heart disease

Heart disease claims the life of nearly one out of every two Americans. Adopting a vegetarian diet is a powerful way to prevent heart attacks. Animal foods are high in saturated fat, but plant foods are low in saturated fat. Since cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meat, dairy, and eggs, plant foods are cholesterol-free. The most powerful cholesterol-lowing agents are soluble fiber, unsaturated fats, and phytochemicals, all of which are found almost exclusively in plant foods.[1] In the seventeen studies conducted between 1978 and 2002, the average vegan’s cholesterol level was a mere 160 mg/dl, while the average non-vegetarian’s cholesterol was 202 mg/dl.[2] It’s not surprising that vegetarians have been shown to have a 24% reduced risk of dying of heart disease.[3] It is likely that vegetarians could cut their risk of heart disease even further by increasing their intake of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B12.

Physicians such as Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn have actually stopped and even reversed heart disease in patients by putting them on programs that include plant-based diets.

References

1	Davis, B. and Melina, V. (2000). Becoming vegan (p. 22).
2	Norris, J. (2003, March). Making Sense of Nutritional Research.
3	Key TJ, Fraser GE, et al. (1999, Sep.). Mortality in vegetarians and nonvegetarians: detailed findings from a collaborative analysis of 5 prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr, 70:516S-524S.