Why are you a vegetarian or vegan?

[knightofalbion]

I would simply remind you that 95% of the world eats meat and there is an epidemic of those diseases that are directly attributable to poor food choices. In fact, studies have shown that while vegans will still have the same rates of cancer, their rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes are lower. Watch this presentation by Jack Norris who is a registered dietician and also a vegan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKa0kfN0LOY So pointing at the veg. diet as though it is the sole cause of your list of issues is false. Any diet can be healthy (veganism included) and any diet can be problematic.[/quote]

Debby, I have the greatest respect for you, but countless studies have shown an increased risk of cancer among meat-eaters and a reduced risk of cancer overall by following a vegetarian or vegan diet. (The recent Oxford study for example showed non-meat eaters had a 45% lower risk of leukaemia & stomach cancer; a 50% lower risk of bladder, lymph & blood cancer and a 75% lower risk of multiple myeloma.)
True, sometimes vegetarians make the error of replacing meat with an increased amount of dairy produce - high intakes of dairy produce are directly linked to hormonal cancers i.e. breast & prostate - but overall the risk is reduced.

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

........
Debby, I have the greatest respect for you, but countless studies have shown an increased risk of cancer among meat-eaters and a reduced risk of cancer overall by following a vegetarian or vegan diet. (The recent Oxford study for example showed non-meat eaters had a 45% lower risk of leukaemia & stomach cancer; a 50% lower risk of bladder, lymph & blood cancer and a 75% lower risk of multiple myeloma.)
True, sometimes vegetarians make the error of replacing meat with an increased amount of dairy produce - high intakes of dairy produce are directly linked to hormonal cancers i.e. breast & prostate - but overall the risk is reduced.

I'm just relaying what I heard a Registered Dietician who happens also to be vegan, say. He also mentioned his disappointment at what his research indicated. Here is the link if you would be interested in hearing an expert speak of it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKa0kfN0LOY He is far more knowledgeable than I so maybe you could send him a note and find out what he might have to say.

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

........
Debby, I have the greatest respect for you, but countless studies have shown an increased risk of cancer among meat-eaters and a reduced risk of cancer overall by following a vegetarian or vegan diet. (The recent Oxford study for example showed non-meat eaters had a 45% lower risk of leukaemia & stomach cancer; a 50% lower risk of bladder, lymph & blood cancer and a 75% lower risk of multiple myeloma.)
True, sometimes vegetarians make the error of replacing meat with an increased amount of dairy produce - high intakes of dairy produce are directly linked to hormonal cancers i.e. breast & prostate - but overall the risk is reduced.

I'm just relaying what I heard a Registered Dietician who happens also to be vegan, say. He also mentioned his disappointment at what his research indicated. Here is the link if you would be interested in hearing an expert speak of it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKa0kfN0LOY He is far more knowledgeable than I so maybe you could send him a note and find out what he might have to say. I'd be delighted to find out that on this one issue Mr. Norris was wrong.

[Zero]

Heart disease, cancer, diabeties, obesity all occur in populations where more HFCS and preservatives are used. You can't pin it on meat.

[Chrysaetos]

Vegetarians tend to be more health conscious because they're worried about deficiencies. So, on average the data is going to be skewed in favor of vegetarians being more healthy anyway.

Try to compare health conscious meat eaters to health conscious vegetarians and let's see what happens..

[knightofalbion]

Originally Posted by Zero

Heart disease, cancer, diabeties, obesity all occur in populations where more HFCS and preservatives are used. You can't pin it on meat.

Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity are more prevalent in societies that consume a typical 'Western' diet.

Nobody is saying that meat is the only factor, rather that is a factor.

[knightofalbion]

Originally Posted by Chrysaetos

Vegetarians tend to be more health conscious because they're worried about deficiencies. So, on average the data is going to be skewed in favor of vegetarians being more healthy anyway.

Try to compare health conscious meat eaters to health conscious vegetarians and let's see what happens..

That organic anything is going to be healthier than the same thing laced with chemicals goes without saying.

Most of these studies put the volume of red meat consumed as being the trigger factor, not wheter it is organic or otherwise. Plus how it is cooked is also a significant factor. Barbecued meat is a full-on cancer risk wheter the meat is organic or not.

Anyway, you are missing the point. Most vegetarians and vegans are so, not because they want to reduce thair risk of cancer by x%, but because they have loving hearts and they don't want to be responsible for suffering, bloodshed and killing.

[Chrysaetos]

The average vegetarian will read more labels than the average meat eater. And when you remove one (usually) major part of your diet (meat) you will look for a replacement and delve into nutrition to be sure you don't miss out on anything.

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

Anyway, you are missing the point. Most vegetarians and vegans are so, not because they want to reduce thair risk of cancer by x%,

What part of ''worried about deficiencies'' was unclear? I wasn't mentioning cancer.

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

but because they have loving hearts and they don't want to be responsible for suffering, bloodshed and killing.

What is a ''loving heart''..?

Here we go again...

[Reverend Keith]

We're about to go vegetarian/vegan again as a family because of my daughter, who suffers from a bewildering array of conditions.

The funny thing is that she had decided to secretly forgo some of her medications and try a plant based whole foods diet on her own, while trying to keep her doctor in the dark. Then she got a letter from her doctor suggesting that he would like to take her off her medications and have her adopt a plant-based whole foods approach.

Anyhow, the rest of us are also coming along - both to make it easier for her, and because every time I've flirted with such an approach, I've felt better. Usually MUCH better.

The one thing I've decided about nutrition science is that, as a general rule - no one knows what the heck they are talking about. Human nutrition is an enormously complex subject that just isn't really suited for the typical nutrition science approach of isolating one nutrient and testing it individually.