I think we should follow the sensible advice of science writers like Michael Pollan, social critics like Eric Schlosser, nutritional experts who are not in the pockets of agribusiness like Marion Nestle, and food writers like Mark Bittman. They all concur that our dietary choices should NOT be dependent on the ever changing result of study after study - many of which that are flawed and biased by being sponsored by the food industry (continued).
What all the above mentioned people agree on is that a sensible diet that promotes longevity and good quality of life can be found by looking at the world, and which cultures tend to have vitality and long life spans. It turns out that in terms of longevity countries like Japan, France, and Italy top the list. None of these countries have large segments of the population that are strictly vegetarian or vegan (continued)
(continued from previous post) What these countries did have in common is a diet low in processed and refined foods, high in vegetable content, and meat consumption that is maybe 40 percent lower than Americans. If all it took for people to live long and healthy lives was a switch to vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, then India and China should have the healthiest population, because they have the largest vegetarian populations. This is simply not the case (continued).
(continued from previous post) So we can conclude that it is not a diet that excludes meat entirely or includes lots of it that is the best path to a healthy and long life. What facilitates a long and healthy life to is follow the lead of Japan, France and Italy. Consume 3 to 4 times more vegetables and fruits than the meat you consume, use meat sparingly but dont eliminate it, and stay away from overly processed/refined foods, and most importantly, EAT SMALLER PORTIONS.
