The potential of diet to alter disease processes

Diet is a strong factor in the control of atherosclerosis relating to general vascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke. The interrelated disorders in atherosclerosis of hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension are strongly subject to dietary influence. The type of dietary protein, animal versus plant, appears to be as important as the type of lipid, animal versus plant, in atherosclerosis. Dietary protein type, with its differing amino acid ratios, appears to be a major secretagogue of insulin. Diabetes mellitus, or Type II, diabetes is a related disease where diet is a possible causal or at least a strong contributing factor. Diet is the beginning and continuing basis for the control of Type II diabetes. Interestingly, diabetics have a high incidence of atherosclerosis. Renal failure has a long history of treatment with protein-restricted diets. Dietary plant protein is a possible therapy mechanism for the treatment of chronic and acute renal failure. Patients with rheumatic arthritis appear to be helped by specialized dietary approaches. A few examples of the use of vegetarian diets look very promising. Individual arthritic sensitivities or reactivities to certain foods appear to warrant more study. Osteoporosis is a disease or metabolic disturbance, particularly in postmenopausal women, that shows a need for very high dietary calcium intake. High calcium requirements appear to be related to the very high protein intake of the modern Western diet. A decreased protein intake, as can be obtained on a total vegetarian (vegan} diet, can allow for calcium balance, in a variety of age groups, from one-third to one-fifth the amount of daily calcium required on the Western diet. Cancer of the breast, colon and prostate appears to have a strong dietary relationship. The incidence of cancer is significantly greater on the modern Western diet than on a vegetarian or vegan diet. The greater antioxidant vitamin content, higher fiber level, higher complex carbohydrate, more unsaturated and less saturated fat, along with a variety of anticancer like compounds in vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and fruits are all dietary factors that appear to reduce the risk of cancer.