Vegan News

Health. Animals. Ethical. Environment. Food.

We're too smart for sausages: Why farm animals aren't really as dumb as they look

Ignore the anti-soya scaremongers

Revealed: How 'zero-grazing' is set to bring US-style factory farming to Britain

Talks Break Down at International Whaling Commission Summit

More Meat Consumption Leads to Earlier Puberty for Girls

According to a new study, girls who eat the most meat products during childhood may have an earlier occurrence of puberty, increasing their risks of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Researchers followed 3,298 girls in Bristol, England, and gathered their dietary intakes when they were 3, 7, and 10 years old. Forty-nine percent of girls who ate more than 12 portions of meat per week started their periods by age 12, compared with 35 percent of girls who ate fewer than four portions of meat per week.

Another recent study compared food consumption habits in the United States in 1909 and 2007 and showed that meat intake rose from 123 pounds to more than 200 pounds per person per year while cheese intake increased nine fold.

Rogers IS, Northstone K, Dunger DB, Coooper AR, Ness AR, Emmett PM. Diet throughout childhood and age at menarche in a contemporary cohort of British girls. Public Health Nutr. Published ahead of print June 8, 2010.

Barnard ND. Trends in food availability, 1909-2007. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(suppl):1S-7S.

Mike Tyson's fighting fit again... and he's turned VEGAN

If whales could scream, no man could tolerate their slaughter

Meat-Based Diets Increase Bladder Cancer Risk

Meat consumption increases the risk of bladder cancer, according to a new study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting. Researchers studied the diets of 884 participants with bladder cancer and 878 controls and found that those who ate the most meat were up to 58 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer. Eating well-done meat was linked to an almost twofold increased risk of bladder cancer. Cooking meat at high temperatures produces carcinogens called heterocyclic amines. Study participants who consumed the most bacon, pork chops, fried chicken, and fried fish also had a higher risk.

Lin J, Wang JM, Grossman BH, et al. Red meat and heterocyclic amine intake, metabolic pathway genes, and bladder cancer risk. Report presented at: American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting; April 17, 2010: Washington DC.

Fish Oil Does Not Improve Cognition

Fish oil does not improve cognitive function, according to new research. Researchers in England found that fish oil did not benefit the cognitive function of elderly adults after two years of daily supplementation. In a double-blind control trial, 867 people with a mean age of 75 years were assigned to either a fish supplement (200 mg EPA plus 500 mg DHA) or placebo (olive oil) group. Participants were given various tests for cognition including reaction time, spatial memory, and processing speed measurements. No significant differences were seen between groups.

Dangour AD, Allen E, Elbourne D, et al. Effect of 2-y n23 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive function in older people: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial1–3. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print April 21, 2010. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009. 29121.

Celebrate Earth Day, go vegan

Starbucks Adds Dairy-Free and Vegan Frappaccinos to their Menu of Options

Vegetable Intake Increases Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates

Women with the highest fruit and vegetable intakes have better ovarian cancer survival rates than those who generally neglect these foods, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Researchers examined food patterns prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis in 341 Illinois women. They found that yellow and cruciferous vegetables, in particular, contributed to longer survival, whereas consumption of dairy products and red and processed meats shortened lifespan. The authors concluded that low-fat, plant based diets are not only beneficial for cancer prevention—they may also play a role in increasing survival time after diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States.

Dolecek TA, McCarthy BJ, Joslin CE, et al. Prediagnosis food patterns are associated with length of survival from epithelial ovarian cancer. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110:369-382.

Don’t mock my lentils: vegans to get discrimination rights

Animal Protein Bad for Bones

Animal protein is associated with decreased bone health, according to a study in this month's British Journal of Nutrition. In Beijing, China, 757 girls with an average age of 10 years were randomly assigned to a group consuming cow's milk fortified with calcium, one consuming cow’s milk fortified with calcium and vitamin D, or a third group that served as controls and made no changes. Bone mass was measured at the beginning of the study and at 12, 24, 48, and 60 months. While calcium intake was positively associated with bone health, animal protein, especially from meat and eggs, was negatively associated with bone mineral density and content.

Zhang Q, Ma G, Greenfield H, et al. The association between dietary protein intake and bone mass accretion in pubertal girls with low calcium intakes. Br J Nutr. 2010;103:714-723.

Battery farm for cows: 8,000 animals to be housed in milk factory

Jonathan Safran Foer: Why I lost my appetite for meat

Soy Protects Against Lung Cancer

Soy consumption may help fight lung cancer, according to a new study. Researchers in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study looked at 76,661 participants’ lifestyle factors and lung cancer risk and found that those who consumed the most soy had the lowest risk of lung cancer. Among men who never smoked, researchers saw a significantly lower risk of lung cancer in those who consumed the most soy, compared with those who consumed the least. Researchers saw similar results in nonsmoking women, but they could not rule out statistical chance as the reason for these results. People who consumed the most soy may have also participated in other activities that could lower risk such as eating more fruits and vegetables. Soy foods in this study included miso soup, soymilk, a variety of tofu dishes, and fermented soybeans.

Schimazu T, Inoue M, Sasazuki S, et al. Isoflavone intake and risk of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study in Japan. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print January 13, 2010. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28161.

Obesity Still Rampant but Rates Leveling

Obesity rates are still extremely high but have leveled for most, according to a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The prevalence of obesity among adults in 2008 was 32.2 percent for men and 35.5 percent for women, up from 27.5 percent for men and 33.4 percent for women in 1999. About 35 percent of 6- to 19-year-olds were obese or overweight, up from around 30 percent in 1999. The trend toward obesity continues to rise significantly for the heaviest boys.

Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Curtin LR. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2008. JAMA. 2010;303:235-241.

Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM, Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA. 2010;303:242-249.

Vegetarian Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Rejuvenate Coronary Arteries

A low-fat vegetarian diet may help prevent heart attacks, according to a new study in this month’s American Journal of Cardiology. Researchers found that individuals who followed a low-fat vegetarian diet, along with a moderate exercise plan and stress management, measurably improved the function of their endothelium—the inner lining of arteries that is key to preventing heart attacks. This 12-week study included 43 participants in Dr. Dean Ornish’s Multisite Cardiac Lifestyle Intervention Program. In the control group, the endothelial function worsened.

Dod HS, Bhardwaj R, Sajja V, et al. Effect of intensive lifestyle changes on endothelia function on inflammatory markers of atherosclerosis. Am J Cardiol. 2010;105:362-367.

E. Coli from Chicken Causes Urinary Tract Infections

Bacteria from chicken products may be a major cause of urinary tract infections, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers examined urine samples from women who had urinary tract infections and matched E. coli in the samples to E. coli from contaminated foods. They found that most of the E. coli was ingested through retail meat products (61 percent of which were chicken products) and ready-to-eat products (73 percent of which were meat products). The authors concluded that chicken was the main source of urinary tract infection-causing E. coli. Researchers also warned that animal product sources of E. coli might be drug-resistant which can require more costly and complicated treatments.

Vincent C, Boerlin P, Daignault D, et al. Food reservoir for Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infections. Emerg Infect Dis. 2010;16:88-95.

Animal Protein Linked to Increased Diabetes Risk

Diabetes risk increases with higher intake of total protein and animal protein, according to a new study in this month’s issue of Diabetes Care. Researchers analyzed the diets of 38,094 Dutch participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study and found that for every 5 percent of calories consumed from protein instead of carbohydrate or fat, the risk of developing diabetes increased 30 percent. Increased animal protein intake coincided with increased intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron, and with increased body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Vegetable protein intake was not associated with diabetes risk.

Sluijs I, Beulens JWJ, Van Der A DL, Spijkerman AMW, Grobbee DE, Van Der Shouw YT. Dietary intake of total, animal, and vegetable protein and risk of type 2 diabetes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-NL study. Diabetes Care. 2010; 33:43-48.

Think going organic lets you eat meat with a clear conscience? This shocking investigation into a 'humane' slaughterhouse will make you think again

Heather Mills insists on vegan skates

Soy Boosts Survival in Breast Cancer Patients

Soy consumption improves breast cancer survival, according to a report in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who consume soy products, such as soymilk, tofu, or edamame, have a 32 percent lower risk of recurrence and a 29 percent decreased risk of death, compared with women who consume little or no soy. The report included 5,042 women in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, the largest population-based study of breast cancer survival, and followed them for a four-year period.

In the past, soy has been a controversial topic for cancer patients. However, an editorial accompanying this new study suggests that inconsistencies in prior research may be attributable to the comparatively low soy consumption in the United States, making beneficial effects harder to identify. In China, soy intake is higher and diets tend to include traditional food sources of soy, rather than soy supplements.

Shu XO, Zheng Y, Cai H, et al. Soy food intake and breast cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302:2437-2443.

Ballard-Barbash R, Neuhouser ML. Challenges in design and interpretation of observational research on health behaviors and cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302:2483-2484.

1m eggs a day 'contain poison'

Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet

Soya reduces the risk of hip fractures

New Research Finds Long-Suspected Link Between Hunting and Small Penis Size

Plant-based foods beneficial for heart disease: Study

Eating Fish Does Not Protect Against Heart Attacks

KILLER BUG IN MOST CHICKENS

Med-style diet 'can battle blues'

Bullets, bread and beer, tambourines and toothpaste... and the 180 other things you can to do with a PIG

WOODY HARRELSON - HARRELSON: 'VEGANISM TURNED MY LIFE AROUND'

How the dolphins being massacred to satisfy a food fetish are poisoning the Japanese who eat them

Broccoli beats heart disease

One Man's Answer to the Health Care Crisis: Develop Extreme Fitness

Healthy vegan diet news - new research

Talk to cover health benefits of unprocessed foods

Leave Vegan News and take me Home