The Quarterly Magazine GOOD MEDICINE published by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reports in its Winter 2022 issue (p. 8):
“An unhealthy diet kills more people globally each year than tobacco smoking, according to the Global Burden of Disease study, which evaluated the major foods and nutrients in 195 countries. The study found that 11 million deaths annually—10 million from cardiovascular disease alone—are associated with poor nutrition Among the biggest risk factors are the lack of plant-based foods and the overemphasis on meat and dairy products.”
“More meat means more death and disease,” says Zeeshan Ali, PhD, Kick Start India program specialist at the Physicians Committee. “The meaty Western diet contributes to take hold in India, which has put the country in the grips of worsening heart disease, diabetes, and obesity epidemics.”
However, India isn’t the only country facing health problems from meat imports. Research published in the British Medical Journal Global Health shows that the global increase in meat consumption has led to a sharp increase in deaths from colorectal cancer, diabetes, and heart disease worldwide.”
“Decades of research show that a plant-based diet can play a role in preventing and improving common chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, and even improve COVID-19 outcomes. The COVID Symptoms Study, which included more than half-million participants, found that people eating more fruits and vegetables, and plant-based foods in general, had a 41% lower risk of severe COVID-19. Evidence strongly suggests that addressing underlying health conditions with a plant-based diet would not only reduce the likelihood of severe infection and death from COVID-19, over time it may also help vaccines to work better.
“In addition to saving lives, a vegan diet saves money as well. A recent study in The Lancet Planetary Health looked at 150 countries and found that the most affordable diet is one built from plants.”