WHILE cardiovascular mortality rates the past decades have gone down, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has remained the leading cause of death in the United States. Several clinical studies have shown that there is a strong association between dietary patterns and the incidence of CVD, and that people eating predominantly plant-based foods have lower rates of heart disease compared to those on animal-based foods. This does not even include the beneficial anti-cancer effect of plant-based foods and the higher risk of cancer for meat-eaters.
What is plant-based diet?
The definition varies as there are different forms: 1. Vegetables, fruits, cereal, yogurt, beans, fish, and poultry; 2. Elimination of refined sugars, white flour, and animal oils; 3. Minimal animal products; 4. Seafood, with and without dairy; 5. Eggs and dairy; 6. No animal products at all (vegan), just ‘plants.’ But the common among them is absence of red meat. The major concern and rationale here is that red meat consumption is linked to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Those diets, some with multivitamin supplements, have been proven safe and healthy, practiced for centuries in Asia and rural Europe.
Is eating red meat safe?
While eating red meat even only once a week is obviously not a plant-based diet, it could be safe among some people, depending on their genetic make-up, metabolism, and lifestyle, especially those who do regimented exercise daily.
Since science still does not know who among us (based on our genes) could safely smoke, eat red meat ad libitum, drink alcohol daily, or not exercise at all, and still not get sick, the prudent health strategy is to minimize or eliminate red meat and high carbohydrate diets, and concentrate on proteins. This might sound against what we learned in the kindergarten and beyond, but clinical evidence today shows the adverse effects of eating a lot of carbohydrates day in and day out (soft drinks, potato, rice, bread, sweets, etc.) and saturated fats (red meats), especially processed meats. All soft drinks are toxic to our body, especially to children.
Someday, science would be able to categorize us humans, based on our genetic composition as to who could eat, drink, or use what, and “are immune to their bad (unhealthy) effects, and who would develop major diseases (cardiovascular, metabolic, Alzheimer’s, or cancer) doing the same. That future would be most welcome.
Any studies supporting plant-based diet?
The data above are supported by many recent landmark reports, including Song et al.’s large prospective cohort study of U.S. nurses and other health professionals, which shows “higher intake of animal protein (including processed red meat, unprocessed red meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs) was positively associated with mortality, whereas the inverse was true for high intake of plant protein.”
In another recent meta-analysis, Kwok et al. found similar results with vegetarians experiencing a 29% lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality relative to nonvegetarians. These findings suggest the importance of protein source and support recommendations to increase plant protein intake, which in turn calls for education of physicians, patients, and the public about the largely unrecognized protein content of plants (e.g., peanuts and beef having the same protein content, 26 g per 100 g).
What are some actual clinical proofs?
Here are some actual reports from the medical literature that are mind-opening and truly convincing:
- “The 16-week randomized controlled trial showed that participants who ate a diet of vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits significantly improved their overall metabolic condition,” said Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., and her colleagues. “Our study suggests the potential of a low-fat plant-based diet in diabetes prevention, addressing both core pathophysiologic mechanisms — insulin resistance and diminished beta-cell function — at the same time. The prevalence of diabetes is 46% to 74% lower in people who eat a plant-based diet compared with meat lovers in the general population.”
- “Diets rich in plant- vs animal-based monounsaturated fatty acids show significantly lower rates of total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, particularly when the plant-based fatty acids replace other notoriously unhealthy fats, including saturated or trans fats, as well as refined carbohydrates.”
- “In the study of more than 63,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and nearly 30,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up, an average of 22 years of follow-up showed that a higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids from plants was associated with a 16% lower risk for death from any cause. A higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids from animals was meanwhile associated with a 21% higher risk for death from any cause.”
- “In overweight adults with no history of diabetes, a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet can reduce visceral fat and significantly improve both pancreatic beta-cell function and insulin resistance, potentially decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to researchers.”
What is the societal cost-benefit from this diet?
The benefit to society in general of a healthier diet implemented by the people at large is a massive reduction of disease and healthcare-related expenditures, which is currently almost 60 percent of Medicare beneficiaries. If plant-based diet is adopted, the incidence of hypertension will be reduced to 25 percent and save about 30 percent (billions of dollars) of the Medicare budget.
So, what is the healthy strategy?
Turning off the faucet of unhealthy foods that are poison to our body now to prevent diseases and maximize longevity makes more sense than mopping up the floor of major illnesses and premature deaths later.
A rational and practical approach is to eat mostly plant foods and push ourselves away from the dining table less than full, as our mothers and grandmothers have been telling us for centuries.
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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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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, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com; Email: [email protected].
