The Fight Against Heart Disease: A Vegetarian Solution

Time and again we see news reports on studies that remind us of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet in reversing heart disease. One such study was published this month in the World Health Organization’s weekly journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

According to the study, nearly 400,000 people are expected to die of coronary heart disease in the United States in 2010.¹ “Half of these deaths could be avoided if people ate healthier food and stopped smoking,” says the study’s co-author, Dr. Simon Capewell, from the University of Liverpool in England.

The research calculated the number of deaths based on lifestyle trends from the baseline year 2000. Over the past few decades there have been improvements in cardiovascular health due to reductions in cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, and increased physical activity. However, since 1990, these improvements have been hindered due to a striking rise in obesity, and associated diabetes and high blood pressure in women.

"By avoiding tobacco, eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity, people can dramatically reduce their risk of developing heart disease, stroke or diabetes," says Dr. Shanthi Mendis, coordinator of Chronic Diseases Prevention and Management at the World Health Organization. She also states in a study that “Worldwide, nearly one billion adults are overweight and, if no action is taken, this figure will surpass 1.5 billion by 2015."

Another recent study on this issue was published last fall by the American Heart Association (AHA). According to a November report on research presented at the AHA’s Scientific Sessions 2009, “The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in adult Americans over the past 20 years has undermined public health success at reducing risk for heart disease.”²

Findings show that during the ’88 - ’06 time frame, the average body mass index (BMI -- a measure of body fat) increased from 26.5 to 28.8 kg/m2, a significant change. In the same period, the number of people with optimal blood pressure and optimal fasting glucose decreased. Both blood pressure and blood glucose are closely linked to obesity and these adverse trends track with the change in body weight.

Both studies basically say that it’s hard to fight heart disease because of the increasing obesity epidemic. Obesity has associated health problems such as high blood pressure and blood glucose, both of which are also heart disease factors. As part of the fight against heart disease as the #1 killer, we also need to fight the #1 epidemic: obesity.

One option is rather simple, actually. Leading health experts agree that going vegetarian is the single-best thing we can do for ourselves and our families. Healthy vegetarian diets support a lifetime of good health and provide protection against numerous diseases, including our country’s three biggest killers: heart disease, cancer, and strokes.

The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have “lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; ... lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer” and that vegetarians are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese.³ Well-planned vegetarian diets provide us with all the nutrients that we need, minus all the saturated fat, cholesterol, and contaminants found in animal flesh and eggs.

Research has shown that vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and they have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters.⁴⁵ Plus, meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than are vegans.⁶

A wholesome, low-fat vegetarian diet is ideal for facilitating weight loss, maintaining a healthy weight, and reducing the risk for heart disease. This is because a vegetarian diet is naturally low in fat, high in fiber, and high in fruits and vegetables. Of course, some people can be vegetarians but still eat high-fat, low-fiber foods like French fries and cheese pizza. It is important to limit eating those foods to only occasional consumption.

One should make a daily habit of eating whole grains (brown rice, oats, stone ground whole wheat or sprouted wheat, quinoa, barley, etc), vegetables and fruits (5-9 servings/day), nuts, legumes, and moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products (such as yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, and low-fat or non-fat milk). Of course it makes sense to include other good health habits such as not smoking and regular physical activity.

The AHA website does a really good job of providing information about a vegetarian diet and how it helps reduce health risks. The site also provides great information to explain why vegetarian diets provide sufficient protein to maintain good health. See their page, “Vegetarian Diets”.

At the end of the day, the single most important thing an individual can do for their health, the environment, and the sake of innocent animals is to adopt a vegetarian diet.