In 2007, it had jumped to 222 lbs. In 1913, we ate 40 lbs. of processed sugar per year. In 1999, we had moved to 147 lbs. In 1909, 294 lbs. of dairy was ingested individually; by 2006, we had increased to 605 lbs. The interesting part about these climbs, is that the deaths per year from heart disease and stroke has risen as well.
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn began a research study in 1985 that consisted of 18 patients with heart disease. His research lasted for five years, and at the end of the 5 years of a steady plant based diet, Dr. Caldwell's patients had an angiogram. Every one of them had halted the progression of their disease and 4 had signs of a possible reversing of their disease. What Dr. Esselstyn had discovered was that our endothelial cells, are affected by our diet. Endothelial cells are what line our blood vessels and allow blood to travel through our veins without sticking. They are able to do this because the cells manufacture Nitric Oxide. Nitric Oxide also helps dilate constricted blood vessels during physical activity and stops the formation of plaque on them. When we are teenagers, we have enough endothelial cells that if stretched our correctly would cover 6 or 7 tennis courts. Our westernized diet of meat products destroys these endothelial cells. A man that is in his 50's to 60's that has had a consistent westernized diet has destroyed his endothelial cells down to about the span of one tennis court. Without these cells, our blood travels slower and our plaque builds faster, and we all know what that leads to. There is a silver lining in this though. When a person dedicates to a whole foods plant based diet, they can repair the damage done as well as begin to regenerate the endothelial cells!!.
We've all heard of Osteoporosis, although unless in your 60's you probably haven't worried about it too much. Osteoporosis is the degeneration of calcium in your bones. Without calcium in your bones, they become frail and brittle; much easier to break.
