Health is not everything, but without health, everything is nothing!
One of the reasons why many people live without animal products is because of antibiotic-resistant germs.
To prevent diseases, antibiotics are administered to animals as a preventive measure. Even though farmers have been obliged to report the use of antibiotics to the states since the beginning of 2015, it is still used in large quantities in factory farming. Due to the frequent administration of antibiotics to animals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria develop. It enters then into our bodies through the consumption of meat, where they multiply in our gastrointestinal tract through the frequent consumption of animal products. When a person falls ill and the doctor prescribes antibiotics for treatment, the antibiotics can no longer inhibit them. It usually kills most pathogens, but the resistant bacteria remain. These bacteria spread and can even pass on resistance to other bacteria. The World Health Assembly of Pharmaceutical Companies announced in 2015 that combating antibiotic resistance was a major problem. These bacteria are the cause of around 10 million deaths every year. The cause is the increased use of antibiotics in animal fattening.
Furthermore, the proliferation of these bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract leads to infections. The pathogenic bacteria attack the stomach mucosa and lead to inflammations or infections. An increased risk of infection is especially high for the chronically ill, people who have recently undergone surgery or people with an immune deficiency. Seniors are also easily susceptible to infections. As the immune system becomes weaker with age, pathogens pose a greater risk for older people than for younger ones.
Based on where in the body the infection occurs, the symptoms of those affected vary. General symptoms of infections are cough, fever, headache, aching limbs or pus formation, for example in surgical wounds. In addition, some of the resistant bacterial species can cause severe secondary diseases such as:
Blood poisoning
Blood poisoning occurs when pathogens spread from the inflammation centre to the entire body via the bloodstream.
Lung infection
Urinary tract-and wound infections are the most common infectious diseases. In intensive care predominantly pneumonia.
Wound infections
In most cases, bacteria are the cause of wound infection. The wound healing is only possible after the infection has been eliminated.
Transmission Paths
Hands
Bacteria can be transferred most easily through our hands. Around 80% of the pathogens reach our body by touching things or people. This is why hand washing is so important!
Objects
Whether telephones, door handles or toilet lids: every day we touch objects which bacteria settle on. By touching them, we absorb these germs or pass them on.
Health Aspects: Diabetes etc.
Further health aspects are the reason for the decision for a diet free of animal products. One of them is an increased cholesterol level. A normal cholesterol level is the best protection against cardiovascular diseases. The consumption of animal fats, which are present in dairy products, fatty meat and eggs, increases the so-called LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). You should not have too much of LDL cholesterol in your blood. The consequence of too high LDL cholesterol levels can be deposits in the blood vessels, which result in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. This is the cause of death for around 350,000 people a year.
The vegan diet is rich in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). It aids to transport the bad cholesterol from the body cells to the liver, where the blood fat is broken down. It is also able to remove excess cholesterol that has been stored in the walls of the blood vessels. This way, it protects against atherosclerosis and is therefore called the good cholesterol. Dangerous consequences of arteriosclerosis are circulatory disorders in various organs and tissues such as coronary heart disease, which is the basis for heart attacks and strokes.
The vegan diet, which is rich in HDL cholesterol, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. As instead of animal fats, which are among the saturated fatty acids and cause the cholesterol level (LDL cholesterol) to rise, you take significantly more unsaturated fatty acids with a plant-based diet. These are found in nuts, seeds, oil (linseed oil, sesame oil, chia seed and hemp seed oil), avocado and fibre-rich foods being vegetables, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Fibre helps the body to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream and excrete it. In other words, it stimulates the burning of fat. The unsaturated fats lower high cholesterol levels because they contain high-quality omega-3 fatty acids that support the cardiovascular system by improving the flow of blood. This helps to keep the arteries elastic.
Another reason why many people switch to a plant-based diet is high blood pressure. The risk of developing high blood pressure is said to be reduced by a lower average body weight. The lower fat intake leads to a lower food energy intake and thus contributes to the prevention of overweight as a risk factor for high blood pressure.
The risk of developing high blood pressure increases with age. In addition to age, other important factors for the development of high blood pressure are obesity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, salt, meat and foods high in fat.
A plant-based diet lowers blood pressure, which has a positive effect on our health and vitality. High blood pressure develops as follows. The heart pumps 250,000,000 litres of blood through the veins, which serves as a conduction system and supplies our cells, tissues and organs. The elasticity of the veins cushions the high pressure and ensures an even blood flow in the arteries. However, with increasing age or other causes such as obesity, lack of exercise, high salt consumption, alcohol consumption, smoking and low potassium intake, the blood vessels become rigid. Deposit rounds form at the turns of the arteries, leading to blockage. Therefore, the blood cannot be transported through the vessels. As a result, high blood pressure develops.
In order to lower high blood pressure, you should pay attention to your potassium supply. The vegan diet is rich in potassium since it is mainly found in fruits, vegetables and legumes. A high potassium content in the diet is very important for lowering high blood pressure. As potassium drains the tissue, relaxes the vascular walls and regulates blood flow. Studies show that a potassium-rich diet can significantly reduce blood pressure. The following foods are rich in potassium:
· Pulses, (e.g. soya, beans, lentils and peas),
· Potatoes
· Kale
· Spinach
· Mushrooms
· Dried fruits, (such as dates, apricots, figs and raisins)
· Seeds
· Nuts
· Tomatoes.
Another vitamin that lowers high blood pressure is magnesium. It causes vascular tension, dilates it and has been shown to lower blood pressure. Magnesium is found in:
· Whole grains (oatmeal and quinoa)
· Vegetables such as spinach, fennel and kohlrabi
· Legumes (soya and soy products such as tofu)
· Seeds and nuts (pumpkin seeds, flaxseed and almonds).
Furthermore, the high intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are present in nuts, seeds and oils, also leads to a reduction in blood pressure.
One of the main reasons for switching to a vegan diet is the risk of cancer. Cancer is caused by the growth of abnormal cells beyond their normal limits, which can spread to other parts of the body. Its development is determined by genetic predisposition, age and one’s individual lifestyle. A healthy way of living is very important in order to reduce cancer. In addition to abstaining from nicotine and alcohol, regular physical exercise, a healthy body weight and a healthy diet play a decisive role. It is undisputed that our diet has a major influence on the development of cancer. Nutritionists believe that a vegan diet can provide health benefits for the prevention of particular diseases, including certain types of cancer as well as obesity. A plant-based diet has a dual anti-cancer effect, firstly because it contains anticarcinogenic substances such as vitamins and minerals that fight and prevent the growth of cancer cells and secondly because it does not contain substances that can accelerate the growth of cancer which is the case when it comes to animal based products.
Our food contains both carcinogenic and anticarcinogenic substances. The anitcarcinogenic substances are mainly found in plant-based foods. A diet rich in fibre, lots of vegetables and fruits as well as vitamins containing antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, carotenoids and other secondary plant substances have an anticarcinogenic effect on our body.
The carcinogenic substances are mainly found in animal products. These include meat, sausage and dairy. The risk of dying from cancer quadruples with a diet high in animal protein compared to a low-protein diet. Proteins, especially animal protein, increase the IGF-1 level (the level of growth hormones), which lead to muscle growth and regeneration. However, those hormones also lead to the growth of cancer cells which thus promotes the development of tumour.
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