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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ex-muslim Ahmed" data-source="post: 9528709" data-attributes="member: 179431">A Short Historical Perspective on Vegetarian Diets  In the past, many viewed vegetarianism as strange and faddish but  appropriately planned vegetarian diets are now recognized by many,  including the <a href="http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=1233" target="_blank">American Dietetic Association</a>, as being nutritionally adequate, and providing healthful benefits in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (1).  Choosing a nonvegetarian lifestyle has a significant health and medical cost. The total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to meat consumption were estimated to be $30-60 billion a year,  based upon the higher prevalence of hypertension, heart disease,  cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity and food-borne illness among  omnivores compared with  vegetarians (2).    Related <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/bytes/tomatoes-and-health.php" target="_blank">Tomatoes and Health</a><a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/nuggets/top_ten_foods.php" target="_blank">Top Ten Foods</a><a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/bytes/soy.php" target="_blank">Soy and Health</a><a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/bytes/cereals.php" target="_blank">Health Benefits of Whole Grains</a><a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/bytes/fruits_vegetables.php" target="_blank">Health Benefits of Fruits</a><a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/bytes/vegetables.php" target="_blank">Health Benefits of Vegetables</a>   A large body of scientific literature suggests that the consumption  of a diet of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and fruits, with  the avoidance of meat and high-fat animal products, along with a regular  exercise program is consistently associated with lower blood  cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, less obesity and consequently  less heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and mortality (1,3, 4). In  African-Americans, the frequent consumption of nuts, fruits and green  salads was associated with 35-44 percent lower risk of overall mortality  (5).  Distinguishing Feature  A vegetarian diet is distinguished from an omnivorous diet by its  content of dry beans and lentils. These take the place of meat and fish  as the major source of protein. And there are so many different kinds of  beans you can choose from - kidney, lima, pinto, cranberry, navy, Great  Northern, garbanzo, soy beans, and black-eyed peas. These can be served  with rice, added to soups, stews, and salads or a variety of  casseroles, and  made into different ethnic dishes.  Tofu, or soy bean curd, can be used in dips and spreads, or served with pasta or stir-fried vegetables. <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/bytes/soy.php" target="_blank">Soy  protein contains isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, that act  as phytoestrogens and inhibit tumor growth, lower blood cholesterol  levels, decrease the risk of blood clots, and diminish bone loss</a>. These benefits clearly translate into a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and osteoporosis (6).   Cancer Protection  A major report published by the <a href="http://www.wcrf.org/research/fnatpoc.lasso" target="_blank">World Cancer Research Fund</a>  in 1997 recommended we lower our risk of cancer by choosing  predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and  fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods, and to  limit the intake of grilled, cured and smoked meats and fish. These  methods of preparing meat produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and  heterocyclic amines which are carcinogenic (11).  Over 200 studies have revealed that a regular consumption of fruits  and vegetables provides significant protection against cancer at many  sites. People who consume higher amounts of fruits and vegetables have  about one-half the risk of cancer, especially the epithelial cancers  (7). The risk of most cancers was 20-50% lower in those with a high  versus a low consumption of whole grains (8).  About three dozen plant foods have been identified as possessing cancer-protective properties. These include cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower), umbelliferous vegetables and herbs (carrots, celery, cilantro, caraway, dill, <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/parsley.php" target="_blank">parsley</a>), other fruits and vegetables (<a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/citrus.php" target="_blank">citrus</a>, tomatoes, cucumber, grapes, cantaloupe, berries), beans (<a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/miracle_bean.php" target="_blank">soybeans</a>), <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/going_grain.php" target="_blank">whole grains</a> (brown rice, oats, whole wheat), flaxseed, many <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/going_nuts.php" target="_blank">nuts</a>, and various <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/vn/herb-spice.php" target="_blank">seasoning herbs</a> (<a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/garlic.php" target="_blank">garlic</a>, scallions, onions, chives, ginger, turmeric, <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/rosemary.php" target="_blank">rosemary</a>, <a href="http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/thyme.php" target="_blank">thyme</a>, oregano, sage, and basil)(9).   These foods and herbs contain of host of cancer-protective  phytochemicals such as carotenoids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates,  isoflavones, ellagic acid, glucarates, curcurmins, liminoids, lignans,  phenolic acids, phthalides, saponins, phytosterols, sulfide compounds,  terpenoids, and tocotrienols. These beneficial compounds alter metabolic  pathways and hormonal actions that are associated with the development  of cancer, stimulate the immune system, and have antioxidant activity  (10).  Heart Disease  Regular fruit and vegetable consumption reduces the risk of ischemic  heart disease. A recent survey of 47,000 Italians found that persons in  the highest tertile of vegetable consumption had a 21and 11% reduced  risk of myocardial infarction and angina, respectively, compared with  those in the lowest tertile of vegetable consumption (12).   A British study found that daily consumption of fresh fruit was  associated with a 24 percent reduction in mortality from  heart disease  and a 32 percent reduction in death from cerebrovascular disease,  compared with less frequent fruit consumption. Daily consumption of raw  salad was associated with a 26 percent reduction in mortality from heart  disease (13).  In another study, lifelong vegetarians had a 24 percent lower  incidence and lifelong vegans (those who eat no eggs or dairy products)  had a 57 percent lower incidence of coronary heart disease compared to  meat eaters (14). Healthy volunteers who consumed a vegetarian diet (25%  of calories as fat) that was rich in green, leafy vegetables and other  low-calorie vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers,  celery, green beans, etc.), fruits, nuts, sweet corn and peas  experienced after two weeks decreases of 25, 33, 20 and 21 percent in  total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and total/HDL  cholesterol ratio, respectively (15).  Various factors exist in fruits and vegetables that provide possible  protection against cardiovascular disease. These factors include folic  acid, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, carotenoids, phytosterols,  flavonoids, and other polyphenolic antioxidants. Typically, vegetarian  diets are also somewhat lower in saturated fat and cholesterol.  Vegetarians typically have lower blood cholesterol levels. Plant diets  rich in soluble fiber (such as found in dry beans, oats, carrots,  squash, apples, and citrus) are useful for lowering serum cholesterol  levels.  The many flavonoids in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains,  have extensive biological properties that reduce the risk of heart  disease. Flavonoids are among the most potent antioxidants. They protect  LDL cholesterol from oxidation; inhibit the formation of blood clots;  and have hypolipidemic effects and anti-inflammatory action (16).  European studies found that those who had the highest consumption of  flavonoids had 60 percent less mortality from heart disease and 70  percent lower risk of stroke than the low flavonoid consumers (17,18).  The yellow-orange and red carotenoid pigments in fruits and  vegetables are powerful antioxidants that can quench free radicals and  protect against cholesterol oxidation. Persons with high levels of serum  carotenoids have a reduced risk of heart disease. The recent <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=7901680&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google" target="_blank">EURAMIC study</a>  found that a high intake of lycopene (the red pigment in tomatoes, pink  grapefruit, and watermelon) was associated in men with a 48 percent  lower risk of a myocardial infarction compared with a low intake of  lycopene (19). Cholesterol synthesis is suppressed and LDL receptor  activity is augmented by the carotenoids beta-carotene and lycopene,  similar to that seen with the drug fluvastatin (20).</blockquote>

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