"
The Dark Side of Animal Protein"That is the title of chapter 4 of Dr. Joel Fuhrman's new book, Eat to Live. Dr. Fuhrman, a board-certified family physician, specializes in peventing and reversing disease through nutrition and natural methods.
He begins with a discussion of the China-Cornell-Oxford Project (the China Project) and notes that this "Grand Prix of all epidemiological studies is the most comprehensive study on the relationship of diet and disease in medical history. "It studies populations with a full range of dietary possibilities: from a completely plant-food diet to diets that included a significant amount of animal foods."
...Researchers found huge differences in disease rates depending upon the amount of plant foods eaten and the availability of animal products. As the amount of animal products increases, even in very samll amounts, the rates of cancer inceases in direct proportion. "Most cancers occurred in direct proportion to the quantity of animal foods consumed."
The "China Project" found that as animal food consumption approached zero, cancer rates fell. Areas of the country with an extremely low consumption of animal food were virtually free of heart attacks and cancer. An analysis of the mortality data from 65 counties and 130 villages showed a significant association with animal protein intake (even in relatively low levels) and heart attacks, with a strong protective effect from the consumption of green vegetables.
All animal products are low (or completely lacking) in the nutrients that protect us against cancer and heart attacks--fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, folate, vitamin E, etc.) Conversely, they are rich in substances that scientific investigations have shown to be associated with cancer and heart disease incidence: saturated fat and cholesterol.
Dr. Fuhrman further delves into the subject noting in his practice that many people do not see a dramatic drop in cholesterol levels unless they eliminate ALL animal products from their diets. He emphasizes that coronary artery disease and heart attacks, the number one killer of Americans, is almost 100 percent avoidable. The China Project verifies that among those who consume a life-long vegetarian diet, heart attacks are virtually non-existent.
...The National Cancer Institute reported on 337 different studies all of which showed the same basic information: vegetables and fruits, when consumed in large enough quantities, protect against all types of cancer; raw vegetables exhibit the most powerful anti-cancer properties; beans in general have additional benefits against reproductive cancers.
An important point must be made that a correctly balanced vegetarian diet is called for. Some vegetarian diets are high in processed grains and other refined, processed foods, and low in nutrient-rich plant foods that are inadequate in offering protection against the various degenerative diseases.
Dr. Fuhrman goes on to discuss longevity of vegetarians and then moves into a discussion of the development of cancer. He emphasizes the importance of establishing healthy dietary practices fro children as unhealthy practices set the stage for cancer many years later.
In regard to breast cancer, the consumption of animal products, and the China Project, Dr. Fuhrman observes that "As animal-ffod intake increased from about once a week in the lowest third to about 4 times a week in the highest third, breast cancer rates increased by 70 percent. Of note is that the only difference among the diets was the addition of meat in varying amounts. Consumption of fresh vetetables in all groups was about the same,...There was a strong increase in the occurrence of breast cancer mortality with increasing animal-product consumption."
"Another recent study from Germany found colon cancer and rectal cancer decreased by about 50 percent in adult vegetarians. However, a significantly greater reduction of cancer and all-cause mortality (about 75 percent reduction) was related to being on a vetetarian diet for more than 20 years. The degree of protection correlated well with the number of years on a vegetarian diet. Other studies on vegetarian diets in different countries show almost the same thing. The causes start accumulating early."
In regards to increasing chances of survival for those already dealing with cancer, Dr. Fuhrman notes that researchers looking for answers to this have found that saturated fat (found abundantly in animal products) in the diet promoted a more rapid spread of the cancer. Other researchers found similar results. For a woman who already has cancer, her risk of dying increased 40 percent for every 1,000 grams of fat consumed monthly. Many studies indicate that high fruit and vegetable intake improved survival, and fat on the body increases the risk of premature death....
Comment: This is getting rather long...will continue in the next posting.
~Suzanne~
[This message has been edited by Suzanne Sutton (edited 10-22-2003).]