Avian influenza, or “bird flu,” threatens humanity with the greatest public health crisis in recorded history. Experts warn that the disease could kill one in eight people worldwide.

A vegetarian diet can prevent heart disease, many types of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, and more. Vegetarians pass up flesh foods that are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, and completely lacking in dietary fibre. Plant foods on the other hand contain antioxidants and a variety of phyto-chemicals that may protect against disease.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/veg_foods.html

NutritionMD

Find out more about various diseases and conditions and how nutrition can play an important role in prevention and treatment. They offer a long list of diseases and conditions – from arthritis to urinary tract infection.
http://www.nutritionmd.org/consumers/index.html

Vegetarian nutrition & Health conditions affected by diet

The Analyst Online Health Service
This site has a nice summary of vegetarian/vegan nutrition concerns, and a long list of health conditions (from asthma to varicose veins) that are known to be improved by a vegetarian or vegan diet. A brief explanation of the dietary link is included for each condition, along with footnoted sources. This Naturopathic website also offers online analysis.
www.diagnose-me.com

Becoming Vegetarian
Apr 2003, by Vesanto Melina RD, Brenda Davis RD
   Rating *****
Written by two Canadian dietitians, this is one of the best resources available. It covers the reasons behind the trend toward a plant-based diet, the scientific evidence in favour of vegetarianism and nutritional concerns such as protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and D. 

According to the blood type diet theory, people with Type A blood (39% of the population) are best off as vegetarians, while people with Type O (46% of the population) are natural born meat eaters. Type B's (11% of the population) are somewhere in the middle. Simple and clear cut? The problem is the theory is based on shaky science.

Milk and other dairy products are included in many vegetarian diets. Dairy is a rich source of calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other nutrients. It has been a part of many cultures for centuries, especially in Northern Europe. For religious Hindus, milk is considered sacred. Yet the majority of the world's peoples do not come from cultures that have a history of dairy consumption. These people often have problems digesting it. And with the advent of modern mechanized dairy production, milk may not be as pure as it once was.

The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have created a food guide that covers different types of vegetarian diets, meets the most recent health recommendations, focuses on nutrients of particular interest in vegetarian diets, and includes a wide variety of vegetarian foods. The guide includes a pyramid and rainbow diagram.
[Link to the food guide, or view as a 5-page pdf]

Rainbow food guides – Vesanto Melina R.D., author of Becoming Vegetarian (see right sidebar), has both a vegetarian rainbow and vegan rainbow guide on her website. Theses are based on the U.S. Food Guide and the Canadian Guide to Healthy Eating.

Pyramid food guides – Vesanto also has both a vegetarian pyramid and vegan pyramid guide on her website.

On January 11, 2005, the Canadian government confirmed a new case of mad cow disease. The brain-wasting disease showed up in an Alberta cow younger than age 7.

Dietitians of Canada and American Dietetic Association
It's official! “Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” The paper reviews the current scientific data related to key nutrients for vegetarians, including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids, and iodine. A vegetarian, including vegan, diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients.

The symptoms began a few years ago. One morning, I awoke and was unable to move my hands. They were swollen shut into fists and attempting to wiggle my fingers was extremely painful. Over the next couple of weeks, the symptoms spread into other joints. My wrists, my shoulders, my knees and the joints in my feet became stiff, swollen, and tender. After a few weeks of suffering, I finally realized that this was not normal and went to see my family doctor. He referred me to a rheumatologist. At the ripe old age of 21, I was diagnosed with arthritis.

I was in shock upon hearing this diagnosis. I kept thinking "why me?" Arthritis was something that 85-year-old grandmothers get, not healthy, fit young adults.

Unfortunately, that belief is a myth. Arthritis is a blanket term for a disease that encompasses over 100 different conditions ranging from mild forms of tendinitis and bursitis to the crippling rheumatoid arthritis. As a disease, arthritis does not discriminate. It can inflict young children still in diapers, individuals in the prime of their lives, as well as the elderly. The condition is marked by an inflammation of the lining of the joints, resulting in joint and muscoloskeletal pain and eventual loss of mobility. Doctors do not yet know what causes arthritis and, although there is no known cure, symptoms can be treated through a variety of medications and lifestyle changes.

Immediately after my diagnosis, my symptoms worsened. I was mildly depressed and in a great deal of pain. There were days when I couldn't even get out of bed because of the swelling and stiffness. I was also experiencing a limited range of motion in some affected joints. I could no longer lift my arm up high enough to blow dry my hair and doing up zippers on the backs of dresses was impossible.

I was put on a series of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). For those unfamiliar with NSAIDs, they are not the most user-friendly family of pharmaceuticals. They are quite powerful drugs that suppress immunity, have negative side effects on the liver and kidneys, and are corrosive to the lining of the stomach. I was unable to tolerate these medications. They gave me violent stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. In my case, the prescribed treatment was almost as bad as the disease itself.

Growing increasingly impatient with traditional courses of therapy, I became convinced that there had to be a gentler, more effective way to treat my arthritis. After many hours spent reading everything I could on the topic, I discovered the link between diet, exercise, stress, and arthritis. Many conventional therapies treat only the symptoms of arthritis. On the other hand, lifestyle changes affect the individual as a whole, making him or her healthier and providing a more positive outlook. In turn, such changes have a positive effect on the disease itself. That is how I came to be a physically active, stress-managing vegetarian.

Countless studies published in various medical journals show that a vegetarian diet lessens the symptoms of arthritis in most people. Both the Arthritis Society in Canada and the Arthritis Foundation in the USA provide the following dietary recommendations for individuals suffering from arthritis:

• eat a variety of foods

• maintain an ideal weight

• avoid too much fat and cholesterol

• avoid too much sugar

• eat foods that are high in fibre

• avoid too much sodium

• limit alcohol consumption

The above recommendations are highly compatible with a vegetarian diet. Specifically, I started eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. I limited my intake of processed foods, caffeine, and sodium and stopped consuming alcohol altogether. My new vegetarian diet was high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, which promote joint health. It was also naturally low in fat, cholesterol, and sugar and high in fibre.

I also started a regular exercise program. The benefits of exercise were threefold. Exercise strengthened my muscles allowing them to support more of my weight, taking some of the pressure off of my joints. Exercise also helped me maintain an ideal weight ensuring there would be no excess pressure on my joints. Finally, exercise gave me an outlet to release stress in a positive manner.

After only a few short weeks, my lifestyle changes were having a profound effect on my quality of life. My pain and stiffness disappeared. I regained a full range of motion in the affected joints. Most importantly, I once again had a positive outlook on life. For the first time in a long while, I felt I had some control over my body.

Now, six years after my diagnosis, I no longer have to take medications for my arthritis. I am living relatively symptom-free thanks to vegetarianism, exercise, and stress-management.

I initially became a vegetarian for medical reasons, but eventually I evolved, taking up the ethical cause and becoming a vegan. Although I don't recommend that individuals forgo medical treatment altogether, I do suggest that they educate themselves and make positive lifestyle changes such as vegetarianism as soon as possible. In some cases, doing so may alleviate the symptoms of the disease making traditional therapy unnecessary.

Arthritis and the vegetarian/vegan diet: the facts

• Vegetarian diet tends to be high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, substances which remove toxins from the body and promote joint health.

• Vegetarian diet is also high in fibre, another substance that detoxifies the body. Additionally, fibre is filling, making it difficult to overeat. Overeating leads to obesity, a condition that places major stress on the body's joints.

• Vegetarian diet tends to be lower in fat and cholesterol than the standard North American diet, making obesity less likely.

• Vegetarians, in general, are less likely to be overweight than their meat-eating counterparts, which translates into less stress on joints.

• Vegetarians report to posses an overall sense of well-being. A positive mental attitude is key in combating the effects of any chronic ness.ill

For information on dietary and lifestyle changes see:

Arthritis
Dr. John McDougall promotes a low-fat, vegan diet to treat disease.
www.drmcdougall.com/science/arthritis.html

Arthritis Recovery
The Kushi Institute promotes a macrobiotic diet to treat disease.
www.kushiinstitute.org/healing/duval.html

Global Ideas Bank: Vegetarian diet eases arthritis
Fasting is known to be an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, but most patients relapse on reintroduction of food. Fasting followed by a vegetarian diet can lead to lasting relief.
www.globalideasbank.org/site/bank/idea.php?ideaId=1490

For more information on arthritis see:
Arthritis Society: www.arthritis.ca
Arthritis Foundation: www.arthritis.org

Recommended Reading:
Arthritis, by Michio Kushi
McDougall's Medicine: A Challenging Second Opinion, by Dr. John McDougall
The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health, by Dr. John McDougall

Also see related article: Blood type diet.

How do we explain the experience of people who say, "A practitioner of 'live cell' analysis stuck my finger and I saw my blood agglutinate! He said I must have eaten foods wrong for my blood type!" Does this validate Dr. Peter D'Adamo's “blood type theory" which he presents in his book, Eat Right for your Type?
 
I have attended many “health expos" and meetings on “alternative" medicine, where I have seen this demonstration performed. A subject's finger is punctured and a drop of their blood is placed under the microscope with the image projected on a large screen or television monitor. The results can appear quite dramatic as a person often sees their red blood cells, platelets, and other cellular elements apparently misshapen and clumped together. 

The unsuspecting subject is probably unaware that they may have just witnessed a biological parlor trick. The "live cell analyst" has probably failed to inform them that the "agglutinating" effect seen on the screen can be produced by a number of factors, most having nothing to do with lectins, blood type, or any other forces beyond the physics and chemistry of a drop of blood on a slide.

Remember, that a drop of blood on the microscope slide is very different than a drop of blood flowing through your bloodstream.  In the body, blood moves rapidly through the blood vessels, in darkness, at a constant temperature of 98.6°F., and under much higher pressure than room air. These factors profoundly affect the characteristics of the red blood cells, making them less likely to stick together. When a drop of blood is squeezed onto a slide, all these factors are changed or eliminated in ways that may make it much more likely that the cells may begin to clump together.

In addition to the above, unseen chemical agents in the blood may contribute to the appearance of clumping, such as recently consumed fats or oils, antibody proteins left over from a recent viral infection or allergic reaction, food colorings, preservatives, birth control pills, aspirin, cold remedies, the acidity (pH) of the blood, the levels of calcium, sodium, and other circulating minerals - even the concentration of salt in the saline solution used by the analyst. All these factors – and others, like exercise, dehydration, prescription medications, vitamin supplements – can dramatically affect the blood's behavior and appearance on the microscope slide.

This is not to imply that all people performing “live cell analysisî are unscrupulous. Rather, the public should be aware that the technology is easy to mishandle and many demonstrators are unqualified to make diagnoses and other health assessments based on the appearance of the blood cell images they see. If more people realized this, fewer would be unduly frightened by what they see on the monitor screen or by what they hear from the “analyst."

Also see external article: Live Cell Analysis: High-Tech Hokum  

A review of the different types of sweeteners and the controversy surrounding most of them

by Lara Greguric

Are sugar plums, maple fudge and nanaimo bars your idea of heaven?  Well, you're not alone.  According to recent USDA figures, the average American consumes approximately 153 pounds of sweeteners per year, including 67 pounds of sugar from sugar cane and/or sugar beets, 85 pounds of corn sweeteners and 1 pound of other sweeteners, e.g. honey, maple syrup, etc.  Where does this mountain of sugar come from? Today's consumers have a variety of choices when deciding on one lump or two:

Although all sugars are carbohydrates and contain only 4 calories per gram, consumers may be getting more than they bargained for when reaching for that Twinkie. Highly refined sugars contain no nutrients and are empty calories. Sugar calories may crowd out the more nutrient dense calories contained in whole foods, resulting in a nutrient deficient diet. Additionally, sugar is usually coupled with large amounts of fat in low fibre foods, contributing to the likelihood of overeating and obesity.

Sugar also poses a barrage of health threats. Undisputedly, consuming large quantities of sugar causes dental cavities. More interesting are the numerous health problems possibly caused by sugar that experts can't seem to agree upon. Sugar is accused of causing both hypoglycemia and diabetes. When simple sugars are ingested, they are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly and the blood sugar level increases.  The pancreas detects the increased level of blood sugar and secretes insulin to bring blood sugar back to normal. When large amounts of simple sugars are eaten repeatedly, the pancreas can become overstimulated and secrete too much insulin.  In turn, this causes blood sugar to fall below normal, resulting in hypoglycemia. If this pattern continues, the pancreas becomes overworked and is no longer able to produce adequate amounts of functioning insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and the possible onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Glucose is also the body's main source of energy. Blood glucose gets converted to glycogen, which fuels our daily activities. Sharp increases in blood glucose caused by consumption of simple sugars, followed by sharp decreases in blood glucose once insulin is released, lead to roller-coaster-like energy highs and lows. Surely we're all familiar with the classic sugar high and the subsequent sugar crash 20 minutes later.

More controversially, sugar has been linked to constipation, poor digestion, a weakened immune system, kidney and gall stones, hyperactivity, arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Of course, the established medical community and the agriculture industry refute all of these claims.  A recent joint study performed by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization "...disassociates, completely and explicitly, sugar from chronic diseases and ill health problems, and exonerates sugar from being a major factor in obesity.  As for dental caries, it is pointed out that prevention programs should focus on fluoridation and not on sucrose content alone."  This little gem was on the website of the Public Relations Office of the Sugar Industry (PROSI).

Where there is controversy, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially when dealing with your health.  Follow the already well-proven precepts of good health. Generally, unrefined is better than refined, as chances are these sugars may still contain some nutrients. Nonetheless, limit your intake of all simple sugars. Obtain most of your nourishment from whole foods.  A diet high in complex carbohydrates, low in fat and with a variety of fruits, vegetables and legumes is conducive to wellness.

Bottom line: Limit sweets to one snack or dessert per day. In addition to some of the less refined options above, try dates or pure fruit juice. Don't be fooled by how natural the form of sugar is, or is claimed to be.