Meat and Diet Soda, Bad for the Heart
A guy walks into a fast-food restaurant, orders a double-cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, and, a diet soda. Why diet? Obviously he’s concerned about his health! Unfortunately for him, meat and diet soda are being linked to heart disease. Reuters reports:
1. Campbell, T.C., B. Parpia, and J. Chen. 1990. A plant-enriched diet and long-term health, particularly in reference to China. Hort. Science 25 (12): 1512-14.
2. Descovich, G.C., C. Ceredi, A. Gaddi, et al. 1980. Multicenter study of soybean protein diet for outpatient hyper-cholesterolaemic patients. Lancet 2 (8197): 709-12; Carroll, K. K. 1982. Hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis: effects of dietary protein. Fed. Proc. 41 (11): 2792-96; Sirtori, C. R., G. Noseda, and G.C. Desovich. 1983, Studies on the use of soybean protein diets for management of human hyperlipoproteins, in Gibney, M.J., and D. Kritchevsky, eds. Animal and vegetable proteins in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. New York: Liss, 135-48; Sirtori, C.R., C. Zucchidentone, M. Sirtori, et al. 1985. Cholesterol-lowering and HDL raising properties of lecithinated soy proteins in type II hyperlipidemic patients. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 29 (6): 348-57; Gaddi, A., A Ciarrocchi, A. Matteucci, et al. 1991. Dietary treatment for familial hypercholesterolemia—differential effects of dietary soy protein according to the apoprotein E Phenotypes. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 53: 1191-96; Carroll, K.K. 1983. Dietary proteins and amino acids—their effects on cholesterol metabolism, in Gibney, M.J., and D. Kritchevshy, eds. Animal and vegetable proteins in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. New York: Liss, 9-17; Jenkins, D.J., C. W. Kendall, C.C. Mehling, et al. 1999. Combined effect of vegetable protein (soy) and soluble fiber added to a standard cholesterol-lowering diet. Metabolism 48 (6): 809-16; Anderson, J. W., B.M. Johnstone, and M.E. Cook-Newell. 1995. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. N. Eng. J. Med. 333 (5): 276-82; Satoh, A., M. Hitomi, and K. Igarashi. 1995. Effects of spinach leaf protein concentrate on the serum cholesterol and amino acids concentrations in rats fed a cholesterol-free diet. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. (Tokyo) 41 (5):563-73.
3. Nothlings U Wilkins, LR, Murphy, SP Hankins JH et al. Meat and fat intake as risk factors for pancreatic cancer the multiethnic short study J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 97:1458-65.
4. Grant, W.B. 1998. Milk and other dietary influences on coronary heart disease. Altrn. Med. Rev. 3: 281-94; Segall, J. J. 1997, Epidemiological evidence for the link between dietary lactose and atherosclerosis, in Colaco, C. ed. The glycation hypothesis of atherosclerosis. Austin, Tex.: Landes Bioscience, pp. 185-209; Artad-Wild, S. M., S. L. Connor, G. Sexton, et al. 1993. Differences in coronary mortality can be explained by differences in cholesterol and saturated fat intakes in 40 countries but not in France and Finland: a paradox. Circulation 88: 2771-79.
5. Davies, T. W., C. R. Plamer, E. Ruja, and J.M. Lipscombe. 1996. Adolescent milk, dairy products and fruit consumption and testicular cancer. Br. J. Cancer 74 (4): 657-60.
6. Toskulkao, C., et al. 1997. Acute toxicity of stevioside, a natural sweetener, and its metabolite, steviol, in several animal species, Drug Chem. Toxicol. 20 (31): 31-44.
7. Bazzano LA; He J; Ogden LG; et al. “Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.” Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76(1):93-9.
Dauchet L: Amouyel P; Hercberg S; Dallongeville J. “Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.” J Nutr 2006;136(10):2588-93.
Genkinger JM; Platz EA; Hoffman SC; et al. “Fruit, vegetable, and antioxidant intake an all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality in a community-dwelling population in Washington County, Maryland.” Am J Epidemiol 2004;160(12):1223-33.
People who eat two or more servings of red meat a day are much more likely to develop conditions leading to heart disease and diabetes, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.No surprises here. Consuming too much animal products—like red meat—are consistently linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Unlike plant foods that promote the opposite. Dr. Fuhrman explains:
Eating two or more servings of meat a day increases the risk of suffering from a cluster of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared to those who had only two servings of meat a week, the researchers reported in the journal Circulation.
The symptoms of metabolic syndrome include excessive fat around the waist, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure.
The study also found that diet soda consumption was linked to these elevated risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, echoing the findings of a study published in July.
"When we found that diet soda promoted risk we were surprised," said Dr. Lyn Steffen, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota.
There is a relationship between animal protein and heart disease. For example, plasma apolioprotein B is positively associated with animal-protein intake and inversely associated (lowered) with vegetable-protein intake (e.g., legumes and greens). Apolioprotein B levels correlate strongly with coronary heart disease.1 Unknown to many is that animal proteins have a significant effect on raising cholesterol levels as well, while plant protein lowers it.2What’s amazing is in light of research like this. Tons of misinformation still kicks around the internet. Speaking of misinformation, let’s check in with the one of the leading sources. Here’s the Atkins take on animal protein:
Protein also plays a role in weight loss or weight management. Compared to carbohydrate, consuming protein has less of an effect on insulin (which drives fat storage), a greater effect on glucagon (which drives fat release) and a considerably greater increase in metabolic rate. Several studies demonstrate greater body-fat loss on a high-protein diet than on a high-carb one. Increasing intake of protein relative to carbohydrates fills you up more, so you wind up eating less. A recent study showed that even eating snacks with a higher protein and lower carbohydrate composition can reduce the amount of food you eat at the next meal by 5 percent. And eating protein boosts your metabolic rate—the technical term is thermogenesis. In fact, one study showed that healthy young women experienced 100 percent higher thermogenesis after eating high-protein meals—even two and a half hours later than when they ate a “conventional” high-carbohydrate meal.Now, as we know, when Atkins says protein, they’re referring to animal products—i.e. meat—but as Dr. Fuhrman just explained, all this animal protein is not health-promoting. Here’s more from Dr. Fuhrman, take a look:
A recent study showed that after following almost 200,000 Americans for seven years, those who regularly consumed red meat had a double the occurrence of pancreatic cancer.3As for diet soda, honestly, who in their right mind trusts these laboratory-created abominations? Wait, I guess the guy ordering all the burgers and chicken nuggets does. Real quick, here’s Dr. Fuhrman on sweeteners:
Dairy is best kept to a minimum. There are many good reasons not to consume dairy. For example, there is a strong association between diary lactose and ischemic heart disease.4 There is also a clear association between high-growth-promoting foods such as dairy products and cancer. There is a clear association between milk consumption and testicular cancer.5
Clearly this is a controversial subject because much of the research documenting the so-called safety of aspartame was financed by the aspartame industry, and a huge amount of political and monetary pressure led to eventual FDA approval. My opinion is that the possible dangers of aspartame are still unknown. Utilizing such artificial products is gambling with your health. Aspartame also exposes us to a methyl ester that may have toxic effects. I recommend playing it safe and sticking to natural foods.How about not consuming them at all! Instead eat some sweet and delicious fruit. It’ll help satisfy you’re crazing for sweet, and, supply your body with the important nutrients and phytochemicals it needs. Dr. Fuhrman explains why fruit (and vegetables) are so great:
Many health gurus recommend substituting Stevia in place of artificial sweeteners. Stevia is natural and its use is permitted in Japan and other countries. Despite its widespread use, there is a surprising lack of human clinical trials evaluating its safety. Unlike with saccharin, no evidence has been reported that stevioside and its metabolites are carcinogenic. However, animal reports of nephrotoxicity do exist, which suggest that Stevia is likely safer than the other sweeteners, but not entirely without risk.6 The extent of risk is unknown at this time.
Increasing your consumption of high-nutrient fruits and vegetables is the key to disease resistance, disease reversal, and a long, healthy life. The potential reduction in disease rates shows no threshold effect in the scientific studies. That means that as high-nutrient vegetables and high-nutrient fruits increase as a major portion of caloric intake, disease rates fall in a dose-dependent manner—the more the diet is comprised of these foods, the better your health will be.7So, I guess the point to make here is that it’s important to remember that eating lots of animal products is not going to do your health any favors and masking food addictions with diet soda or sweeteners is not a long term approach to good health.
1. Campbell, T.C., B. Parpia, and J. Chen. 1990. A plant-enriched diet and long-term health, particularly in reference to China. Hort. Science 25 (12): 1512-14.
2. Descovich, G.C., C. Ceredi, A. Gaddi, et al. 1980. Multicenter study of soybean protein diet for outpatient hyper-cholesterolaemic patients. Lancet 2 (8197): 709-12; Carroll, K. K. 1982. Hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis: effects of dietary protein. Fed. Proc. 41 (11): 2792-96; Sirtori, C. R., G. Noseda, and G.C. Desovich. 1983, Studies on the use of soybean protein diets for management of human hyperlipoproteins, in Gibney, M.J., and D. Kritchevsky, eds. Animal and vegetable proteins in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. New York: Liss, 135-48; Sirtori, C.R., C. Zucchidentone, M. Sirtori, et al. 1985. Cholesterol-lowering and HDL raising properties of lecithinated soy proteins in type II hyperlipidemic patients. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 29 (6): 348-57; Gaddi, A., A Ciarrocchi, A. Matteucci, et al. 1991. Dietary treatment for familial hypercholesterolemia—differential effects of dietary soy protein according to the apoprotein E Phenotypes. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 53: 1191-96; Carroll, K.K. 1983. Dietary proteins and amino acids—their effects on cholesterol metabolism, in Gibney, M.J., and D. Kritchevshy, eds. Animal and vegetable proteins in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. New York: Liss, 9-17; Jenkins, D.J., C. W. Kendall, C.C. Mehling, et al. 1999. Combined effect of vegetable protein (soy) and soluble fiber added to a standard cholesterol-lowering diet. Metabolism 48 (6): 809-16; Anderson, J. W., B.M. Johnstone, and M.E. Cook-Newell. 1995. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. N. Eng. J. Med. 333 (5): 276-82; Satoh, A., M. Hitomi, and K. Igarashi. 1995. Effects of spinach leaf protein concentrate on the serum cholesterol and amino acids concentrations in rats fed a cholesterol-free diet. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. (Tokyo) 41 (5):563-73.
3. Nothlings U Wilkins, LR, Murphy, SP Hankins JH et al. Meat and fat intake as risk factors for pancreatic cancer the multiethnic short study J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 97:1458-65.
4. Grant, W.B. 1998. Milk and other dietary influences on coronary heart disease. Altrn. Med. Rev. 3: 281-94; Segall, J. J. 1997, Epidemiological evidence for the link between dietary lactose and atherosclerosis, in Colaco, C. ed. The glycation hypothesis of atherosclerosis. Austin, Tex.: Landes Bioscience, pp. 185-209; Artad-Wild, S. M., S. L. Connor, G. Sexton, et al. 1993. Differences in coronary mortality can be explained by differences in cholesterol and saturated fat intakes in 40 countries but not in France and Finland: a paradox. Circulation 88: 2771-79.
5. Davies, T. W., C. R. Plamer, E. Ruja, and J.M. Lipscombe. 1996. Adolescent milk, dairy products and fruit consumption and testicular cancer. Br. J. Cancer 74 (4): 657-60.
6. Toskulkao, C., et al. 1997. Acute toxicity of stevioside, a natural sweetener, and its metabolite, steviol, in several animal species, Drug Chem. Toxicol. 20 (31): 31-44.
7. Bazzano LA; He J; Ogden LG; et al. “Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.” Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76(1):93-9.
Dauchet L: Amouyel P; Hercberg S; Dallongeville J. “Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.” J Nutr 2006;136(10):2588-93.
Genkinger JM; Platz EA; Hoffman SC; et al. “Fruit, vegetable, and antioxidant intake an all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality in a community-dwelling population in Washington County, Maryland.” Am J Epidemiol 2004;160(12):1223-33.
