Processed Meats and Disease

I am a dedicated vegetarian who has never once craved meat in over 35 years. I feel everyone has to listen to their body and perhaps some people do need some meat to survive; especially when living msustainably from their environment.

In August 2006 a University in Sweden published a ’meta-analysis’ in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, collating 15 studies covering 4,704 subjects during the period 1966 to 2006. They found the risk of developing stomach cancer increases by between 15% and 38% when consumption of processed meat products increases by just a half-portion per day.

Results of a study by the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and the University of Southern California reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2005;97:1458-65) of 190,000 people, ages 45 to 75, for seven years state that those who ate the most processed meat (bacon, ham, cold cuts) had a 68% higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. “Most” was defined as at least 0.6 ounce processed meat, one ounce beef or 0.3 ounce pork per 1,000 calories consumed.

Read more:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16361276/#ixzz0rjS2Z75d

tp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8688104.stm

http://www.naturalnews.com/028824_processed_meat_heart_disease.html

Higher Risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes from eating Processed Meats

Meat Consumption Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

American Diabetes Association

Preliminary evidence that vegetarian diet improves mood

“An omnivorous diet is typically higher in fat and protein, and contains less healthy fatty acid proportions than vegetarian diets. Research has shown that these dietary factors can promote subtle but adverse changes in the brain that impair mood state.” ~ Bonnie L. Beezhold, PhD, MHS , Department of Nutrition, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ

The following pilot randomized controlled  study was presented recently at the 137th Annual Public Health Association Meeting in Pennsylvania.

Researched: the effect on mood of removing meat and poultry from the diet of healthy adult omnivores for two weeks.

Thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to one of three diet groups: the control group maintained regular intake of flesh foods (CON); the fish group consumed 3-4 servings/wk of seafood but restricted all meat and poultry (FISH), or the vegetarian group restricted all animal protein sources except for dairy (VEG). At baseline and at end of trial, participants completed a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and two validated psychometric scales, the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS).

Results: After 2 weeks, total mean scores for both psychometric tests declined significantly in VEG participants. Significant reductions in VEG were observed in total fats, dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid, and protein intake. FISH participants significantly increased their EPA/DHA intakes and decreased their saturated fat intake but mood scores were not significantly reduced.

Conclusion: The complete restriction of flesh foods significantly reduced mood variability in omnivores.

Vegan Bone Density

Vegan Budist Nuns have the same bone density as non-vegetarians.  This study shows that those who get all their nourishment from plants still have very strong bones.

“We showed that although the vegans studied do indeed have lower protein and calcium intakes, their bone density is virtually identical to that of people who eat a wide variety of foods, including animal protein,” Professor Nguyen said.

Low levels of Vitamin B12 Increase Risk of Spina Bifida

A new study on B12 from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. 

I have 2 questions;

1. How did women in a strong meat eating country like Ireland  get low B12.

2. Is there any information out there on what the appropriate B12 levels of a vegetarian are?

13% higher chance of stroke if you live near a lot of fast food restaurants

Residents of one Texas county who lived in neighborhoods with the highest number of fast-food restaurants had a 13 percent higher risk of experiencing a stroke than those in neighborhoods with the fewest such restaurants.

Recent studies on meat consumption

Meat Consumption and Breast Cancer

Saturated Fat Linked to Cancer of Small Intestine

Meat Consumption and Cancer Risk