 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
by James Lopez A whole food, plant-based diet is superior to an animal based diet because it has been proven to be beneficial in fighting chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. This claim is not opinion based, but based on scientific research. It may challenge your personal beliefs but I encourage you to maintain an open mind and make a decision based on the facts presented. It is natural to resist new information that challenges your personal beliefs and opinions. However, we only grow when we can process new information and make an intelligent decision based on information presented. This essay will challenge what some of you believe. A whole food, plant-based diet consists of eating fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Whole foods naturally contain all of their nutrients from nature and they have not been processed. Some examples of whole foods are fruits, vegetables, brown rice, nuts and seeds (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). A diet that is animal based contains anything that comes from an animal. Some examples are meat, poultry, milk, and cheese. Animal based foods lack some essential nutrients that can only be found in plant based, whole foods. Two examples are fiber and anti-oxidants. Both of these essential nutrients can only be obtained by eating plant-based foods and are essential to one's health. Diets that contain large amounts of dietary fiber have consistently shown lower occurrences of cancers of the colon and rectum (Campbell, 2006). Dietary fiber can only be obtained from plants and vegetables. It cannot be obtained from animal based foods. Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate that we cannot fully digest. As the undigested fiber travels through our digestive system it pushes other waste products with it to be eliminated from the body. This helps to prevent a potentially toxic build up of waste products in our digestive system. "The World Cancer Research Fund published a report which linked eating lots of red and processed meats with up to a 20% greater risk of lung and colorectal cancer" (The Heat is On Red Meat, 2010). This clearly points out that the consumption of red and processed meats leads to a higher occurrence of cancer while the consumption of plant and vegetables leads to lower occurrences. Most fruits and vegetables are colorful. The chemicals responsible for this color are called anti-oxidants. These chemicals are found in abundance in fruits and vegetables. Besides providing color, anti-oxidants are useful in gathering up free radicals. Free radicals are errant electrons, which can be dangerous and harmful to our body, anti-oxidants have the ability to gather up and intercept these electrons before they can cause damage (Campbell, 2006). Anti-oxidants are only present in animal based foods to the extent that a specific animal consumed them prior to becoming food. Here is another example of plant based foods providing us with another key nutrient that cannot be found in significant qualities in animal based products. Studies have shown an increased occurrence of cancer in areas where people consume low amounts of anti-oxidants (Campbell, 2006). "Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death of American males and females, approximately 17 million Americans alive today have coronary heart disease (Lee, 2010)". A useful tool to determine one's risk for coronary heart disease is to have a sample of your blood analyzed for risk factors. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that can be measured in the blood. It has been shown that as cholesterol levels increase your risk for coronary heart disease increases as well (Lee, 2010). Cholesterol can be consumed in the foods you eat and is only found in foods that are animal based in their origin. Cholesterol is not found in vegetables and fruits. It also gives us another reason for consuming a plant-based diet for good health. Another important fact about our cardiovascular system relates to the elasticity of our arteries. As we age our arterial walls become less rigid. Endothelial cells line our arteries and are responsible for producing nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is responsible for relaxing and dilating our blood vessels (Keep it Supple, 2010). Endothelial cells are sensitive and can be damaged. Diets, which are high in saturated fats, have been shown to greatly affect endothelial cell function (Keep it Supple, 2010). Saturated fats are found in animal products such as meat and chicken. Lean cuts of meat and chicken will still contain saturated fats. Diets that are whole food, plant-based have been shown to heal endothelial cells and improve function (Esselstyn, 2007). This provides us with another example of how an animal based diet will be harmful to our bodies. "Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by a defect in insulin secretion and/or increased cellular resistance to insulin, resulting in elevated plasma glucose levels, abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, characteristic and pathologic changes in the nerves and small blood vessels, and aggravation of atherosclerosis (Lee, 2010)". Researchers have shown that diabetes is more prevalent in countries that consume a majority of their calories from animal protein and fats, countries with low incidences of diabetes consume a majority of their calories from carbohydrates with low animal product consumption (Campbell, 2006). The American Diabetes Association recommends that people consume carbohydrates from sources such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and non-fat dairy products. We see a consistent theme of whole-food, plant-based foods being recommended to combat a variety of illnesses. Whole-food, plant-based foods are essential to good health. They contain valuable nutrients that cannot be obtained anywhere else. Fiber, an essential carbohydrate, can only be found in plant-based foods. Anti-oxidants a chemical that is abundant in fruits and vegetables is vital in controlling damaging free radicals in our body. These are two examples of nutrients that we can only obtain through a plant-based food source. Animal products do provide us with things that plants do not. They provide us with cholesterol and saturated fats. Elevated levels of both have links to coronary disease. I think it is safe to say it is something that we can do without. References: Mayo Clinic Staff, . (2010). Vegetarian diet: how to get the best nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/hq01596 Campbell, T. Colin. (2006). The china study. Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books Inc. Keep it Supple. (2010). Nutrition Action Health Letter. Vol. 37, Issue 8, p. 3-7. The Heat Is on Red Meat. (2010). Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. Vol. 28, Issue 9, p. 4-5. Esselstyn, Caldwell B. (2007). Prevent and reverse heart disease. New York, NY: Penguin Group. Lee, Robert D., & Nieman, David C. (2010). Nutritional assessment 5th edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. |