You don't need dairy it seems, to get your vitamin D. A small study of vegans consuming raw plant foods indicates that participants have
better bone health than experts previously believed. While vegans on a raw-foods diet have lower bone mass in the hip and lumbar spine, their
bone turnover rates appear to be normal.
Those studied also have lower levels of IGF-1, a growth factor regulated by calorie and protein intake. High levels of IGF-1 have been linked to
breast and prostate cancer.
ALSO IMPORTANT: Those eating raw foods have lower body fat and less inflammation, as determined by low levels of C-reactive protein
(CRP). C-reactive protein is a marker for heart and Alzheimer's diseases and other inflammatory conditions.
WHY ARE RAW FOODS BENEFICIAL?
Eaten when freshly picked (and not shipped halfway across the country), they may have more fiber and nutrients than cooked foods.
Enzymes tend to be more active in raw foods, aiding to their breakdown in the body. "Raw foods are digested easily and quickly, in
24 to 36 hours as opposed to 48 to 100 hours for cooked food," says nutritional consultant Brigitte Mars.
SELECTED SOURCES
"hint#1781; Raw-Food Eaters & Bone Health," www.bettykamen.com/hints, 3/30/05; "Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term vegetarian diet" by Luigi Fontana, MD, PhD, et al., Archives of Internal
Medicine, 3/28/05; Rawsome! by Brigitte Mars, Basic Health, 2004
Help us - Help you - by supporting the Easton Emergency Squad
Please mail your tax-deductible donation today.
Thank You!
Easton Emergency Squad
908 Packer Street
Easton, Pennsylvania 18042
Issues in Healthcare Series
compliments of
Easton Emergency Squad
Serving citizens in Easton and Glendon
