Bad News For Meat-eaters - Vegetarians Are Smarter

For decades, doctors and scientists have endorsed healthy eating as a means to combat serious illnesses. For decades, the general public has fought off their advice and embraced all that is bad, which means lots of saturated fat, lots of meat and an inexplicable abhorrence for fruit and veg. And for decades, vegetarians have been on the receiving end of countless taunts and jibes for being 'soft' or eating 'rabbit food'. If vegetarian got a dime for every time they heard, "you don't know what you're missing", they would be able to buy out all of the meat producing farms in the world and replace them with fresh organic produce producing estates.

New evidence has revealed that meat consumption increases the risk of breast cancer amongst women. The Diet, Cancer and Health study examined the correlation between meat intake and breast cancer in 378 women in Denmark and found that red meat, processed meat and even chicken and fish increased the risk of breast cancer. Apparently a 25 gram increase in total meat, red meat and processed meat eaten results in a 9%, 15% and 23% increase in breast cancer respectively.

Not surprisingly, an increased intake in fruits and vegetables dramatically improves breast cancer survival rates. The Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) study found that five portions of fruit and veg a day, in conjunction with moderate physical activity, reduced mortality in women diagnosed with breast cancer by 50%. Another WHEL study revealed that diet changes i.e. more fruit and veg, change the hormones that are responsible for the growth of cancer cells.

But cancer is not the only disease that is adversely affected by meat eating. Cured meats, such as bacon, that old Western favourite and processed meats, such as hotdogs, another Western staple, increase the risk for lung disease, more specifically, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A Netherlands study has shown that Western diets - red meat, processed meat, pizza, French fries - double the incidence the risk of birth defects, particularly the occurrence of cleft lips and palates. In addition, researchers at the University of Rochester have found that high beef consumption during pregnancy results in low sperm concentration in male foetuses.

Meanwhile, researchers from South Hampton University found that children with high IQs are more likely to become vegetarians. Proof indeed, that the smart money is on meat-free.

References:

pcrm.org/news/archive080108.html

pcrm.org/news/archive061218_2.html

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers MediClinic modern, private medical service provider a modern private medical centre offering a range of services from health screens to psychiatric services to cosmetic procedures.

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