What is Really Healthy For You and Your Skin

What is Really Healthy For You and Your Skin

More information: www.ProVegan.info

The quality of our diet directly influences our health: Our diet enables us to remain in good health and good shape for the majority of our life. Considering its extraordinary importance, shouldn’t we want to learn what nutritionists and studies from around the world say about a healthy diet?

We are all familiar with articles that urge us to eat more fruit and vegetables and less meat. Numerous scientific studies have proved that consuming meat and animal fats can damage our health in various ways.

The negative impact that milk and cheese (which contain saturated animal fats) have on health is just as well known. The public is shocked whenever natural disasters or terrorist attacks kill hundreds or thousands of people. So why don’t people react in the same way when millions of people die of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other diseases that are related to diet and malnutrition?

The myth that meat and dairy products are healthy foods – a myth that continues to be propagated by the meat and dairy industries – is widely accepted by uninformed consumers and careless politicians. Additionally, the European Union (EU) and countries around the world subsidise meat and milk with taxpayer’s money even though the products are unhealthy and even though their production causes cruelty to animals. This political approach is completely unacceptable, as it appears to put a higher value on the economic interests of the meat and dairy industries than on public health, which should be governments’ primary focus. In the past, vegetarian foods were looked down upon just as vegan diets are often denigrated today. Because of stupidity, ignorance and people’s vested economic interests, healthy diets are often ridiculed in the media.

Here’s just one example: In 2004, a toddler whose parents had reportedly fed him a vegan diet died. However the child had not actually eaten any vegan food. In fact, he hadn’t eaten any food at all! He had lost his appetite because he’d contracted pneumonia and hadn’t received medical treatment for the condition. The child had not been fed a healthy, vegan diet – his parents believed in a special diet, which had been recommended by a self-appointed “nutritionist”. However, as far as nutritionists are concerned, that special diet has nothing to do with a healthy vegan diet. As it is too often the case, the media did not think it was necessary to do proper research or even try to learn the nutritional basics of a vegan diet. No, instead they denigrated veganism and approached the issue with their usual prejudices intact.

On the other hand, millions of people suffer and die because their meat-based diets – which are laden with animal fat – lead to obesity and all its consequences as well as to hypertension, heart attacks, angina pectoris, strokes, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Numerous studies have demonstrated a connection between the consumption of meat and dairy products and these diseases. Studies have also shown that many fish are contaminated with shockingly high levels of environmental toxins such as dioxin and heavy metals. If you can read German please visit www.fleisch-macht-krank.de (the website of the Medical Society for the Promotion of a Vegetarian Diet) for further information and to find studies that clearly prove the connection between meat- and dairy-based diets and disease. The fact that millions of people are victims of meat, eggs and dairy products is simply accepted as “normal” – it generates no outcry from the public or the media. However, if one person dies because his irresponsible parents fed him an irresponsible diet that people could only wrongly allegeas vegan, the incident sparks a huge public outcry and outrages clueless consumers and meat-industry representatives. The findings of scientists and the statements of renowned nutritionists and physicians strongly contravene the “lyrical rhapsodies” of non-professional journalists and meat, egg and dairy industry lobbyists. For example, in 2003, in a joint position paper, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and Dietitians of Canada (DC) commented on the health advantages of vegetarian and vegan diets. Some of the most renowned dieticians in the US and Canada belong to these organisations. The ADA alone has approximately 70,000 members. The position paper states, in part, “Well-planned vegan diets and other forms of vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Vegetarian diets are associated with a number of health advantages.” It goes on to say, “It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases”. “Dietetics professionals have a responsibility to support and encourage those who express an interest in consuming a vegetarian diet.”

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?

On the whole, this is a major health policy scandal. Preventing disease should be at least as important to health professionals as treating disease. However, the multibillion-dollar health system – with all its doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, etc – makes most of its money from the treatment of diseases. A comprehensive policy that emphasises prevention would deprive the health industry of the majority of its revenue. So in light of the influence that the health industry and the meat industry have on policy, it is no surprise that disease prevention – a goal which could be largely achieved through the adoption of healthier diets – is given relatively little consideration. Many food producers make a lot of money by selling unhealthy food. In turn, the health industry makes a lot of money by treating the diseases that result from unhealthy diets. It’s a vicious cycle in which humans, animals and the environment all suffer. Of course, any reasonably intelligent person can see that it is in his or her own best interests to adopt a healthy diet. My analysis of scientific studies on nutrition makes it clear that a vegan diet that is varied and carried out appropriately is the healthiest of all diets – and this is also proven by nutritionists’ conclusions. This conclusion should even be obvious to someone who knows very little about nutrition, as the connection between the consumption of meat, milk and cheese and major health risks is clearly documented. However, not every diet that eliminates meat, milk and cheese is healthy. Even though numerous scientific studies on nutrition conclude that most vegetarians and vegans are healthier than meat-eaters, a vegan diet still needs to be varied and well-balanced in order to be healthy! Vegans need to be particularly aware of potential sources of vitamin B12 because it is only produced by micro-organisms (bacteria) and so is found primarily in easily perishable animal-derived products such as meat, internal organs and milk. A potential lack of vitamin B12 is one of the major justifications that so-called “experts” use when advising against a vegan diet. As any responsible physician will tell you, in order to make a vegan diet healthy, it needs to be varied, and people who follow it need to be sure to get sufficient vitamin B12 by consuming enriched juices, breakfast cereals, soy milk, etc, and also by taking a B12 supplement to be on the safe side. Alternatively, vitamin B12 levels in the blood would have to be checked regularly. However, considering all the damage that meat, dairy products and fish do to the body, it would be absurd to reject a vegan diet only because of concerns about vitamin B12 deficiency. It simply doesn’t make sense to address a potential vitamin B12 deficiency – which can easily be avoided by eating enriched foods and taking supplements – by consuming meat, dairy products and other foods that clearly damage our health.

The connection between cancer, heart disease and other major illnesses has been confirmed by many scientific studies – as has the level of contamination of many ocean fish which has been tainted by water pollution. So not only is it a good idea to eliminate meat, eggs, dairy and seafood products from one’s diet, it is also necessary to do so in order to ensure good health. Personal observation has made one thing very clear to me over the years: People who speak out against veganism either do not know enough about it or make their living from the sale of meat, eggs and dairy products.

I highly recommend the following publications for further information:

What is Really Healthy For You and Your Skin

The scientific facts in a short form to assist you

Many people believe that “Natural" is the healthiest for your skin

Many people believe that “Natural” is the healthiest for your skin when infact, this is not always the case. Herewith some examples:

  • The most used preserving ingredients also occur in nature. The University of Kyoto found evidence that concluded that those preservatives can cause the skin to age three times faster.
  • Natural elements, such as ethereal oils can be the cause of severe allergies. Since 2005, certain designated fragrances derived from ethereal oils must be specifically declared, according to EU regulations.
  • It is thought that certain natural components may be a cause of cancer.

Fact: Nature is therefore not necessarily healthy. That is why our immune system does not decide between “natural” and “synthetic/chemical” but rather between “body identical” or ”body non identical” because the task of our immune system is to resist all damaging, non compatible substances, thereby keeping us healthy.

These facts are to be found in any medical textbook. The Dr. Baumann SkinIdent research under the direction of the medical doctor Dr. Ernst Walter Henrich and Dr. Thomas Baumann a doctor of natural sciences drew their conclusions for a really healthy skin and healthy beauty products from this research. They conceptualized and developed the skincare line SkinIdent which is a unique, one of a kind skincare line worldwide. SkinIdent contains only substances that are an integral part of the body and skin having been measured and proved scientifically.

The result is an outstanding allergological tolerance and a real Anti Aging effect achieved from optimal doses of vitamins and other highly effective ingredients. The SkinIdent VITAMIN CREAM was tested by “Ökotest” and awarded the highest notation “very good” (pamphlet 08.04)

SkinIdent supports both beauty and healthy skincare in complete harmony with your skin, your health and your wellbeing. It is a unique skincare line that has not existed previously. Further detailed information can be found in the SkinIdent Catalogue.

Fact: A really healthy skincare line takes the “nature of the skin” into account, meaning its composition, metabolism and its function. So according to this statement, all content and active ingredients in a skincare series should follow precisely this format and only this example should be relevant. It should be clear that just one incorrect ingredient in only one product can destroy every positive result.

What nutrition is the best for your skin and your health?

Certainly you have heard at least once that many illnesses are caused as a result of incorrect dietary habits. Nutrition and as a result the Nutrient supply have an overwhelming responsibility for the function and health of all our organs. How should one orientate oneself when it comes to such an important question of the right nutrition? Should we base our decisions according to the advertising done by food producers who most certainly want to earn richly from the sales of their products? Or from some self confirmed “nutrition gurus” who hold seminars and write books in order to enrich their bank accounts? Or perhaps choosing to rely on old dietary habits that have already made many people ill?

How can we find the kind of nutrition that ­protects our health in an optimal way and that perfectly treats and nourishes our skin from within?

The answer is so simple:

  • There are a great number of nutritionists who have published papers and articles from renowned universities and clinics throughout the world. A number of these papers can be found on internet sites like the “The medical community for the promotion of vegetarianism” (Ärztegesellschaft zur Förderung des Vegetarismus) www.fleisch-macht-krank.de. Those studies give us a clear and objective picture about what is healthy and what is unhealthy.
  • Also TV programmes are starting to inform people about the dangers of “supposedly” good products. See:
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxWELDqsSw
    www.myvideo.de/watch/127627/Wie_gesund_ist_Milch_wirklich
  • In 2003 the ADA (American Dietary Association) and the DC (Dieticians of Canada) ­published the results of a number of scientific studies on nutrition in a position paper ­ www.eatright.org announcing a joint statement of their position, the ADA and DC made a clear statement in support of the health advantages of vegetarianand vegan nutrition. The most acclaimed Nutritionists in the USA and Canada are to be found in these organisations. The ADA alone has 70,000 members. In the published paper it states that “Well planned vegan and other forms of vegetarian nutrition are suitable for every phase of our life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, early and late childhood, and adolescence. Vegetarian nutrition offers a list of advantages”.

They further state that: “It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the (DC) the Dieticians of Canada, that a reasonable, planned vegetarian diet is beneficial for good health. The nutrients are appropriate as are the health advantages for the prevention and treatment of specific illnesses. This serves to encourage and support a vegetarian diet."

Our recommendation: A diet that merely avoids food of animal origin is not healthy. Only a well planned and well balanced nutrition is effective and healthy. It must contain the most important nutrients in adequate proportions and avoid all nutrients of animal origin. We would be happy to advise you further on this important issue because we want to ensure that you receive the optimum treatment from without and within in order to ensure that you enjoy the best possible results for your skin and your health.