Everyone can and should become a vegan.

http://library.thinkquest.org/20922/who_become.htm
It doesn't matter what your health, age, or geographic location is.
Currently unhealthy people and those wanting to maintain good health
should definitely consider veganism. There a certain factors that can
make veganism even more essential. Below are a few of those special
factors:

Need lower cholesterol?
Vegans have much lower cholesterol levels than meat eaters, and heart
disease is uncommon among vegans. The reasons are not hard to find.
Vegans meals are typically low in saturated fat and usually contain
little or no cholesterol. Since cholesterol is found only in animal
products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, vegans consume a
cholesterol-free diet. The type of protein in a vegan diet may be
another important advantage. Many studies show that replacing animal
protein with plant protein lowers blood cholesterol levels-even if the
amount and type of fat in the diet stays the same. Those studies show
that a low-fat, vegan diet has a clear advantage over other diets.

Lower your blood pressure.
An impressive number of studies, dating back to the early 1920s, show
that vegans have lower blood pressure than non-vegans. In fact, some
studies have shown that adding meat to a vegan diet raises blood
pressure levels rapidly and significantly. The effects of a vegan diet
occur in addition to the benefits of reducing the sodium content of
the diet. When patients with high blood pressure begin a vegan diet,
many are able to eliminate their need for medication.

Controlling diabetes.
The latest studies on diabetes show that a diet high in complex
carbohydrates (which are found only in plant foods) and low in fat is
the best dietary prescription for controlling diabetes. Since
diabetics are at high risk for heart disease, avoiding fat and
cholesterol is the most important goal of the diabetic diet, and a
vegan diet is ideal. Although all insulin-dependent diabetics need to
take insulin, plant-based diets can help to reduce insulin needs.

Cancer prevention.
A vegan diet helps prevent cancer. Studies of vegan show that death
rates from cancer are only about one-half to three-quarters of those
of the general population. Breast cancer rates are dramatically lower
in countries where diets are typically plant-based. When people from
those countries adopt a Western, meat-based diet, their rates of
breast cancer soar. Vegans also have significantly less colon cancer
than meat eaters. Meat consumption is more closely associated with
colon cancer than any other dietary factor. Why do vegan diets help
protect against cancer? First, they are lower in fat and higher in
fiber than meat-based diets. But there are other important factors
also. For example, vegans usually consume more of the plant pigment
beta-carotene. This might help to explain why they have less lung
cancer. Also, at least one study has shown that natural sugars in
dairy products may raise the risk for ovarian cancer in some women.
Some of the anti-cancer aspects of a vegetarian diet cannot yet be
explained. For example, researchers are not quite sure why vegans have
more of certain white blood cells, called "natural killer cells,"
which are able to seek out and destroy cancer cells.

Save your calcium!
Vegans are less likely to form either kidney stones or gallstones. In
addition, vegans may also be at lower risk for osteoporosis because
they eat little or no animal protein. A high intake of animal protein
encourages the loss of calcium from the bones. Replacing animal
products with plant foods reduces the amount of calcium lost. This may
help to explain why people who live in countries where the diet is
typically plant-based have little osteoporosis even when calcium
intake is low.


Works Cited


Holdstock, Sharon "Vegan Information." The Vegan Society. 1997.
<http://www.vegansociety.com/info/infohome.html>.


Matsas, Solomon. "UCLA-Student Health Services - Vegans." UCLA Student
Affairs. 1997. <http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/health/HEALTHED/VEGIWEB/>.


McDougall, John A., M.D. "The McDougall Program: Twelve Days to
Dynamic Health." First Plume Printing. 1991.


"Newstart Homestyle: An Innovative Approach To Instruction For
Healthful Living." Weimar Institute. 1983.


"The Retribution of Animals Eating Animals of the Same Species: To
Recognize the Danger of Mad Cow Disease." 1997 (October). Pure Sound
From the Silicon Valley Newsletter, Issue 18. pp 9-10.


The Humane Society of the United States. "HSUS To Sue Federal Agencies
To Stop Geese Slaughter In Virginia." About Magazine. 1998 (July 98).


The Humane Society of the United States. "HSUS Offers Reward In Death
Of Lambs." About Magazine. 1998 (July 98).


Sisk, Matthew. "Being Vegan On Campus." 1998.
<http://members.aol.com/laika14/>.


Winter, Ruth. "A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives." New York:
Crown Publishers, Inc. 1989, 1984, 1978.