Studies

Proof of this comes in many forms; in fact, a few "studies" were accidents! During World War I, Denmark's supply of corn and other grains was cut off. Facing possible starvation, and realizing that it takes about 15 pounds of grain to produce only one pound of edible meat, "authorities... decided to feed their grain to the people and do without the meat" (Fretz 31).

In essence, this meant putting the citizens on a vegetarian diet. Not only did the citizens survive fine, but after one year the death rate from all causes dropped by over 34%! "No other nation up to that time had ever had a lower mortality rate!" (Gabbe 77). In Norway, Sweden, and Britain, it happened again in World War II: the death rate from heart disease fell during periods of limited meat intake and rose again when people began eating more meat after the war ended.

Extensive studies performed by Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D. led him and many others to recommend a diet of little or no meat -- instead, one that consists mainly of "whole foods." He defines whole foods as complex carbohydrates like "whole wheat, brown rice, fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and soy products in their natural form" -- that still have all of their original nutrients. He found that people who switched to his diet had "2.5 times fewer cardiac events such as heart attack, stroke, bypass surgery, and angioplasty" than the control group.

Another study done by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. involved 18 heart-attack-ridden patients that were put on meatless, low cholesterol diets. Although they had previously "experienced 48 cardiac events among them,... only one patient, who was noncompliant, experienced a cardiac event" during the 12 years of the study. In Dr. Ornish's words, "The more closely people followed the program, the better they were. Clearly, if you can reverse heart disease by eating this way, then you can help prevent it." And clearly, if you can prevent it by not eating meat, then meat is the obvious cause of heart disease.


One example of the kinds of foods recommended by Dr. Ornish and others


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© 2001 Robin Stewart. [Go to main site]