Veggie Diet Said To Be Okay (well I'll be doggoned!)

[Guest guest]

This came from SoFlaVegans in the last couple of days ;=) (It's okay - I'm

caught up with my mail now!) It's not new, so you may have seen it, but just in

case . . .

 

It's cheering that others are actually catching on, eh?

Best, Pat ;=)

 

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Vegetarian diet on solid ground, experts say

By Sunny Aslam, USATODAY.com

 

SOURCE: USA Today

12/07/2001 - Updated 02:16 PM ET

 

Lots of people these days are dabbling with a vegetarian diet.

Whatever the reason " cholesterol consciousness, a yearning to be

fashionably thin, or a newfound concern for cows and other living

creatures " more Americans are taking the plunge and making the switch

to a flesh-free existence.

 

But how safe is this experiment? Without meat in their diet, do

vegetarians miss out on important nutrients?

 

Probably not, diet experts say. As long as vegetarians take care to

eat a variety of foods, they can be just as healthy " and usually more

healthy " than meat eaters.

 

" The federal government and the American Dietetic Association have

reported that vegetarian diets are nutritionally sound, " says Neal

Barnard, president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

(PCRM), a non-profit organization that focuses on preventive

medicine.

 

Studies have found that vegetarians actually get far better nutrition

than non-vegetarians, Barnard says. And vegetarians get larger

amounts of fiber, iron, many vitamins and other cancer-fighting

compounds than meat eaters.

 

" Almost all of our essential nutrients come from plants, " says John

McDougall, a physician and founder of the McDougall Plan for Healthy

Living.

" Plants make 11 of 13 known vitamins. B-12 made by bacteria is the

only vitamin inadequately supplied by a plant-based diet. "

 

McDougall, who is on the PCRM advisory board, is the founder of a

12-day, live-in plan at St. Helena Hospital that uses a low-fat,

high-carbohydrate diet. McDougall says his plant-based diet promotes

weight loss, but more importantly, it can reverse some serious

illnesses such as heart disease without drugs.

 

McDougall points to a recent study in the Archives of Internal

Medicine that looked at Seventh-Day Adventists in California, a group

made up mostly of vegetarians. The 12-year of study of 34,192 people

found that on average, group members lived 10 years longer than the

general population.

 

Barnard adds that Americans suffer from having too much to eat, not

too little. The typical American eats too much fat, cholesterol and

animal protein, which contributes to high rates of obesity, heart

disease, cancer, osteoporosis and kidney disease.

 

" Vegetarians have a 40% less risk of cancer and much less risk of

heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and other

problems that are common among meat eaters, " Barnard says.

" Vegetarians also live several years longer and enjoy better health. "

 

Meanwhile, Barnard says, " Americans are surprisingly undernourished

when it comes to the protective nutrients that are in vegetables,

fruits, whole grains and beans. "

 

So swapping meat for vegetables is OK. But what about dairy products

and eggs?

 

" Dairy is 'liquid meat,' " McDougall says. " Compare the macronutrients

of cheese and beef †" they are the same. Both contain similar

amounts of cholesterol, fat and animal protein, and both are

deficient in fiber, vitamin C and carbohydrates. "

 

McDougall also asserts that milk and egg proteins are the most common

causes of food allergies.

 

So what does the would-be vegetarian need to know to get started on a

new eating regimen?

 

First of all, the person should be educated about basic nutritional

requirements, says Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human

Nutrition at the Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Louis.

 

" They need to be sure that they are getting adequate amounts of

calcium, zinc, iron and vitamin D and are taking a supplement if

needed, " Klein says.

" Fortified cereals, breads and orange juice could all be sources of

these minerals and vitamins. "

 

Klein, an expert on obesity, says less than 30% of calories in a

person's diet should come from fat and less than 10% should be from

saturated fat.

 

Barnard adds that vegetarians should take a B-12 vitamin supplement.

 

In short, new vegetarians can rest easy that their change in dietary

direction is a safe one, experts say.

 

" Anyone planning to remain on a meaty diet should certainly see their

doctor and perhaps a dietitian to try to plan for better nutrition, "

Barnard says.

 

Sunny Aslam writes about health for USATODAY.com. You can send any

feedback you have to saslam

[Guest guest]

Not to mention the improvement in the health of the animals ;-)

 

 

> -----

>

>

> Vegetarian diet on solid ground, experts say

> By Sunny Aslam, USATODAY.com

>

> SOURCE: USA Today

> 12/07/2001 - Updated 02:16 PM ET

>

> Lots of people these days are dabbling with a vegetarian diet.

> Whatever the reason " cholesterol consciousness, a yearning to be

> fashionably thin, or a newfound concern for cows and other living

> creatures " more Americans are taking the plunge and making the

switch

> to a flesh-free existence.

>

> But how safe is this experiment? Without meat in their diet, do

> vegetarians miss out on important nutrients?

>

> Probably not, diet experts say. As long as vegetarians take care to

> eat a variety of foods, they can be just as healthy " and usually

more

> healthy " than meat eaters.

>

[Guest guest]

> Not to mention the improvement in the health of the animals ;-)

 

Well yeah! ;=) It's funny - we're so keen to point out how a veggie diet is

actually *healthy* (what a shock!) that the animal rights/animal concern/

animal whatever stuff kinda gets left out as being an unpopular or politically

suspect reason for not consuming flesh and, for some, eggs, dairy and honey.

 

Thanks ;=)

 

Best,

 

Pat ;=)