‘Our mothers were right in cajoling us to eat vegetables and fruits while we were growing up. Too bad most of us didn’t listen.’
DIET plays a very important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer, especially of the gastrointestinal tract. One particular diet — high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and low in fiber — consisting mainly of red meats (pork, beef, non-skim dairy products, etc) and eggs, has been linked to more than half a million deaths from heart attack each year in the United States alone. This translates to one person dying from a cardiovascular illness every 60 seconds. And this does not even include the mortality from cancer, etc.
Vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits have phytochemicals that are good for our body. Twenty-three epidemiological studies have shown that diet rich in grains and vegetables reduces the risk of colon cancer by 40%, and breast cancer by 25%. Some of the hundreds of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are lycophene, ellagic acid, lutein, flavanoids, saponins, monoterpenes, phthalides, phenols, ajoene, cassaicin, coumestrol, genistein, sulforaphane, zeanthin. Our mothers were right in cajoling us to eat vegetables and fruits while we were growing up. Too bad most of us didn’t listen. But since we are now wiser and know better, let’s educate our own children and persuade them to eat more vegetables and fruits–and less animal meat — for better health. The incidence of cancers, heart and kidney diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity among vegetarians is much lower than among meat-eaters. Veggies and fruits in capsules are most inadequate and expensive.
Types of vegetarians
Vegetarians come in three forms: (1) Lacto-ovo vegetarians, whose diet consists of vegetables, dairy products and eggs, no meat or flesh of any kind (pork, beef, lamb, etc., poultry, fish and seafoods); (2) Lacto-vegetarians who do not eat eggs, but eat vegetables, fruits and milk; and, (3) Vegans or pure vegetarians, who do not eat any food or food products of animal origin, including milk and eggs, and subsist on vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits only. Most vegans also do not buy or use animal products, such as those made of leather, fur, feather, ivory, etc., all of which involves the killing of animals.
Strength, vigor and vitality
The belief that vegetarians are weak and sickly is a myth. Elephants, bulls, cows, carabaos, and some dinosaurs (plateosaurus, brachiosaurus, etc.) are few of the strongest animals known to man — all herbivores. Various studies comparing athletes who are carnivores and herbivores revealed astonishing findings: Vegetarian athletes fared two to three times better, with greater endurance and better recovery time, compared to their meat-eating counterparts in similar sport activities.
Vegetables with protein
Vegetarians get their protein from soybeans, lentils, kidney beans, lima and pinto beans, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, peanuts, almonds, cashew, sunflower seeds, and other nuts, broccoli and other vegetables, wheat, grains, brown rice, potato, and eggs and dairy products. These sources easily meet the daily requirement of between 60-80 grams of protein, even for vegans. So, animal meat is not really essential for health and life.
Imported from England
The Rev. William Metcalfe of England, together with his friend, Sylvester Graham, a young Presbyterian minister and 40 other English church members, brought the vegetarian way of life to the United States in 1817. For thousands of years, being a vegetarian was a part of socio-cultural-religious practice around the globe, most notably in the Far East. Many people around the world today choose to be vegetarians for health reasons.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
