Giving up meat doesn’t sound too appetizing to some people, but the results are well worth it – if it’s done right. Enjoy nature’s best, and start eating more of what your body craves. Find out what researchers are saying when it comes to combating cardiovascular disease, losing weight, and elongating your lifespan with a vegetarian lifestyle.
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Improving your physical and mental health, by the Integrative Medicine Approach, starts with what you eat.
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Millions of Americans take prescription medications for hypertension. Find out the right diet can be just as effective a tool for maintaining a healthy blood pressure:
http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/dash-to-lower-blood-pressure/
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Research shows that a vegetarian diet may lead to a longer life.
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By Denise Mann
HealthDay Reporter
Vegetarians may live longer than meat-lovers, new research suggests.
Scientists in California analyzed the diets of 73,300 Seventh Day Adventists, and found that vegetarians were less likely to die from any cause or from cause-specific reasons, except for cancer, compared to those who ate meat.
“Certain vegetarian diets are associated with reductions in all causes of [death] as well as some specific causes including heart disease, kidney-related deaths and endocrine disease-related death such as diabetes,” although we don’t know why said lead researcher Dr. Michael Orlich.
“Reductions in meat in the vegetarian diet may be part of it, but it may be due to higher quantities of plant foods,” he added, although it is also possible that vegetarians may lead more healthy lives.
The research was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
For the study, the researchers used a food questionnaire to assess dietary patterns and looked at men and women who adhered to one of five diets: non-vegetarian; semi-vegetarian (eats meat or fish no more than once a week); pesco-vegetarian (consumes seafood); lacto-ovo-vegetarian (includes both dairy products and eggs), and vegans, who don’t eat any animal products.
During the course of the more than five-year study, 2,570 people died. But vegetarians were about 12 percent less likely to die from any cause than their meat-eating counterparts, the study showed. And the survival edge seemed to be stronger in men than women.
In addition, the researchers noted that vegetarians tended to be older and more educated, exercised more and were less likely to drink alcohol or smoke than their carnivorous counterparts.
The study also did not pinpoint which type of vegetarian diet provides the greatest survival benefit because the vegetarian diets were compared to non-vegetarian diets only, not to one another.
The research team now plans to look at the patterns of food consumption seen in each vegetarian diet. “We want to see what they eat more or less of, and then investigate the effect on mortality or associated with specific foods,” Orlich said. “Are there particular foods that account for most of this apparent association. Is the lack of meat the big issue, or is the amount of plant-based foods responsible?”
Nancy Copperman, a dietician at North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y. , said that the fiber in vegetarian diets may be what’s driving the survival edge. “It’s not just fruit and vegetables, but all types of fiber [including whole grains] that seems to really reduce health risks,” she said. “The new study pushes the literature that we are building about the impact that whole grains and fruits and vegetables can have on your health.”
But Rebecca Solomon, a nutritionist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, noted that plant-based diets can be beneficial only if they are done right. “You need to make sure that you have a good nutrient balance despite omission of certain or all animal products,” she added.
For example, she said, some vegetarians may overdo the carbohydrates and fats, which can lead to weight gain and its associated health problems.
“My general advice is that you don’t need to be a vegetarian to improve your health and lifespan,” she said. “Eating lean protein such as poultry and fish and following some of the principles of the Mediterranean diet, which includes generous amounts of vegetables, fruits and whole grains and is not red-meat heavy, can be very beneficial.”
For a diehard vegan like Stephanie Prather, 45, the news may come as no surprise.
Prather hasn’t eaten any animal products in more than two years, and actually changed careers midstream to become a vegan pastry chef. Her impetus was a high-profile documentary about the benefits of a plant-based diet.
Not only does she feel better, but she has lost close to 20 pounds since giving up all animal products in her diet.
This latest research, follows a British study in January that showed vegetarians had about a third less risk of hospitalization or death from cardiovascular disease than meat-eaters did.
That study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included nearly 45,000 people from England and Scotland, about a third of who were vegetarians. And the research showed that the vegetarians had a 32 percent lower chance of being hospitalized or dying from heart disease. They also typically had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-vegetarians.
If you are dealing with high blood pressure, a change in diet may be just what the doctor ordered. This article about discusses the DASH diet, specifically formulated to control hypertension:
http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/dash-to-lower-blood-pressure/
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Good health starts with a good diet. Check out this article to learn about foods that are not only good for you, they’re actually super:
http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/the-bs-have-it-three-superfoods-for-overall-health-2/
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Suffering from high blood pressure? Your diet may be a big part of the problem. This article reveals how the right diet can lower blood pressure significantly:
http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/dash-to-lower-blood-pressure/
If you suffer from hypertension but are concerned about taking medications, the DASH diet may be for you. This articles discusses the diet and how it can lead to significant improvement in blood pressure:
http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/dash-to-lower-blood-pressure/
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often called “the silent killer.” Because it presents no obvious physical symptoms, many people who suffer from it are unaware of their condition or the risk it poses to their health. Many studies have drawn connections between hypertension and diet – excess consumption of sodium, for example, is linked to elevated blood pressure. Today that link is clearer than ever.
What is DASH?
In recent years, nutritionists and medical researchers have discovered a great deal of new information about the nutrients in food and how they can influence our health. One result of this work is the creation of a diet that has proven to lower blood pressure significantly without the use of medication. Known as the DASH diet – Dietary Approaches to Reducing Hypertension – it focuses on consuming foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, processed sugar, and sodium. Examples of the kinds of foods included in the diet are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, and low- or no-fat dairy products.
Proven Results with DASH
The proof of the effectiveness of the DASH plan comes from two studies sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The first study included 459 adults, evenly divided between men and women, of whom 27% had high blood pressure. The participants were divided into three groups: one group was fed a typical American diet; the second group ate the same diet, supplemented by additional fruits and vegetables; the final group ate a DASH diet. All participants consumed about 3,000 milligrams of sodium daily. While members of both the second and third groups showed reduced hypertension, the reductions under the DASH were significantly greater. Participants on the DASH plan showed results as quickly as two weeks after changing their diets.
The second study focused more specifically on the role of dietary sodium in conjunction with different diets. In this study, 412 individuals were divided into two groups: one on a typical American diet and one on the DASH plan. The researchers then varied the participants’ daily intake of sodium each month. One month, participants received 3,300 milligrams of sodium daily, about what the average American consumes. The amount was then reduced to 2,300 milligrams/day for a month, and to 1,500 for a month. Again, those on the DASH diet showed the greatest reductions in blood pressure, with the most dramatic results produced by the lowest-sodium (1,500 milligrams/day) DASH diet. Even participants who had only very slightly elevated blood pressure, or prehypertension, showed great improvement under the plan.
The DASH Diet
The DASH diet requires no special foods or supplements, nor does it require any additional preparation than a standard diet. It emphasizes the importance of eating foods that contain nutrients that researchers have linked to lower blood pressure, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein, and fiber. The DASH plan contains recommendations for daily servings from several different food groups. These include:
In addition, the diet prescribes weekly dietary intake of two other food groups:
Watch the Salt
As mentioned earlier, the DASH diet has its greatest benefits in lowering blood pressure when you limit sodium intake as well. Because the DASH plan includes lots of foods that are naturally low in sodium, such as fruits and vegetables, your sodium intake will likely decrease just by adopting the diet. However, a lot of foods and food additives contain sodium, so it is wise to monitor your food choices. A partial list of such products includes processed cereals, soy sauce, baked goods, baking soda, and monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Be sure to read the labels on processed or prepackaged foods carefully to make sure you are not getting “hidden” sodium from these products.
If you have been diagnosed with hypertension and are looking for a natural way to control your blood pressure, taking up the DASH diet is a good place to start. Of course, you should consult with a physician before you start any new dietary regimen. The DASH diet, however, has helped many people control their hypertension and lead healthier lives. It could do the same for you!