THE MYTHS OF VEGETARIANISM

[Guest guest]

http://www.powerhealth.net/selected_articles.htm

 

Stephen Byrnes, PhD

 

Originally published in the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients,

July 2000.

 

Revised January 2002

 

 

Great article, but it's long and has over 100 citations at the end.

What I find interesting, in the middle, is myth #5:

 

 

" MYTH #5: Meat-eating causes osteoporosis, kidney disease, heart

disease, and cancer.

 

Oftentimes, vegans and vegetarians will try to scare people into

avoiding animal foods and fats by claiming that vegetarian diets offer

protection from certain chronic diseases like the ones listed above.

Such claims, however, are hard to reconcile with historical and

anthropological facts. All of the diseases mentioned are primarily

20th century occurrences, yet people have been eating meat and animal

fat for many thousands of years. Further, as Dr. Price's research

showed, there were/are several native peoples around the world (the

Innuit, Maasai, Swiss, etc.) whose traditional diets were/are very

rich in animal products, but who nevertheless did/do not suffer from

the above-mentioned maladies (30). Dr. George Mann's independent

studies of the Maasai done many years after Dr. Price, confirmed the

fact that the Maasai, despite being almost exclusive meat eaters,

nevertheless, had little to no incidence of heart disease, or other

chronic ailments (31). This proves that other factors besides animal

foods are at work in causing these diseases.

 

Several studies have supposedly shown that meat consumption is the

cause of various illnesses, but such studies, honestly evaluated, show

no such thing as the following discussion will show.

 

OSTEOPOROSIS

 

Dr. Herta Spencer's research on protein intake and bone loss clearly

showed that protein consumption in the form of real meat has no impact

on bone density. Studies that supposedly proved that excessive protein

consumption equaled more bone loss were not done with real meat but

with fractionated protein powders and isolated amino acids (32).

Recent studies have also shown that increased animal protein intake

contributes to stronger bone density in men and women (33). Some

recent studies on vegan and vegetarian diets, however, have shown them

to predispose women to osteoporosis (34).

 

KIDNEY DISEASE

 

Although protein-restricted diets are helpful for people with kidney

disease, there is no proof that eating meat causes it (35).

Vegetarians will also typically claim that animal protein causes

overly acidic conditions in the blood, resulting in calcium leaching

from the bones and, hence, a greater tendency to form kidney stones.

This opinion is false, however. Theoretically, the sulphur and

phosphorous in meat can form an acid when placed in water, but that

does not mean that is what happens in the body. Actually, meat

contains complete proteins and vitamin D (if the skin and fat are

eaten), both of which help maintain pH balance in the bloodstream.

Furthermore, if one eats a diet that includes enough magnesium and

vitamin B6, and restricts refined sugars, one has little to fear from

kidney stones, whether one eats meat or not (36). Animal foods like

beef, pork, fish, and lamb are good sources of magnesium and B6 as any

food/nutrient table will show.

 

HEART DISEASE

 

The belief that animal protein contributes to heart disease is a

popular one that has no foundation in nutritional science. Outside of

questionable studies, there is little data to support the idea that

meat-eating leads to heart disease. For example, the French have one

of the highest per capita consumption of meat, yet have low rates of

heart disease. In Greece, meat consumption is higher than average but

rates of heart disease are low there as well. Finally, in Spain, an

increase in meat eating (in conjunction with a reduction in sugar and

high carbohydrate intake) led to a decrease in heart disease (37).

 

CANCER

 

The belief that meat, in particular red meat, contributes to cancer

is, like heart disease, a popular idea that is not supported by the

facts. Although it is true that some studies have shown a connection

between meat eating and some types of cancer (38), its important to

look at the studies carefully to determine what kind of meat is being

discussed, as well as the preparation methods used. Since we only have

one word for " meat " in English, it is often difficult to know

which

" meat " is under discussion in a study unless the authors of

the study

specifically say so.

 

The study which began the meat=cancer theory was done by Dr. Ernst

Wynder in the 1970s. Wynder claimed that there was a direct, causal

connection between animal fat intake and incidence of colon cancer

(39). Actually, his data on " animal fats " were really on

vegetable

fats (40). In other words, the meat=cancer theory is based on a phony

study.

 

If one looks closely at the research, however, one quickly sees that

it is processed meats like cold cuts and sausages that are usually

implicated in cancer causation (41) and not meat per se. Furthermore,

cooking methods seem to play a part in whether or not a meat becomes

carcinogenic (42). In other words, it is the added chemicals to the

meat and the chosen cooking method that are at fault and not the meat

itself.

 

In the end, although sometimes a connection between meat and cancer is

found, the actual mechanism of how it happens has eluded scientists

(43). This means that it is likely that other factors besides meat are

playing roles in some cases of cancer. Remember: studies of

meat-eating traditional peoples show that they have very little

incidence of cancer. This demonstrates that other factors are at work

when cancer appears in a modern meat-eating person. It is not

scientifically fair to single out one dietary factor in placing blame,

while ignoring other more likely candidates.

 

It should be noted here that Seventh Day Adventists are often studied

in population analyses to prove that a vegetarian diet is healthier

and is associated with a lower risk for cancer (but see a later

paragraph in this section). While it is true that most members of this

Christian denomination do not eat meat, they also do not smoke or

drink alcohol, coffee or tea, all of which are likely factors in

promoting cancer (44).

 

The Mormons are a religious group often overlooked in vegetarian

studies. Although their Church urges moderation, Mormons do not

abstain from meat. As with the Adventists, Mormons also avoid tobacco,

alcohol, and caffeine. Despite being meat eaters, a study of Utah

Mormons showed they had a 22% lower rate for cancer in general and a

34% lower mortality for colon cancer than the US average (45). A study

of Puerto Ricans, who eat large amounts of fatty pork, nevertheless

revealed very low rates of colon and breast cancer (46). Similar

results can be adduced to demonstrate that meat and animal fat

consumption do not correlate with cancer (47). Obviously, other

factors are at work.

 

It is usually claimed that vegetarians have lower cancer rates than

meat-eaters, but a 1994 study of vegetarian California Seventh Day

Adventists showed that, while they did have lower rates for some

cancers (e.g., breast and lung), they had higher rates for several

others (Hodgkin's disease, malignant melanoma, brain, skin,

uterine,

prostate, endometrial, cervical and ovarian), some quite

significantly. In that study the authors actually admitted that:

 

" Meat consumption, however, was not associated with a higher

[cancer] risk. "

 

And that,

 

" No significant association between breast cancer and a high

consumption of animal fats or animal products in general was noted. "

(48)

 

Further, it is usually claimed that a diet rich in plant foods like

whole grains and legumes will reduce one's risks for cancer, but

research going back to the last century demonstrates that

carbohydrate-based diets are the prime dietary instigators of cancer,

not diets based on minimally processed animal foods (49).

 

The mainstream health and vegetarian media have done such an effective

job of " beef bashing, " that most people think there is nothing

healthful about meat, especially red meat. In reality, however, animal

flesh foods like beef and lamb are excellent sources of a variety of

nutrients as any food/nutrient table will show. Nutrients like

vitamins A, D, several of the B-complex, essential fatty acids (in

small amounts), magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, iron,

taurine, and selenium are abundant in beef, lamb, pork, fish and

shellfish, and poultry. Nutritional factors like coenzyme Q10,

carnitine, and alpha-lipoic acid are also present. Some of these

nutrients are only found in animal foods--plants do not supply them.

 

MYTH #6: Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol cause heart disease,

atherosclerosis, and/or cancer, and low-fat, low-cholesterol diets are

healthier for people.

 

This, too, is not a specific vegetarian myth. Nevertheless, people are

often urged to take up a vegetarian or vegan diet because it is

believed that such diets offer protection against heart disease and

cancer since they are lower or lacking in animal foods and fats.

 

Although it is commonly believed that saturated fats and dietary

cholesterol " clog arteries " and cause heart disease, such ideas have

been shown to be false by such scientists as Linus Pauling, Russell

Smith, George Mann, John Yudkin, Abram Hoffer, Mary Enig, Uffe

Ravnskov and other prominent researchers (50). On the contrary,

studies have shown that arterial plaque is primarily composed of

unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated ones, and not the

saturated fat of animals, palm or coconut (51).

 

Trans-fatty acids, as opposed to saturated fats, have been shown by

researchers such as Enig, Mann and Fred Kummerow to be causative

factors in accelerated atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cancer

and other ailments (52). Trans-fatty acids are found in such modern

foods as margarine and vegetable shortening and foods made with them.

Enig and her colleagues have also shown that excessive omega-6

polyunsaturated fatty acid intake from refined vegetable oils is also

a major culprit behind cancer and heart disease, not animal fats.

 

A recent study of thousands of Swedish women supported Enig's

conclusions and data, and showed no correlation between saturated fat

consumption and increased risk for breast cancer. However, the study

did show,as did Enig's work, a strong link between vegetable oil

intake and higher breast cancer rates (53).

 

The major population studies that supposedly prove the theory that

animal fats and cholesterol cause heart disease actually do not upon

closer inspection. The Framingham Heart Study is often cited as proof

that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat intake cause heart disease

and ill health. Involving about 6,000 people, the study compared two

groups over several years at five-year intervals. One group consumed

little cholesterol and saturated fat, while the other consumed high

amounts. Surprisingly, Dr William Castelli, the study's director,

said:

 

In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more

cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person's

serum cholesterol ... we found that the people who ate the most

cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, [and] ate the most calories,

weighed the least and were the most physically active. (54)

 

The Framingham data did show that subjects who had higher cholesterol

levels and weighed more ran a slightly higher chance for coronary

heart disease. But weight gain and serum cholesterol levels had an

inverse correlation with dietary fat and cholesterol intake. In other

words, there was no correlation at all (55).

 

In a similar vein, the US Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial,

sponsored by the National Heart and Lung Institute, compared mortality

rates and eating habits of 12,000+ men. Those who ate less saturated

fat and cholesterol showed a slightly reduced rate of heart disease,

but had an overall mortality rate much higher than the other men in

the study (56).

 

Low-fat/cholesterol diets, therefore, are not healthier for people.

Studies have shown repeatedly that such diets are associated with

depression, cancer, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and

suicide (57). Women with lower serum cholesterol live shorter lives

than women with higher levels (58). Similar things have been found in

men (59).

 

Children on low-fat and/or vegan diets can suffer from growth

problems, failure to thrive, and learning disabilities (60). Despite

this, sources from Dr Benjamin Spock to the American Heart Association

recommend low-fat diets for children! One can only lament the fate of

those unfortunate youngsters who will be raised by unknowing parents

taken in by such genocidal misinformation.

 

There are many health benefits to saturated fats, depending on the fat

in question. Coconut oil, for example, is rich in lauric acid, a

potent antifungal and antimicrobial substance. Coconut also contains

appreciable amounts of caprylic acid, also an effective antifungal

(61). Butter from free-range cows is rich in trace minerals,

especially selenium, as well as all of the fat-soluble vitamins and

beneficial fatty acids that protect against cancer and fungal

infections (62).

 

In fact, the body needs saturated fats in order to properly utilize

essential fatty acids (63). Saturated fats also lower the blood levels

of the artery-damaging lipoprotein (a) (64); are needed for proper

calcium utilization in the bones (65); stimulate the immune system

(66); are the preferred food for the heart and other vital organs

(67); and, along with cholesterol, add structural stability to the

cell and intestinal wall (68). They are excellent for cooking, as they

are chemically stable and do not break down under heat, unlike

polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Omitting them from one's diet, then,

is ill-advised.

 

With respect to atherosclerosis, it is always claimed that vegetarians

have much lower rates of this condition than meat eaters. The

International Atherosclerosis Project of 1968, however, which examined

over 20,000 corpses from several countries, concluded that vegetarians

had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters (69). Other population

studies have revealed similar data. (70) This is because

atherosclerosis is largely unrelated to diet; it is a consequence of

aging. There are things which can accelerate the atherosclerotic

process such as excessive free radical damage to the arteries from

antioxidant depletion (caused by such things as smoking, poor diet,

excess polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet, various nutritional

deficiencies, drugs, etc), but this is to be distinguished from the

fatty-streaking and hardening of arteries that occurs in all peoples

over time.

 

It also does not appear that vegetarian diets protect against heart

disease. A study on vegans in 1970 showed that female vegans had

higher rates of death from heart disease than non-vegan females (71).

A recent study showed that Indians, despite being vegetarians, have

very high rates of coronary artery disease (72).

High-carbohydrate/low-fat diets (which is what vegetarian diets are)

can also place one at a greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and

cancer due to their hyperinsulemic effects on the body (73). Recent

studies have also shown that vegetarians have higher homocysteine

levels in their blood (74). Homocysteine is a known cause of heart

disease. Lastly, low-fat/cholesterol diets, generally favored to

either prevent or treat heart disease, do neither and may actually

increase certain risk factors for this condition (75).

 

Studies which conclude that vegetarians are at a lower risk for heart

disease are typically based on the phony markers of lower saturated

fat intake, lower serum cholesterol levels and HDL/LDL ratios. Since

vegetarians tend to eat less saturated fat and usually have lower

serum cholesterol levels, it is concluded that they are at less risk

for heart disease. Once one realizes that these measurements are not

accurate predictors of proneness to heart disease, however, the

supposed protection of vegetarianism melts away (76).

 

It should always be remembered that a number of things factor into a

person getting heart disease or cancer. Instead of focusing on the

phony issues of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and meat-eating,

people should pay more attention to other more likely factors.

 

These would be trans-fatty acids, excessive polyunsaturated fat

intake, excessive sugar intake, excessive carbohydrate intake,

smoking, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and obesity. These

things were all conspicuously absent in the healthy traditional

peoples that Dr. Price studied. "