Disease prevention through a vegetarian or vegan diet

Objective: learn how a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet can help to

prevent certain chronic diseases

STARTER – Disease animation

• As a class, let’s explore this animation about diet, disease and veggie health http://www.teachvegetarian.com/disease-prevention-diet-lifestyle.

• As you can see, a plant-based diet can be packed full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals to protect your health.

Sugar, Fat and Disease

Normal function of sugar = provides us with short-term energy.Normal function of fats = to provide certain essential fatty acids and vitamins plus act as a secondary source of energy.

Sugar and Tooth DecayWhat is Tooth Decay How excessive sugar

consumption causes obesity

How a vegan diet can avoid obesity

Tooth Decay (or Dental Caries) is the disintegration of the hard tissues of the teeth (including the enamel).

Bacteria/plaque feed on the sugar to produce acid which attacks the enamel of the tooth.

Processed animal products (especially dairy) often contain higher levels of artificially added sugar. A plant-based diet rich in whole foods contains a healthier level of naturally occurring sugars only.

Sugar, Fat and ObesityWhat is obesity How excessive sugar and

fat consumption causes obesity

How a vegan diet can avoid obesity

Obesity is a condition in which an individual is very overweight with a high level of body fat.

Sugar that is not broken down for energy is instead stored as fat, which can lead to obesity.

1) As animal products (especially meat and dairy products such as hard cheeses) are often high in saturated fat, plant-based diets are generally lower in saturated fat, so vegetarians and vegans are less likely to become obese.

2) Processed animal products often contain higher levels of artificially added sugar. A plant-based diet rich in whole foods contains a healthier level of naturally occurring sugars only.

Sugar, Fat and DiabetesWhat is diabetes How excessive sugar and

fat consumption causes Type 2 diabetes

How a vegan diet can avoid diabetes

Insulin is needed for regulating carbohydrate (including blood sugar levels) and fat metabolism in the body. For Type 2 diabetics, either the body can still make some insulin but not enough or the body doesn’t react to insulin properly.

Sugar that is not broken down for energy is instead stored as fat. Too much fat leads to an interference with the body’s ability to react to insulin correctly.

1) As animal products are often high in saturated fat, plant-based diets are generally lower in saturated fat.

2) Processed animal products often contain higher levels of artificially added sugar. A plant-based diet rich in whole foods contains a healthier level of naturally occurring sugars only.

Sugar, Fat and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

What is coronary heart disease

How excessive sugar and fat consumption causes coronary heart disease

How a vegan diet can avoid coronary heart disease

CHD involves your heart's blood supply being blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

Too much saturated fat causes ‘bad’ cholesterol to be made which blocks up the coronary arteries, making it difficult for blood to pump around the body. This increases the chance of a blood clot, which can cause a heart attack.

1) As animal products are often high in saturated fat, plant-based diets are generally lower in saturated fat.

2) Processed animal products often contain higher levels of artificially added sugar. A plant-based diet rich in whole foods contains a healthier level of naturally occurring sugars only.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RCA_atherosclerosis.jpg

Salt and Diseases

Normal function of salt = maintains water balance within cells and is involved in proper functioning of both nerve impulses and muscles. Also aids blood pressure regulation.

Diseases caused by excessive salt consumption

• Too much salt is linked to high blood pressure

• This can lead to strokes and heart disease later in life

• Too much salt can also lead to kidney disease and demineralisation of bones

How can a plant-based diet avoid these?

• Processed animal products often contain higher levels of artificially added salt. A plant-based diet rich in whole foods contains a healthier level of salt.

Fibre – it’s a very good thing!Pictures of some sources Examples of sources Function

Fruit & Vegetables, Whole Grains (Pasta, Rice, Oats, Bread), Nuts, Beans, Peas, Lentils. These are plentiful in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Note – animal products contain no fibre.

• Keeps bowels healthy and regular (an important explanation of how this works is on the following slide)

• Slows sugar & fat absorption

• Reduces cholesterol

Fibre and the digestive system• The body cannot digest fibre – it

forms the bulk to help bowel movement

• It absorbs water – keeps the faeces soft/prevents constipation

• Soft faeces easily pass through the digestive system – so fibre helps the flow in the digestive system

• Small hard faeces do not pass easily through the colon, which causes ruptures in the intestine. The inner lining of the colon is pushed and distorted, causing diverticular disease

• Fibre helps to prevent various bowel disorders/bowel cancer/appendicitis/piles

Now show what you have learned…

…by answering this past paper exam question! You will mark your partner’s answer at the end.

Check your knowledge - DISEASE WORDSEARCH

• Find all the 9 terms associated with diet-related disease

• At the bottom of the page write how each one either a) can cause disease, b) prevents disease or c) is a disease caused by excessive consumption of one or more particular nutrient