There seems to be a lot of pro-plant based diet info coming out of late. The old ‘meat and potatoes’ diets we grew up on in the ’50’s are being viewed in some doubt. Attitudes change as we learn more about health benefits. While I don’t mean to equate smoking with eating meat, I remember when my first wife was pregnant with our daughter in the 1960’s she said she was going to quit smoking till the baby was born. I thought that seemed really extreme at the time. These days no sane mom-to-be would consider ‘lighting up.’
Vegetarian, especially vegan, diets are associated with better cardiovascular health, according to a new review published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.
Researchers with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine looked at multiple clinical trials and observational studies and found strong and consistent evidence that plant-based dietary patterns can prevent and reverse atherosclerosis and decrease other markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including blood pressure, blood lipids, and weight.
The review found that a plant-based diet:
Reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 40 percent.
Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 40 percent.
Fully or partially opens blocked arteries in up to 91 percent of patients.
Reduces the risk of hypertension by 34 percent.
Is associated with 29 mg/dL and 23 mg/dL lower total cholesterol and LDL-C levels, respectively, compared with non-vegetarian diets.
Is associated with weight loss.
“A plant-based diet has the power to not only prevent heart disease, but also manage and sometimes even reverse it–something no drug has ever done,” says study author Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., Physicians Committee director of clinical research.
The review notes that a healthy diet and lifestyle reduces the risk for a heart attack by 81-94 percent, while medications can only reduce the risk by 20-30 percent.
Plant-based diets benefit heart health because they’re rich in fiber and phytonutrients–like carotenoids, anthocyanins, and lycopene–which reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Animal products are packed with saturated fat, cholesterol, heme iron, and environmental pollutants and can harm heart health.
“Heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death. This study proves it doesn’t have to be,” says Dr. Kahleova.
Around the globe, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 46 percent of non-communicable disease deaths, or 17.5 million deaths a year.
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 
As Dr Esselstyn, a cardioligist, says, you will never hear this from your cardioligist because they are making too much money doing procedures and prescribing drugs that will keep you sick and coming back for more.
If you cure yourself with food they can’t do that and will have to cut back on their extravagant life style. The only reason Bill Clinton is still alive is because he went to Dr Esselstyn and started following his diet recommenbdations.
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Thanks for sharing that. As I am not much of a fan of the Clintons, I was not aware of the details of Bill’s rescue from his bad eating habits. Very interesting.
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