VEGETARIAN DIET/COLON CANCER RISK
A study done by a group of various research institutes in the United States has revealed that Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) vegetarians have a lower rate of growth of epithelial cells in the mucosa of the colon. As cell production increases the risk of colon cancer increases. This may partially explain the lower incidence of colon cancer observed in SDA vegetarians. (Cancer Letters 26:139-144, 1985) Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET/DIABETES
A 21-year study of over 25,000 California Seventh-day Adventists revealed that the diabetes rate in vegetarians was only 45 percent of the United States rate in a similar study group. (American Journal of Public Health 75:507-512, 1985) Many diseases are controlled entirely or made much better by a vegetarian diet. We believe the vegetarian diet to be the most healthful diet available today. Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET/HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE/EYE CHANGES
A study carried out in the Republic of China revealed that individuals on a strict vegetarian diet (no meat, fish, milk, eggs, and alcohol or tobacco) have less high blood pressure than persons consuming the typical non-vegetarian diet. Retinal arteriosclerosis was much less common in the vegetarians (19.8 percent vs. 42.9 percent). Degenerative disease of the retina of the eye was less common in vegetarians. In those vegetarians who did have abnormalities of the eyes, the changes were much less profound than those in non-vegetarians. (Medical Tribune 27(32)3, 33, November, 1986) Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET/MENARCHE
Menarche (beginning of menstrual periods) is influenced by diet. A study from Loma Linda University reveals that meat eaters have menarche six-months earlier than vegetarians. Those who used meat analogues had menarche 9 months later than those who did not use meat analogues. The liberal use of beans and other legumes, grains and nuts was associated with a 5 to month delay in menarche when compared to a group which used these foods less freely. Early onset of menarche is known to be a risk factor for breast cancer. Previous studies have suggested a relationship between the use of animal products and early menstruation. (Nutrition Research 7(5)471-480, May 1987) Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET/VITAMIN D LEVELS
A study from the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the Perinatal Research Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio and Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health has revealed that women who eat a vegetarian diet have higher levels of 1,25-didyroxy-vitamin D than meat eaters. The researchers focused special attention on women who were breastfeeding their children. They feared that their diet was not adequate to provide sufficient vitamin D for their infants, as their diet was mostly whole grain cereals and vegetables. The women in this study generally avoided meats, eggs, and dairy products. Vitamin D is necessary for proper absorption of calcium and it was thought that these women, on what is considered as a low calcium diet, may be unable to give their infants the recommended calcium. Furthermore, a vegetarian diet containing large amounts of grains may be high in phytate, which had until recently been thought to hinder calcium absorption. The researchers conclude that the body is able to adapt to varying dietary and physiologic conditions, making the necessary adjustment to provide adequate calcium levels. (Obstetrics and Gynecology 70(6)870-874, December 1987) Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET
David Ryde, a general practitioner in London, has a special interest in the human diet. He observed that vegetarians report less discomfort and less sleepiness following overeating than do meat eaters. He notes that there may be a relationship between meat eating and peptic ulcers, as both vegans and vegetarians have fewer ulcers than meat eaters. An electrologist reports that women who have excessive body hair will often notice a decrease in the amount of hair if they adopt a vegetarian diet. She observed that many of her patients developed this excessive hairiness while on contraceptive pills. Gallstones are about half as frequent in vegetarians as in meat eaters. Late onset diabetes occurs less frequently in vegetarians, as does renal calcium stone formation. An overweight patient with a chronic varicose ulcer had complete healing of his ulcer when he adopted a vegetarian diet. An elderly man who had breast tenderness over a five-year period noticed a clearing of symptoms within four days of adopting a near vegan diet. (The Practitioner 232:415-418, April 8, 1988) Copyright Phylis Austin

DENTAL CARIES/VEGETARIAN DIET
A study from India revealed that vegetarian children had fewer dental caries than did non-vegetarian children. (Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 18(5)277, 278) Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET/DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY
Diabetics often suffer associated kidney disease. Earlier studies have shown that a high protein diet accelerates the development of kidney damage. A recent study suggests that a vegetarian diet may be adequate to slow the progression of the disease.
Apparently vegetable protein does not have the same adverse effect that animal protein does. (Diabetic Medicine 8:949-953, 1991) Copyright Phylis Austin

GROWTH IN VEGETARIAN CHILDREN
Vegetarian children grow more slowly than meat-eaters. Some have suggested that this growth pattern suggests an inadequate diet. A recent study comparing vegetarian with non-vegetarian growth patterns reveals that while vegetarians have a later onset of menarche and the adolescent growth spurt, they eventually reach the same heights as non-vegetarians. The researchers point out that this delay in physical maturity may bring with it certain health advantages, including lower risk of some types of cancer (including breast cancer). (Journal of the American Dietetic Association 92(10)1263-1264, October 1992) Copyright Phylis Austin

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE/VEGETARIAN DIET
A vegetarian diet with low intake of saturated fat, a high fruit and vegetable fiber intake, and a high P/S ratio appears to decrease high blood pressure. (Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases 4:103-112, 1994) Copyright Phylis Austin

HEALING/VEGETARIAN DIET
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery reported that vegetarians may have abnormal healing after facial chemical peeling. The two patients in their study had unexpectedly large amounts of facial scarring. After reading the report one must wonder why they chose to make such an announcement based on experience with two patients, one of which consumed chicken! (Vegetarian Times, May 1995, p. 102) Copyright Phylis Austin