In terms of human health, there is no valid argument in favor of consuming animal products. Contrary to popular belief, humans do not need to eat animal products to be healthy; in fact, humans are by far healthier when they adhere to a vegan diet. The myth that humans need to consume animal products is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, misconception that holds us back from collectively cutting animal products out of our lives.
Despite this widely accepted misconception, medical evidence is clearly, consistently and overwhelmingly in favor of veganism. Vegans are far less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses including but not limited to: cancer, heart disease, diabetes (both type one{Lamb 2014} and type two), autoimmune disease, liver disease, kidney disease, stroke, dementia and osteoporosis. Vegans are less likely to be overweight, less likely to suffer from arthritis, impotence, kidney stones and blindness. Vegans consume less toxins in their foods from pesticides. Vegans consume less synthetic hormones, less non-therapeutic antibiotics, less potentially dangerous bacteria and pathogens. Conversely vegans have been shown to have superior immune function and stamina.
These differences are especially noteworthy due to the fact that many leading causes of death worldwide are related to a chronic illness that the vegan diet can dramatically decrease or eliminate.
Chronic diseases are now the leading cause of death and disability globally, outpacing traditional front-running health conditions such as infectious diseases and malnutrition. Seven of the top ten causes of death in 2013 worldwide were chronic diseases. As of 2012, about half of all adults in the United States have one or more chronic conditions; heart disease and cancer (numbers one and two respectively) combined accounted for almost half of all deaths.
Of the 7.2+ billion people on earth, 1.1 billion people are overweight and 312 million obese, 18 million die of heart disease annually, more than 197 million have diabetes, and half of all people following a Western diet will develop life-threatening cancers.
Clearly, chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity are among the most common and dangerous of all health problems. They are also the most preventable.
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The feature film Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. |