SEEKING THE OPTIMAL DIET TO MAXIMIZE DISEASE REVERSAL AND LONGEVITY

• Joel Fuhrman

President of the Nutritional Research Foundation; board-certified family physician and nutritional researcher; author of five New York Times best sellers on superior nutrition, weight loss, and longevity

Food can be divided into four main categories; produce, whole grains, refined or highly processed foods, and animal products. Americans consume about 55 percent of calories from refined foods and approximately 30 percent of calories from animal products, with only about 15 percent of calories from a combination of whole grains and produce. This small amount of produce, especially greens, mushrooms, onions, seeds, colorful vegetables, and fruits, leads to an overall deficiency in micronutrients, especially antioxidants and phytochemicals necessary for normal health, cellular repair, and healthy immune function.

Animal products do not contain a significant micronutrient load compared to vegetables, and they are void of antioxidants and phytochemicals. It is well established that modest micronutrient insufficiency is ubiquitous and can lead to an increase in free radicals, inflammation, DNA damage, mitochondrial decay, and telomere decay, laying the foundation of disease and premature aging. If we classify phytochemicals as a form of micronutrients because of their relation to immune function, disease protection, and longevity, then we must classify almost all Americans (both vegetarians and meatatarians) as micronutrient deficient, especially regarding micronutrients derived from green vegetables.

Using the presence or absence of animal products as the distinguishing characteristic is a narrow and unsatisfactory way to characterize a diet designed to maximize health and disease reversal. A vegan diet is defined as one free of animal-based foods. A “plant-based” diet is often used in place of the word vegan, though the meaning of that term is questionable, especially considering that the word based is generally understood to mean the majority (over 50 percent). Even the standard American diet (SAD) with 30 percent of calories from animal products can be accurately called “plant-based.”

A vegan diet may or may not be healthful depending on its design, and even when carefully designed, supplementation is necessary to ensure adequacy of all nutrients. Furthermore, the potential risk of consuming animal products can be largely obliterated by a reduction in their use, rather than a total elimination. There are multiple long-term studies that document reduction in both cardiovascular death (strokes and heart attacks) and cancer deaths in diets lower in animal products. The precise amount of animal products allowed to maximize prevention of disease and enhance longevity has not been determined.

It has become increasingly evident that higher levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are linked to increased early life mortality, higher incidence of cancer, and premature aging, including aging of the brain. It is also well established that diets with excessive amount of animal protein elevate IGF-1 and that optimally low levels are not achieved until a significant reduction in animal products is maintained in the diet. Eating more plant protein and less animal protein is a simple formula to extend the human lifespan. Studies generally demonstrate that above 5 to 10 percent of calories from animal products can raise IGF-1 significantly.¹

I propose that, after reviewing the preponderance of evidence on these issues, the vast majority of informed nutritional scientists and physicians who have no predetermined agenda or bias would be forced to agree on these three dietary principles:

1. Vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, and fruits are good for you.

2. Excessive amounts of animal products increase chronic disease risk.

3. Refined carbohydrates promote chronic disease and lead to overweight and obesity.

I have observed for more than twenty years that a diet designed around natural plant foods with the liberal use of greens, nuts, and beans has resulted in long-term sustained weight loss and reversal of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease in thousands of overweight individuals. We surveyed 768 of these people, and tracked a reduction in their caloric drive and addictive sensations that drove overeating behavior in their past.² Those most adherent to the program had the most modified reduction in hunger.

Now is the time to take advantage of modern nutritional science. One thing we know for sure: The way Americans are eating today has resulted in a sickly, medically dependent society, with healthcare costs that are unsustainable and needless suffering and tragedies.