Physical Health
The greed of the dairy and meat industry is being fulfilled – at the expense of your health. Most diseases causing chronic suffering and death are associated with meat and dairy. On the other hand, a plant based diet significantly lowers the risk of these diseases and conditions. Your physical and mental health is directly impacted by what you put on your plate. Choose your health and well-being! Read on to learn how your food impacts your health.
Low Immunity, Fatigue, and Zoonotic Diseases
As a result of sedentary lifestyle, exposure to pollutants, and unhealthy diet, an increasing number of people deal with health challenges such as poor immunity and low energy levels. A prime cause of these is a diet rich in meat and dairy products, derived from animals on factory farms pumped with antibiotics and other harmful substances. Animal protein is itself inflammatory in nature. In recent times, many instances of Zoonotic diseases like Mad Cow disease, H1N1, and possibly even Covid, have been detrimental to global human health. Here is an informative in video by the Swiss Learning Exchange on Zoonotic diseases.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Conditions affecting heart and blood vessels can be life-threatening and in fact, are the leading cause of death globally. TAMO sourced from dairy, meat, and eggs is the primary source of inflammation and damage to the heart and arteries. Multiple research studies have shown the benefits of plant-based diseases in preventing, protecting, and reversing heart and circulatory system-related chronic ailments. Nevertheless, staying away from processed and refined food is also important. Watch the video by Running Raw to learn more.
Autoimmune diseases and
Lactose Intolerance
Animal protein is inherently inflammatory in nature. Any nutrition from meat and dairy comes at the cost of health damage. Chronic inflammation from animal products can cause autoimmune diseases such as eczema, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, and others in the short-term. Long-term, this leads to other diseases such as cancers, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, dementia, and more. Weaned humans are not suited to drink animal milk meant for their young (cows grow to be large), causing lactose intolerance which also leads to unpleasant impacts on health and well-being. Please read this article from NutritionFacts.org to learn more.
Type-2 Diabetes (T2D)
Processed and refined food have multiple ill-effects on our health, including disrupting the hormone system in our body. Chemicals found in meat are one of the leading causes of T2D. Both dairy and meat are loaded with saturated fat that causes insulin-resistance. Next are heme iron and advanced glycation end products in meat that trigger oxidative stress in the body and can directly damage insulin-producing cells. A plant-based diet not only lowers the risk of T2D, it also promotes good health, improves health of T2D patients, and can also reverse T2D. Watch The Link between Meat and Type 2 Diabetes by Juliet Richards and Can a Vegan Diet reverse Diabetes? by LIVEKINDLY to learn more.
Hormonal Imbalances & Breast Cancer
Cow's milk contains over 60 different hormones which are detrimental to our health as they raise the insulin in our body, causing blood sugar swings that lead to inflammatory conditions like eczema, acne, and even mood swings. Milk naturally contains androgenic properties so it raises the testosterone in the body and can cause bulking quickly. Harvard health studies show that dairy products lead to testicular cancer in men ages 20-39 and have been found to trigger breast, colon, and prostate cancer as well. Please watch Dairy: 6 Reasons You Should Avoid It at all Costs - YouTube by Mark Hyman to learn more.
Gut Health
Not many know that our gut is essentially our second brain. So many important body processes – particularly immunity – are controlled by our gut. The way to a healthy gut is through eating predominantly naturally occurring, high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables – all of which are gotten through a whole-food, plant-based vegan diet. Unfortunately, when animal protein is introduced into our diets, it inflames our gut microbiome, leading to chronic illnesses and even severe disease. Check out this book, Fiber Fueled, but Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, to learn more.
Cancer
WHO has classified meat as a Group-1 Carcinogen along with smoking tobacco based on strong evidence concluding that meat causes cancer. Dairy comes with Insulin like Growth Hormone-1 and estrogen, among other hormones, increasing the risk of prostate cancer by 65% and breast cancer by 50%. Casein (80% of the protein in dairy) is one of the strongest carcinogens known to humankind. Whereas, studies have shown that people who consume plant-based diets (vegans) only have the lowest risk of cancer. Phytochemicals found in all plant-based food protects DNA from damage, interrupts the cancer process in the body, and decreases inflammation. Read more here: Plant Power: Using Diet to Lower Cancer Risk by Mayo Clinic and Study Reveals Correlation between Meat and Dairy Consumption and Colorectal Cancer by Sinergia Animal. You can also watch Dairy and Meat causes Cancer by Dr C Campbell.
Mental Health
Depression and Anxiety
Growing research suggests that our states of mind are impacted by our gut microbiome which in turn depends heavily on the way we eat. Established expert Dr. Greger has discussed how those who are depressed have higher levels of chronic inflammation which is often tied to consumption of meat and dairy. Several recent studies have shown that a healthful vegan diet promoted the best results in terms of overall health and well-being among its participants, reducing anxiety, fatigue, and stress manifold. Please read this article from Forks over Knives to learn more.
Chronic Stress
While a certain degree of stress is normal, chronic stress poses health challenges. The American Institute of Stress found in 2021 that approximately 30% of Americans reported feeling extreme stress. Chronic stress contributes to serious mental and physical diseases like blood pressure, heart conditions, and even cancer. An unhealthy lifestyle is the major cause of chronic stress. Lack of physical exercise, a poor diet high in meat, dairy, and processed foods are contributing factors. Effects of climate change are also responsible for increased stress, especially among GenZ. Please see SciShow Psych’s video about how chronic stress harms your body.
Insomnia
Approximately 30% of the population in developed countries suffers from chronic insomnia! Modern lifestyle has disrupted our circadian rhythms. Contributing factors are excessive screen time, unhealthy diet consisting of fatty meats and processed sugars, stress, and other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Chronic insomnia in turn causes serious health problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and impacts our productivity. Here is a video that explains chronic insomnia and its causes.