Preventing the Leading Causes of Death in the US

I wanted to share this powerful video on how we can prevent the leading causes of death.  Important stuff, right?  I highly recommend watching all (or at least part) of this video.  To summarize and hopefully encourage you to watch it, Dr. Michael Greger presents scientific facts on how we can prevent 14 of the 15 leading causes of death. In the US, the 15 leading causes of death (in order) are:

1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer
3. Respiratory Disease, (COPD, Emphysema)
4. Stroke
5. Accidents
6. Alzheimer’s Disease
7. Diabetes
8. Kidney Failure
9. Influenza
10. Suicide
11. Blood Infection
12. Liver Disease
13. High Blood Pressure
14. Parkinson’s Disease
15. Pneumonia

And interestingly enough, the medical system, when you look at side effects from prescription drugs, medical mistakes and hospital acquired infections, results in 187,000 deaths per year making it the 3rd leading cause of death in the US!  (Good reason to avoid unnecessary doctor visits).

 ALL of these leading causes of death, with the exception of accidents, can be prevented or combated with a strict vegetarian (i.e.: vegan) diet.

Don’t worry if you are a devoted meat eater.  Small changes in your diet like adding in greens at every meal and cutting out meat a few days a week will still have a positive influence on your health.

But, for me, I have found the vegan route to be the best option.  For example, in one year, my cholesterol has dropped 38 points, and my triglycerides (the measure of fat in the blood) dropped 104 points!  That’s proof enough for me.

Here is the link to the video   http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/

Onions!

The next Super Food that should be part of our diets is the Onion.

  Onions, along with leeks, garlic, shallots, and scallions, are part of the Allium family of vegetables.  They are characterized by their rich content of thiosulfinates, sulfides, sulfoxides, and other odoriferous sulfur compounds. These compounds are released when onions are chopped, which is also what makes our eyes water when we chop onions!

The phytochemicals in onions, namely allium and allyl disulphide, can protect us from cancer (namely gastric and prostate cancer) as they detoxify carcinogens, halt cancer cell growth, and block the formation of blood vessels to a tumor (angiogenesis) (1).  They protect us from diabetes as they help lower blood sugar levels.  They also help reduce cholesterol and have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Additionally, the phytochemicals in onions reduce blood pressure, and block platelet clot formation, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.  (2)  Onions are also a rich source of chromium which also helps control blood sugar levels.

They are also good source of quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid, which has anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic functions.

Onions are also a good source of B vitamins and vitamin C

So how much onion should we eat?  Studies have shown that for colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer, between 1-7 servings of onion has been shown to provide risk reduction. But for decreased risk of oral and esophageal cancer, we’ll need to consume one onion serving per day (approximately 1/2 cup). (2). So cut them up and throw them in soups and add them to other vegetable dishes daily.

Sources

1. http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/gombbs.aspx
2. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/onion.html
3. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=45&tname=foodspice
4. http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/blog/onion-nutrition-facts-%E2%80%93-health-benefits-of-onions