Meat and dairy cause bad breath.

Do vegetarians have sweeter breath than carnivores? 

Image by Fantata via Flickr

Halitosis a problem?

Foods high in protein, particularly animal protein such as fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy foods (especially milk and cheese) are the main culprits of halitosis (bad breath).  Consuming these high protein foods also feeds the bacteria living in our mouths and intestinal tracts.  The waste products of those bacteria can produce some stinky byproducts.

Driving by a feed lot, it is hard to ignore the foul odor which is actually created by a sulfur compound called methyl mercaptan -- this same sulfur compound is excreted as a waste product by our own oral bacteria as it feeds on particles of decaying meat debris found in gum lines and wedged in between teeth.These sulfur compounds are known by dentists as "volatile sulfur compounds" (VSC's).

Volatile sulfur compounds are the main culprits of bad breath, but the oral bacteria that feed on animal protein actually produce a variety of stinky waste products such as:

• Cadaverine (taking its name from the smell of corpses)
• Putrescine (taking its name from the putrid smell of decaying meat)
• Skatole (this emanates the smell of  fecal matter)
• Isovaleric Acid (think smelly feet)

To rid your mouth of these nasty bacterial byproducts, stick to a diet full of fruits and vegetables.  High fiber, crunchy plant food increases saliva production which keeps the bacteria at bay. Vitamin C is especially helpful in limiting oral bacteria because it creates an unfriendly environment for bacterial growth.  Get your vitamin C from fresh produce (citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers) rather than from supplements. 

It has long been known that parsley fights halitosis, but other herbs are helpful as well to include cardamon, rosemary, tarragon, coriander, eucalyptus and spearmint.

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The cure for heart disease is a plant-based diet.

Image by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton via Flickr

Can heart disease be cured by a vegetarian diet?  Bill Clinton decided to switch to a vegan diet in order to stay healthy and to reverse his heart disease and he has gone public with his lifestyle choice in an effort to alert the public to the fact that heart attacks are completely preventable through a plant-based diet. There is substantial evidence to indicate that heart disease is not a fate of bad genes or age, but is largely the result of unhealthy food choices.  In particular, a sustained consumption of animal protein over many years is probably the main culprit that triggers plaque in the arteries, the precursor to heart attacks and strokes.  Even thin, active people who do not smoke are not immune from heart disease if they include animal protein in their diets.  

It is a common misconception that one’s blood cholesterol numbers are predictive of future heart problems.  In reality, that number is useless because that number does not tell you whether cholesterol is building up in the form of plaque on the arteries. Much more important is the amount and type of LDL, a component of cholesterol, that is circulating through the blood.  Large particles of LDL are not particularly dangerous; however, small particles of LDL can catch and build up on the lining of the arteries, and eventually occlude the blood flow to the heart.  Result:  heart attack.

Diets high in animal fat, such as red meat, eggs and dairy are known to increase the ratio of the bad cholesterol (LDL) to good cholesterol (HDL).  Switching to a plant-based diet, such as the Ornish diet, has proven to actually reverse plaque build-up.  This is a feat that statin drugs have never been proven to accomplish.  

According to the American Heart Association, in the US alone, over 50 billion dollars a year are spent on heart bypass procedures annually, and a heart attack occurs ever 30 seconds. All this  in spite of the fact that heart disease is completely preventable through a plant-based diet.  

Recommended: CNN's "The Last Heart Attack".  Click to view.

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Daily intake of red meat can rob the body of calcium.

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There seems to be an ongoing controversy regarding the role of a diet high in animal protein and bone health. There have been several recent studies that elaborate on this topic.  However, in sifting through the scientific literature, it is a well-established fact that protein does cause the body to lose calcium.  One study in particular, the Harvard Nurses Health Study, found that those who consumed five or more servings of red meat per week had significantly increased fracture risk.  Those who received their protein from plant sources had no increased risk. (Protein Consumption and Bone Fractures in Women, Feskanich et al. 1996, American Journal of Epidemiology, 143, 472).  

The question is—does plant protein have the same bone-robbing effect as animal protein?  Some studies, as the one mentioned above, show that plant protein does not increase the risk of fractures but there are contradictory studies on this subject.  Some of the confusion and controversy about animal protein vs. plant protein and bone loss is partly due to the fact that the meat, milk, egg, and feed-crop production industries support many of these papers through grants. It is not surprising that the conclusion of papers sponsored by these self-serving industries contain biased opinions about the superiority of animal protein.  

In reality, there are many ingredients that go into the making of healthy bones—not just protein.  The alkalizing effects of a diet plentiful in fruits and vegetables offset the calcium-stealing effects of protein.  To that end, vegetarians need to include in their diet foods rich in calcium and other essential minerals, make sure vitamin D levels are high, and there is increasing evidence that weight-bearing exercises are especially important in keeping bones healthy and strong.

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Meat and dairy cause increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Image via Wikipedia

A recent Swedish study has shown that eating just one sausage, or two pieces of bacon a day, will increase one's chance of getting pancreatic cancer by 19%.  More here.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the more lethal forms of cancer.  The awareness of this deadly disease has been raised by its notable victims, to include Steve Jobs, Patrick Swayze, Ruth Bader Ginsburg,  Joan Crawford, and Michael Landon, to name a few.     

The pancreas produces the enzymes that break down the fat and protein in meat, so it is not a far stretch to hypothesize that overloading the digestive track with a diet rich in meat will overtax the pancreas and make it susceptible to cancer.  A prospective 2009 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that risks of pancreatic cancer were directly related to the intake of dietary fat of animal origin.  This was a huge study, with the dietary intake of over 500,000 people being reviewed.

Only 4% of patients with pancreatic cancer survive more than five years after their disease is diagnosed. It would seem that this is a particularly viral and aggressive type of cancer, but in reality, pancreatic cancer cells take years to mature to the point of detection.  Research published in the journal Nature reveals that pancreatic cancer takes 20 years to grow to the point where it is diagnosed by conventional medical methods.   This is actually good news, giving people several years to change their nutritional intake patterns before the point of no return.

Once at the point of detection, the cancer is so advanced, there is little that can be done to stave it off.  However, in the preceding twenty years before detection, can a vegetarian diet reverse or even cure this deadly disease?  There is little research into this area (why would the cancer industry waste money on a simple and inexpensive cure?) but one study shows a constituent of cruciferous vegetables such as watercress called phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) stopped pancreatic cancer from developing in a hamster model that was given a cancer-causing agent (a carcinogen known as BOP) (Nishikawa A et al 2004). Other studies show that vitamins A, C, and E, as well as selenium and curcumin were toxic to tumor cells but not to normal cells.

There are reports of advanced pancreatic cancer patients who made a complete recovery through diet alone. Some long-term pancreatic cancer survivors credit the Gerson diet for saving their lives. This diet regime consists of a strict regimen of organic juicing, coffee enemas, and a supplementation program.  One of these survivors recounts her success story on the Health Explorers radio program (http://www.healthyfoundations.com/pancreaticsurvivor.html).  As amazing as her story is, it is important to note that the Gerson web site does point out that the diet is not very successful with pancreatic cancer patients who have already compromised their system with chemotherapy.  Those who go to the Gerson Clinic before undergoing traditional cancer treatments with chemo and radiation have the best results.

To learn more:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7319/full/nature09515.html

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/101/14/1001.abstract

http://www.naturalnews.com/030219_pancreatic_cancer_tumors.html#ixzz1bnlwsU2f

Related article:

• You might want to really think twice about eating that hot dog; or any processed meat. (inquisitr.com)

Vegetarians are far less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters

Cover via AmazonEating a plant-based diet not only is a huge preventative of cancer, but according to some scientists, switching to a strict plant-based diet can reverse or even cure some types of cancer. According to a study in the British Journal of Cancer, vegetarians are overall 12% less likely to develop cancer; however with some cancers, such as leukemia, they are far more protected (45%).

This British study is significant because currently there are very few published reports that substantiate the dietary-cancer connection. The powerful cancer industry is very reluctant to fund any research for a nutrition-based cure, and significant alternative-cure cancer studies have a difficult time getting published and publicized. However, there are some significant studies that are beginning to get attention.

One such study that made headlines in 2009 shows that ingredients found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, when combined with selenium, had a curative effect on melanoma. In fact, this combination was 30% to 70% effective in inhibiting human cancer cells. Of course, these scientists are trying to harness these ingredients into a money-making drug, however, it can be reasonably concluded that eating a diet rich in cruciferous veggies would have a definite cancer-preventative, if not curative effect.

Is the reason that vegetarians have less cancer strictly because of the protective effect of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables? Another possible reason is that animal protein actually promotes the development of cancer cells. In an interview by Kathy Freston with T. Colin Campbell (Professor Emeritus of Cornell University and author of the groundbreaking The China Study), he states that in particular, casein is the most relevant cancer promoter ever discovered. His studies show that casein makes the body more acidic, alters the mix of hormones and modifies important enzyme activities which can promote cancer growth. He also points out that other animal-based proteins are likely to have the same effect as casein.

Recent studies are indicating the cancer-protecting benefits of a high-fiber diet, especially with colorectal cancer, which is the most common cancer of nonsmoking adults. It is important to point out that the beneficial effects are received only when the fiber comes from fruits and vegetables. When study participants received fiber from supplements, the beneficial effects were not evident.

Related article:
Vegetarian Diets Offer Protection from Cancer

For more information:

British Journal of Cancer. 2009. Volume 101 Issue 1

http://live.psu.edu/story/37998 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/a-cure-for-cancer-eating_b_298282.html 

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/118/12/1591.full.pdf