The BBC reports how a vegan diet can help reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and lowerBody Mass Index. The article as an aside also shows how vegans can readily get enough proteins and calcium. So in summary, we again see how a vegan diet is healthy for the human body and another reason to not put an animal through the horror of the slaughterhouse.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients may be able to reduce their high risk of heart attacks and strokes with a gluten-free, vegan diet, a study suggests. Heart attacks and strokes are among the leading causes of death for sufferers, as the inflammation caused by the disease impacts upon the arteries. But an Arthritis Research and Therapy study found those who pursued a vegan regime had less “bad” cholesterol. By clogging arteries, this is seen as a key risk factor for heart problems. Rheumatoid Arthritis affects around 350,000 people in the UK. Millet and sesame But researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm say this risk could be reduced through a diet which excludes animal products and gluten - found in wheat, oats, rye and barley.

A vegan diet may be helpful in reducing cholesterol, but it is difficult to get enough of some important nutrients on a vegan diet Arthritis Research Campaign They placed 38 volunteers on the diet, in which protein accounted for 10% of daily energy intake, carbohydrate 60% and fat for 30%. It included nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit and vegetables, millet and corn. Sesame milk provided a daily source of calcium. A further 28 volunteers followed a healthy diet with approximately the same proportions of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Saturated fats were not to make up more than 10% of daily energy intake, and wholegrain products were to be chosen as often as possible. Those on the vegan diet showed a decrease in the total level of cholesterol and specifically a reduction in the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “bad cholesterol”. In contrast, those on the non-vegan diet showed no significant variations in these levels. The researchers pointed to a “large body of evidence” suggesting that these changes were beneficial when it comes to preventing blockage of the arteries and cardiovascular disease. The vegan volunteers also had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) at the end of the 12 month period, while the control group remained the same.

Remainder of article at the BBC

The UK government has started to look into the possibility of health warning labels on foods high in saturated fats - like dairy. These ar fat laden foods intended to help a calf quickly develop quickly into a cow, it is not a surprise that they are not healthy for humans, who typically are smaller than cows.

Dairy products like cheese and butter could carry government health warnings in a bid to combat rising obesity and heart disease.

The labels - similar to those on cigarette packs - would urge shoppers to eat products with high levels of saturated fats only in moderation, said the Government’s food watchdog, the Food Standards Agency. It hopes the “shock tactic” will persuade people to cut down on the fats which clog the arteries and can cause heart disease. A spokesman said the plans were at an early stage and would be the subject of further research.

The campaign is expected to include the claim that two slices of buttered toast contain more saturated fat than four doughnuts, and that one cheese sandwich contains more than half an individual’s recommended daily amount.

From the Sunday Mirror

Blood sugar and so diabetes is better controlled by a vegan diet. Again we see the benefits of not eating fatty rotten corpses.

CHENNAI: The National Youth Week in memory of Swami Vivekananda that concluded on Saturday was probably an apt event to take a fresh look at diabetes considering the huge impact the disease has in India, not even sparing the youth.

Swami Vivekananda also had diabetes, though he did not die of complications that result from uncontrolled blood sugar. During the week the city played host to a programme where a nutrition researcher suggested that a vegan diet was the best option to control blood sugar levels. In another event, medical students provided tips to check cravings. The United States-based nutrition researcher Neal Bernard told students about his study, involving 99 people with Type 2 diabetes and conducted with the support of the United States National Institutes of Health.

It found that blood sugar was three times more effectively controlled in people who were on a low-fat vegan diet (excluding even milk products such as yogurt and cheese).

Such people had reduced body weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. Based on the results, he prescribed a diet that does not limit calorie or carbohydrate intake but suggests inclusion of a lot of pulses, vegetables, fruits, whole grain and a source of vitamin B12. Plant-based diets reduce blood sugar, cut cholesterol and lower body weight besides reducing the need for medication. According to Dr. Bernard, if Americans learned to eat dal (pulses), rice and palak (greens), they would be slimmer and healthier. Even while travelling it is not difficult to adhere to one’s prescribed diet, he pointed out. His suggestion included requesting non-dairy vegetarian meals on flight, and ordering foods such as oatmeal, pasta with tomato sauce, potatoes and vegetable dishes even if they are not listed in a hotel’s menu.

Story from

Yet another study shows a link between meat consumption and cancer. Stop eating meat and get healthy. It is a simple message.

- Photo courtesy National Cancer Institute
Burger fiends beware: People who eat a lot of red and processed meat risk getting bowel and even lung cancer compared to those who eat small quantities. But it’s unclear exactly which meats cause the damage.

Digital Journal — Eating red meat or processed meat can raise the risk of developing various cancers, according to a new report from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, which will be published in the journal PLoS Medicine.

The study is the first big report to give evidence that links frequent meat-eating and lung cancer. It also says people who chomp down on a lot of meat have an increased risk of developing colorectal, liver, and esophageal cancer.

Lead author Amanda Cross wrote in the study:
“A decrease in the consumption of red and processed meat could reduce the incidence of cancer at multiple sites.”

The Daily Mail reports how meat and dairy farms are now harbouring ESBLE coli - a superbug. The usual speciesist rant could be shoehorned in here as reporters get the public worked up by human death and neglect to mention that the farmed animals in question are bred only to die at human hands, but the article works as a reminder of what the vegan movement has been saying for a long time now, that the intensive farming of animals is detrimental to human health as well as the suffering of the animals.

Health fears grow over deadly superbug infecting 32 farms

A superbug which kills hundreds of patients a year has been found on 32 farms, it emerged yesterday.

The discovery raises fears that the infection is spreading to the human population through meat and milk.

The bug - ESBL E coli - causes around 30,000 cases of blood poisoning and urinary tract infection each year.

It is known to have killed hundreds of people over the past five years, although some experts put the annual death toll as high as 4,000.

Scroll down for more…

Bovine transmittors: Cows can carry E.Coli to humans through milk

Experts from the Government’s Veterinary Laboratories Agency are due to reveal details today of the extent of the infection on farms.

The “super E coli” is thought to have developed a high degree of resistance to antibiotics through their use in intensive livestock operations.

Its spread from farm to farm has mirrored the rise in the number of infections and deaths in the human population.

Experts at the Health Protection Agency are investigating a possible link between the bugs found in livestock and the sale of meat and milk.

Dr Georgina Duckworth, who compiled a report for the agency on the emergence of the E coli, concluded: ‘The findings show evidence of people carrying these bacteria in their gut.

“If this is found to be commonplace in the general population this may point towards the food chain being a potential source.”

Scroll down for more…

Deadly bug: E Coli kills hundreds of humans every year

During slaughter, the bug, which lives in the gut, can be spread through meat, making it a risk to abattoir workers.

Similarly, bugs from cow dung can get into milk during milking. E coli should be killed during pasteurisation but tests show that some forms of TB bacteria can survive heat treatment.

Remainder of article

Raw Milk sales are soaring…

IT might sound udderly unbelievable, but the latest food fad to hit Wales is… RAW milk. Straight-from-the-cow, unpasteurised milk is regularly drunk by more than 100,000 Californians and is equally popular in New York.

Now the craze is hitting our shores with farm shops in Wales are reporting a sharp increases in sales. Advocates of raw milk, which is sold in green- topped bottles, claim that it is high in immune-boosting nutrients and disease-fighting antibodies. Steve Oultram, who owns Newbridge Farm Shop in Ewloe, said that his family had been selling raw milk for more than 50 years, but had noticed that it had become more popular recently. He said: “There’s no doubt that the demand for raw milk is increasing all the time as more people are made aware of it. We have people coming here from considerable distances, not just from Wales, but from as far as Aberdeen and Brighton. We’ve even started sending it out through mail order because of the demand.” And Mr Oultram said some of his customers had used the milk to help them combat illnesses. “One person who used to come to us had quite an advanced cancer. She said that the milk was helping so much that she wasn’t having to take as much medicine,” he said. “And another guy has been buying it for his son who has bad eczema, and he’s said that it’s made a tremendous difference.” But it’s not just raw milk that is becoming ever more popular – raw cheeses are on the up too. Jill Pateman, who owns Merlin Cheeses in Ceredigion, said: “20 years ago it just wasn’t accepted. But now society is more affluent and as people have more of a choice, they are opting for raw dairy more often.” But raw dairy is not without its critics. There have been reports it could be banned in Wales and England – as it has been in Scotland for more than 20 years. Legislation introduced in January this year means that Welsh retailers of raw milk must now have a licence, as well as carry a warning on the bottle that the milk is not pasteurised. They are also forced by the Food Standards Agency to have a sample of the milk tested every three months to check that it contains no harmful bacteria.

Wales’ Food Standards Agency warns: “This milk has not been heat treated and may therefore contain organisms harmful to health. The Food Standards Agency strongly advises that it should not be consumed by children, pregnant women, older people or those who are unwell or have a chronic illness.”

See the ‘White Lies‘ campaign for an explanation of the health detriment caused by drinking dairy.

White Lies is the first review of its kind.

The evidence is overwhelming – cow’s milk and dairy products are neither natural nor healthy, in fact they are harmful to health and have been linked to a wide range of illnesses and diseases. Many of the key findings were discussed at the public talk on May 24 2006. Hot topics that the campaign and report cover include:
 
Heart disease – What it is in milk and dairy products that can cause heart disease and how following a plant-based diet can reduce cholesterol and even reverse heart disease.

Diabetes – Research shows that drinking cow’s milk at an early age is strongly linked to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible people. Several different theories have been suggested that attempt to unravel the actual mechanism by which cow’s milk causes diabetes; they all share a common theme.

Cancer – Nutrition plays a major role in cancer; a poor diet is the second largest preventable risk factor for cancer (coming close behind smoking) and an increasing body of evidence now links the consumption of cow’s milk to certain cancers. What it is about modern dairy farming practices that concerns scientists studying certain cancers including cancers of the breast, ovaries, colon and prostate? And which types of food can protect against these, and other, diseases?

Obesity In 2004 the UK Foods Standards Agency reported that 25 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women were classified as obese. The British Medical Association warns that childhood obesity levels have soared in the UK. Part of the problem is the increasing lack of physical activity but diet plays a major role in the obesity epidemic. The World Health Organisation blames the rise in obesity on a shift away from diets high in complex carbohydrates towards diets high in saturated fats and sugars. How do dairy foods contribute to the rising levels of obesity and what is the difference between ‘good’ fats and ‘bad’ fats?

Osteoporosis and the calcium myth Osteoporosis is a growing problem in the UK; one in two women and one in five men will suffer a fracture after the age of 50! The science shows that shows that dairy is part of the problem rather than the solution, White Lies reveals why it is not the best source of calcium and describes how best to promote bone health in the young and old.

Pinta pus Milk containing up to 400 million pus cells per litre may be legally sold for human consumption! That means that one teaspoon of milk could contain 2 million pus cells! Find out why.