The following article appeared in the Humane Society Guide To Meat-Free Meals, and was written by Doctor Michael Greger, Director of HSUS Public Health.

We don’t need to consume animals to be healthy – just the opposite.  Nutriton experts worldwide advise us to increase our consumption of plant-based foods and to cut down on saturated animal fat and cholesterol, which are found exclusively in meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Meat-free diets are recommended by the American Heart Association, National Cancer Institute, World Health Organization, and U.S. dietary guidelines.

The health benefits are clear.

• People who eat fewer animal products have lower rates of obesity,dementia, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney disease, gallstones, hemorrhoids, constipation, diverticulosis, and appendicitis.
• People who eat completely meatless diets are half as likely to become hospitalized or require medications, and they’re less likely to need emergency medical procedures.
• Meat-free diets are even being used to reverse chronic diseases: opening clogged arteries, curing type 2 diabetes, and alleviated obesity.

Humane diets may also boost our longevity.  The population with the longest life expectancy isn’t the Okinawa Japanese or the Mediterranean Sardinians, but California Adventist vegetarians, who live up to 10 years longer than the average American and enjoy lower rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Choosing animal-free foods is an easy, inexpensive way to shed unnecessary pounds, reduce cancer risk, and improve heart health.  Join millions of Americans in discovering the joys and benefits of leaving animal products off your plate.