Controlling diabetes

Controlling diabetes

The latest studies on diabetes show that a vegetarian diet high in complex carbohydrates and fiber (which are found only in plant foods) and low in fat is the best dietary prescription for controlling diabetes. A diet based on vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains, which is also low in fat and sugar, can lower blood sugar levels and oftenreduce or even eliminate the need for medication. Since individuals with diabetes are at high risk for heart disease, avoiding fat and cholesterol is important, and a vegetarian diet is the best way to do that.

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the Physicians Committeefor

Responsible Medicine

The Calcium Connection

The Calcium Connection
Vegetarians are less likely to form either kidney stones or gallstones. In addition,
vegetarians may also be at lower risk for osteoporosis because they eat little or no
animal protein. A high intake of animal protein encourages the loss of calcium from the bones. Replacing animal products with plant foods reduces the amount of calcium lost. This may help to explain why people who live in countries where the typical diet is plantbased have little osteoporosis, even when calcium intake is lower than that in dairy-consuming countries. you already enjoy. Common ones

Planning Vegetarian diets

It’s easy to plan vegetarian diets that meet all your nutrient needs. Grains, beans, and vegetables are rich in protein and iron. Green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils, tofu, corn tortillas, and nuts are excellent sources of calcium, as are enriched soymilk and fortified juices. Vitamin D is normally made in the body when sun shines on the skin. People who are dark-skinned or live at northern latitudes have some difficulty producing vitamin D year-round. Vitamin D can easily be obtained from fortified foods. Some sources are commercial breakfast cereals, soymilk, other supplemental products, and multivitamins.Regular intake of vitamin B12 is important. Good sources include all common multiple vitamins (including vegetarian vitamins), fortified cereals, some brands of nutritional yeast, and fortified soymilk. It is especially important for pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers to get enough
vitamin B12. When reading food labels, look for the word cyanocobalamin the form of vitamin B12 that is best absorbed by the body.

Presented by Vegetarian Times
and the Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine

Cancer Prevention

CanCer Prevention
A vegetarian diet helps prevent cancer.Studies of vegetarians show that death rates from cancer are only about onehalf to three-quarters of the general population’s cancer-death rates. Breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in countries where typical diets are plant-based. When women from those countries adopt a Western, meat-based diet, their rates of breast cancer soar. Vegetarians also have significantly lower rates of colon cancer than meat eaters. Colon cancer is more closely associated with meat consumption than any other dietary factor. Why do vegetarian diets help protect against cancer?

First, they are lower in fat and higher in fiber than meat-based diets. But other factors are important, too. Plants contain other cancer-fighting substances called
phytochemicals. For example, vegetarians usually consume more of the plant pigments
betacarotene and lycopene. This might help to explain why they have less lung and prostate cancers. Also, some studies havesuggested that diets that avoid dairy products may reduce the risk of prostate and ovarian cancers. Some of the anticancer aspects of a vegetarian diet cannot yet be explained. For example, researchers are not quite sure why vegetarians have more ofcertain white blood cells, called natural killer cells, which are able to seek anddestroy cancer cells.

Presented by Vegetarian Timesand
the Physicians Committeefor
Responsible Medicine

Lower Blood Pressure

Lower Blood Pressure

An impressive number of studies, dating back to the early 1920s, show that vegetarians have lower blood pressure than nonvegetarians. In fact, some studies have shown that adding meat to a vegetarian diet raises blood pressure levels rapidly and significantly. A vegetarian diet also reduces sodium intake: When patients with high blood pressure begin a vegetarian diet, many are able to eliminate the need for medication.

A Healthy Heart

A Healthy Heart

Vegetarians have much lower cholesterol levels than meat eaters, and heart diseaseis less common in vegetarians. The reasons are not hard to find. Vegetarian meals are typically low in saturated fat and usually contain little or no cholesterol. Since cholesterol is found only in animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, vegans consume a cholesterolfree diet. The type of protein in a vegetarian diet may be another important advantage. Many studies show that replacing animal protein with plant protein lowers blood cholesterol levels even if the amount and type of fat in the diet staysthe same. Those studies show that a lowfat, vegetarian diet has a clear advantageover other diets.

Presented by Vegetarian Times
and the Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine