Fiber
Ideas on how to eat enough fiber!
Easy to understand guide on The Benefits of Fiber
The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell on Fiber here or basic fiber facts including some good sources of fiber here
Dr McDougall on how Fiber Reduces Heart Attack Risk here
See study where six obese subjects with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension were assigned to a strict vegetarian diet (SVD) for 1 month and lowered their blood pressure and improved fasting glucose and postprandial glucose levels because the fiber changes the gut microbiota.
Review of 20 studies found those consuming the most fiber had a 28% lower likelihood of developing colon polyps & every 10 g of dietary fiber cut the polyps by 9%.
Study finds a high-fiber diet reduces death by 35% in heart attack survivors.
Review of 17 studies found that every 10 g fiber consumed cuts mortality risk by 10%.
Fiber discourages growth of bad bugs in gut.
Study: Fiber found ONLY in plants helps successful aging, defined as the absence of disability, depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, respiratory symptoms, and chronic diseases (eg, cancer and coronary artery disease).
Gut Bacteria
7 foods that help gut bacteria and why here
Probiotics (the bacteria) can be found in miso, Gochujang, Kimchi/sourkraut, tempeh and sourdough bread, but they only eat Prebiotics which are only found in PLANTS! Feed your gut bacteria with prebiotics. Prebiotics include onions, garlic, quinoa, corn, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lentils and other fiber foods.
Prebiotics are gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-bring and health and are only found in plants.
Tiny microbial cells harbored by the human gut play a significant role in health and in certain disease states, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Eating patterns high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes promote the abundance of healthier gut bacteria needed for health.
Colon Cancer
Dr McDougall on colon cancer here
2013 study suggests that greater red and processed meat intake before diagnosis is associated with higher risk of death among patients with nonmetastatic Colon Cancer (layman’s language here)
2001 study concluded: “overall association between meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer appears to be positive”. ” The finding for processed meat and data from experimental studies suggests that it may also be an important predictor of colorectal cancer risk.”
In 1975 an ecological study of 23 cancers in 27 countries found meat consumption is an important risk factor in colorectal cancer. (pdf pg 2)
Study finds the more soy consumed the lower the risk of colon cancer.
Review of 10 studies of 18,000 found strong evidence for a gene-diet interaction and colorectal cancer risk. While consumption of red meat or processed meat raised the rate of cancer by 15 and 11%, the risk with certain genes increased to 20 and 39%. It also found fruits, vegetables, and fiber consumption were associated with a decreased risk for colorectal cancer.
Researchers reviewed the 2007 report of the World Cancer Research Fund/AI for Cancer Research and found avoiding red and processed meat reduces the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.
Study finds fruits & vegetables reduce risk for cancers of the oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach and colorectum, and diets should include at least 400 g/d of total fruits and vegetables.
Study finds preserved meat and red meat increase the risk for colorectal cancer.
Norewigan study found that a large intake of red meat increases the risk of cancer in the colon and rectum.
Review finds a high fat diet is associated with increased cancer, particularly breast and colon, and the prostate.
High consumption of resistant starch in fiber is associated with reduced rates of colon cancer.
Study finds vegetarian diets are associated with an overall lower incidence of colorectal cancers.
Study: Adding legumes to your diet reduces risk of colorectal cancer
Soybean-derived protease inhibitor inhibits or prevents development of colon, oral, lung, liver, and esophageal cancers.
Phytosterol ßsitosteroI found in high quantities in soy reduces colon cancer risk.
MD Anderson Cancer Center lists meat as a colon cancer risk factor and fruits and vegetables as a means of prevention.
New Canadian guidelines state there is not enough evidence to justify the risks of colonoscopies as routine screening for colorectal cancer.
Nearly 1/3 of rectal cancer (CRC) patients are under age 55 & incidence in the young is rising. Lifestyle factors associated with CRC include excess body weight, high consumption of processed meat and alcohol, low levels of physical activity and fiber consumption.
Imperial College London reviewed 99 studies: strong evidence that fiber DECREASES risk, red & processed meat INCREASES it.
Diverticular Disease
Diverticulitis or see Dr McDougall on Diverticular Disease here
Study: vegetarian diet & a high intake of dietary fibre associated with a lower risk of hospitalization or death from diverticular disease
Study finds diverticulitis caused by red meat intake, low fiber intake, obesity,
Elimination
Elimination on a plant based diet-no constipation, frequency will increase which eliminates toxins from the body quicker Read more or read Dr McDougall on what is normal and the causes of constipation here
See the Health tab, Dangers of Dairy-lactose intolerance article for more information
Chrons’ & Colitis
Dr McDougall here or his video linking dairy to UC and chron’s
Crohn’s Disease Remission with a Plant-Based Diet
Flatulence on a plant based diet
Happy Herbivore’s take on it here
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
According to a Harvard study published in Nature, volunteers on an animal-based diet had an eight-fold increase in the gut population of a bacterium that may cause inflammatory bowel disease. Study found growth of this bacterium may be stimulated by the digestion of dairy products. The gut population of this bacterium fell three-fold in the plant-based diet group.