Heart Disease: Preventable With a Plant-Based Diet

According to a recently released report by the U.S.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the number one killer of Americans … again. In fact, heart disease has been a leading cause of death for decades.

There is good news though: We can fight back with a plant-based, heart-healthy diet. Research shows that a diet heavy in fruits and veggies is the key to avoiding this deadly condition.

Just think: you can prevent or reverse this potentially fatal illness simply by changing your food choices. Tasty plant-based foods can help us avoid disease that leads to taking risky prescription meds or undergoing invasive surgery.

Pretty amazing, huh?

Eating plants can also help combat the second leading cause of death: cancer. Consuming animal products has long been shown to increase the risk of many types of the disease, including colon and breast cancers. Processed meats like bacon recently made it onto the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer index — alongside asbestos and tobacco — and a 2013 study found that a meat-heavy diet is right up there with smoking as a cancer risk.

In addition, the WHO says that dietary factors account for at least 30 percent of all cancers in Western countries, and up to 20 percent in developing countries. Studies have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat eaters.

The links between the consumption of animal products and other deadly illnesses are many. Research has shown that the risk for Alzheimer’s (the sixth leading cause of death) is greater for those who consume foods high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and total calories, and low in veg-strong foods. A vegan diet can help fight Type 2 diabetes (the seventh leading cause of death).

And meat isn’t the only culprit — eggs have been linked to heart disease too.

So to take steps toward living a long, healthy life, a plant-based diet is your best bet. To get started, visit NutritionFacts.org and read “How Not to Die” by NutritionsFacts Founder, Dr. Michael Greger, for a wealth of health information.

And TryVeg.com can help keep you going with tips, food suggestions and lots of tasty recipes.