Viva! Health
There’s a battle going on in your body. Unstable molecules called free radicals are hell-bent on wreaking havoc, causing damage to cells, proteins and DNA. Antioxidants are the home guard, good guys that come to the rescue!
Ever wondered why lemon juice stops chopped apple going brown? It’s because it contains vitamin C – an antioxidant that protects food from spoiling when it’s exposed to air.
Pulses are a part of most traditional diets and are packed with health benefits
The pulse family consists of plants that produce a pod with seeds inside. They include beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, soya beans, lupins, lotus, alfalfa and peanuts. An extensive scientific paper has just reviewed all the relevant research to find out exactly what pulses do for us.
The type of protein we eat matters more than we thought
The biggest study to date – with over 130,000 participants - of the effects of both plant and animal protein on human health produced surprisingly clear results.
A unique Polish study set out to investigate and compare the impact of diet on the blood fats and cholesterol in vegan and omnivorous volunteers. All participants were healthy, between 23 and 38 years old and not overweight. The aim was to discover whether diet influences the blood lipids (fats) to such an extent in healthy people that it can reduce or increase the risk of atherosclerosis – narrowing and hardening of the arteries – that leads to heart disease.
Public Health England has just published new dietary advice recommending people halve their dairy intake and eat less meat, replacing it with beans and pulses!
Viva! Health have been campaigning for change for years and it’s been a long time coming, but it seems things are beginning to change.
Everybody needs a regular source of vitamin B12: for vegans this means a supplement or sufficient fortified foods in their diet. However, despite all the warnings, vegans may actually have an advantage over meat and dairy-eaters when it comes to this important vitamin…
Vitamin B12 is involved in many important functions. It helps make red blood cells and keeps the nervous system healthy. A deficiency can lead to serious problems, especially in the young.
There are many studies showing how a vegan diet can reverse heart disease but the medical profession still needs persuading. A recent case study published in Case Reports in Cardiology provides an excellent example of the power of diet change.
Antioxidants protect our health but you don’t have to spend lots of money on expensive supplements or exotic fruit extracts as there’s a plentiful supply – and powerful ones at that – hiding in a fruit and veg shop near you.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but it can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. A study of 650 adults from the US and Canada found that those avoiding meat had significantly lower levels of risk factors for CVD.
Researchers looked at four diets: vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters and found that obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol levels were all lower in those avoiding meat, with vegans coming out best.
In 2017, 11 million deaths around the world were related to poor diet, even more than smoking, according to this major study.
Heart attacks and strokes were the main diet-related causes of death, followed by cancers and type 2 diabetes. The authors blame diets high in salt and low in fruit, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. They suggest that eating and drinking more sensibly could prevent one in five deaths globally.
L-carnitine is a substance found mostly in red meat, smaller amounts are also in chicken meat, eggs and dairy, and even smaller amounts are found in beans and avocados. A pioneering study set out to investigate what happens to this substance when digested by either vegans or meat-eaters because the two diet groups have such different gut bacteria it was assumed likely to determine the end product.
Cow’s milk is promoted as natural, wholesome and healthy – it is none of these things! The saturated fat, animal protein, cholesterol, hormones and growth factors it contains are linked to a wide range of illnesses and disease.
Why is dairy such a disaster for health and why aren’t we talking about it?
Scientific review shows how and why a vegan diet can be a lifesaver
A comprehensive review of research studies on diets and cardiovascular health made perfectly clear how amazing a healthy vegan diet can be. The scientists came to these conclusions about what a wholesome plant-based diet can do for your heart:
New review of evidence shows that nut consumption can keep your heart healthy!
We all know nuts are a great source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals but it turns out, they can also help protect our hearts. A new review of all studies conducted in the past 25 years on nut consumption and heart and circulatory health revealed that if you make nuts a regular part of your diet, it can lower your risk of fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease, heart attack and sudden death.
No other plant seems to divide opinions like soya. Whilst some consider it a healthy and amazingly versatile crop, others warn against adverse effects and avoid it at all costs. So why are there so many myths surrounding soya and where do they come from?
Subsidising plant foods and taxing animal foods would transform public health
An American study modelled potential health impacts of changing the pricing of foods. They focused on how these price changes could prevent premature deaths from major diseases – heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
The American Heart Association published an advisory on fats and heart disease to give a clear warning against saturated fats
Daily intake of fruit, vegetables and pulses protects the heart and prolongs your life!
A new review of evidence shows how fantastic plant foods are for your heart
