Dec 15

The Top 5 Reasons to Become Vegan

theorangegroveclinicThere are a plethora of reasons to switch to an entirely plant-based vegan diet. Here, we’ll list five of the top reasons why going vegan isn’t just a smart decision for yourself, it’s a smart decision for the rest of the world as well.

The Top 5 Reasons to Become Vegan (in no particular order):

It’s Good for You

Science has continually shown that following a vegan diet is extremely beneficial to a person’s health. For example, a National Institute of Health study from 2013 found that those following a vegan or vegetarian diet are considerably less likely to die from a variety of ailments such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal disorders such as kidney failure.

Studies have also shown that a vegan diet can protect against things such as prostate cancer, type-2 diabetes and breast cancer, and can extend the lives of those with conditions such as chronic kidney disease.

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Dec 15

47 Health Benefits of Being Vegan

appleVegans are frequently misunderstood as fringe eaters with an unnatural passion for animal rights. While many vegans do feel passionately about animals, it’s time for others to see that a vegan diet and lifestyle go way beyond animal rights. Following a healthy, balanced vegan diet ensures a host of health benefits as well as prevention of some of the major diseases striking people in North America.

Below is a list of 47 health benefits associated with following a vegan diet:

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Dec 15

Study Finds Vegan Diet Can Protect Against Prostate Cancer

prostate cancerA new study published last month by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and e-published ahead of print by the National Institute of Health, has found that adhering to a vegan diet can decrease a person’s risk of prostate cancer.

“According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer accounts for ∼27% of all incident cancer cases among men and is the second most common (noncutaneous) cancer among men”, the study’s abstract begins. ”
“The relation between diet and prostate cancer is still unclear. Because people do not consume individual foods but rather foods in combination, the assessment of dietary patterns may offer valuable information when determining associations between diet and prostate cancer risk.”

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Dec 15

Vegetarian Diet Decreases Mortality Rates, Finds Study

veggieThose who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet have a decreased risk of dying from causes such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure, according to a large analysis published by the U.S. National Institute of Health and funded by the National Cancer Institute.

For the analysis, a research team at Loma Linda University explored the connections between dietary patterns and death rates in men and women following the Seventh-day Adventist religion, studying over 73,000 people ages 25 and older.

Participants were categorized into dietary groups based on their reported food intake during the previous year. 29% reported being lacto-ovo vegetarians (eating eggs and/or dairy, but red meat, fish or poultry less than once per month), 10% were pesco-vegetarians (eating fish, milk and eggs), 8% were entirely vegan, and 5% were “semi-vegetarians” (eating fish, red meat or poultry less than once per week, but more than once per month).

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Dec 15

Study: Plant Protein Lowers Risk of Death in Those With Kidney Disease

Tofu is an excellent source of plant protein,

Tofu is an excellent source of plant protein,

A new study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases has found that when those with chronic kidney disease increase their intake of plant protein, they significantly decrease their risk of death.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 15,000 people who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Of the 14,866 participants, 1,065 were determined as having chronic kidney disease.

After looking at the data, researchers noticed a strong correlation between an increased intake in plant protein, and a decreased likelihood of death over the study’s average follow-up period of 8.6 years.

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