are also helpful, such as black cumin, ginger, cinnamon, tumeric, as most herbs and spices have a medicinal benefits.
The doses of each item vary , of course, but generally, the allowances are low, as they use minimal necessity as the base line, and those base lines are truly minimal! Dont use too much of any one thing for too long, that's the maxim i use.
Meat eaters have a history of finding fault with vegetarians, and claim protein lack, etc etc etc . Dont listen to a word these creeps have to say,but there are many unbiased experts; for example my nutrition professor, Martin, is one of the best in the world, he says that the east indian vegetarian diet is the world's healthiest. Recent studies show vegetarians live longer, they say 12% longer than meat eaters, and have more endurance and sudden energy burst power.