Veggie diet ‘protects heart’

The presence of a key chemical in fruits and vegetables may explain why vegetarians are protected against heart disease.
The foods contain called salicylic acid which is a key ingredient in aspirin.

Aspirin is prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

It is also thought to help prevent bowel, breast and lung cancers, and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease.

Vegetarians are already known to have less heart disease and bowel cancer than meat-eaters.

But this study, carried out by scientists at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, in Dumfries, looked at whether salicylic acid was the key.

Comparisons

The researchers looked at blood samples from 37 vegetarians and 39 meat and fish-eaters, all in their early 40s, from a Buddhist monastery and the community who were not taking aspirin.

They also examined samples taken from 14 diabetic patients in their late 50s who were taking 75mg of aspirin every day.

They found levels of salicylic acid were up to 12 times higher in vegetarians than in non-vegetarians.

But the average level for vegetarians was still significantly lower than that of the diabetic patients.

However, the scientists did find an overlap between the two groups, with eight vegetarians having higher concentrations of salicylic acid than the lowest found in the aspirin-taking group.

Six of the diabetics had concentrations lower than the highest level amongst the vegetarians.

But the researchers point out in their study, published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, that there were wide variations within the two groups, with much higher concentrations of the acid within the group taking aspirin.

Medical implications

The Dumfries scientists admit diet will not provide the same anti-inflammatory protecion as aspirin.

But they say even low levels of salicylic acid may help protect against heart disease and other conditions.

They write that if the anti-inflammatory properties of salicylic acid at the concentrations found in food can be confirmed: “It is possible that dietary salicylates will prove to be one of the reasons why diets rich in fruit and vegetables protect against colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease.”

Vegetarian diet ‘cuts heart risk’

Eating more vegetables and soya-based products may be as effective at reducing cholesterol as medication.
Researchers in Canada have developed a vegetarian combination diet which they say cuts cholesterol by almost a third in just one month.

The diet includes vegetables, such as broccoli and red peppers; soy milk and soy sausages; oat bran cereal and bread; and fruit and nuts.

The researchers believe the food programme could be a possible drug-free alternative to cutting cholesterol and protecting people from heart disease.

Coronary heart disease kills more than 110,000 people a year in England. A major cause is cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream.

Combination diet

It has been known for many years that individually soy protein, nuts and fibres like oats and barley can cut cholesterol by up to 7%.

Professor David Jenkins and colleagues at the University of Toronto decided to test whether the impact was stronger if these foods were combined.

They drew up a seven-day food plan using foods that are commonly available in supermarkets and health stores.

A typical day on the diet included:

A breakfast of soy milk, oat bran cereal with chopped fruit and almonds, oatmeal bread, vegetable-based margarine and jam;

a lunch of soy cold cuts, oat bran bread, bean soup and fruit; and A stir-fry dinner with vegetables, tofu, fruit and almonds.

The researchers put 13 people on the combination diet for a month. They found that their cholesterol levels had dropped by 29% by the end of the period.

The researchers said the findings suggested the combination diet may be as effective as statins.

These drugs have been used extensively for 15 years to treat patients with high levels of cholesterol.

Professor Jenkins said further and larger studies are needed before the diet could be recommended to patients.

He said: “The take home message right now is that there is hope for a drug-free treatment for some people with high cholesterol.

“For us, the main feature now is to move this forward into longer-term studies.”

But he added: “This opens up the possibility that diet can be used much more widely to lower blood cholesterol and possibly spare some individuals from having to take drugs.”

The study is published in the journal Metabolism.

Rejecting meat ‘keeps weight low’

Meat-eaters who switch to a vegetarian diet gain slightly less weight than those who do not make major changes to their diets, a study suggests.

“This confirms that the best way to prevent obesity is to combine a healthy diet with exercise” – Professor Tim Key, Cancer Research UK

Scientists for Cancer Research UK compared the weight gains of 22,000 meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans over a five-year period.

On average people gained two kilos but those who had switched to a diet with less animal foods gained a little less.

Obesity is a major cause of cancer and other diseases.

The research team, led by Professor Tim Key, of Oxford University, studied the eating habits of 22,000 people recruited to the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) between 1994 and 1999.

They were weighed and measured and asked to give details of their diet and lifestyle.

The team then followed their subjects up an average of five years later (between 2000 and 2003) and asked them the same questions.

They found that everyone gained an average of 2kg, but those who had switched to a vegetarian diet from a meat-eating diet gained around 0.5kg less.

Those switching to a vegan diet showed slightly smaller weight gains.

Professor Tim Key said it had been known for some time that vegetarians and vegans tended to be slimmer than meat-eaters but they had never been followed over a number of years.

He also said: “Contrary to the current popular views that a diet low in carbohydrates and high in proteins keeps weight down, we found that the lowest weight gain came in people with high intake of carbohydrate and low intake of protein.”

Obesity risks

He also stressed that, in line with current understanding, the highest weight gain came in people who did very little exercise.

“This confirms that the best way to prevent obesity is to combine a healthy diet with exercise,” he added.

Cancer Research UK conducted the study because of the known links between obesity and cancer.

The charity’s medical director, Professor John Toy, said: “EPIC continues to highlight the importance of diet and exercise in achieving a healthy weight.

‘Balanced diet’

“We know that obesity contributes to the increasing risk of cancer as it does to heart disease and diabetes.”

Dr Colin Waine, president of the National Obesity Forum, said: “Whatever diet you are on, if your calorie intake exceeds your calorie output, you will gain weight.”

He suggested that those on a vegetarian diet put on less weight because they were more likely to achieve a balanced diet and eat less saturated fat.

But he added: “This research shouldn’t lead to advocating vegetarianism as an answer to obesity.

“We know if you have a balanced diet and exercise to a reasonable degree – that is the best way to lose weight.”

Ursula Arens, spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, said the study did not prove that switching to a vegetarian diet led to weight loss in someone who was overweight.

“A diet of chips and chocolate is ‘vegetarian’ but not healthy or likely to help slimming,” she said.

But she added that vegetarians were often interested in nutrition and made healthy choices such as fruit, vegetables, pulses and whole grains.

Vegetarians are more intelligent, says study

Frequently dismissed as cranks, their fussy eating habits tend to make them unpopular with dinner party hosts and guests alike.

But now it seems they may have the last laugh, with research showing vegetarians are more intelligent than their meat-eating friends.

A study of thousands of men and women revealed that those who stick to a vegetarian diet have IQs that are around five points higher than those who regularly eat meat.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the researchers say it isn’t clear why veggies are brainier – but admit the fruit and veg-rich vegetarian diet could somehow boost brain power.

The researchers, from the University of Southampton, tracked the fortunes of more than 8,000 volunteers for 20 years.

At the age of ten, the boys and girls sat a series of tests designed to determine their IQ.

When they reached the age of 30, they were asked whether they were vegetarian and their answers compared to their childhood IQ score.

Around four and a half per cent of the adults were vegetarian – a figure that is broadly in line with that found in the general population.

However, further analysis of the results showed those who were brainiest as children were more likely to have become vegetarian as adults, shunning both meat and fish.

The typical adult veggie had a childhood IQ of around 105 – around five points higher than those who continued to eat meat as they grew up.

The vegetarians were also more likely to have gained degrees and hold down high-powered jobs.

There was no difference in IQ between strict vegetarians and those who classed themselves as veggie but still ate fish or chicken.

However, vegans – vegetarians who also avoid dairy products – scored significantly lower, averaging an IQ score of 95 at the age of 10.

Researcher Dr Catharine Gale said there could be several explanations for the findings, including intelligent people being more likely to consider both animal welfare issues and the possible health benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Previous work has shown that vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, cutting their risk of heart attacks. They are also less likely to be obese.

Alternatively, a diet which is rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains may somehow boost brain power.

Dr Gale said: ‘Although our results suggest that children who are more intelligent may be more likely to become vegetarian as adolescents or young adults, it does not rule out the possibility that such a diet might have some beneficial effect on subsequent cognitive performance.

‘Might the nature of the vegetarians’ diet have enhanced their apparently superior brain power? Was this the mechanism that helped them achieve the disproportionate nature of degrees?’

High-profile vegetarians include singers Paul McCartney and Morrissey and actress Jenny Seagrove.

Past exponents of a meat-free lifestyle include George Bernard Shaw and Benjamin Franklin.

Promoting the cause, Shaw said, ‘A mind of the calibre of mine cannot drive its nutriment from cows’, while Franklin stated that a vegetarian diet resulted in ‘greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension’.

Liz O’Neill, of the Vegetarian Society, said: ‘We’ve always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment. Now, we’ve got the scientific evidence to prove it.

‘Maybe that explains why many meat-reducers are keen to call themselves vegetarians when even they must know that vegetarians don’t eat chicken, turkey or fish!’

High IQ link to being vegetarian

“We’ve always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment” – Liz O’Neill, of The Vegetarian Society

Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life, a study says.
A Southampton University team found those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10.

Researchers said it could explain why people with higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates.

The study of 8,179 was reported in the British Medical Journal.

Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarian – although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.

Men who were vegetarian had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians.

There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken.

Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.

Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher occupational social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians.

However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.

Lead researcher Catharine Gale said: “The finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.”

Intelligence

However, she added the link may be merely an example of many other lifestyle preferences that might be expected to vary with intelligence, such as choice of newspaper, but which may or may not have implications for health.

Liz O’Neill, of the Vegetarian Society, said: “We’ve always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment.

“Now we’ve got the scientific evidence to prove it. Maybe that explains why many meat-reducers are keen to call themselves vegetarians when even they must know that vegetarians don’t eat chicken, turkey or fish.”

But Dr Frankie Phillips, of the British Dietetic Association, said: “It is like the chicken and the egg. Do people become vegetarian because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they tend to be more aware of health issues?”