The benefits of the dietary fountain of youth and regeneration are many and profound. For additional discussion, consult the video linked here and read today’s excerpt below.

Science supports a low-fat, plant-based diet for optimal health. The Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the nation’s largest organization of nutrition experts, states that “vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”

The ADA’s position paper on vegetarian and vegan diets, published in 2009, references more than 200 studies and papers to support its conclusions. Studies continue to show that plant-based diets can aid in reversing the symptoms of America’s most devastating diseases: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer.

People who follow a plant-based diet have a healthier heart. They reap the benefits of lower cholesterol levels than meat-eaters, and heart disease is less common in vegetarians. Plant-based meals are typically low in saturated fat, and since cholesterol is found only in animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, it’s easy to consume a cholesterol-free diet.

Another benefit of consuming a plant-based diet is getting your blood pressure numbers down. An impressive number of studies show that vegetarians have lower blood pressure than nonvegetarians. A low-fat, plant-based diet has also shown to reverse the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. A diet based on vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains, which is also low in fat and sugar, can lower blood sugar levels and often reduce or even eliminate the need for medication. Since individuals with diabetes are at high risk for heart disease, avoiding fat and cholesterol is important, and a vegetarian diet is the best way to do that.

A plant-based diet helps prevent cancer. Studies of vegetarians show that death rates from cancer are only about one-half to three-quarters of those of the general population. Breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in countries where diets are typically plant-based. When people from those countries adopt a Western, meat-based diet, their rates of breast cancer soar. Vegetarians also have significantly lower rates of colon cancer than meat-eaters. Colon cancer is more closely associated with meat consumption than any other dietary factor.

Source: “Why The Power Plate? Plant-Based Diets Promote Health.” By The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.  http://www.pcrm.org