By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I wouldn’t blame you if you looked at the title of a recently published study “Plant-based Diets and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Large Prospective Multi-Center Study” and concluded that this was a study of vegans (1). It was not, however, a study of vegans or of any sort of vegetarians, despite the mention of “plant-based diets” in the article’s title. “Plant-based,” as we’ve discussed on our website and in Vegan Journal (previously Vegetarian Journal), can mean anything from eating lots of plants (but also using animal products), to avoiding red meat, to being vegan. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have a legal definition of “plant-based.”

Let’s look at this study’s methods to see who the study subjects were and what led the researchers to indicate that their study was of plant-based diets. First, a bit of history. In 2016, researchers from Harvard University’s School of Public Health published a paper which used information collected from three large studies to examine the association between diet and type 2 diabetes (2). They created three indexes (tools) for evaluating the subjects’ diets.

The first index was an overall plant-based diet index in which plant foods received a positive score and animal products received a negative score. A higher score on this index meant that one was eating more plant foods but did not indicate whether or not they were vegan.

The second index was called a healthful plant-based diet index in which “healthy plant foods” (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, tea/coffee) received positive scores and “less healthy plant foods” (fruit juices, sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes, sweets/desserts) and animal foods received negative scores. A higher score on this index meant that one was eating more healthy plant foods but did not indicate whether or not they were vegan.

The third index was called an unhealthful plant-based diet index in which positive scores were assigned to “less healthy plant foods” (fruit juices, sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes, sweets/desserts) and negative scores were assigned to “healthy plant foods” (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, tea/coffee) and animal foods. A higher score on this index meant that one was eating more unhealthy plant foods. Again, despite use of “plant-based” the diets being evaluated included animal products.

These tools were used to examine the association between risk of type 2 diabetes and diets with higher scores on the plant-based diet index, the healthful plant-based diet index, and the unhealthful plant-based diet index (1). Since the original study was published, many other studies have used these indices to evaluate the relation between so-called plant-based diets and disease.

The previously mentioned study of “plant-based diets” and pancreatic cancer used these three plant-based indices to evaluate the association between diet and pancreatic cancer (2). More than 100,000 U.S. adults answered questions about which foods they ate and how often they ate them. Subjects were not vegans. They were then followed for an average of almost 9 years to see who would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Those with higher scores on the healthful plant-based diet index had a lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer; those with higher scores on the unhealthful plant-based diet index had a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

These results support the importance of choosing healthful plant foods and limiting use of unhealthful plant foods. They do not allow any conclusions to be made about vegan diets.

References

1. Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Rimm EB, et al. Plant-based dietary patterns and incidence of type 2 diabetes in US men and women: Results from three prospective cohort studies. PLoS Med. 2016;13(6):e1002039.
2. Zhong GC, Li Z, You AJ, Zhu Q, Wang CR, Yang PF. Plant-based diets and the risk of pancreatic cancer: a large prospective multicenter study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023;117(2):235-242.

To read more about what a plant-based diet means see:

What Does Plant-Based Mean To the Public?

Definition of Plant-based

What Does Plant-based Actually Mean?

Normally vegan meals on airlines can be hit or miss. We were happy to get great meals for both breakfast and dinner on a recent El Al flight from Newark, NJ to Tel Aviv, Israel. Both were quite filling! Breakfast included scramble tofu with potatoes and veggies, fresh fruit, raw veggies, and a chocolate pastry. Dinner was a bialy with hummus, health salad, rice/lentils/succotash main dish, as well as a chocolate vegan mousse.

Our return flight had different meal options that were delicious too. Please note that you want to request this option: Pure vegetarian (vegan) meal (VGML): meal contains no eggs, dairy products or animal products

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

A growing body of research shows that a vegan diet has a substantially lower ecological (or environmental) footprint than a meat-based or even a vegetarian diet. For a recent review, see our article from 2021.

Adding to the evidence in favor of plant-based diets is a 2022 article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Michael Clark and colleagues. In this blog post, The VRG offers article highlights, pros and cons, and suggested ways you can use this information in your daily life. (Note: For other comments, please see Reed Mangels’ post on this article.)

Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products: Article Highlights

Here’s a summary of the major conclusions from this research.

• More nutritious foods tend to be more environmentally sustainable, that is, have fewer
• ecological footprints).
• Like-for-like substitutes (for example, meat analogs for meat) can have highly variable environmental and nutritional impacts.
• Research methodology was based on percent composition of ingredients from package labels or estimated from similar products; relied on reputable nutrition and environmental databases to determine impacts.
• Foods with low environmental impacts tend to have water as a major ingredient (sugary drinks) or plant-based ingredients (chips, crackers).
• Foods with high environmental impacts tend to have animal ingredients (beef jerky).
• To test the algorithm’s accuracy, the researchers compared the environmental impact scores generated using the methodology described above to scores estimated when ingredient composition in the same products was not known. The estimated environmental impact score was within 10% of the known score for 66% of products; within 25% for 85%. From this, the authors concluded that their method was sound.
• According to the authors, here is the listing of food products from a major UK retailer ranked with those with the lowest environmental impact to those with the highest:
  • Sugary drinks/beverage with mostly water
  • Vegetables, snacks (e.g., chips), dairy and meat alternatives, some cereal grains, and breads
  • Desserts (e.g., cakes), other cereals and breads, and prepared foods (e.g., pizzas)
  • Nuts, sweet and savory spreads, cheese, fish, and some meats (pork and poultry)
  • Beef and lamb products
• Researchers stated that their analysis revealed that a “…lack of ingredient sourcing information is a potential limitation.” So, to calculate more accurate environmental impact scores, they called for greater transparency from companies about their ingredient sourcing.
• When pairing environmental impact with nutritional impact (using a system called NutriScore), they found that, like their previous research on single-ingredient foods, multi-ingredient healthy foods generally have low environmental impacts compared to less healthy foods with multiple ingredients. Here is the breakdown considering both environmental and nutritional impacts. (Note: low nutritional impact means the food is not nutritious.)
  • Foods with low environmental impact/high nutritional impact: fruits, vegetables, salad, breakfast cereals, some breads, and meat alternatives (e.g., tofu, vegan sausages)
  • Foods with high environmental impact/low nutritional impact: cheese, chocolate, savory pies, and quiches
  • Foods with high environmental impact/high nutritional impact: fish and seafood, nuts, and some prepared meals. They also included beef and lamb in this category, stipulating that beef leads to negative health outcomes in “high-income and high-consuming contexts,” but “…animal-based foods in food-insecure contexts can be integral to nutrition security.”
  • Foods with low nutritional impact/low environmental impact: sweet cakes and pies, sugary drinks, frozen desserts, and table sauces
  • Higher-environmental impact breakfast cereals: granola or those containing chocolate
  • Lower-environmental impact pot pies: “…predominantly vegetarian or vegan.”
• When looking at the claim that “Replacing meat, dairy, and eggs with plant-based alternatives could have large environmental and health benefits in places where consumption of these foods is high,” to see if it were true, they discovered (when considering these examples):
  • Environmental impact of sausages: beef or lamb sausages had on average a 240% higher impact than pork sausages, which had a 100% higher impact than chicken and turkey sausages, which had a 170% higher impact than vegan and vegetarian sausages.
  • Health impact of sausages: beef, lamb, or pork sausages had a 20% higher nutritional impact than chicken and turkey sausages, which in turn had a 75% higher impact than vegan and vegetarian sausages.
  • Environmental impact of pesto: “Nuts were determinants of high environmental impacts, while dairy was a driver of poor nutrition quality.”
  • Environmental impact of lasagna: “…beef lasagna having the highest impact, pork and poultry lasagna having intermediate impacts, and vegetarian and vegan lasagna having the lowest impacts. There were no significant differences in the nutrition impact of different types of lasagna.”
  • Environmental and health impacts of cookies: “…chocolate was a key determinant of both environmental and nutrition, with cookies containing chocolate having, on average, a 13% worse nutrition composition and a 46% higher environmental impact.”
• In considering the effect of changing ingredient sourcing on impacts, (for example, changing country of origin or farming method), the authors said it was “…unlikely to result in meat-based sausages and lasagna having lower environmental impacts than vegetarian and vegan products, but it could result in nut-based pesto and chocolate cookies having lower environmental impacts than their counterparts.”
• The researchers concluded that “…across retail categories, many of the most nutritious food (but not drink) categories are also among the most environmentally sustainable.” This means there “…does not need to be a tradeoff between nutrition and environment.”

Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products: Pros of Article

Here are some pros of the article:

• Breadth. The article provides a good snapshot of the multitude of food products on the market today by considering all major food categories in the UK and Ireland.
• Depth. By considering four major environmental parameters (greenhouse gas emissions, scarcity-weighted water use, land use, and aquatic eutrophication potential) and nutritional value as determined by NutriScore, the article provides a comprehensive look at the environmental-nutritional impacts of various foods.
• Statistical analysis. The article’s multiple statistical analyses allow the researchers to make trustworthy conclusions about the certainty of their findings.
• Helpful information for people who eat mostly processed food purchased in UK and Irish grocery stores. Unlike most research on this topic, this article considers the environmental impacts of all ingredients in store-bought food products based on their percentage in the product and country of origin (when possible).

Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products: Cons of Article

Here are some points we hope the authors will consider for future work on this topic. The VRG reached out to the researchers with questions related to these points, but did not yet receive a reply.

• Assumption that personal carbon footprint matters. An idea created by a fossil fuel corporation as a marketing tactic personal carbon footprint shifts responsibility and the spotlight away from companies supplying climate-damaging products and making tax-free, heavily subsidized huge profits from them, and places it markedly and unwittingly on individuals. While personal food choices have different environmental impacts, a focus instead on the current agricultural industry’s environmental impact would make the need for systemic change readily apparent if human civilization is to survive the 21^st
• Narrow focus The article considered food products in the United Kingdom and Ireland only. We’d like to see how applicable these conclusions are to other countries, including the United States and other major carbon emitters (e.g., China).
• Unclear why the researchers used France’s NutriScore. The researchers are based in the UK. NutriScore is based on the British Food Standards Agency’s nutrient profiling system.
• Placed equal weight on the four environmental indicators used in their algorithm. While greenhouse gas emissions, water stress, land use, and eutrophication potential are all relevant parameters when determining environmental impact, it is not true that all are equally important for a given ingredient in all cases. The following series of graphs on milks is a case in point (almond and rice milks). An analysis reflecting this fact would be more realistic.

Restricted number of environmental metrics. Although the list is long of what the authors could have chosen, inclusion of differences in pesticide use and deforestation rates to produce certain foods will enhance knowledge of the specific environmental costs to produce some foods. Although these costs might be embedded in the chosen parameters, delineating it further may influence someone’s decision to purchase certain foods as well as call needed attention to the food category as environmentally damaging in those ways. For instance, since palm oil production necessitates mangrove forest destruction, foods containing ingredients derived from palm oil should receive higher environmental impact scores compared to foods that don’t use palm oil-derived ingredients.

• Did not consider the deep uncertainty inherent in the effects of the climate crisis on the nutritional value of foods or the likelihood of their cultivation. Investigators are just beginning to assess or predict how the climate crisis will impact crops and the nutritional profiles of foods. Also, as soil is degraded by industrialized agriculture, nutritional values of foods are adversely affected. Considering the statistically relevant notion of deep uncertainties in issues related to the climate crisis would likely reduce the confidence levels of the authors’ conclusions.
• It may be cheaper to eat at restaurants than at home. According to a 2022 analysis, food inflation is greater at home than at restaurants. So grocery store information is not helpful. Analyzing data from popular restaurants would be more useful.
• Not helpful for individuals on a whole foods diet. If you are on a whole foods diet, Poore & Nemecek’s 2018 article is more informative. org presents this information, as well as data on food products from Clark, et. al.’s article reviewed here. Helpful tables covering the environmental impacts looking at single metrics (for example, carbon footprint) or composite impacts of four environmental parameters are available.

How You Can Use the Information from Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products

• If you’d like to consider the impact on the environment that your food choices have, you may use this article as a:
• General guideline when shopping in a grocery store
• Validation for your vegan food choices
• Way to assess the nutritional value you obtain from foods in light of their environmental costs
• Cross check on the criteria of a growing number of ecolabels appearing on food items

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own

A Vegetarian Resource Group member recently reported that it was easy to find vegan food in Iceland, even in remote areas. Pictured is a vegan nut steak with couscous. All week she found excellent vegan soups as well.

By Odette Olivares, MSN, VRG volunteer

In this social media era where we can easily access a high amount of information, it is difficult to critically analyze every piece of information, especially those that belong to areas in which we are not knowledgeable. Additionally, properly communicating risks of food contaminants can be quite challenging for scientists, public health agents, and health professionals since people tend to underestimate risks and overestimate benefits. Periconception, pregnancy, lactation, and infancy are critical periods for brain development, future health, and growth. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to have clarity on nutrition guidelines and contaminant risks during those life stages.

On February 9^th and 10^th 2023, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a two-day virtual workshop on research in risk communication, environmental contaminants in food, and the role of nutrition related to child development. This workshop supported the FDA’s Closer to Zero action plan, and their goal to reduce dietary exposure to arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury while maintaining access to foods that help to provide nutrients essential for child growth and development.

Conrad Choiniere, FDA Office of Analytics and Outreach director, explained that contaminants are naturally occurrent in soil, water, and air, but can also derive from human activity. For example, pollution can result in contamination. Fruits, vegetables, and grains can contain contaminants; despite this potential contamination, these foods are fundamental components of a healthy diet. Reducing these contaminants requires a multidisciplinary science-based approach and the joint effort of experts, researchers, nutritionists, and societies.

Intakes of magnesium, vitamin D, E, iron, and folate tend to be below the recommended levels in women’s diets prior to and during pregnancy. This is caused by poor food choices and could be solved by increasing the consumption of foods high in these nutrients. However, the increased consumption of nutritious foods could be accompanied by an increased risk of greater intake of contaminants.

Anna Siega-Riz, Dean and Professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Biostatistics, and Epidemiology, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, talked about nutrient deficiencies in pregnant and lactating women and shared the FDA’s Total Diet Study Report results. This study focused on analyzing food samples and detecting heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, and methylmercury.

The highest concentrations of cadmium are found in plant foods and it is present in most vegetable samples even if at low levels. Sunflower seeds, spinach, and lettuce were the plant foods with the highest cadmium concentrations. Lead was not detectable in 86% of food samples but was present in baby foods, sweet potatoes, teething biscuits, sandwich cookies, and white wine. The highest concentrations of arsenic and methylmercury were found in baked cod, canned tuna, fish sticks, baked salmon, and shrimp. Rice and rice products were also among foods with the highest arsenic concentrations.

Good nutrition helps to protect against the hazards associated with environmental contaminants such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and methylmercury. Avoiding healthy foods because of fear of contaminants might cause more harm than good, so parents should prioritize including a wide variety of healthy foods to achieve U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

photo from MorningStar Farms® of Veggie Chik’n Nuggets

Below is a list of some of the vegan chicken-style products available today.

Alpha Foods offers Original Chik’n Nuggets Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n. Chick’n Strips, Crispy Chick’n Patties, and Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n Patties. For more details, see: https://www.eatalphafoods.com/products#NUGGETS

BeLeaf produces Drumsticks, Half Chicken, Patties, Nuggets, and Crispy Nuggets. See: https://www.beleafvegan.com/MeatlessProducts.php

Better Chew offers Fried Chicken Nuggets. See: https://eatbetterchew.com/

Beyond Chicken offers Beyond Chicken Tenders. For details, see: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/beyond-chicken-tenders

Daring Foods produces Plant-Based Chicken Pieces in several varieties including Original, Breaded, Cajun, and Lemon & Herb. For information, see: https://www.daring.com/

Field Roast sells Classic Nuggets and Buffalo Wings. See: https://fieldroast.com/products/

Gardein offers Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’n Tenders, Chick’n Fillets, and Chick’n Nuggets. They also offer Crispy Chik’n Sliders, Chick’n Patties, Golden Chick’n Nuggets, Nashville Hot Chick’n Tenders, Spicy Gochujang Style Chick’n Wings, and Chipotle Georgia Style Chick’n Wings, Chick’n Strips, Teriyaki Chick’n Strips, Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n, Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings, Chipotle Lime Flavored Chick’n Tenders, and Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini. For details on all these products, see: https://www.gardein.com/chickn-and-turky

Hungry Planet produces Chicken Pattie sand Chicken Chipotle Patties. Visit https://www.hungryplanetfoods.com/ for information.

 Impossible Foods sells Chicken Nuggets and Wild Nuggies. See: https://impossiblefoods.com/products/chicken

Jack & Annie’s offers Nuggets made from Jackfruit. See: https://www.jackandannies.com/our-products/nuggets/

Lightlife produces The breaded Plant-Based Chicken Tenders and Plant-Based Fillets. See: https://lightlife.com/our-food/?active_filter=chicken

LikeMeat offers Chick’n Wings, Grilled Chick’n, BBQ Chick’n, Chick’n Pieces, and Chick’n Nuggets.
See: https://likemeat.com/us/products/

Lily’s Vegan Pantry offers Ginger Chicken, Chicken Bites, Gong Bao Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Smoked Drumsticks, Chicken Nuggets, Whole or Half Chicken, and Chicken Legs. See: https://www.lilysveganpantry.com/Vegan_Chicken_s/1516.htm

Morning Star Farms offers MorningStar Farms® Veggie BBQ Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Buffalo Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Original Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Zesty Ranch Chik’n Nuggets; and MorningStar Farms® Veggie Sweet Mustard Chik’n Nuggets. For details on these products, see: https://www.morningstarfarms.com/en_US/products/chikn.html

Skinny Butcher offers Crazy Crispy Chick’n Tenders and Nuggets. See: https://skinnybutcher.com/

Sweet Earth sells Frozen Vegan Mindful Chik’n. See: https://www.goodnes.com/sweet-earth/products/mindful-chikn/?tag=10951&category=8381

Tofurky sells Chick’n in several flavors including Lightly Seasoned, Thai Basil, Sesame Garlic, and Barbecue. For more information, see: https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/chickn/

VFC Foods offers Chick’n Fillets, Popcorn Chick’n, and Chick’n Bites. See: https://vfcfoods.com/en-us/

photo from No Whey Chocolate

Easter falls on April 9^th in 2023; however, you might want to shop for vegan Easter treats now!

Here’s some online shops offering vegan Easter Chocolate and Candy:

Divine Chocolate: https://shop.divinechocolateusa.com/Vegan-Easter-Gift-Set/p/DIV-EASTERVEGAN&c=DivineChocolate@Easter

No Whey Chocolate: https://nowheychocolate.com/easter-chocolate/

Natural Candy Store: https://www.naturalcandystore.com/category/vegan-candy

Lake Champlain Chocolates: https://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/seasonal-chocolates/easter-eggs-and-more/

photo from Dos Pink Tacos

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Cabo Vegan, 20 Main St., Brockton, MA 02301

If you are looking for vegan sandwich and sub catering for your next gathering, then Cabo Vegan is the perfect place for you! They are a takeout and catering vegan market offering popular menu items including the Twin Lobster-less Rolls made with hearts of palm, Veganaise, red onion, celery, and their house ocean veg spice blend, as well as their BBQ Chick’n Sliders made with their vegan BBQ chick’n, pickled red onions, pickles, and micro-greens.

Dos Pink Tacos, 1719 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85006

Dine on plant-based tacos, nachos, burritos, and sides. Enjoy brunch mimosas and champagne and be sure to try the Cheezy Gordita Crunchie and mini Churro Donuts. Their tortillas are house-made.

Good As Burgers (GABs), 800 Forrest St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Dine on burgers, chick ’n tenders, sloppy joes, fries, tots, or strawberry cheesecake.

It’s Cherry!, 961 Limahana Pl, Lahaina, HI 96761

It’s Cherry!, a self-proclaimed plant based burger joint, aims for health and sustainability by sourcing local ingredients from organic farms. The fare is Cherry Burgers–Impossible Patties with plant-based cheese, the usual fixings and varying sauces—some with jalapenos, others with grilled onions. Or reach for the gold with Maui Gold Burger sporting grilled pineapple. Craving that crisp-crunch? Crispy Chix Sandwiches (AKA Sandos) and crunchy slaw might fit the bill. To throw in some alliteration and even more crisp to your crunch, you could try Crispy crinkle fires. Five “made in house” Dipping Sauces include Garlic Aoli and Soy BBQ. If you’d rather not be naughty, there’s Maui Gold Nice Shake crafted with local Coconut “ice cream” and Maui Gold pineapple. It’s Cherry! is located in a Food Truck Park at an old sugar cane train station.

Kianga’s Kitchen, Marble City Market, 333 W. Depot Ave., Ste. 110, Knoxville, TN 37917

Enjoy Southern soul dishes with international ingredients including collard greens, sweet potatoes, quinoa, stews, vegan fried chicken, and more all made from scratch.

Osteria Vegana, Lansing Shuffle, 325 Riverfront Dr., Lansing, MI 48912

This indoor-outdoor dining experience overlooks Grand River, giving customers a lively yet relaxing lunch, dinner, or night at the bar. Osteria Vegana offers vegan Italian appetizers, entrees, salads, and pastries using locally sourced produce and fresh ingredients. Menu items include the Pasta Verde Piselli with sweet peas, pistachio, and garlic, as well as the Risotto Funghi with locally sourced mushroom, risotto Arborio, thyme, and garlic.

The Vegetarian Resource Group has compiled a list of Senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Nursing Home, and Other Senior Facilities in the USA that will accommodate vegetarians and in some cases vegans. This is a work in progress and if you know of any establishments that should be added to this list, please let us know. Our goal in this project is to persuade senior establishments to offer more vegan options on a regular basis. Sometimes by just asking you put the thought on their radar. We were successful in doing the same thing 20 years ago when we urged college campuses to add vegan options.

Here’s one new addition to our list:

Willow Valley Communities

450 Willow Valley Lakes Dr.

Willow Street, PA 17584

(717) 464-6800

Retirement Community with Senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Residential Medical Care including multiple levels of care
Serves vegetarian meals

Sample vegetarian dishes: Buttermilk fried portabella mushrooms, quiche Florentine with hush puppies, Italian white bean stew
Sample vegan dishes: Falafel wrap with Couscous, tacos with Beyond meat filling, pasta with vegan meatballs, eggplant curry over angel hair pasta, Southwestern cauliflower steak

You can find the entire list here: https://www.vrg.org/seniors/senior_vegan.php

To support this type of project, please donate here: www.vrg.org/donate

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A reader wrote to The Vegetarian Resource Group asking if the ideas we suggested in Vegan Journal about lowering LDL cholesterol would work for someone who has high cholesterol caused by genetics. We thought that was a great question and wanted to share our response.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that our bodies need for good health. It is produced by the liver and can also come from foods. Foods that are high in cholesterol include egg yolks, shellfish, and liver. Even if your diet does not contain cholesterol, your liver is able to make all the cholesterol that you need. Our bodies need cholesterol to make cell membranes and many hormones.

Cholesterol is transported in our blood by lipoproteins. Cholesterol that is transported by a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol can cause fatty deposits, called plaque, to build up in the arteries. This can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. High LDL cholesterol is often due to unhealthy lifestyle habits such as eating excess saturated fat and not getting enough exercise. Genes inherited from your parents can also cause high LDL cholesterol and high total cholesterol.

There is a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia which is a genetic disorder that causes high LDL cholesterol levels and affects about 1 in 250 people. For those with familial hypercholesterolemia, diet and exercise are not likely to lower cholesterol in the blood to a healthy level. It’s still important to exercise and eat a healthy diet if you have familial hypercholesterolemia, but medications are typically needed to help control cholesterol levels according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you are wondering if you have familial hypercholesterolemia, you could have your LDL cholesterol level checked. According to the CDC, one of the main signs of familial hypercholesterolemia is LDL cholesterol levels over 190 mg/dL in adults.

Someone with familial hypercholesterolemia could be on a diet completely free of cholesterol but their body would continue to over-produce LDL cholesterol which would appear in the blood and would increase the risk of heart disease and stroke

To read more about cholesterol and heart health see:

How Much Cholesterol Do I Need?

Heart Healthy Diets: The Vegetarian Way

Puzzling Nutrition Information on Food Labels – Cholesterol in Vegan Foods?

Cholesterol in Plants?

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.