Are Vegetarians Healthier?

• “Yes”

  

  “Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet Can Prevent, Even Reverse Symptoms of Diabetes”

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Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet Can Prevent, Even Reverse Symptoms of Diabetes

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

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The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be better controlled and sometimes even eliminated through a low-fat vegetarian diet along with regular exercise.

Plant-based diets are low in fat and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, allowing insulin to work more effectively. A diabetic person can more easily regulate glucose levels on a vegetarian diet.

A new study has shown that a low-fat vegan diet treats type 2 diabetes more effectively than a standard diabetes diet and may be more effective than single-agent therapy with oral diabetes drugs. The randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted by PCRM doctors and dietitians, The George Washington University, and the University of Toronto, with funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation. The study showed that adopting a low-fat, plant-derived diet does indeed improve insulin sensitivity, help with weight loss, and reduce blood sugar and cholesterol.

Studies comparing various populations around the world suggest that a plant-based diet can also prevent diabetes.  People whose diets were based mainly on plant-derived foods—rice, noodles, beans, and vegetables—were less likely to develop diabetes, compared with people whose diets were fattier or centered on meatier dishes. For example, among people following traditional Japanese diets, diabetes was rare. When people moved from Japan to the United States and adopted a Western diet, they were much more likely to develop diabetes.

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"Yes" PCRM

• Vegetarians Enjoy Lower Cancer Risk
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• Vegetarians Are More Likely To Have a Healthy Weight
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• Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet Can Prevent, Even Reverse Symptoms of Diabetes
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"Yes" PETA

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• A Vegetarian Diet Protects Against Disease
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"Yes" International Vegetarian Union

• Longevity: Strong Evidence Supporting Plant-Based Diet Healthiness
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• Only Proven Way To Reverse Heart Disease
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"No" Weston A Price Foundation

• Myth: Vitamin B12 Can Be Obtained From Plant Sources
  3
• Myth: Our Needs for Vitamin D Can Be Met By Sunlight
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• Myth: Our Vitamin A Needs Can Be Entirely Obtained From Plant Foods
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• Myth: Meat Causes Osteoporosis, Kidney Disease, Heart Disease, Cancer
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• Myth: Low Fat, Low Cholesterol Diets Are Healthier For People
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• Myth: Vegetarians Live Longer and Have More Energy and Endurance
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• Myth: Humans Evolved as Vegetarians
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• Myth: Meat, Sat. Fat Have Increased w/ Heart Disease, Cancer
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• Myth: Soy Products are Adequate Substitutes For Meat & Dairy Products
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• Myth: The Human Body is Not Designed for Meat Consumption
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• Myth: Animal Products Contain Numerous, Harmful Toxins
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"No" Scott Gold

• First, Let's Talk About That Question
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Most Objections

• Fact: Meat is Good For You
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