A Vegan Diet Was My Path To Good Health

I was already vegan for ethical reasons when I read a book titled, "The China Study," (BenBella) by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II. I was going through chemotherapy at the time for colorectal cancer, and though I believed that by making this lifestyle change I was saving the lives of many animals, I remained in the dark about how a vegan diet might impact my health. I knew I was doing the right thing, I just didn't know that by doing what I believe is right for the animals, I was doing what was right for myself.

"The China Study" presents the opinion that consuming animal proteins (meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) can promote a number of life-threatening illnesses -- including cancer and heart disease. As someone undergoing treatment for cancer, I wanted to do whatever I could to stop it in its tracks and prevent a recurrence. It turned out that, according to this theory, I had already taken preventive measures by switching to a plant-based diet. I hadn't become vegan in time to affect the development of the cancer (which doctors estimated had begun to grow about seven years prior), but my diet could possibly prevent it from worsening or returning, according to what I read. In fact, when I met with a leader of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's integrative medicine department, his first recommendation was for me to eat a vegetarian diet. I was pleased to tell him that I already was.

This particular set of data -- and my soul -- told me the same thing: that animals didn't need to suffer for my survival. By not causing pain and suffering to other beings, I was also not causing pain and suffering to myself.

The New York Times' Mark Bittman recently wrote about the benefits of a vegan diet in his blog and earlier this month the UN advised a worldwide shift away from the consumption of animal products to prevent hunger and climate change.

The human race has benefited from a number of individuals who promoted peace and service to others; Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Gandhi. Most of us will not deny their messages of compassion. If we choose to eat animals, it is my belief that we endorse the suffering of living beings -- those who we consume and those who we share the planet with. By doing what is peaceful and compassionate, and eating a plant-based diet, I think we also help ourselves in body and in spirit. If our bodies are our temples, do we really want them built on death and suffering?

Americans seem to have a desperate love affair with protein; one in which the tendency is to think that too much is never enough. I believe that the amount of protein that people generally consume eating an omnivorous diet is detrimental to their health. The lack of protein myth about vegan diets comes from the fact that there are not complete proteins in any one plant-based food. As long as one eats a variety of vegan foods throughout the day, one will consume all of the complete protein that one needs.

It's possible to be unhealthy eating a vegan diet, but the point is that by eating a balanced vegan diet, I believe we can reduce our chances of developing life-threatening illnesses including heart disease and cancer.

The prospect of going vegan was daunting to me at first. I thought of all of the foods I'd miss and wondered what I'd consume if a restaurant had no vegan offerings. I soon began to realize that these fears were worth conquering. Besides, veganism has gained so much popularity in recent years that delectable vegan options are plentiful and readily available.

There are two nutrients vegans should be particularly aware of. The first is vitamin B12, generally not found in plant-based foods. The one plant-based source of it is an old school vegan staple -- nutritional yeast. It is delicious (despite its name) and is great sprinkled on everything from pasta to salad. I usually eat two tablespoons a day. When my B12 levels were last tested by my doctor, my results were absolutely fine.

The other essential nutrient to pay attention to is omega-3 fatty acids. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's book "The Face on Your Plate" (W.W. Norton) addresses the benefits of veganism for people and for the animals. The author discusses the importance of consuming long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which many people believe are only found in fish. The truth is that this essential nutrient comes from algae that fish eat. A number of vegan algae-derived supplements are available that fulfill the need for long chain omega-3 fatty acids.

As the years have passed, I've found myself eating fewer processed foods and more whole foods such as grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables and beans. The foods I used to dread being limited to when imagining a plant-based diet have become my favorites -- and I am healthier for it. I have cut sugar (and sweeteners), wheat and caffeine from my diet because of their negative impact on my personal health. It's not always easy, but the benefits have been great.

When I go to vegan events there are often vegan cakes, cookies and appetizers that run the gamut. It's funny to think that I used to be afraid of giving up these treats by going vegan and now I'm tempted by them because I am vegan. I believe that the path I am on now is what is right for me, the animals and the planet. By choosing a vegan diet, I feel that I am preventing disease in my body, and suffering in the world, with every meal.

In addition to "The China Study," the health benefits of a vegan diet are explored at length in John Robbins' books "Diet for a New America" (HJ Kramer) and "The Food Revolution" (Conari Press), as well as the film "Forks Over Knives."

Maya Gottfried is the author of books, essays and articles for children and adults. She has previously written on her experience with cancer for crazysexylife.com. Her autobiographical essay "Untitled" appeared in the book "Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes." Maya's most recent book for children, "Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary," is about the real-life residents of national farm animal protection organization Farm Sanctuary. Read her blog on Red Room.

 

Follow Maya Gottfried on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mayabidaya

Comments

[Klad InVermont]

04:14 PM on 07/19/2011

Flax seed is a great source for omega-3's. Even for carnivores, flax is a lot cheaper than salmon or other fish and can be added to your morning cereal or to a smoothie and you're good to go.

[Morgan Miller]

10:10 PM on 07/30/2011

Well, first of all, ground flax oxidizes very quickly, so you need to get the whole seed and grind it, then eat it soon after. Secondly, we do not know for sure how much EPA and DHA gets converted in the body from ALA omega 3. ALA alone does not have the same benefits that DHA and EPA do. And, everyone is likely different as far as the ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA.

To the other person that replied saying there were no good clean water sources for fish, this is simply not true, and sounds a little over the top paranoid to me. Also, ever heard of hormesis???

[wildisthewind]

01:55 PM on 07/08/2011

It is absolutely mind-boggling that so many vegans are so outlandishly removed from agriculture that they can make such ludicrously ridiculous, and completely fallacious statements as this one by Maya Gottfried above:

"This particular set of data -- and my soul -- told me the same thing: that animals didn't need to suffer for my survival. By not causing pain and suffering to other beings, I was also not causing pain and suffering to myself."

Sorry Maya, but that is complete and utter nonsense. There is absolutely no truth to your claim that animals didn't suffer for your survival. In reality, more than a million creatures can live on a single acre of perennial grassland, and when that land is plowed for rows of the shallow-rooted annuals of plant agriculture, the habitat for all of those creatures is obliterated in the process, with many of those animals, such as birds, field mice, rabbits, and turtles, dying absolutely horrific deaths in the process. The sight of a turtle that was torn in half and crushed baby mice, when the organic vegetable field on my land was plowed comes to mind.

Conversely, a single ruminant canned be humanely and sustainably raised on that same acre, supplying years worth of meat while improving both biodiversity and soil vitality in the process, resulting in a significant net gain of life, as opposed to the million+ creatures who would have had their habitat obliterated by plant ag.

[Soliel]

06:07 PM on 07/14/2011

Wild is the wind. There probably is collateral damage with veggie and grain crops however, unless you totally abstain from food from crops, and only eat cows from grassland, you are killing more. Also, those who eat grains and beans and vegetables only...are intentionally choosing the most peaceful way. When you choose meat you are intentionally choosing the least peaceful way.

[here now]

01:21 PM on 07/08/2011

It used to be thought that meat consumption was the cause of heart disease. We now know that meat and the cholesterol it contains is a contributing factor but not the cause. The cause is omega 3 / omega 6 imbalance. Humans should consume at least as much omega 3 as they do omega 6. When more omega 6 is consumed it causes arterial inflammation which in turn creates the environment for cholesterol to attach to the arterial walls. This only became an issue with the advent of vegetable oils. Omega 3's are less stable than omega 6 so the Omega 3's are stripped out of vegetable oils during the manufacturing process. If you use Vegetable oils use oils such as olive which is about 10% omega 3's then supplement with omega 3's to obtain a balance of at least 50/50.

The bottom line is that humans are natural vegetarians and to maintain optimal health if animal products are consumed the should make up a very small portion of the total diet.

[Morgan Miller]

11:10 PM on 07/08/2011

Do you mean humans are only meant to eat plants? There is zero convincing evidence that nature intended it this way.

[Eric Mann]

10:26 AM on 07/18/2011

Humans, if you mean Homo Sapiens, are natural omnivores. We have a carnivore's jaw, and a hybrid tooth structure. Additionally, some of the vestiges of our herbivorous past (i.e. species we have evolved from) continue to atrophy. There is no scientific basis for your claim.

[here now]

08:57 PM on 07/30/2011

Interesting, so when is it that my small mouth and unhinged jaw with flat molars which more closely resembles a horses mouth than any carnivores, going to complete its evolution so it looks like an omnivore dogs large extended hinged jaw and razor sharp teeth. I hope it's soon, I'm feeling left out. Oh wait are you talking about WereWolves? Those are mythical dude.

[here now]

01:21 PM on 07/08/2011

There is a myth that meat consumption is responsible for our large brains. This is not true, if it were carnivores would be among the smartest creatures and they are not. The facts are that no mammal has developed a large brain without access to large quantities of high quality omega 3. This is only available in large quantities in an aquatic environment. Now before you say "what about elephants", It has recently been discovered that their ancestors were aquatic animals. This by the way is why they have the long trunk so they could wade deeper into water for access to food.

[Morgan Miller]

11:26 PM on 07/08/2011

Well there ya go, that's a great argument for vegans to eat fish. I'm all for it!

[here now]

08:59 PM on 07/30/2011

I would be right there with you if it were not for the fact that the waters are so poluted with heavy metals and other chemicals that it has rendered most all seafood useless as a food source if you care at all about your health.

[FaunaAndFlora]

01:16 AM on 07/10/2011

Meat from animals that were raised and finished on pasture and hay have a high omega 3 to omega 6 ratio. I suspect that the same is true of wild game. Farmed (grainfed) fish, on the other hand, have a low omega 3 to omega 6 ratio.

[here now]

01:19 PM on 07/08/2011

The idea that Humans are natural omnivores has been discredited by anthropologists. The actual classification which humans hold is frugivore. This is a mammal which eats fruits and vegetables. This is not the same as a herbivore which eats grass. Historically humans almost certainly did not eat meat until at least the point where they learned to control fire and began cooking food and learned to make tools. This was a relatively recent development in human history. We know this because humans are unequipped to hunt animals. Humans lack the claws, teeth, and speed to catch animals, and we lack the digestive track which would allow us to eat carrion. There is overwhelming evidence that early humans evolved in and close to water and some seafood may have been part of their diet. Probably most of the seafood was shelled creatures like clams as their shells have been found in areas populated by early human. Interestingly fish bones have not been found in any significant quantities. If you have ever tried to catch a fish with your bare hands you probably know why.

[FaunaAndFlora]

01:21 AM on 07/10/2011

Stop it. Just stop it. All of the great apes are omnivores, although some eat more animal foods than others. All reputable anthropologist and primatologists agree with this statement.

[here now]

09:07 PM on 07/30/2011

What do "All of the Great Apes" have to do with anything? Humans are not great apes and have not been more than distant cousins to them for millions of years. Most primates are listed as omnivores because they eat insects. I am quite sure humans sometimes ate insects in the past as well. In fact some populations still do. So?

[Soliel]

06:10 PM on 07/14/2011

Faunaand Flora...if we were meant to kill, why is it so upsetting to us? Why is it so hard? Why don't babies naturally butcher every animal they touch intead of wanting to pet them?

[Paul T Carney]

05:19 PM on 08/16/2011

Uhm, being upset about killing is a social adaptation. There are plenty of societies where people don't get upset. They may be respectful, they may be aware of the life they are taking and realize an equivalence with their own life . . . but they still kill.

[here now]

01:18 PM on 07/08/2011

Then there is the plants don't contain B12 so everyone must eat meat. The truth is that B12 deficiency is the result of modern sanitation. B12 is abundant in nature and people who live close to nature have no problems. This is why you can get a small amount by eating animals who have lived their lives close to nature. However the amount of meat one must eat to obtain the RDA of B12 can be as much as 18 ounces a day. Given the cancer risk of consuming that much meat it is probably better to just take a pill. A recent study by Tufts University Framingham Offspring Study suggest that 40 percent of people between the ages of 26 and 83 have plasma B12 levels below the normal range. Since strict Vegans make up less than 1% of the population these numbers suggest that everyone should be taking B12 supplements. B12 deficiency is a very serious problem which can cause devastating health conditions. Take your B12!

[FaunaAndFlora]

01:27 AM on 07/10/2011

Once again, any B12 that is found on plants comes from fecal contamination. By the way, studies have consistently found that more than half of all vegans are deficient in B12. Among those vegetarians who consume eggs and dairy, the percentage is between eleven and twenty-six. Among those who include some meat in their diet, less then one percent are deficient in B12.

[Soliel]

06:11 PM on 07/14/2011

I think it also has to do with soil health and fertility. Unfortunately, due to the use of chemical agriculture our soil is less fertile, less full of healthy bacteria and nutrients...thus we get less B12.

[here now]

01:18 PM on 07/08/2011

There has been a lot of misinformation posted here by people who by design or through ignorance still think that meat is healthy for humans to eat. While I will admit right up front that small amounts of meat eaten on a irregular basis will not damage your body to the extent that larger quantities will. The top limit of meat consumption for health has been pegged at less than 8 ounces a week. Recent Cancer studies show conclusively that meat consumption is linked with a significant increase in cancer risk. These studies confirm the research done in the china study. There is no longer any real debate about this. Except of course by those who derive some or all of their income from the meat and or dairy industries. For more information see www.cancerproject.org This site contains a good overview of the existing research, and there are footnotes linking to the cited research if you want to dig deeper.

[wildisthewind]

03:10 PM on 07/08/2011

Utter nonsense. You supply a link to the PCRM, a vegan activist organization with a purposely misleading name, as supposed proof that meat causes cancer!. In reality, only a tiny fraction of the PCRM are actual physicians, despite their purposely deceptive name. And they are about the least objective source of information imaginable. Even Dr. Andrew Weil, formerly of the PCRM, has now conceded that "Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease of civilization," because the evidence is overwhelming. This is what the American Medical Association had to say about the PCRM:

"The AMA continues to marvel at how effectively a fringe organization of questionable repute continues to hoodwink the media with a series of questionable research that fails to enhance public health. Instead, it serves only to advance the agenda of activist groups interested in perverting medical science. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is an animal "rights" organization, and, despite its title, represents less than 0.5 percent of the total U.S. physician population."

[SusanElizabeth1949]

05:21 PM on 07/08/2011

His facts on early Hominid and Homo Sapien diet is also false, Neanderthal was functionally a carnivore. And due to the mapping of Neanderthal DNA we know certain Modern populations carry between 3 and 5% Neanderthal DNA. The populations it has been found n are Asian, Middle Eastern and European.

[Soliel]

06:13 PM on 07/14/2011

I am sorry. I"ll take PCRM anyday over the AMA, FDA, etc. The last two organizations do not want to support any diet or any health proticol which will lesson Americans drug/surgery dependency. PCRM has a way out of the medical madness that is bankrupting us. Sadly, too many industries are profiting for that and the AMA and FDA are supportive of that.

I do not trust them for the whole truth by any means. Just look...does the AMA support anything but surgery and drugs? I rest my case.

[HerrMonk]

05:40 PM on 07/07/2011

The China Study is a joke piece of Vegan Propaganda.

One loses all credibility by referencing it.

[wildisthewind]

03:11 PM on 07/08/2011

@HerrMonk, yep, to put it mildly ;)

[Soliel]

06:14 PM on 07/14/2011

Oh, nevermind that the China Study was the largest epidemilogical study EVER done. And never mind that it was meticulously done with scientific rigor. Nevermind all that because we don't like the truth and thus is it "vegan propaganda:"!!! That's right.

[Eric Mann]

10:48 AM on 07/18/2011

Epidemiological study-no
Scientific rigor-no

[John02050]

12:30 PM on 07/07/2011

Grains, milk, and processed food are the source of US malnutrition. Eating lots of fruit, legumes, and root vegetables is not optimal for health either. Chronic disease is caused by inflammation which in turn is the result of improper diet.

Humans require nothing more than berries, nuts, green vegetables, eggs, and meat for optimal health.

Hempseed is a vegan source of a complete protein.

The DHA/EPA conversion rate for plant-based ALA can be increased by up to a factor of 2 if coconut oil is consumed as well.

[Morgan Miller]

11:37 PM on 07/07/2011

Hemp is not complete. Soy may be the only single complete plant source of protein, but you have to eat the fermented stuff.

[Frugal Chariot]

10:57 AM on 07/07/2011

Love this piece! An incredible vegan bakery has opened up not too far away, and it's all my vegan family can do to limit our trips there.

Thanks for getting the word out that vegan food can be just as tempting, tasty, and delectable as animal-based fare. (And of course when you're a vegan it's MORE tempting, because you know you're not eating suffering.)

[HerrMonk]

05:42 PM on 07/07/2011

So you really believe eating vegan baked goods is healthier than a steak?

[John Lewis]

11:28 PM on 07/07/2011

She just wants some desert. Sometimes people want desert.

[here now]

01:33 PM on 07/08/2011

Actually almost anything is healthier than a steak, with the possible exception of cardboard.

[bracken]

10:58 AM on 07/13/2011

Vegans are chronically hungry, which accounts for their addiction to sugary foods. A diet of vegan bakery goods is hardly healthy.

[Soliel]

06:15 PM on 07/14/2011

Um I am vegan and I do not eat sugary foods on a daily basis (very rarely) and I am not chronically hungry. Neither are our vegan friends. This is simply not true.

[HappierWithLess]

06:08 PM on 07/06/2011

Great article. I moved to Costa Rica and I'm adopting a lot of the local fare-which is mostly beans and rice. I find that when my protein comes from beans, I feel really good the next day. It's as if I was suffering from a food hangover all these years. And like the last person said, it's win-win. I am an animal lover so I am hoping I can keep moving in this direction with my diet. Please keep writing about all the benefits.
www.happierthanabillionaire.com

[Soliel]

06:16 PM on 07/14/2011

I think it's called "protein toxicity". Animal protein is considered too concentrated for us and hard on the body to process for many reasons.

You sound happy!!!

[Katie Young]

03:41 PM on 07/06/2011

I'm so glad that your choice to help animals also wound up helping you. It's a win-win situation. Thanks for writing such a great post.

[Susan Rooker]

08:05 AM on 07/06/2011

Kudos to you Maya!

[jo Faulkner]

10:57 PM on 07/05/2011

@ Morgan Miller, "Eating vegan is a full time job"? Really? How do I manage to hold down a 40 hr week job, and parent two children, on top of being a vegan?

If you put half as much time into planning a vegan diet as you do commenting on this article, you'd do okay too.

[Morgan Miller]

02:31 PM on 07/06/2011

Ha ha, point well taken. Do you supplement B12? Do you supplement amino acids? Where are you getting good sources of l carnitine and carnosine?

It was just a way of saying that a strict vegan will also have to be very strict and meticulous in order to make sure there are not any deficits that will cause health issues down the road. I admit, saying being a vegan is a full time job may not have been the best way of representing the reasons why vegan diet may not be optimal in the long run. My diet is a full time job and always has been, as I have always had a very high metabolism and other needs that require eating regularly and eating the right things. I also take many supplements. So, maybe I was wrong, my bad.

[w84it]

01:14 PM on 07/08/2011

L-carnitine and L-carnosine are naturally synthesized by the body. They are not essential amino acids. Whether a person gets additional amounts of these by eating meat or through supplements is a mute point.

[DrP]

10:40 PM on 07/05/2011

For those who are not insulin-resistant (around 15 to 25% of the population), a carefully managed vegan diet may prove to be a healthy choice. However, for the rest of us, it is a recipe for disaster. My family members who have tried veganism are all now "ex-vegans." My daughter suffered from bulemia, depression, and insomnia before recently changing to a paleo, high-fat, low-carb diet which has resolved all of her issues. My brother was an organic vegan, but got tired of "feeling like he wanted to die every afternoon" with what he thought was chronic fatigue. For us, a properly formulated high-fat, low-carb diet is the only solution to our genetic insulin-resistance and we need lots of fat from animal sources and only non-starchy vegetable carbs for optimal health.

[manoflamatzah]

11:15 PM on 07/05/2011

Agreed. Simply put, being vegan is simply not in our genetic programming; we have evolved as "omnivores". Having said that, however, if one is VERY careful and takes the proper supplements (such as B12), one can do it. On reflection, we really have surpassed our genetic blueprints. As I tell people, we are designed only to live for 40-45 years... so, perhaps all that animal fat may not be so good for an extended time. I always tell people (I am an internist), for example, that our skin was simply NOT designed to withstand cumulative sun exposure for our extended lifetime, and that ANY sun exposure is BAD, and oral supplements are really more apporpriate.

[Morgan Miller]

02:36 PM on 07/06/2011

Our ancestors not living long lives likely had more to do with several factors that equally played a role, not just diet. They also did not have the choice to eat all the rights foods in the right balance whenever they wanted like we do. I do not think saturated fats occurring in good food sources is an issue. It's more likely the heavy carb foods/grains and added sugars that cause unhealhty and unnecessary insluin spikes that are the problem. Remember, past a certain point in our lives, insulin sensitivity steadily declines and we all become more and more insluin resistant.

[theguy1234]

03:56 PM on 07/06/2011

I wonder what peoples' diets consisted of when they say they tried veganism and felt terrible. Right now (for the first time in 6 years as a veg) I'm having lots of seeds, berries, apples, bananas, salads, granola, etc, and I feel awesome. I very much doubt that the average new vegan has a diet anything like that though. Do you know what your family members'' diets were like?

[w84it]

01:22 PM on 07/08/2011

I wonder about this as well.

[Morgan Miller]

11:21 PM on 07/08/2011

Right now you feel awesome, which makes perfect sense, and in the short term, this diet may be good for you for several reasons. But, keep doing it for the next 20 or 30 years and see what happens to your bones, muscles, and mind.