Health Check: What Could be Worse Than Smoking?

Eating meat and dairy may be just as bad for health as smoking, study says

It’s no secret that eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other plant-based foods is good for our health – whether we’re young or in our senior years. In just the past couple of years alone, as delicious vegan options keep sprouting up everywhere, so too are the number of people touting the many benefits of choosing meat-free meals — including Bill Clinton, Ellen Degeneres, Olympic athletes, Robin Quivers and James Cameron, just to name a few.

On the other hand, meat and dairy products, which are laden with cholesterol and saturated fat, have been shown to contribute to a number of common ailments, such as heart disease and diabetes. But exactly how harmful is eating meat or cheese?

As new study published earlier this week tackles that very question – and it’s making headlines, including this story featured on CBS News: “Meat, dairy may be as detrimental to your health as smoking cigarettes, study says.”

The results of this study were drawn from data continually collected through the federally funded National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. And it confirms what an international study, published late last year, already found: The association between consuming animal products and cancer was just as strong as the link between tobacco and cancer.

And it’s not just meat and dairy. In 2012, a Harvard Nurse’s Health Study concluded that eggs may be worse for you than smoking.

Ready to stand up for your health? Join the millions of Americans choosing to leave animals off our plates – for our own health as well as for the health of the planet and animals.

Start today by visiting TryVeg.com  — or sign up now to take our seven-day VegPledge.