A 1998 post:

THE BEEF DIET: Prescription for Disaster

By Neal D. Barnard
President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Washington, DC, USA

Imagine if two jumbo jets collided over a major city and, in the
resulting fireball, 4,000 people died -- it would be a national
tragedy -- one of the worst accidents ever. People would demand that
airlines and the government made sure nothing like that could ever
happen again.

A tragedy of this proportion happened the day before yesterday. It
happened yesterday, too. It will happen again today and tomorrow.
Every single day in the United States, 4,000 lives are taken by heart
attacks and almost nothing is being done about it.

For years now, we have known of the role diet plays in health, yet
unhealthy diets are still promoted by the government, livestock
industries, advertisers, and even doctors. Healthy diets must be
presented and encouraged by these groups if America's health care
crisis is going to be solved.

Dietary changes are worth making. Two of the three leading killers of
Americans are heart disease and stroke. Both are linked to "hardening
of the arteries" -- arteriosclerosis -- which, in turn, is largely
caused by high-fat, cholesterol-laden diets. As we all know, animal
flesh, and beef in particular, is a major source of cholesterol and
saturated fat.

The enormous toll of these diseases is taken one patient at a time,
as doctors finally give up trying to resuscitate yet another heart
that is damaged beyond hope. The toll is also felt in the national
pocketbook. Coronary bypasses and expensive diagnostic tests are now
the budget-breaking routine in every city in America.

Many other diseases also have their roots in our daily meals. Breast
cancer, which has reached epidemic proportions, killing one woman
every twelve minutes, is clearly related to diet. The same
connections have been drawn between diet and cancers of the colon and
prostate. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, some
80 percent of cancer deaths are attributable to smoking, diet, and
other identifiable and controllable factors. Foods rich in fat and
oils increase our cancer risk. About 40 percent of all the calories
we eat comes from the fat in meats, poultry, fish, dairy products,
fried foods and vegetable oils. These fats stimulate the over-
production of hormones which encourage cancer and promote the
development of carcinogens in the digestive tract.

Not only are beef and other meats high in cholesterol and saturated
fats, but they are also low in some vital vitamins and minerals, and
they contain zero fiber. Recently there has been enormous scientific
attention given to the role beta-carotene and other vitamins and
minerals play in blocking cancer growth. Whole grains, fruits,
legumes, and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals. And plant
foods have fiber -- a substance completely lacking in beef and other
meats. We have long known that fiber helps eliminate many common
gastrointestinal problems such as constipation; however, evidence
shows that it also is protective against a wide variety of diseases
ranging from colon cancer to diabetes, and from gallstones to
appendicitis. It also binds with carcinogenic substances, bile, and
excess hormones which would otherwise rest in the digestive tract,
and moves them out of the body.

As one studies the diets of people around the world, one thing
becomes clear: as people give up traditional diets that are low in
fats, high in fiber, and predominantly plant-based in favor of beef
and other meats, the incidence of diseases such as cancer, heart
disease, diabetes, and kidney disease rises. At the same time, life
expectancy and quality of life decline. In recent years, Japan has
been the target of American beef and tobacco promotional campaigns
that seem to be some sort of Pearl Harbor revenge program. Members of
the higher socioeconomic strata, who are adopting Westernized diets,
have much higher rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancer and
heart disease than their counterparts who eat less (or no) meat.

The Beyond Beef campaign is encouraging people to make this simple
change -- to step away from beef. It is a move that is good for you,
for others, for animals, and for the environment. So live a little;
try some new cuisine; experiment with traditional and ethnic foods.
It could well help you live a lot healthier longer.

================================================== ================
Dr. Neal Barnard is President of The Physicians Committee For
Responsible Medicine, a nationwide group of physicians that
promotes preventive medicine and addresses controversies in modern
medicine. In April 1991, he and three other doctors unveiled a
proposal to replace the old Four Food Groups concept initiated in
1956.

In his book, "The Power of Your Plate," Dr. Barnard documents
the scientific evidence supporting a low-fat, vegetarian diet as
the most potent regimen to reduce risk of heart disease, cancer,
weight problems and food-borne illness. Aside from serving as a
practicing physician on the faculty of the George Washington School
of Medicine, he is also an Associate Director for Behavioral

Studies at the Institute for Disease Prevention.
Dr. Barnard is a director of Behavioral Studies at the
Institute for Disease Prevention at George Washington University.
================================================== ================

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

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