Did you know that Kyrie Irving is Vegan? He is a 26-year-old NBA champ and is a five-time NBA All-Star. He switched to a vegan diet after watching a health documentary called “What The Health.” Becoming vegan can help athletes increase stamina and endurance, which can positively affect their performance. I’ll convey a variety of major biological benefits that a vegan diet can give an individual even if they are not an athlete. People who want to be healthier and have increased physical ability or people who are anti-plant based should try being vegan because it helps increase blood flow, lowers the chance of heart disease, reduces inflammation, and provides more endurance.
One reason people who desire increased health should try being vegan is increased blood flow. The Game Changers website worked with professors and found data while working with: Harvard University, American College of Cardiology, University College London, City University of London, Yale University, and Dartmouth College. A plant based diet increases blood flow thus aiding in endurance and quicker recovery from exercise. According to their studies; “Research has shown that just two hours after eating a heavy animal-based meal, arteries can constrict by 40%, essentially causing a traffic jam. The calorie-matched plant-based meal allowed them to open freely for quick, easy transit (15)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The citation above shows that eating food that is not plant based makes your arteries and veins contract making it harder for the blood to get through. This makes it harder for parts of your body (like organs) to receive the nutrients from your blood in different parts of the body. “There is also a common ingredient found in plant-based foods like spinach, lettuce, carrots, and beets that actually signals our blood vessels to open, allowing more blood to flow through at a faster pace (16). This ingredient is nitrates which, unlike the cancer-causing nitrates in cured meats like bacon (17), serves another important function” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The citation above exhibit’s that certain edible plants have nitrates that help open up your veins and arteries unlike the statistics of those who consumed animal products. This makes it easier for your heart so that it doesn’t pump at too fast of a rate. The text above reveals how plant based eating opens up veins which allows more blood to come through to deliver more nutrients to important parts of the body. A Vegan diet also makes the blood not be too thick of a consistency so that it doesn’t cause blocks in veins, arteries, or organs. There are certain chemical compounds in plant based foods called nitrates that help naturally open up veins and arteries. These are not bad nitrates or nitrites; they are only found in plant compounds, not animal products. The studies also show that eating animal products is even worse for you because they make your veins and arteries contract which decreases the amount of blood able to travel through your veins. People who desire to be healthier should try being vegan because it increases their blood flow.
People who want to be healthier should try consuming a plant based diet, because it can reduce chances of heart disease. The researchers concluded; “Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease, stroke, and hypertension (also known as high blood pressure), is the world’s number-one killer, claiming twice as many lives as cancer (1,2). In the US, about half of all people have it, and one in four will die from heart disease (3,30)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Optimizing Health”). The studies above have shown that consuming animal protein has been shown through experiments to increase chances of heart disease well known to many people in the U.S.A. Many people who gain heart disease also acquire higher chances of death by heart disease. “A 2016 cohort study led by Harvard involving 131,342 participants found that every 10% increase in calories from animal protein led to a corresponding 8% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and concluded that “high animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality” (31). (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Optimizing Health”). The citations above convey that even the slightest increase of animal products will swell your chances of heart disease. Harvard came to the conclusion that more animal protein raises chances of dangerous heart disease. Whereas consuming plant protein reduces that possibility of heart disease. This study is also done on a large scale showing no favoritism in the variety of different people in the world. “The Heart is the centerpiece of life and. More often than not in America, it is the centerpiece of death. Malfunction of the heart and/or circulatory system will kill 40% of Americans, more than those killed by any other injury or ailment, including cancer. Heart disease has been our number one cause of death for almost 100 years. This disease does not recognize gender or race boundaries; all are affected” (Campbell 101). Campbell expounds how studies have shown that people who consume animal products are more likely to have heart disease. Heart disease is shown to be one of the top killers of humans in the U.S. Consuming animal proteins seems to also have an effect on heart disease. The data from Harvard and Campbell have shown how eating plant based can positively affect major aspects of your life. While eating animal products may be more comfortable, in the long run eating plant based will reduce your chances of heart disease and death. People who want to be healthier should try being vegan because it helps decrease chances of heart disease.
Another reason people who want increased health should try eating plant based because it reduces bodily inflammation. The researchers came to the point; “Inflammation is our body's natural immune response to injury, foreign invaders, or even exercise” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The info above shows how inflammation is a naturally occurring part of life, especially in recovering from physical challenges. “Left unchecked, or further intensified, inflammation can prolong healing time from injuries or sickness, and also increase soreness and swelling, slowing recovery between workouts and competitions. Chronic inflammation often begins with the same cellular response, but shifts in nature when the immune system fails to heal the injury effectively, eliminate the foreign invaders, or continues to respond to a threat that no longer exists” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). In the citation above it conveys that in Chronic Inflammation, sometimes the bacteria may attack healthy tissue and joints. This can cause even longer recovering times, and possibly long term injuries. “With research showing that a single hamburger can increase measures of inflammation by 70 percent (27)”(“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The text above shows that animal products have an abundance of pro-inflammatory molecules and bacteria. Eating more animal products causes more inflammation. Plants naturally have anti-inflammatory molecules which reduce inflammation. “The contrast between these two classes of food is dramatic, with plants having on average 64 times the antioxidant content of animal foods (28). This helps explain why switching to a plant-based diet can help reduce measures of inflammation by 29 percent in just three weeks (29)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). This info above shows the dramatic change in lowering inflammation a plant based diet has. “Eating plants also combats the inflammation caused by animal foods (27,35). Therefore, decreasing animal foods while increasing plant foods has a dual effect: it not only replaces pro-inflammatory compounds with anti-inflammatory ones, but also frees up the beneficial plant compounds to address the inflammation caused by exercise, injury, and sickness (36). The reduction in both acute and chronic inflammation reveals why so many plant-based athletes, including those featured in The Game Changers, report reduced DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), quicker recovery times after workouts and competitions, faster healing from injuries, reduced tendonitis and joint pain, improved immunity, and significantly increased career longevity” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The citations above show that you will receive more inflammation eating animal products because of certain toxins and pro-inflammatory compounds. When you have more inflammation it takes longer for your body to heal from soreness or other injuries. It is proven through studies that animal based foods have many pro-inflammatory chemical compounds and therefore cause more inflammation. Inflammation can also cause healthy tissue to be damaged if rates of inflammation are too high. Eating plant based causes a decrease in inflammation in a very quick amount of time. Our bodies weren’t created to deal with these major amounts of inflammation and toxins. Eating vegan helps because plants naturally have anti-inflammatory compounds and also have high doses of antioxidants which help your body keep free radicals out. Free radicals are molecules frequently linked with heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. People who want to become healthier ought to try being vegan because it reduces inflammation.
Another reason that people whose goal is to become healthier, should try eating plant based is due to the fact that it increases endurance. The researchers concluded; “...Nitrate-packed vegetables make muscles more efficient and help preserve our limited fuel supply, which can significantly affect stamina. In one study, for example, simply adding beet juice allowed test subjects to cycle 22% longer than those in the control group (12)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Increased Stamina”). The text above reveals that consuming foods high in nitrate helps increase endurance. Plants have the highest levels of healthy nitrates and nitrites. “In another study, recreational runners were able to shave 6% off their 5K run times just four days after switching to a plant-based diet. In this case, the researchers hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory nature of the antioxidant-rich plant foods also contributed to the faster run times (13)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Increased Stamina”). These studies show the results of two groups performing endurance exercises. One consuming plant based food and the other group eating animal products. As the text states the athletes consuming plant based food had a higher percentage of endurance through the whole test. More plant nitrates and antioxidants help open up the blood vessels which helps the blood flow easier to different organs and arteries providing the nutrients faster. These pieces of content reveal how consuming plant based foods will influence your bodily functions of endurance and inflammation rates. People who want to be healthier overall should try being vegan because it helps increase levels of endurance. This next section will display a fallacy thought to be a true fact of people who are vegan.
A lot of people believe that when you are eating plant based foods that you don’t get enough protein to support your body. According to the researcher’s studies; “Contrary to popular belief, the largest study comparing the nutrient intake of meat-eaters with plant-eaters showed that the average plant-eater not only gets enough protein, but 70% more than they need. Somewhat ironically, even meat-eaters get roughly half of their protein from plants (7). This should come as no surprise if you’re aware of the fact that a peanut butter sandwich contains about as much protein as three ounces of beef or three large eggs (8). (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Increased Stamina”). One misconception from the citation above is that plant protein doesn’t have all the essential amino acids. If you eat a variety of plants you will get all the amino acids just in varying proportions. The researchers concluded; “This would explain why, when it comes to gaining strength and muscle mass, research comparing plant and animal protein repeatedly demonstrates that as long as the right amount of amino acids are consumed, the source is irrelevant (11). Since we know that getting enough protein from plants needn’t be an issue, the far more important issue now comes into play: the package this protein comes in'' (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Cutting Out The Middleman”). The studies above shows that plant eaters can still get enough protein daily through beans, legumes, and grains. When most people think about being vegan is as if you eat only salads for every meal. The text indicates how even meat eaters get a large amount of their daily protein from plants naturally, which is not what meat eaters are purposefully trying to do. This shows how most protein is easiest to get from plants because people who eat animal protein naturally consume plant protein. Some people think that animal protein is better for you because it has all the essential amino acids. These amino acids can only be received by eating them because our bodies don’t naturally produce them. Plant food also has all the amino acids even though most people assume that they don’t. In this paragraph, we talked about a common misconception of people who are eating plant based/Vegan. So over this whole argument, we went over how being plant based can help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, lowers the chance of heart disease, and provides more endurance. The counterclaim was that people who are eating vegan don’t get enough protein. Where do cows get their protein from? They mostly eat grass which provides them with large amounts of protein. This proves that plants can also have protein. Increased blood flow occurs when you eat plant based which provides your body with more plant nitrites and nitrates that naturally communicate to your body to open up blood veins and arteries to let more blood through. It reduces inflammation because meat contains many proinflammatory molecules which increase bodily inflammation. Taking meat out of a diet will decrease inflammation due to the fact stated above. Consuming vegan products will decrease the chances of heart disease. Many studies have shown that eating animal protein has a large effect on the chances of having heart disease. Finally another perk of eating plant based is how it affects your endurance. It will increase your endurance because of the nitrites and nitrates which were talked about above. Those two molecules tell your veins/arteries to open up so that means that more blood travels through your body without your heart having to work as hard. This means that when it’s time to exercise it is easier to consistently do it longer because more nutrients are flowing through your bloodstream.
All this information has hopefully helped give you a better understanding of the benefits of being vegan. The next step is to choose whether this the right diet for you and to slowly implement it into your daily lives more and more. Being vegan is more than just a fad diet, it helps you perform at a higher level during physical activities. Many elite athletes have made the switch to a plant based diet and are now promoting them but the choice is yours to make.
Works Cited List
Campbell, Thomas M., and T. Colin Campbell. The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition. Benbella Books, 2016.
“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary.” Edited by Mechura Stephanie and Swietlik Dan, The Game Changers, 20 Sept. 2019, gamechangersmovie.com/.
One reason people who desire increased health should try being vegan is increased blood flow. The Game Changers website worked with professors and found data while working with: Harvard University, American College of Cardiology, University College London, City University of London, Yale University, and Dartmouth College. A plant based diet increases blood flow thus aiding in endurance and quicker recovery from exercise. According to their studies; “Research has shown that just two hours after eating a heavy animal-based meal, arteries can constrict by 40%, essentially causing a traffic jam. The calorie-matched plant-based meal allowed them to open freely for quick, easy transit (15)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The citation above shows that eating food that is not plant based makes your arteries and veins contract making it harder for the blood to get through. This makes it harder for parts of your body (like organs) to receive the nutrients from your blood in different parts of the body. “There is also a common ingredient found in plant-based foods like spinach, lettuce, carrots, and beets that actually signals our blood vessels to open, allowing more blood to flow through at a faster pace (16). This ingredient is nitrates which, unlike the cancer-causing nitrates in cured meats like bacon (17), serves another important function” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The citation above exhibit’s that certain edible plants have nitrates that help open up your veins and arteries unlike the statistics of those who consumed animal products. This makes it easier for your heart so that it doesn’t pump at too fast of a rate. The text above reveals how plant based eating opens up veins which allows more blood to come through to deliver more nutrients to important parts of the body. A Vegan diet also makes the blood not be too thick of a consistency so that it doesn’t cause blocks in veins, arteries, or organs. There are certain chemical compounds in plant based foods called nitrates that help naturally open up veins and arteries. These are not bad nitrates or nitrites; they are only found in plant compounds, not animal products. The studies also show that eating animal products is even worse for you because they make your veins and arteries contract which decreases the amount of blood able to travel through your veins. People who desire to be healthier should try being vegan because it increases their blood flow.
People who want to be healthier should try consuming a plant based diet, because it can reduce chances of heart disease. The researchers concluded; “Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease, stroke, and hypertension (also known as high blood pressure), is the world’s number-one killer, claiming twice as many lives as cancer (1,2). In the US, about half of all people have it, and one in four will die from heart disease (3,30)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Optimizing Health”). The studies above have shown that consuming animal protein has been shown through experiments to increase chances of heart disease well known to many people in the U.S.A. Many people who gain heart disease also acquire higher chances of death by heart disease. “A 2016 cohort study led by Harvard involving 131,342 participants found that every 10% increase in calories from animal protein led to a corresponding 8% increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and concluded that “high animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality” (31). (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Optimizing Health”). The citations above convey that even the slightest increase of animal products will swell your chances of heart disease. Harvard came to the conclusion that more animal protein raises chances of dangerous heart disease. Whereas consuming plant protein reduces that possibility of heart disease. This study is also done on a large scale showing no favoritism in the variety of different people in the world. “The Heart is the centerpiece of life and. More often than not in America, it is the centerpiece of death. Malfunction of the heart and/or circulatory system will kill 40% of Americans, more than those killed by any other injury or ailment, including cancer. Heart disease has been our number one cause of death for almost 100 years. This disease does not recognize gender or race boundaries; all are affected” (Campbell 101). Campbell expounds how studies have shown that people who consume animal products are more likely to have heart disease. Heart disease is shown to be one of the top killers of humans in the U.S. Consuming animal proteins seems to also have an effect on heart disease. The data from Harvard and Campbell have shown how eating plant based can positively affect major aspects of your life. While eating animal products may be more comfortable, in the long run eating plant based will reduce your chances of heart disease and death. People who want to be healthier should try being vegan because it helps decrease chances of heart disease.
Another reason people who want increased health should try eating plant based because it reduces bodily inflammation. The researchers came to the point; “Inflammation is our body's natural immune response to injury, foreign invaders, or even exercise” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The info above shows how inflammation is a naturally occurring part of life, especially in recovering from physical challenges. “Left unchecked, or further intensified, inflammation can prolong healing time from injuries or sickness, and also increase soreness and swelling, slowing recovery between workouts and competitions. Chronic inflammation often begins with the same cellular response, but shifts in nature when the immune system fails to heal the injury effectively, eliminate the foreign invaders, or continues to respond to a threat that no longer exists” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). In the citation above it conveys that in Chronic Inflammation, sometimes the bacteria may attack healthy tissue and joints. This can cause even longer recovering times, and possibly long term injuries. “With research showing that a single hamburger can increase measures of inflammation by 70 percent (27)”(“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The text above shows that animal products have an abundance of pro-inflammatory molecules and bacteria. Eating more animal products causes more inflammation. Plants naturally have anti-inflammatory molecules which reduce inflammation. “The contrast between these two classes of food is dramatic, with plants having on average 64 times the antioxidant content of animal foods (28). This helps explain why switching to a plant-based diet can help reduce measures of inflammation by 29 percent in just three weeks (29)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). This info above shows the dramatic change in lowering inflammation a plant based diet has. “Eating plants also combats the inflammation caused by animal foods (27,35). Therefore, decreasing animal foods while increasing plant foods has a dual effect: it not only replaces pro-inflammatory compounds with anti-inflammatory ones, but also frees up the beneficial plant compounds to address the inflammation caused by exercise, injury, and sickness (36). The reduction in both acute and chronic inflammation reveals why so many plant-based athletes, including those featured in The Game Changers, report reduced DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), quicker recovery times after workouts and competitions, faster healing from injuries, reduced tendonitis and joint pain, improved immunity, and significantly increased career longevity” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- The Plant-Based Advantage”). The citations above show that you will receive more inflammation eating animal products because of certain toxins and pro-inflammatory compounds. When you have more inflammation it takes longer for your body to heal from soreness or other injuries. It is proven through studies that animal based foods have many pro-inflammatory chemical compounds and therefore cause more inflammation. Inflammation can also cause healthy tissue to be damaged if rates of inflammation are too high. Eating plant based causes a decrease in inflammation in a very quick amount of time. Our bodies weren’t created to deal with these major amounts of inflammation and toxins. Eating vegan helps because plants naturally have anti-inflammatory compounds and also have high doses of antioxidants which help your body keep free radicals out. Free radicals are molecules frequently linked with heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. People who want to become healthier ought to try being vegan because it reduces inflammation.
Another reason that people whose goal is to become healthier, should try eating plant based is due to the fact that it increases endurance. The researchers concluded; “...Nitrate-packed vegetables make muscles more efficient and help preserve our limited fuel supply, which can significantly affect stamina. In one study, for example, simply adding beet juice allowed test subjects to cycle 22% longer than those in the control group (12)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Increased Stamina”). The text above reveals that consuming foods high in nitrate helps increase endurance. Plants have the highest levels of healthy nitrates and nitrites. “In another study, recreational runners were able to shave 6% off their 5K run times just four days after switching to a plant-based diet. In this case, the researchers hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory nature of the antioxidant-rich plant foods also contributed to the faster run times (13)” (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Increased Stamina”). These studies show the results of two groups performing endurance exercises. One consuming plant based food and the other group eating animal products. As the text states the athletes consuming plant based food had a higher percentage of endurance through the whole test. More plant nitrates and antioxidants help open up the blood vessels which helps the blood flow easier to different organs and arteries providing the nutrients faster. These pieces of content reveal how consuming plant based foods will influence your bodily functions of endurance and inflammation rates. People who want to be healthier overall should try being vegan because it helps increase levels of endurance. This next section will display a fallacy thought to be a true fact of people who are vegan.
A lot of people believe that when you are eating plant based foods that you don’t get enough protein to support your body. According to the researcher’s studies; “Contrary to popular belief, the largest study comparing the nutrient intake of meat-eaters with plant-eaters showed that the average plant-eater not only gets enough protein, but 70% more than they need. Somewhat ironically, even meat-eaters get roughly half of their protein from plants (7). This should come as no surprise if you’re aware of the fact that a peanut butter sandwich contains about as much protein as three ounces of beef or three large eggs (8). (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Increased Stamina”). One misconception from the citation above is that plant protein doesn’t have all the essential amino acids. If you eat a variety of plants you will get all the amino acids just in varying proportions. The researchers concluded; “This would explain why, when it comes to gaining strength and muscle mass, research comparing plant and animal protein repeatedly demonstrates that as long as the right amount of amino acids are consumed, the source is irrelevant (11). Since we know that getting enough protein from plants needn’t be an issue, the far more important issue now comes into play: the package this protein comes in'' (“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary- Cutting Out The Middleman”). The studies above shows that plant eaters can still get enough protein daily through beans, legumes, and grains. When most people think about being vegan is as if you eat only salads for every meal. The text indicates how even meat eaters get a large amount of their daily protein from plants naturally, which is not what meat eaters are purposefully trying to do. This shows how most protein is easiest to get from plants because people who eat animal protein naturally consume plant protein. Some people think that animal protein is better for you because it has all the essential amino acids. These amino acids can only be received by eating them because our bodies don’t naturally produce them. Plant food also has all the amino acids even though most people assume that they don’t. In this paragraph, we talked about a common misconception of people who are eating plant based/Vegan. So over this whole argument, we went over how being plant based can help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, lowers the chance of heart disease, and provides more endurance. The counterclaim was that people who are eating vegan don’t get enough protein. Where do cows get their protein from? They mostly eat grass which provides them with large amounts of protein. This proves that plants can also have protein. Increased blood flow occurs when you eat plant based which provides your body with more plant nitrites and nitrates that naturally communicate to your body to open up blood veins and arteries to let more blood through. It reduces inflammation because meat contains many proinflammatory molecules which increase bodily inflammation. Taking meat out of a diet will decrease inflammation due to the fact stated above. Consuming vegan products will decrease the chances of heart disease. Many studies have shown that eating animal protein has a large effect on the chances of having heart disease. Finally another perk of eating plant based is how it affects your endurance. It will increase your endurance because of the nitrites and nitrates which were talked about above. Those two molecules tell your veins/arteries to open up so that means that more blood travels through your body without your heart having to work as hard. This means that when it’s time to exercise it is easier to consistently do it longer because more nutrients are flowing through your bloodstream.
All this information has hopefully helped give you a better understanding of the benefits of being vegan. The next step is to choose whether this the right diet for you and to slowly implement it into your daily lives more and more. Being vegan is more than just a fad diet, it helps you perform at a higher level during physical activities. Many elite athletes have made the switch to a plant based diet and are now promoting them but the choice is yours to make.
Works Cited List
Campbell, Thomas M., and T. Colin Campbell. The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition. Benbella Books, 2016.
“The Game Changers Official Film Website: Documentary.” Edited by Mechura Stephanie and Swietlik Dan, The Game Changers, 20 Sept. 2019, gamechangersmovie.com/.
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