In addition, Professor Dr. Claus Leitzmann, one of the most respected and renowned dieticians in Germany, said: “… Studies on Vegans, which have been done worldwide, and also by us, show clearly, that Vegans on the average are healthier than the general population. Body-weight, blood-pressure, blood fats and cholesterol, kidney function as well as general health status are more often normal. …”.
In 2009, the ADA published an updated position paper on vegetarian and vegan diets and confirmed its support of them. The ADA concludes that well-planned vegetarian diets – including vegan diets – are healthful and nutritious for adults, infants, children and adolescents and can even help prevent chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.
Published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in July 2009, the paper gives the ADA’s official position on vegetarian diets, including a vegan diet:
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.” “Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantages of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet.”
The PCRM (Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine) is a nonprofit medical organization for preventive medicine, clinical research, and higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research. Here the clear statement of the PCRM about vegan diets:
“Vegan diets, which contain no animal products, are even healthier than vegetarian diets. Vegan diets contain no cholesterol and even less fat, saturated fat, and calories than vegetarian diets because they exclude dairy and eggs. Scientific research shows that health benefits increase as the amount of food from animal sources in the diet decreases, making vegan diets the healthiest overall."
Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health, stands up for the benefits of a plant-based diet:
“The vast majority of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented simply by adopting a plant-based diet."
Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, has been one of the leading scientists of nutrition research for more than forty years. He published more than 300 research papers. His outstanding survey, the China Project, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever published.
Still, the majority of media outlets, uninformed physicians and so-called “nutritionists” prefer to spread prejudiced opinions, the misleading claims of the industry and false, outdated doctrines. One must wonder whether it is out of convenience or simply pure laziness that people fail to properly research these diets and prefer to spread falsehoods and prejudices? Do people fear confronting their beliefs about their own diet after receiving new information that might force them to face the prospect of choosing a type of diet (i.e., a vegetarian or vegan diet) that has often been ridiculed?