Research using plant oils shows a 70 per cent lower risk of death in high-risk patients who have already had one heart attack - more than twice the reduction found in similar studies using oily fish. The report also finds that the average consumption of oily fish is just one-third the recommended level and is unlikely to offer any major health benefits. One of the most disturbing findings is the contamination of most fish and fish oil supplements with toxic chemicals. High levels of dangerous PCBs and dioxins are regularly identified and almost all fish contain detectable levels of mercury, dangerous to foetuses and immature central nervous systems.

Charlie Powell, Viva Health Health Campaigner says "As a public health strategy, the promotion of oily fish has been a failure. Most people don't even know which are oily fish and which aren't, nor that they are contaminated with poisons. It's just as well they've almost entirely ignored the government and don't eat them. "The research keeps piling up that the best way to avoid heart disease and a string of other degenerative diseases is to adopt a more plant-centred diet, low in saturated fat and high in essential plant fats", concludes Charlie Powell. "The truth is in the research - we simply do not need to eat fish for good health".

For further information, or copies of the Viva Health Fishing for Facts report, contact Charlie Powell (M.Med.Sci in Human Nutrition) or Laura Scott (MSc Nutrition) on 0117 970 5190. Viva Health is a new health charity which scientifically investigates the links between diet and health. It promotes human health through the adoption of plant-based diets.

Most fish - and fish oils in particular - contain deadly poisons. The Food Standards Agency has advised pregnant women and children to avoid some types of fish entirely due to contamination. Fish oils are half as effective as plant oils in reducing heart attacks in high-risk patients. Fish oils may not increase the chances of long-term survival, plant oils do. Research using plant oils shows a 70 per cent lower risk of death in high-risk patients who have already had one heart attack - more than twice the reduction found in similar studies using oily fish. The report also shows that the average consumption of oily fish is just one-third the recommended level and is unlikely to offer any major health benefits. "The research keeps piling up that the best way to avoid heart disease and a string of other degenerative diseases is to adopt a more plant-centred diet, low in saturated fat and high in essential plant fats", concludes Charlie Powell. "The truth is in the research - if we're concerned about health, we're better off not eating fish".

Laura Scott, Senior Nutritionist for the Viva Health, will be available for interviews in London on Thursday. For a digital photograph of the protest, or for further information, contact Laura Scott or Charlie Powell at Viva Health on 0117 970 5190

A number of other studies have also demonstrated that a vegetarian diet can lead to a much reduced risk of heart disease. As well as reporting that vegetarians had lower levels of blood cholesterol, a 1999 review estimated a 25 per cent reduced risk from heart disease death in vegetarians. In addition to lowering the risk of heart disease, some studies have also shown that low-fat vegetarian diets can reverse hardening of the arteries, which is symptomatic of the disease.

The positive heart effects of a vegetarian diet are not solely due to its cholesterol lowering properties: plant-based diets tend to be lower in fat and include more protective components such as antioxidant vitamins, compared to meat and fish based diets. "Doctors should wise up to the dramatic effect that diet has on reducing heart disease", comments Charlie Powell, health campaigner for Viva Health. "There is a huge volume of research which shows that those following a vegetarian diet are at a much lower risk of not only heart disease, but also of many other degenerative diseases, such as strokes, diabetes and high blood pressure".

For further information, contact Charlie Powell, Viva Health's Health Campaigner or Laura Scott, Viva Health Senior Nutritionist, on 0117 970 5190.

The FSA sampled 100 foods, according to standard EU practice. Most of these were meat, game and fish products: because the level of contamination rises as it moves higher up the food chain, the risk from plant products is known to be far lower than from animal products. Although figures are calculated in slightly different ways for meat than for fish and vegetables, they still clearly demonstrate this difference. The FSA's findings reveal that no plant product had a contamination level above 0.05 while the level in a pheasant was 4.1, in a sheep's liver 11.0 and even in beef was 0.9. Fish are particularly prone to accumulating environmental pollutants in their flesh and salmon carried a level of 2.3. Health concerns about dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are based on long term exposure rather than short term high levels. Viva Health recently published a report on the health implications of fish in the diet and identified contamination of fish with pollutants such as dioxins, PCBs and mercury as significant risks associated with its consumption.

Tony Wardle, Associate Director of Viva Health said "The knowledge that one food in fifty carried a danger dose of these pollutants is deeply disturbing - after all, most people eat three or four times a day, every day of their lives. Perhaps even more important was the clear evidence that animal-based foods carry significantly higher levels of contamination than plant foods. Most levels were under the "safety' limit but how safe is safe?A lifetime's consumption of these chemicals carries health risks that we haven't yet established. We should all minimise our risk by minimising our level of exposure and clearly the best way to do that is by eating only plant-based foods - in other words, by becoming vegetarian."

The FSAs findings can be viewed in full at http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/eudioxin.pdf Figures are expressed in fat for meat products and fresh weight for fish and vegetable products. Viva Health's report on the dangers of eating fish, Fishing for Facts, is available from Tony Wardle or can be read online at: http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/fish/reporttext.htm

School Milk Week 2005 commencing October 10 will act as a focal point for further promotional activities. The MDC and Dairy UK are currently using EU money to target schools with a programme ostensibly promoting physical and mental wellbeing through exercise but this is not its real aim, says Dr Justine Butler of Viva Health: "It is a thinly-veiled marketing ploy aimed at generating new customers. Such methods have been used before in schools by burger-selling multinationals to peddle their wares. It should not be the role of a public body to enter into a commercial promotion at the expense of children's heath. It helps to perpetuate the myth that milk is wholesome and healthy when it is neither."

Earlier this year, a review of 58 studies on milk published in the journal Pediatrics came to the conclusion that there is little evidence to support encouraging adolescents to drink more milk (Lanou et al, 2005). It has been linked to a wide range of health problems and is the single biggest cause of allergies such as eczema and asthma in children in the UK. Allergic reactions to milk can also produce (occult) intestinal bleeding that is the main cause of iron deficiency anaemia in children. Early exposure to cow's milk has been linked to type I diabetes. Dairy products also contribute significant amounts of cholesterol, animal protein and fat to the diet, increasing the risk of heart and other degenerative diseases, which are at epidemic proportions in the West. Significantly, 70 per cent of the world's population cannot digest milk.

"Milk continues to be promoted as a health food, particularly for strong bones", continues Dr Butler, "seemingly without anyone checking the science. Americans are among the biggest consumers of milk in the world yet suffer one of highest levels of osteoporosis. Milk can actually promote osteoporosis and physical exercise is the most important factor in preventing it. Now that the Government has finally got around to banning some junk foods from schools, we would urge them to include milk in the list." The glossy, 60-page ring-bound folder will soon be delivered to UK schools. While it claims that milk is a good source of calcium it makes no mention that green leafy vegetables are a much better source.

In 1999, the Minister of State, Baroness Hayman, referred to a report from the Veterinary Products Committee which stated that the use of rBST can increase the IGF-1 in milk by between two and five times. She acknowledged that it may be implicated in the epidemic of colon cancer. Since then, an increasing amount of research has linked IGF-1 to a growing list of cancers, including breast, prostate, ovarian and colorectal cancer. BST is a hormone that occurs naturally in cows. The genetically-engineered version (rBST) increases milk production by up to 15 per cent but leads to an increase in lameness and mastitis, which is why its use is not permitted in the EU. The hormone IGF-1 occurs naturally in both cattle and people and is a vital component in growth. As cows and people have very different growth rates, it is believed that IGF-1 may result in the unnatural and uncontrolled growth of human cells - cancer. The consequences of its continued use could be dire for human health.

For further information contact Dr Justine Butler or Tony Wardle at Viva Health on 0117 970 5190

So convincing is the science that the authors encourage nurses to: "reassure parents, children, and adolescents that a well-planned vegetarian diet is a healthy choice that promotes growth and decreases the risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer." "There is a wealth of research highlighting the advantages of vegetarian diets," says health campaigner, Amanda Woodvine, of the health charity, Viva Health. "They can lead to lifelong healthy eating habits when adopted at an early age and because of this early start, the advantages will be felt throughout life. It's the best way to cut the risk of killer diseases and improve your kids' chances of a long and healthy future." This flies in the face of West Sussex County Council's recent decision to refuse a vegetarian couple foster rights for not allowing meat to be eaten in their home.

For further information on vegetarian diets for children and adults alike, or to order a copy of the Viva Health's scientific report, Safeguarding Children's Health: Defeating Disease Through Vegetarian/Vegan Diets, contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190.

She will be accompanied by a graphic image highlighting one aspect of milk production which will be of great concern to consumers. Public Talk Also on May 24, all those speaking at the press conference will take part in a public talk entitled Why You Don't Need Dairy at Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, off Great Maze Pond and Newcomen Street, London SE1 (5 minutes walk from London Bridge tube/mainline station). It starts at 6.45pm for 7.15pm and cost of entry is £5 for the public. The White Lies report challenges the idea that it is natural to consume milk after weaning and questions whether it is safe to consume cow's milk at all. It looks at the latest research linking milk to certain cancers and exposes the effect of the many growth hormones it contains. It highlights the dangers to health caused by milk protein, sugars and saturated fats and reveals why dairy causes heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. It also demolishes the calcium myth - that we, and especially our children, need milk for calcium.

More than 260 scientific studies were reviewed in preparing the report. "Heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes and all the other degenerative diseases are at epidemic proportions and increasing," says Juliet Gellatley, director of the Viva Health, "and it is diet which is principally responsible. It is now accepted that meat is one of the main culprits but dairy has largely remained beyond reproach. This report now places dairy where it belongs - at the heart of a worsening public health crisis." Speakers Heather Mills McCartney is patron of the Viva Health and Viva!. She campaigns for the rights of animals and promotes healthy vegan diets. She also works to rid the world of landmines, being a patron of Adopt-A-Minefield and is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. She says: "When I lost part of my leg and the residual limb wouldn't heal, switching to a raw vegan diet worked what seemed like a miracle for me. I found this difficult to follow when my health recovered but I am now totally vegan and enjoy a variety of alternative meat and milk substitutes; most of my house guests can't believe they aren't the real thing. The more I discover about dairy, the more I know this is the right choice. Dairy is far from being a wonder food but is, in fact, a contributor to many major diseases which horrifies me - especially when I see how many unwitting mothers are feeding their children cows' milk formula." Professor T. Colin Campbell has for more than 40 years been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy is the China Study, the most comprehensive investigation into health and nutrition ever conducted. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University and Project Director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project. He says: "I am happy to attach my name to the White Lies campaign as it accurately reflects the results of many years of my own and other people's research. "It is well nigh time that the evidence on the adverse health effects of dairy be honestly presented to the public. Some of the legitimate, peer-reviewed evidence on the adverse effects of dairy has been around for decades. One of the biggest myths is that we need dairy for strong bones and teeth. Now we know otherwise. Increasing dairy consumption associates with increasing osteoporosis and we now know a lot about how this works." Professor Jane Plant CBE top scientist and author of best sellers Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer - Understand, Prevent and Overcome. Professor Plant says: "The evidence shows that milk is a complex biochemical cocktail that sends all the wrong messages to our bodies. I believe that dumping the dairy from my diet saved my life and that of lots of other women who have followed 'The Plant Programme' described in my book 'Your Life in Your Hands'. Cow's milk is a perfect food for a calf but that doesn't mean it is good for human babies - or adults! If you want to improve your health by making just one change to your diet, I recommend you eliminate all dairy from the diet".

Juliet Gellatley: founder and director of the largest vegetarian and vegan organisation in Europe, Viva!, and of the health charity, the Viva Health. Dr Justine Butler: health campaigner of the VVF and author of the White Lies report. Tickets for the talk can be booked: by post from the VVF, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH (cheques payable to "Viva Health') by phone on 0117 970 5190. For further information or for an interview with Heather Mills McCartney contact: Juliet Gellatley, director Viva Health, on 0117 970 5190. Or juliet@viva.org.uk Amanda Woodvine, nutritionist Viva Health, on 0117 970 5190 or amanda@vegetarian.org.uk Tony Wardle, associate director Viva Health, on 0117 970 5190. White Lies RSVP I will/will not (please delete as appropriate) be attending the press conference, 10.40am for 11am start. I will/will not (please delete as appropriate) be attending the evening talk, 6.45pm for 7.15pm Email to: juliet@viva.org.uk

Dr Justine Butler, author of the report White Lies, warns: "Two-thirds of milk in the UK comes from pregnant cows, when hormones levels are sky-high. This, combined with large amounts of growth hormones, including insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), raises the risk for cancers of the breast, ovaries and prostate. The role of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein - all present in dairy in considerable volume - in promoting heart disease and strokes has been well-documented for years. "Cow's milk has also been linked to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes in susceptible young people," Dr Butler continues, "and is the most common cause of food allergy. It can result in eczema, asthma and even intestinal bleeding - shown to be one of the main causes of iron-deficiency anaemia in infants. As many as seven per cent of babies under one year old may be affected. With many of these degenerative killer diseases at epidemic proportions and increasing, it is extraordinary that Asda should continue to promote the myth that dairy is wholesome, pure and essential. It isn't, it is one the principal causes of disease in the West." One of the main sales pitches for dairy has traditionally been the calcium it contains, promoted to women as the best way to avoid osteoporosis. Asda also makes that claim, saying: "Milk is Magic for maintaining bone-mineral density." Dr Butler dismisses it as untrue: "Those who promote the calcium myth are never able to answer a simple question - why do the countries which consume the most dairy products have the highest rates of osteoporosis while those who consume the least tend to have the lowest rates? A recent review in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that dairy products are not needed for strong bones. The fact that 70 per cent of the world's population doesn't consume milk or dairy products and tend to be the people with the best bone health should teach us something."

For further information contact Dr Justine Butler at the VVF on 0117 970 5190

In other words the damaging effects of mercury, dioxins and PCBs in fish may outweigh the beneficial effects of the "good' omega-3 fats. "The fish oil supplement companies insist that these pollutants are removed during processing," says Dr Butler "but do you want your children to take the risk? In March 2006, the fish oil supplement manufacturer Seven Seas Ltd withdrew a number of batches of its own fish oil supplements because the levels of dioxins present exceeded statutory levels, less than a month later Boots too withdrew fish oil capsules for the same reason. In both cases the government's Food Standards Agency assured us that" there is no health risk associated with consumption of this product, although the level of dioxins found exceeds statutory limits'. These toxic pollutants are implicated in heart disease, cancer, infertility and can harm developing foetuses. To claim there is a "safe' dose is irresponsible, particularly where children are concerned". "The good news is you don't have to eat neurotoxins and carcinogens to get your omega-3 fats, there are safer plant sources including flax seed (linseed), rapeseed and soya oil, walnuts and leafy green vegetables. This benefits the environment as well; flax is a sustainable crop, fish are not. About one million tons of fish oil is produced around the world each year, this is unsustainable. This experiment could lead to an environmental and health catastrophe! Instead of looking for a magic bullet to improve our kids brain power, we should be encouraging them to eat better foods - less junk and more whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables".

For further information contact Dr Justine Butler at the VVF on 0117 970 5190 or email justine@vegetarian.org.uk  References Hooper et al., 2006. Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review. BMJ. 332 (7544) 752-60. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2006/mar/sevenseasupdate1 http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2006/apr/bootsfishoil

They also contain lignans which can protect against cancer. Dr Justine Butler, Viva Health's health campaigner says: "Try a tasty fish-free seafood paella with the seaweed arame, this seaweed has a mild taste and blends very well with other flavours. It can be steamed, sautaed, added to soups and stews, or sprinkled on salads. It is very good with grated carrots, unsalted peanuts and raisins with a raspberry vinegar. Make homemade vegetable sushi by wrapping rice and your favourite vegetables in sheets of nori or chop up some wakame and add to a stir-fry with courgettes, peppers, shitake mushrooms and bean shoots. Sprinkle sesame seeds on towards the end of cooking for an extra boost of calcium. And of course don't forget the laverbread or "Welsh caviar' (seaweed from Wales)." Dr Butler states that: "These fish-free meals are healthier as they do not contain fish contaminated with mercury, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls - found in all the world's oceans. These toxic pollutants accumulate (especially in fatty fish) as you move up the food chain. Some governments warn that pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 16 should not eat shark, marlin or swordfish because of the levels of mercury present. Others have voiced concerns about the levels of dioxins in herring, salmon and mackerel. Fish is not a popular food in the UK, people eat only a third of a portion of oily fish per week with seven out of ten people consuming none whatsoever. By avoiding fish you can help stop the destruction of the oceans caused by over-fishing and protect your health."

For recipes and more information contact Dr Justine Butler at the VVF on 0117 970 5190 or email justine@vegetarian.org.uk

Notes for editors - see Fish-Free Paella recipe below. Viva Health is a charity established to monitor and interpret the increasing amount of scientific research linking diet to health. Viva Health communicates this information to the public, health professionals, schools and food manufacturers and provides accurate information on which to make informed choices. It is a vital - and almost solitary - source of accurate and unbiased information and advice on diet and health and is free from any commercial or vested interests.

Just as importantly, it can cut people's risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and certain cancers. The 40 page V-Plan Diet is loaded with simple advice and inspiring recipes to help weight watchers put these healthy eating guidelines into practice immediately. One of the greatest health problems facing the world is obesity and the V-Plan Diet offers a solution by helping to reform people's eating habits. Just how desperately it is needed is highlighted by the Viva Health's newly-published Globesity report, a review of the science behind the diet and an explanation of how meat and dairy are at the core of the world's expanding obesity epidemic. Research by the American Cancer Society on 75,000 people over a decade found that the one food most associated with weight gain was meat. This is supported by the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which reports that meat and meat products are the leading source of fat in most people's diets. Obesity is also increasing rapidly amongst children, with the fattest consuming the most milk.

The plant-based V-Plan Diet is eminently suitable for children, too. "Study after study shows vegetarians and vegans are slimmer and healthier than meat eaters", says Amanda Woodvine, Viva Health nutritionist and author of both the guide and report. "Far from being yet another fad diet, the V-Plan Diet is an exciting, effective, and long-term recipe for a better body, better health and better eating. With a feast of flavours available, going veggie doesn't mean going without. And we're here to help people with advice every step of the way," concludes Ms Woodvine. The Viva Health invites your readers to take the V-Plan Diet challenge - try the diet for one month and see how just how much weight you can lose.

To make it even easier, we're offering one lucky winner a free nutritional analysis and a personalised diet plan, and 10 runners-up will receive a free copy[ of the V-Plan Diet, together with a pedometer, nutritional wallchart, apron, and jute shopping bag. The V-Plan Diet guide is available from the Viva Health for just £2.50 (inc p&p). For recipes, a review copy of guide, a copy of the Globesity report or for information on the Globesity campaign, contact Amanda Woodvine or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190 or email amanda@vegetarian.org.uk Reference:

Dansinger ML et al, 2003. One year effectiveness of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers and Zone Diets in decreasing body weight and heart disease risk. Presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 12, 2003, Orlando, Florida. Berkey CS et al, 2005. Milk, dairy fat, dietary calcium, and weight gain: a longitudinal study of adolescents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine; 159 (6): 54

1. The Viva Health's newly-published scientific report, Globesity, traces the progression of the obesity epidemic in Britain from the 1920s to the present day. It explains why in even the poorest countries obesity is increasing at an alarming rate - and is set to continue spiralling as long as the contribution of meat and dairy - leading contributors to national fat intake - are ignored. The report was recently sent to Public Health Minister, Caroline Flint together with a letter calling on the government to withdraw its support for the meat and dairy industries in light of the current obesity epidemic.

2. Attention frustrated slimmers! The charity's new V-Plan Diet is the antidote to fad diets: firmly based on scientific research and proven to work. Low fat and veggie, research shows it can produce greater weight loss than Atkins, Weight Watchers or the Zone diet. Just as importantly, it can cut people's risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and certain cancers. It is available from good health food stores or by contacting the Viva Health.

3. The Viva Healths's V-Plan Diet Tour, consisting of cookery demonstrations, free food tastings and inspirational talks is travelling nationwide - spreading the message that a healthy veggie diet is the perfect way to not only to lose pounds and save yourself pounds, but also to reduce your risk of killer diseases - whilst giving hunger the heave-ho! Having recently been a wow in Wales, the tour's next stops are Shrewsbury and Bristol.

If you'd like the charity to visit your town, simply contact them on 0117 9705190 or by email: info@vegetarian.org.uk:  "Study after study shows vegetarians and vegans are slimmer and healthier than meat eaters", says Amanda Woodvine, VVF senior health campaigner and author of both the guide and report. "Far from being yet another fad diet, the V-Plan Diet is an exciting, effective, and long-term recipe for a better body, better health and better eating. With a feast of flavours available, going veggie doesn't mean going without. And we're here to help people with advice every step of the way," concludes Ms Woodvine. The V-Plan Diet guide is available from the Viva Health for just £2.50 (inc p&p). For recipes, review copies of guide and report or for information on the Globesity campaign, contact Amanda Woodvine or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190 or email amanda@vegetarian.org.uk

Senior Health Campaigner Dr Justine Butler says: "We've known for decades that red meat is linked to cancer. We welcome this report and hope it will raise awareness that changing your diet can help prevent and fight cancer as well as many other conditions. It's not hard to avoid meat, or dairy for that matter - there are plenty of tasty, healthy alternatives that don't contain the harmful substances found these foods."

Viva Health can offer help and advice to anyone wanting to cut down or eliminate meat and dairy from their diet. We produce fact sheets and guides and can suggest meal-plans and recipes. If you want to know more go to www.vegetarian.org.uk or telephone 0117 970 5190. For recipes, photos or more information contact Dr Justine Butler at the Viva Health on 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk

Says Amanda Woodvine, Viva Health senior health campaigner and editor of the guide: "Most patients would like more information on healthy eating than they receive, which is exactly why our guide was written. There is compelling evidence that veggie diets can cut the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. And they are useful in controlling weight, diabetes, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Give it a go - you could add years to your life!"

To order a free copy of the guide for your local health centre, GP or practice nurse, or for a full list of the Viva Health's resources for health care professionals, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk/shop/hcp.shtml, email info@vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190. Go Veggie and See What You're Missing And, for patients, Viva Health has produced a superb new interactive health animation. Male, female and child cartoon figures, each has a series of spots on it. Click on one and it tells you which part of the body it is, why it goes wrong and how a veggie diet helps. Be warned, there are some challenging sound effects so if your computer hasn't got speakers - get them! This wonderfully simple guide to cutting disease risk is fun science but also deadly serious.

Check it out on www.vegetarian.org.uk/nutrition/defeatingdisease/animation.html For review copies of any of the Viva Health's guides, fact sheets or reports, or for information about the Viva Health, contact Amanda Woodvine or Dr Justine Butler on 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk

They are organised by Bristol-based health charity, Viva!Health - as part of their new campaign The Big D - aimed at people who either have diabetes or want to avoid it.

Viva!Health health campaigner, Veronika Charvatova MSc, says: "The number of diabetics is sky-rocketing and people are developing this disease at a younger age than ever before. Whether you have diabetes, want to avoid it or know someone who does, come to one of our public talks and bring your friends or family with you. We'll tell you all you need to know about the only diet that can reverse diabetes."

As proved by clinical trials, the D-Diet produces better results than any single medication. It has the power to change your metabolism and reverse diabetes or reduce your chances of developing it to the bare minimum.

Bristol
Thursday July 7, 2011
7-9 pm
The Hall, The Broadmead Baptist Church
Bristol BS1 3HY
(the entrance is on Union Street)

Bath
Thursday August 11, 2011
7-9 pm
The Lower Hall, Friends Meeting House
York Street, Bath BA1 1NG

Both talks will be followed by a live cookery demonstration showing you how to cook some delicious health-boosting dishes.

For more information about the talk or The Big D campaign, please emailinfo@vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190 or visit vivahealth.viva.org.uk.

For more information about this media release, please call Veronika on 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk or press officer, Helen Rossiter on 0117 944 1000 or emailpress@viva.org.uk.

Not only can it help prevent stroke and CHD, but also helps to keep your weight down Viva Health has produced a special Healthy Heart Pack available for £5 (inc p&p) which includes: Have a Heart guide. Includes seven day menu plan with recipes. Plant-Based Diets and Cardiovascular Disease. Viva Health's informative fully-referenced fact sheet, Customisable Blood Pressure Car Sticker, Blood Pressure mini-guide * Nutrition in a Nutshell. Easy to read guide explaining why a plant based diet is healthy and nutritious.

Includes a vitamin chart and where to obtain all the nutrients you need on a vegetarian or vegan diet Viva Health senior nutritionist, Amanda Woodvine, says: "Guidelines for the UK say that we should aim for a cholesterol level below 5.0mmol/l, but unfortunately, we're not managing it, as the average level for men is about 5.5 mmol/l and 5.6 mmol/l for women. "Veggies, however, tend to have much healthier cholesterol levels and up to 50 per cent less risk of high blood pressure (defined as 140/90 or more) a condition which affects one in four Brits. There is strong scientific evidence showing that vegetarian and vegan diets can be used to prevent and treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and even reverse heart disease."

For more information or to order a Healthy Heart Pack, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk, email info@vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190.  For further information contact: Amanda Woodvine, Viva Health senior nutritionist by emailing amanda@vegetarian.org.uk or press officer Helen Rossiter press@vvf.org.uk, or call 0117 970 5190.

There are many popular misconceptions about vegetarian food. Viva Health's senior health campaigner Dr Justine Butler and Ecotricity founder Dale Vince put their heads together to compile a list of the Top Ten Food Myths - and busted them! The collaboration is featured on Dale's blog Zero Carbonista zerocarbonista.com/top-ten-food-choice-myths-busted Viva Health's Justine Butler says: "Contrary to what some people believe, a well-balanced veggie diet not only provides all the calcium, iron, protein and vitamin B12 you need but also protects against the UK's biggest killers: heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. A vegetarian or vegan diet also is the greenest diet having a significantly lower impact on the environment than a diet rich in meat and dairy foods." Dale Vince agrees: "In fact it's most inefficient for us to use animals to get our nutrition. For example it takes roughly ten kilos of vegetable protein (fed to a cow) to make one kilo of meat! Animals consume huge quantities of water (something that will be increasingly scarce in the world) and they belch and fart their way to being one of the biggest contributors to climate change - a bigger cause than transport at some 18 per cent globally." It costs vastly more to feed a meat-eater than a vegan or vegetarian, it adds massively to climate change, it brings serious (and awful) health problems. And it costs a shed load of oil (and rainforest) into the bargain. Not to mention it's not a very nice way to treat animals. "It's clearly more sustainable not to eat animals or their by products and clearly a big step to fighting climate change. It also brings big health benefits and it's a far cheaper diet. To find out why oily fish is not a health food, why red-blooded men don't need meat and why soya foods are not as scary as some people think see the Top Ten Food Choice Myths - Busted!"

Viva Health can provide all the information you need about how to go veggie and vegan, offering hundreds of nutritious recipes, scientifically-referenced reports, information and advice. Please visit www.vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190. For more information about switching to Ecotricity visit www.ecotricity.co.uk or call 0800 0326 100.

Order our brand new Break Free report bringing you an overwhelming amount of science-based evidence speaking against dairy and other animal products and learn about our Break Free diet designed for people of all ages. You can also download it for free.

Guide

An easy-to-read guide explaining the theory but giving you plenty of practical advice, menu planner and healthy eating tips for children as well as adults. Read, download or order it here.

Fact sheet

And finally here's our updated calcium fact sheet.

Tom Parker Bowles said that raising children on a vegan diet is child abuse on ITV’s This Morning show. It went unchallenged, but as it’s a serious accusation, we felt it would be appropriate to react to it. Below is our letter to ITV.

To whomever it may concern:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I’m writing to you on behalf of Viva! (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals) and Viva! Health. We were very disappointed by the comment Tom Parker Bowles made on ITV’s This Morning about raising children on a vegan diet. He said: 'All these ridiculous hippies who bang on and tell us that we shouldn't be eating this, we should be eating vegan raw diets...for children, that's child abuse, I think.'

While it may be ‘just’ his opinion, it remained unchallenged and given that it is a serious accusation, we feel it is necessary to rectify that.

Plant based diets are the healthiest possible and, when appropriately planned, are perfectly suitable for infants and children. Many health and nutrition professionals recognise this and publicly recommend such diets.

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association¹ that: ‘appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.’

And as a joint report of the World health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations² states: ‘Households should select predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, pulses or legumes, and minimally processed starchy staple foods. The evidence that such diets will prevent or delay a significant proportion of non-communicable chronic diseases is consistent.’

While there is an overwhelming number of studies showing that plant based diets are healthy and should be recommended, uneducated comments such as that made by Tom Parker Bowles are very harmful as they send a very flawed message to the public. In fact, diets based on animal products and high in saturated fats are the reason we are facing a public health crisis with numbers of people suffering from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. reaching epidemic levels. Promoting such diets is simply wrong and accusing people living a healthy lifestyle of child abuse is inexcusable.

Although we cannot change Tom Parker Bowles’ opinion, we think it would be appropriate that you issue a statement clarifying that labelling vegan parents guilty of child abuse is unacceptable and untruthful. Should you wish, we can offer an expert quote or recommend renowned nutrition authorities to contact.

We also offer an easy-to-use nutrition guide for parents planning to or raising their children on a vegan diet, you can access it here: http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/new-mother-baby-guide.pdf.

I’m looking forward to hearing back from you.

Yours faithfully,
Veronika Powell
Health Campaigner

1 Craig, W., Mangels, A.R., American Dietetic Association, 2009. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 109 (7) 1266-1282

2 Report of a joint FAO/WHO expert consultation Bangkok, Thailand, 2001. Human Vitamin and Mineral Requirements. Food and Nutrition Division FAO Rome

If you could help us distribute the leaflets in your area (eg put a few in a local library, golf club, bingo club, community venue, church, etc.), please send us an email with your address and the number of leaflets you'd like us to send you. Write to liam@viva.org.uk and put 'diabetes leaflets' in the subject line. Thank you!

The easy to read guide explains the principles of the diet and why it works and also contains a wealth of cooking and shopping tips, a meal planner and a week's worth of recipes.

If you decide to give the D-Diet a go, try it for four weeks and see the results for yourselves! We want to hear about your experience so if you want to share your results and remarks with us, please download our feedback form and send it back to us after you've completed the four weeks.

The following papers all support the D-Diet principles:

Barnard, R.J., Jung, T., Inkeles, S.B., 1994. Diet and exercise in the treatment of NIDDM: The need for early emphasis. Diabetes Care. 17 (12) 1469-72

Barnard N.D., Cohen J., Jenkins D.J., et al., 2006. A low-fat, vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 29 (8) 1777-83

Turner-McGrievy, G.M., Barnard, N.D., Cohen, J., et al., 2008. Changes in nutrient intake and dietary quality among participants with type 2 diabetes following a low-fat vegan diet or a conventional diabetes diet for 22 weeks. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 108 (10) 1636-45

Barnard, N.D., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D.J.A., et al., 2009a. A low-fat vegan diet and conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 89 (5) 1588S-96S

Liu, E., McKeown, N.M., Newby, P.K., et al., 2009. Cross-sectional association of dietary patterns with insulin-resistant phenotypes among adults without diabetes in the Framingham Offspring Study. The British Journal of Nutrition. 102 (4) 576-83

American Diabetes Association: Standards of medical care in diabetes - 2010. Diabetes Care. 33 (Suppl. 1) S11-S61

The beneficial fats in oily fish, especially omega 3 fatty acids, are, however, also found in abundance in many plant foods, including linseed, soya and rape seed. This source of omega 3 has also been found to be more effective at protecting the heart. Lee Jerome, Health Campaigner for Viva Health explains "The FSA's "dilemma' of balancing benefits versus risks of fish consumption is wholly artificial. We are very disturbed that almost no one - including the FSA - is promoting the message that the benefits of fish consumption can be achieved without any of the risks associated with environmental pollutants. We have been given current scientific opinion today, not fact, and we don't believe that people should have to take decisions on their health based on "balancing' the risks of fish consumption against the benefits. What if future discoveries prove this opinion to be misguided? In view of the remaining uncertainty over the safety of oily fish consumption, and the availability of safe, plant-based alternatives, why eat - or indeed promote - fish at all?"

For further information, contact Lee Jerome (MSc Clinical Nutrition), Health Campaigner for Viva Health, on 0117 970 5190. Viva Health's fully-referenced report on the risks and benefits of fish consumption Fishing for Facts found that: - All the essential omega-3s needed for good health are present in plant oils. - Plant omega 3s are twice as effective in reducing heart attack than omega 3s in oily fish. - Fish omega 3 only benefits people at high risk of heart disease. Plant omega 3 benefits people at high risk and those at lower risk. Copies of the report are available from Viva Health or it can be viewed online at http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/fish/fishreport.pdf

It concerned Paul McCartney so much that he made a rare phone-in to the Jeremy Vine show. "One meaningless study on 544 malnourished children raised chiefly on a starchy, low-nutrition corn and bean diet has no relevance to children in the West" says Tony Wardle, Associate Director of the Viva Health. "Yet it commands major media coverage with almost no counterview, despite having been made by the organization which supports and promotes the mass factory farming of animals. This is not good journalism and it is extremely bad public service broadcasting." Viva Health reports regularly on the growing volume of science showing the link between animal products and the collapsing health of our children and is largely ignored. Sensationalism is clearly more news-worthy than science. The truth is that meat, dairy are junk foods are destroying our children's health.

The facts are": "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the lifecycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.' These "certain diseases' are the killer epidemics of today - heart disease, strokes, cancers, diabetes etc. This is the view of the world's most prestigious health advisory body, the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada, after a review of world literature. It is backed up by the British Medical Association: "Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and gall stones.' The World Health Organization thinks similarly: "Diets associated with increases in chronic diseases are those rich in sugar, meat and other animal products, saturated fat and dietary cholesterol.'

For further information contact Tony Wardle or Lee Jerome on 0117 970 5190.

For further information on vegetarian diets for children and adults alike, or to order a copy of the Viva Health's scientific report, Safeguarding Children's Health: Defeating Disease Through Vegetarian/Vegan Diets, contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190. 

Footnote to editors: Viva Health is a health charity which scientifically investigates the links between diet and health. Reference: Berkey, C.S., Rockett, H.R., Willett, W.C. and Colditz, G.A. 2005. Milk, dairy fat, dietary calcium, and weight gain: a longitudinal study of adolescents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 159 (6) 543-50.

Speakers at the conference will be Professor Jane Plant CBE, author of books on preventing cancer; Professor T. Colin Campbell, lead researcher of the landmark China Study; Dr Justine Butler, report author, and Juliet Gellatley, friend of Heather and founder and director of the VVF. Ms Gellatley will also be present at the photocall from 12.10pm until 12.25pm on May 24 when she will hand in a copy of the White Lies report to the Department of Health, Richmond House, Whitehall, London SW1. Accompanying the report will be a letter from Heather Mills McCartney calling on the government to end its support for milk, to end school milk subsidies and use the money currently devoted to propping up dairy farming to promoting healthier, plant-based alternatives. Ms Gellatley will be accompanied by a graphic image highlighting one aspect of milk production which will be of great concern to consumers everywhere.

Speaking of Heather's decision not to attend, Ms Gellatley says: "I understand it fully and wish Heather well at this difficult time. There are other disturbing aspects of dairy which are not covered in this report and as the campaign progresses we will be exposing them. I know that Heather will want to be a part of this important work."

For further information contact Juliet Gellatley or Tony Wardle on 0117 970 5190; mob 07971 425508. juliet@viva.org.uk tony@viva.org.uk

Far from being a healthy food, cow's milk and dairy products are at the heart of the UK's worsening health statistics, a new scientific report will claim. The White Lies report and details of a new health campaign to persuade consumers to ditch dairy are to be launched at a press conference on Wednesday,May 24, 2006 at 11am at Central Hall Westminster, Storey's Gate, London SW1H 9NH. Speakers will include Heather Mills McCartney, Professor Jane Plant CBE, Professor T. Colin Campbell, Dr Justine Butler, report author, and Juliet Gellatley, director of the health charity responsible, Viva!Health.

Photocall

There will also be a photocall from noon until 12.15pm on May 24 when Heather Mills McCartney will hand in a copy of the White Lies report to the Department of Health, Richmond House, Whitehall, London SW1. She will be accompanied by a graphic image highlighting one aspect of milk production which will be of great concern to consumers.

Public Talk

Also on May 24, all those speaking at the press conference will take part in a public talk entitled Why You Don't Need Dairy at Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, off Great Maze Pond and Newcomen Street, London SE (5 minutes walk from London Bridge tube/mainline station). It starts at 6.45pm for 7.15pm and cost of entry is £5 for the public.The White Lies report challenges the idea that it is natural to consume milk after weaning and questions whether it is safe to consume cow's milk at all. It looks at the latest research linking milk to certain cancers and exposes the effect of the many growth hormones it contains. It highlights the dangers to health caused by milk protein, sugars and saturated fats and reveals why dairy causes heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. It also demolishes the calcium myth - that we, and especially our children, need milk for calcium. More than 260 scientific studies were reviewed in preparing the report. "Heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes and all the other degenerative diseases are at epidemic proportions and increasing," says Juliet Gellatley, director of Viva!Health, "and it is diet which is principally responsible. It is now accepted that meat is one of the main culprits but dairy has largely remained beyond reproach. This report now places dairy where it belongs - at the heart of a worsening public health crisis."

Speakers

Heather Mills McCartney is patron of Viva!Health and Viva!. She campaigns for the rights of animals and promotes healthy vegan diets. She also works to rid the world of landmines, being a patron of Adopt-A-Minefield and is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. She says: "When I lost part of my leg and the residual limb wouldn't heal, switching to a raw vegan diet worked what seemed like a miracle for me. I found this difficult to follow when my health recovered but I am now totally vegan and enjoy a variety of alternative meat and milk substitutes; most of my house guests can't believe they aren't the real thing. The more I discover about dairy, the more I know this is the right choice. Dairy is far from being a wonder food but is, in fact, a contributor to many major diseases which horrifies me - especially when I see how many unwitting mothers are feeding their children cows' milk formula."

Professor T. Colin Campbell has for more than 40 years been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy is the China Study, the most comprehensive investigation into health and nutrition ever conducted. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University and Project Director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project. He says: "I am happy to attach my name to the White Lies campaign as it accurately reflects the results of many years of my own and other people's research. "It is well nigh time that the evidence on the adverse health effects of dairy be honestly presented to the public. Some of the legitimate, peer-reviewed evidence on the adverse effects of dairy has been around for decades. One of the biggest myths is that we need dairy for strong bones and teeth. Now we know otherwise. Increasing dairy consumption associates with increasing osteoporosis and we now know a lot about how this works."

Professor Jane Plant CBE (DSc, CEng): top scientist and author of best sellers Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer - Understand, Prevent and Overcome. Professor Plant says: "The evidence shows that milk is a complex biochemical cocktail that sends all the wrong messages to our bodies. I believe that dumping the dairy from my diet saved my life and that of lots of other women who have followed 'The Plant Programme' described in my book 'Your Life in Your Hands'. Cow's milk is a perfect food for a calf but that doesn't mean it is good for human babies - or adults! If you want to improve your health by making just one change to your diet, I recommend you eliminate all dairy from the diet".

Juliet Gellatley: founder and director of the largest vegetarian and vegan organisation in Europe, Viva!, and of the health charity, Viva!Health.

Dr Justine Butler: health campaigner of Viva!Health and author of the White Lies report.

Hormones

Why so many? Because two-thirds of all milk comes from pregnant animals and the remainder from those who have recently given birth - times when oestrogen and other hormone levels are sky high. The report presents a scathing assessment of dairy as a "healthy' food and accuses it of playing a part in many of the killer diseases which are now at epidemic proportions in the UK. Included in the list are heart disease, strokes, diabetes, some cancers and even osteoporosis. It also points to dairy as being implicated in several childhood conditions such as allergies, anaemia and the exploding problem of childhood obesity. "We have the extraordinary situation where up to 400 million pus cells are allowed in every litre of milk. That's two million pus cells in every teaspoonful. Drink a pinta pus a day would not have had the same ring to it! The government should ensure that milk cartons are labelled with the pus content, but if you don't want to drink pus, you can buy or make soya, almond, rice, oat or any nut milk you like without any pus in it," says Heather Mills McCartney, patron of the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation. "Expensive promotion and blanket advertising all perpetuate the myth that milk is pure and natural - it is neither. No one could drink pus and call it pure and no other mammal drinks milk after weaning - and certainly not the milk of another species. Would you drink the milk of a cat, dog or elephant? "An avalanche of science shows beyond doubt that saturated animal fat, cholesterol and animal protein are at the heart of the health crisis enveloping the nation - and dairy contains all three. Its mix of growth factors and hormones are also linked to killer diseases but the industry's use of selective science draws a veil over it. The public is being deceived and the government is complicit in this, continuing to provide generous subsidies for a food which is killing us".

For further information contact: Juliet Gellatley, director VVF, on 0117 970 5190; . juliet@viva.org.uk     Dr Justine Butler, health campaigner, VVF, on 0117 970 5190. justine@vegetarian.org.uk

A photo opportunity will be provided from noon until 12.15pm at the Department of Health, Richmond House, Whitehall, London SW1. Further information and for photos: Juliet Gellatley 0117 970 5190. Dr Justine Butler 07835 323207. The Right Honourable Patricia Hewitt MP Secretary of State for Health Department of Health Richmond House 79 Whitehall London SW1A 2NS 24 May 2006,

Dear Patricia Hewitt Enclosed is a copy of the newly-published White Lies scientific report by Viva Health which reviews part of the mountain of research linking milk and dairy products with ill health.

This report, authored by Dr Justine Butler, concentrates on those scientific papers that have been published in the last five years but the science has been accumulating for decades - hence we have examined more than 200 published papers. The conclusions are clear: dairy products make a significant contribution - perhaps the major contribution - to degenerative diseases which are at epidemic proportions in Britain and which kill most people. These include coronary heart disease, strokes, some cancers, obesity and even osteoporosis. The people who are targeted most aggressively in order to establish the milk-drinking habit - children - are also at risk. They face an increased likelihood of diabetes (type 1, if genetically predisposed, and 2), allergies (including eczema, asthma and allergy induced anaemia) and acne. The extremely worrying epidemic of obesity, which threatens to destroy our children's health while they are still young but even more so as they enter adulthood, is linked to dairy consumption. The fattest children eat the most saturated fat and the UK National Diet and Nutrition survey states that the majority of this fat in their diet comes from dairy. A major review of recent scientific studies on calcium and bone health shatters the misleading notion that children need cow's milk for good bone health. This review examined the effects of dairy products and total dietary calcium on bone health in children and young adults and found that dairy products are not needed for strong bones. An increasing amount of evidence now shows that cow's milk is not the best source of calcium at all and in fact our bone health would benefit enormously if we switched to plant-based sources.

In addition, research suggests that physical exercise is the most critical factor for maintaining healthy bones, followed by improving the diet and lifestyle; this means eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and for young adults cutting down on caffeine and avoiding alcohol and smoking. Considering this, it is extraordinary that milk is still being pushed so energetically at children. There is no health reason to support it so the conclusion has to be that the decision is commercial. Professor Colin T Campbell has attached his name to this report - a giant in the field of diet and health, whose landmark China Study is the largest piece of epidemiological research of its kind on the subject ever undertaken.

He says: "Of course, dairy foods have nutritional characteristics and disease associations that are consistent with other animal-based foods. Indeed, if anything, cow's milk and its products appear to be even more problematic than other animal-based foods. It is not that these various dairy effects are independently proven to be true beyond doubt, any more than tobacco use is independently proven to cause lung cancer and heart disease. Rather it is the weight and breadth of the evidence."

Distinguished international scientist Professor Jane Plant has also attached her name. She has been granted life membership of the Royal Society of Medicine for her books on cancer and six honorary doctorates from UK universities. She says: "This report exposes the nature of the modern industrialised dairy industry and the serious implications this has for our health. I do hope that White Lies receives the recognition it deserves and that this will embolden politicians to take a stand against the dairy industry. To do so would improve human health, improve the environment, address serious issues of animal welfare and save the taxpayer a great deal of money" All this begs the questions as to why it has taken so long for anyone in Europe to review this mountain of science - and why it has been left to Viva Health to do it? On behalf of Viva Health and all those associated with this report, I call on the Department of Health to: stop its promotion of milk and dairy products, issue health warnings about the diseases linked to them; advise parents to stop giving cow's milk formula, replacing it with soya milk formula if the baby cannot be breast fed and to advise that children obtain calcium from plant sources.

We are also calling on the government to: stop subsidising the provision of milk in primary schools; stop EU subsidies to dairy farmers and channel this funding into the organic growth and promotion of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds; end the statutory levy on milk which funds the Milk Development Council; end its support of the MDC; end its support of the Butter for Manufacture scheme which give subsidies to food manufacturers to encourage them to use surplus butterfat instead of healthier vegetable oils in various food products. In conclusion I would add that the government's concentration on cures rather than prevention, such as the increasing provision of statins to reduce heart disease deaths, is not the solution to a massive public health problem. Rates of heart disease and cancer continue to increase remorselessly.

This report provides the framework for a revision of public health policy and we would all urge the minister to supply the political will to accompany it. Yours sincerely Heather Mills McCartney Patron, Viva Health

Dr Butler explains: "The hidden costs of eating meat and dairy foods are costing us the earth. An increased awareness of the effects of greenhouse gas emissions has led many of us to cut down on the amount of driving we do. Others choose not to fly in an effort to limit their personal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Some people try to buy local produce to limit the "food miles' travelled by their food. Reducing the amount of meat and dairy you eat can cut your family's annual greenhouse gas emission by a third of a tonne. So by going vegetarian or vegan you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint." Dr Butler adds: "A single dairy cow produces around 400 litres of methane (a greenhouse gas) each day. Methane gas belched out by cows is responsible for around 25 per cent of the methane produced in the UK. This figure rises to 46 per cent in Scotland where there is a greater concentration of agriculture. Cutting out just two cow-based meals a month could reduce your family's annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent." "The environmental impact soya farming is having on the Amazonian rain forest has been cited as a contributing factor to global warming - but vegetarians eating soya is not the problem."

Dr Butler explains "80 per cent of the world's soya production is fed to livestock so that people can eat meat and dairy foods. Both the rain forests and our health would benefit tremendously if more people became vegetarians or vegans, even if they ate more soya. The environmental impact of animal farming is detrimental for other reasons too; livestock farming uses more fossil fuel than crops: a calorie of beef takes 33 per cent more fossil fuel to produce than a calorie of energy from potatoes. Do the planet - and yourself a favour and go vegan."

For more information contact Dr Justine Butler at the VVF on 0117 970 5190 or email justine@vegetarian.org.uk Notes for editors - Viva Health is a charity established to monitor and interpret the increasing amount of scientific research linking diet to health. Viva Health communicates this information to the public, health professionals, schools and food manufacturers and provides accurate information on which to make informed choices. It is a vital - and almost solitary - source of accurate and unbiased information and advice on diet and health and is free from any commercial or vested interests.

Date: Friday 24th November

Location: in front of the Corn Exchange, Leeds

Contact: Amanda Woodvine on mobile 07794 544172 or Justine Butler 0117 970 5190

Three sassy Veggie Angels will land in Leeds on Friday to mark the launch of a new diet and health campaign by health charity the Viva Health. Fighting flab and disease with fruit and vegetable guns and grenades, the northern beauties will be dressed as Charlie's Angels, sporting the slogan "The V-plan diet: V means veggie, vitality and VICTORY!' They will be at the Corn Exchange from 11am to 4pm this Friday, selling tickets and giving out invitations to the Veggie Health & Slimming Show, Leeds being held on 2 December (admission proceeds to charity). As a sample of the delights on offer at the December show, Brodricks Café in the Corn Exchange has produced a special veggie menu for this Friday only. There will also be veggie stalls on the concourse level of the Corn Exchange - a further taster of the treats available at the larger December show. The Veggie Health & Slimming Show, Leeds marks the launch of a national slimming campaign - and diet - by health charity the Viva Health. Says Amanda Woodvine, Viva Health health campaigner and author of the V-Plan diet: "This is a trailblazing show that will tour cities all around Britain, showing that going veggie really can produce weight loss... and save lives! "Visitors to the show are sure to have a good time with free food tastings, slimming advice - including how to avoid festive weight gain, cookery demos, competitions, makeovers, beauty products, a fashion show, talks (including how following the V-Plan Diet sparks weight loss whilst keeping hunger at bay and help in going veggie or vegan.

There'll also be stalls providing a good opportunity for Christmas shopping, and a nutritionist and slimming coach on hand. The show is for anyone interested in being or staying veggie, vegan, in slimming or in health. We hope that you'll join us there for an inspirational and fun day out!" To back up the Veggie Health & Slimming Show tour, the Viva Health has produced the Globesity report, a scientific call for action, and the brilliant, 40-page V-Plan Diet guide, loaded with tasty and inspiring recipes, free to everyone who attends the slimming show.

Viva Health is launching its first Veggie Health & Slimming Show on December 2, 2006, 10.30am-4pm at the Golden Lion Hotel, 2 Lower Briggate, Leeds. Admission: £2 (proceeds to charity). www.vvf.org.uk/slimmingshows. For a complimentary press pass, please contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190. The V-Plan Diet guide is available from the Viva Health for £2.50 (inc p&p). For review copies of the V-Plan Diet and Globesity report plus more information on the Globesity campaign, contact Amanda Woodvine or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190.

The letter has been sent to the Department of Health this week, along with a copy of Viva Health's newly-published scientific report, Globesity. As Viva Health's Globesity report makes clear, the solution to obesity lies in promoting a plant-based diet. This has the added advantage of reducing the risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes and some cancers, which can be increased by animal products and are currently at epidemic proportions. Viva Health therefore calls upon the government to improve the nation's health by offering advice that works rather than persisting with a public health policy that has so dismally failed.

For further information contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190 or visit www.vegetarian.org.uk to read the Globesity report.

The Right Honourable Caroline Flint MP Minister of State for Public Health Department of Health Richmond House 79 Whitehall London SW1A 2NS 15 January 2007 Dear Caroline Flint Enclosed is a copy of the newly-published Globesity scientific report by Viva Health which reviews the wealth of research linking meat and dairy products with obesity. The conclusions are clear: meat and dairy products make a significant contribution to obesity and other degenerative diseases - including coronary heart disease, strokes and some cancers - which are at epidemic proportions in Britain. May I invite your comment on certain key points from the report, please: Researchers at the American Cancer Society followed more than 75,000 people for a decade to find out which behaviours were most associated with weight loss and which with weight gain.

The one dietary behaviour most associated with an increasing waistline was high meat consumption. Even after controlling for other factors, men and women who ate more than a single serving of meat per day were 50 per cent more likely to suffer an increase in abdominal obesity than those eating meat just a few times per week. Meat products were identified as a leading source (28 per cent) of dietary fat, mainly saturated, in the early 1980s. Despite nutritional advice encouraging us to opt for leaner cuts of meat, the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey reports that meat and meat products are still the main source of total dietary fat, providing around a quarter (23 per cent) of the average national dietary fat intake. This means that two decades of advice encouraging us to opt for leaner cuts of meat has not worked - a mere five per cent reduction in our total fat intake from meat has been observed during this time. We are eating more meat - especially poultry - than ever before. Cow's milk and dairy products play a significant role, too: A recent study involving 12,000 children over a three-year-period found that those who drank the most milk gained the most weight. A major review of recent scientific studies on calcium and bone health has shown that children do not need cow's milk for good bone health. Considering this, it is extraordinary that milk is still being promoted so forcefully to children and adolescents.

There is no health reason to support this so the conclusion has to be that the decision is commercial. Numerous studies show that vegetarians are leaner than meat eaters (weighing between six pounds and two stones less). Most overweight people shed pounds when they change to a vegetarian diet. Most importantly, losing weight this way is consistent with long-term health. Vegetarians enjoy lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Research comparing omnivore and vegetarian children found vegetarian children had lower intakes of total and saturated fat, cholesterol and sodiumand higher intakes of beneficial nutrients such as potassium and vitamins beta-carotene, C and E and fibre. There are no nutrients in meat and dairy which cannot be obtained elsewhere. On behalf of the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation and all those associated with this report, I call on the Department of Health to: Withdraw its support for the Food Standards Agency's Balance of Good Health which promotes meat, fish, milk and dairy - in favour of the healthier New Four Food Groups - fruits, legumes, whole grains and vegetables. Revise its new weight loss guide Your Weight, Your Health, to cease the promotion of "leaner' cuts of meat and reduced-fat dairy; Stop its promotion of meat, milk and dairy products; Issue health warnings about the diseases linked to them; Advise parents to stop giving cow's milk formula, replacing it with soya milk formula if the baby cannot be breast fed and to advise that children obtain calcium from plant sources. We are also calling on the government to: Stop subsidising the provision of milk in primary schools; Stop EU subsidies to dairy farmers and channel this funding into the organic growth and promotion of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds; End the statutory levy on milk which funds the Milk Development Council (MDC); End its support of the MDC; End its support of the Butter for Manufacture scheme which give subsidies to food manufacturers to encourage them to use surplus butterfat instead of healthier vegetable oils in various food products. In conclusion, while we commend the government's efforts to promote fruit and vegetable consumption and to invest more in promoting health in nutrition, we would ask that the consumption of meat and dairy - even reduced fat versions - is no longer encouraged. This report provides the framework for a revision of public health policy and we would all urge the minister to supply the political will to accompany it. We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely Amanda Woodvine Health Campaigner, Viva Health

Men could boost their pulling power just by shunning red meat, according to a new study. It found that eating red meat significantly reduces the sex appeal of their body odour. Seventeen men ate either a meaty diet or a vegetarian diet for a fortnight and at the end of it their sweat was collected. A month later, the men switched diets and repeated the experiment. The resulting pongs were rated by 30 women for pleasantness, attractiveness, masculinity and intensity. The veggies won hands down, their smells being judged as "significantly more attractive, more pleasant, and less intense,' according to the journal Chemical Senses.

2. Banish the Beer Belly

The all-time turn off is a beer belly. People who eat just one meat meal a day are 50 per cent more likely to put on weight around their middles than those who eat meat just a few times per week, according to the American Cancer Society. After checking on 75,000 people over a decade they found that the one food most associated with weight gain is meat. A low-fat veggie diet, on the other hand, produces better weight loss than Atkins, Weight Watchers or the Zone diet - healthily and without ever feeling hungry. Check out Viva!Health's new V-Plan Diet on vivahealth.org.uk (or call 0117 970 5190). It costs just £2.50 inc p&p.

3. Rise to the Occasion

Impotence may be an early warning of heart disease with an erection problem coming on average three years before a heart attack. The cause of both can be clogged arteries and the more meat you eat, the more likely you are to have them. Vegetarians are much less at risk than meat eaters and an animal-free diet over the course of a year can, in fact, turn back the clock, heal some of the damage and start to unblock those arteries and get the blood flowing to where you want it.

4. Show your Sensitive Side

Farming animals is having a devastating effect on the global environment and causing third world starvation, according to the United Nations. In the UK alone, around a billion animals are killed for meat each year. So simply by going veggie, the average Brit can claim that in their lifetime they have saved a goose and a rabbit, four cows, 18 pigs, 23 sheep, 39 turkeys, 28 ducks, 1,158 chickens and around 6,200 fish.

5. Get Fruity

Veggie diets are throbbing with natural aphrodisiacs to make hearts smoulder and other bits blush. Asparagus, almonds, avocado, bananas and some deliciously decadent dark chocolate all do the trick. And no wonder health food shops across Britain are selling out of pumpkin seeds - the little zinc-laden wonder that's known to improve sex drive!

Footnote to editors: For more information, photographs or recipes, contact Amanda Woodvine or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190 or email info@viva.org.uk. Viva!Health is a health charity which scientifically investigates the links between diet and health.

The message behind the tour, and indeed the diet is that a healthy veggie diet is the perfect way not only to lose pounds and save yourself pounds, but also to reduce your risk of killer diseases - whilst giving hunger the heave-ho! For more information or to arrange an interview contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190.

NOTE TO EDITORS Viva Health is holding the Veggie Living, Health & Slimming Show on Saturday 28 April, 10.30am-4pm at Broadmead Baptist Church, Lower Union Street, Bristol. Admission: £2 (proceeds to charity). www.vvf.org.uk/slimmingshows. For a complimentary press pass, please contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190. The V-Plan Diet guide is available from the Viva Health for £2.50 (inc p&p). For review copies of the V-Plan Diet and Globesity report plus more information on the Globesity campaign, contact Amanda Woodvine or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190. [ENDS]

Viva Health senior health campaigner Dr Justine Butler says "We have been warning people about the detrimental health effects of consuming cheese and other high-fat animal-based foods for years. Cheddar cheese contains around 35 per cent fat, of which over 60 per cent is saturated. As the number of people suffering from heart disease, obesity and cancer rises to epidemic proportions, we should applaud the FSA's efforts to increase the public's awareness of how their diet is directly linked to their own health; they are simply trying to help people make healthier choices. This scheme was not designed to target any particular food group, it just happens that cheese is not a healthy food and this system shows that. Just because the dairy industry doesn't like it, doesn't mean it's wrong!" "There are many healthier dairy-free alternatives" says Dr Butler "Viva Health are always happy to offer advice and guidance to people who want to improve their diet. We can provide fact sheets, health guides, recipe ideas and nutritional information, just visit www.vegetarian.org.uk or telephone 0117 970 5190 (9am-6pm)."

For more information contact Dr Justine Butler on 0117 970 5190 or email justine@vegetarian.org.uk

Viva Health nutritionist Amanda Woodvine will give an inspiring talk on the scientifically tested V-Plan Diet - a low-fat veggie diet designed to be more effective at shedding the pounds than Weight Watchers, Atkins or the Zone diet - with the added bonus of cutting the risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes and some cancers. And to top it all off, there'll be free one-to-one nutritional consultations - your chance to ask any burning questions about your diet and health, and how to combat minor and serious illness by making simple dietary switches. "If you're looking to shape-up for the summer the Incredible Veggie Show is sure to have something for you," says Amanda Woodvine, Viva Health nutritionist. "Whether you want to cut your risk of heart disease, diabetes or cancer, lose weight or lower your blood pressure, we can advise on these conditions and more. Study after study shows vegetarians and vegans are slimmer and healthier than meat eaters so come along to the show and see just how easy it is!" Entry to the Incredible Veggie Show organised by vegetarian campaign group, Viva! - is just £3 (under 16s free) which will include a whole range of delicious free food tastings from leading veggie food manufacturers and all the advice you could ever want on changing your diet or improving your health. Advance bookings will be entered into a free prize draw to win a vegan hamper worth £150.

A brilliant family day out, there will be over 100 exhibitors showing everything from food and drink to clothing and footwear, cosmetics and toiletries to baby products. And there'll be plenty of resources available including factsheets, guides and books on slimming, cookery and health. The Incredible Veggie Show is sponsored by Beanie's Health Foods (Wholesale) Ltd, Plamil Foods Ltd, Lavera, The Redwood Wholefood Company Ltd, Fresh & Wild, LoveLondon.org.uk, Viva! & Viva Health.

For further information on the Incredible Veggie Show log on at www.viva.org.uk/london or contact Angie Greenaway at Viva! on 0117 944 1000. For celebrity quotes, interviews, photographs or editorial opportunities, contact: Justin Kerswell, Tony Wardle or Juliet Gellatley also on 0117 944 1000. For information from the Viva Health visit www.vegetarian.org.uk or contact Dr Justine Butler or Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190

iva Health staff will be taking these campaign resources on a nationwide tour of talks and heart healthy cookery demonstrations, where people can have a free blood pressure check and receive free one-to-one nutritional advice on how to change their diet to lower their risk of CVD. Following the press launch, Viva Health staff will attend the Viva! Incredible Veggie Roadshow at The Royal Concert Hall in Sauchiehall Street on Saturday 29 September. At the roadshow, which is just £1 to attend, members of the public will be able to purchase a copy of our Have a Heart guide and other resources, have their blood pressure measured, find out the most heart healthy foods to eat with our inspirational "Have a Heart' talk, sample free heart-healthy foods, and receive free personalised nutritional advice. Jane Easton, Food & Cookery Coordinator for the Viva Health, who will be providing cookery demonstrations at the Roadshow says: "I come from working class Scottish parents. My paternal grandfather died from a heart attack in his 60s, brought about by the traditional Glasgow diet. I've also watched other members of my family succumb to unnecessary and debilitating ill health, all lifestyle induced. "Growing up, I too ate like that; it wasn't until I started reading books about veggie diets and health that I realised such a fate wasn't inevitable or even normal. I'm now a vegan in my 50s but far fitter and healthier than the rest of my family put together (those that are still alive, that is) Come to the Roadshow and learn how to cook an amazing range of food that's both healthy and delicious. Glasgow has a fantastic range of shops and eateries - learn where to buy all you need."

For further information or for an interview contact: Amanda Woodvine, Viva Health nutritionist, on 0117 970 5190. Or amanda@vegetarian.org.uk

Dr Justine Butler, VVF senior health campaigner, on 0117 970 5190 or justine@vegetarian.org.uk  

Tony Wardle, associate director Viva Health, on 0117 970 5190

Have a Heart RSVP I will/will not (please delete as appropriate) be attending the press conference, 10.40am for 11am start. Name(s): Media title: Address: Tel: Email: Email to: amanda@vegetarian.org.uk -ends- Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation 8 York Court Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8QH http://www.vegetarian.org.uk Tel: 0117 970 5190 * Saturday 29 September 2007, 10.30am to 4.30pm The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow (Strathclyde Suite, Level 3)

The festive first edition contains tips on creating a veggie store cupboard from scratch and "veganising' your favourite meat and dairy dishes for delicious results that please everyone. Plus a host of festive feasts and winter warmers. Order yours before 3 December to receive the first Christmas issue. Call 0117 970 5190 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm) or email info@vegetarian.org.uk to subscribe. For seasonal recipes, photographs or further information on the Vegan Recipe Club, contact Amanda Woodvine on 0117 970 5190 or email amanda@vegetarian.org.uk

The Viva Health has produced a standard letter for parents to download from their website www.vegetarian.org.uk and send in to their children's school asking that their child opt out of the school milk scheme.

Says Dr Butler "Viva Healths's White Lies report exposed a huge body of scientific evidence linking cow's milk to a large number of childhood illnesses: Cow's milk is the single biggest cause of food allergies (eczema and asthma) in UK children. Allergic reactions to milk can lead to intestinal bleeding and iron-deficiency anaemia. Early exposure to cow's milk has been linked to type 1 diabetes. Cow's milk may cause ear infections. The growth hormone IGF-1 in milk is linked to an increased risk of childhood cancers. The hormones in milk have been linked to teenage acne. Dairy products contribute significant amounts of cholesterol, animal protein and saturated animal fat to the diet, increasing the risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other degenerative diseases." Dr Butler says "Cow's milk is promoted as the best source of calcium, important for growing bones. However, most people in the world don't drink milk; over 70% of the world's population can't digest the sugar in milk as they are lactose intolerant".

In fact, the research shows that: Across the world the highest consumers of milk suffer the highest levels of osteoporosis. Animal protein in milk can promote calcium loss from the bone leading to osteoporosis. Physical exercise is the most important factor for building strong bones. A recent review of 58 studies on milk published in the journal Pediatrics concluded that there is little evidence to support encouraging adolescents to drink more milk for the sake of bone health. Buy the fully-referenced scientific review White Lies for £5.00 from the Viva Health by phoning 0117 970 5190 or online at www.vegetarian.org.uk  

For more information contact Dr Justine Butler at the VVF on 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk

A Fighting Chance explains what the scientific research on diet and breast cancer shows and reveals which foods help and which harm. It explains how meat and dairy foods could trigger this disease and why plant-based foods will help prevent or fight it. It describes what a healthy diet is and recommends what you need to eat each day. Choose from a detailed list of fantastic cancer-busting foods including cranberries, pomegranates and Shiitake mushrooms. It's not all fancy foods though - good old favourites are there including oats (that's porridge to you and me), broccoli, garlic and watercress. This useful guide also includes a seven-day meal plan with inspiring healthy recipes.

The seven-day meal plan, devised by Viva!Health's food and cookery coordinator Jane Easton, contains delicious recipes to suit all tastes. Try the Tortilla Wraps with Mango Salsa or the Quinoa Superbowl Salad and the fabulous Summer Berry Compote. Good, healthy food bursting with flavour and vitality.

Viva!Health senior health campaigner and author of A Fighting Chance Dr Justine Butler says, "Women diagnosed with breast cancer receive very little, if any, guidance on what foods can help them fight this disease. However, the research clearly shows that what you eat can be vital in helping you combat breast cancer. This guide should be read by all women. The VVF believe it is really important to get this information in the public domain which is why we are holding a public talk in London on February 27 2008."

ONE IN NINE
A public talk on diet and breast cancer from the Viva!Health and top scientist Professor Jane Plant CBE. On Wednesday 27 February 2008, Viva!Health is launching a - campaign, One in Nine, to raise awareness about how breast cancer cases are rising (now affecting one in nine women) and the major role of diet in this disease. Speakers include Professor Jane Plant, Juliet Gellatley and Dr Justine Butler. Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, off Great Maze Pond and Newcomen Street, London SE1, 6.45pm for 7.15pm start. £5.00 admits one, tickets available from the VVF telephone 0117 970 5190. Nearest tube and mainline station: London Bridge.

For further information or press passes for the talk, contact: Dr Justine Butler or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190.

More information below:

Professor Jane Plant joins Viva!Health to raise awareness of the links between diet and breast cancer

The public talk - One in Nine - is on Wednesday 27 February 2008 at Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, off Great Maze Pond and Newcomen Street, London SE1. Standing alongside Viva!Health will be eminent academic and accomplished speaker, Professor Jane Plant. Find out why breast cancer cases are rising, now affecting one in nine women and hear about major the role of diet.

Juliet Gellatley: founder and director of the largest vegetarian and vegan organisation in Europe, Viva! and of the health charity Viva!Health. Juliet will explain what it is about modern dairy farming methods that makes cow's milk so harmful.

Dr Justine Butler: Viva!Health senior health campaigner and author of Viva!Health’s new ground breaking One in Nine report and A Fighting Chance guide. Justine will discuss the latest research on how red meat and dairy are linked to breast cancer and explain how you can protect yourself by changing your diet.

Professor Jane Plant CBE: top scientist, author of best sellers Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer and world authority on how animal products (and other food and lifestyle factors) can cause breast cancer. Jane will describe her own moving story of how she overcame breast cancer by changing her diet. Hear how she used her scientific training to research diet and breast cancer and devise a diet plan that has helped many other women.

Viva!Health is increasingly being seen as the UK's premier authority on health and dietary matters with a growing number of health professionals and journalists contacting us for information.

To read the report and guide go to: http://vivahealth.viva.org.uk/breast-cancer-campaign

For photos of the speakers, images and/or copies of Viva!Health’s report and guide or more information contact Dr Justine Butler or Juliet Gellatley at Viva!Health on info@viva.org.uk.

One in Nine - from Viva!Health, aims to raise awareness of how breast cancer cases are rising, now affecting one in nine women, and the major role of diet in this disease.

Professor Plant will be joined by two other speakers, Viva!Health founder and director, Juliet Gellatley and Dr Justine Butler, author of the One in Nine report.

The talk is being held at Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, off Great Maze Pond and Newcomen Street, London SE1, 6.45pm for 7.15pm start.

Tickets cost £5 and are available by calling Viva!Health on 0117 970 5190.
The nearest tube and mainline station is London Bridge.

For further information or press passes for the talk, contact Dr Justine Butler or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 970 5190 (out of hours): 07939 051351.

Notes for Editors

Professor Jane Plant joins the Viva!Health to raise awareness of the links between diet and breast cancer.

The public talk - One in Nine - is on Wednesday 27 February 2008 at Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, off Great Maze Pond and Newcomen Street, London SE1. Standing alongside the VVF will be eminent academic and accomplished speaker, Professor Jane Plant. Find out why breast cancer cases are rising, now affecting one in nine women and hear about major the role of diet.

Professor Jane Plant CBE: top scientist, author of best sellers Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer and world authority on how animal products (and other food and lifestyle factors) can cause breast cancer. Jane will describe her own moving story of how she overcame breast cancer by changing her diet. Hear how she used her scientific training to research diet and breast cancer and devise a diet plan that has helped many other women.

Juliet Gellatley: founder and director of the largest vegetarian and vegan organisation in Europe, Viva! and of the health charity Viva!Health. Juliet will explain what it is about modern dairy farming methods that makes cow's milk so harmful.

Dr Justine Butler: Viva!Health senior health campaigner and author of Viva!Health’s new ground breaking One in Nine report and A Fighting Chance guide. Justine will discuss the latest research on how red meat and dairy are linked to breast cancer and explain how you can protect yourself by changing your diet.

Viva!Health is increasingly being seen as the UK's premier authority on health and dietary matters with a growing number of health professionals and journalists contacting us for information.

To read the report and guide go to: http://vivahealth.viva.org.uk/breast-cancer-campaign.

For photos of the speakers, images and/or copies of Viva!Health’s report and guide or more information contact Dr Justine Butler or Juliet Gellatley at Viva!Health on 0117 970 5190 (out of hours): 07939 051351 or email info@viva.org.uk.

Viva Health also described how fruit, vegetables and wholegrains foods can help protect against this disease. A large number of people attended the event at Kings College, including nurses, students, health care professionals and breast cancer suffers and it received very positive feedback. "The talk was great, but frightening really. I was horrified by the treatment of cows. I did have an idea about it, but I didn't know what they go through was as bad as that. The way these animals are treated is terrible."It was so interesting - especially hearing about the nutritional studies. It was amazing the amount of information I got from it as a student in nutrition. The talk is something more people should hear. "I thought the speakers were absolutely excellent. I work at a breast cancer centre in London where we support women and men who have the disease. Many of them follow Jane Plant's diet and her books are very popular." For more information and to read One in Nine, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaigns/breastcancer/index.html or call Viva Health on 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk | To read the report and guide go to: http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaigns/breastcancer/index.html

For photos of the speakers, images and/or copies of Viva Health's report and guide or more information contact Dr Justine Butler or Juliet Gellatley at the VVF on 0117 970 5190 (out of hours): 07939 051351 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk Professor Jane Plant CBE: Anglo American Professor of Applied Geochemistry at Imperial College, London. Jane is the author of best sellers Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer, and world authority on how animal products (and other food and lifestyle factors) can cause breast cancer. Jane described her own moving story of how she overcame breast cancer by changing her diet. She explained how she used her scientific training to research diet and breast cancer and devise a diet plan that has helped so many other women.

Juliet Gellatley: founder and director of the largest vegetarian and vegan organisation in Europe, Viva! and of the health charity the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation (Viva Health). Juliet explained what it is about modern dairy farming methods that makes cow's milk so harmful. Dr Justine Butler: Viva Health senior health campaigner and author of the Viva Health's new ground breaking One in Nine report. Justine revealed the latest research on how red meat and dairy are linked to breast cancer and explained how you can protect yourself by changing your diet. Additional information Women diagnosed with breast cancer receive very little, if any, guidance on what foods can help them fight this disease. However, the research clearly shows that what you eat can be vital in helping you combat breast cancer. Viva Health believe it is really important to get this information into the public domain which is why they held this event. Viva Health have produced a scientific report called One in Nine which investigates the links between diet and breast cancer. It is the first review of its kind collecting together a compelling body of evidence. The research irrefutable - red meat and dairy products are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer while fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods lower the risk. A new guide, A Fighting Chance, has also been produced, which shows how you can change your diet to prevent or overcome breast cancer. This new easy-to-read colourful guide provides vital information and practical advice. It explains in simple terms what the scientific research on diet and breast cancer shows and reveals which foods help and which harm. Find out how meat and dairy foods could trigger this disease and why plant-based foods will help prevent or fight it. Read what a healthy diet is and discover what you need to eat each day. Choose from a detailed list of fantastic cancer-busting foods including cranberries, pomegranates and Shiitake mushrooms. It's not all fancy foods though - good old favourites are there including oats (that's porridge to you and me), broccoli, garlic and watercress. This useful guide also includes a seven-day meal plan with inspiring healthy recipes such as Tortilla Wraps with Mango Salsa, Quinoa Superbowl Salad and the fabulous Summer Berry Compote. Good, healthy food bursting with flavour and vitality. About Viva Health is the UK's premier nutrition and health charity informing the public about how to obtain a healthy diet that protects health and fights disease. Viva Health are happy to answer any queries relating to diet and health; and produces a range of guides and fact sheets and an excellent magazine called Veggie Health.

As part of National Men's Health Week, (June 9-15) leading health charity, Viva!Health is challenging men to give some of the great recipes featured below, a go in the kitchen.
Viva!Health senior nutritionist, Amanda Woodvine, says: "Strong scientific evidence shows that vegetarian diets can be used to prevent and treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and even reverse heart disease. The more meat you eat, the more likely you are to end up with clogged arteries. Research shows that an animal-free diet can heal damage to the arteries. A low-fat, vegetarian diet eaten for just a year can reverse blockages, resulting in improved blood flow."

Fact digest

- Vegetarians visit hospital 22 per cent less often than meat eaters
- A lifelong vegetarian on average saves the NHS £45,722!
- Veggies tend to have healthier cholesterol levels and up to 50 per cent less risk of high blood pressure.
- Vegetarian and vegan diets can be used to prevent and treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and even reverse heart disease.
- Men who eat just one meat meal a day are 50 per cent more likely to put on weight around their middles than those who eat meat just a few times per week.
- A low-fat veggie diet produces better weight loss than Atkins, Weight Watchers or the Zone diet - healthily and without ever feeling hungry.
- Impotence and heart disease can be caused by clogged arteries and the more meat you eat, the more likely you are to have them. Going veggie for a year can heal some of the damage and start to unblock arteries and get the blood flowing to where you want it.

Viva!Health has produced a great new Healthy Heart pack, featuring information, tips and easy-to-follow recipes showing how to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as heart disease and stroke. It also demonstrates simple disease-busting changes you can make to your meals - with results that will please everyone! Visit vivahealth.viva.org.uk to order (just £5.00 inc p&p).

Also check out their V-Plan Diet on vivahealth.viva.org.uk. It costs just £2.50 inc p&p.

For more information, please contact press officer Helen Rossiter by emailing press@viva.org.uk.

Here are some simple ideas for delicious and healthy lunches that don't sacrifice taste.

Salsa Surprise
Makes 1-2 wraps/sandwiches
5 minutes
½ a tin of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
½ -1 jar/tub of salsa
Handful of sweetcorn
Hot chilli sauce to taste
A dab of tomato paste
Thinly sliced red onion and gherkins
Two wraps or four large slices of wholemeal/malted bread
Mix filling ingredients together then place in the wraps or bread.

It's All Greek to Me
Makes four wraps/pittas
5 minutes
Four wholemeal pitta or 8 slices wholemeal bread
4 four reduced-fat hummus

Filling
Half a cucumber, chopped small
1 large tomato, chopped small
Small bunch of rocket or watercress, chopped with scissors
4 tbsp plain dairy-free yoghurt (eg Alpro Yofu from supermarkets or Sojasun from health stores) mixed with 1 clove of garlic, crushed, plus a handful of fresh mint, chopped

1. Mix all filling ingredients together so that everything is well-coated.
2. Spread a quarter of the hummus inside each pitta/wrap, then place the filling mix on top.

Flavoursome Falafel
Serves 4
5-10 minutes

Four falafel (Cauldron or other brands, from large supermarkets or health stores)
½ a bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
Shredded green lettuce
Sweet chilli sauce
4 tbsp plain dairy-free yoghurt (Alpro Yofu from supermarkets/health stores or Sojasun from health stores)

Four wraps or 4 wholemeal pitta
Mix filling ingredients together. Place inside pitta or wraps.

Pasta & Sausage Salad
Serves 2
10 minutes

250g/9 oz wholemeal penne or fusilli pasta, cooked in boiling water according to packet instructions (about 10 minutes). When cooked, drain and rinse with cold water
Two veggie frankfurters or cooked veggie sausages, sliced into small chunks
Two tbsp sweetcorn
¼ cucumber, chopped small
½ a red onion, sliced thinly
One large or 6 small cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved
Tomato relish OR 2 tbsp low-fat salad vinaigrette dressing

1. While pasta is cooking, prepare other ingredients.
2. Mix them into pasta and coat well with relish/dressing.
3. Place in two sealed containers so you have enough for 2 lunches.

Snack attacks

Keep the munchies and bad fats at bay with one of these energy boosters
Mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit; almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and apricots

Mixed dried fruit - eg apricots, dates, figs, raisins, or a mixture

Fresh fruit - 1 piece, eg an apple, nectarine, small bunch of grapes, half a melon, half a pineapple

Low-fat flapjack

Sexy Seeds - 1 handful of sunflower and pumpkin seed snack (or any combination of seeds)

Delicious - a real nutritional boost to your day (and being zinc rich they are good for your libido too!)
You can buy tubs of these in large supermarkets or health stores but they are much cheaper and dead easy to make yourself!

5 minutes - In a heavy or non-stick frying pan, toast as many seeds as you can fit in. Stir continually with a spatula so they don't burn.

When most of them are golden brown, add a dribble of soya sauce and stir it in well to coat all the seeds. Let everything cool then place in a screw top jar. They keep in the fridge for a week or two.

PS It's also worth checking out your local sandwich shop and see what they have on offer. Hummus is an obvious sarnie filler, but many outlets now sell a much larger range of veggie combos. And if they don't do anything at present, say you'll support "em if they add more options to their menu. Or get in touch with us and we'll send them some ideas - our local sandwich shop caters for everyone from vegans to raging carnivores, so the market is obviously out there!

Then a new fact sheet from Viva Health could be just what you need. 'Ironing out the Facts' tells you all you need to know about iron and explains why plant iron is best for your health. Viva Health's senior health campaigner, Dr Justine Butler, says: "One of the commonest food myths is that vegetarians and vegans have a higher risk of iron-deficiency anaemia because they don't eat meat. This is simply not the case and many major health organisations agree. Despite the evidence, many health professionals and food writers persist in promoting red meat as the best source of iron. They usually fail to mention the health risks associated with the type of iron found in meat as opposed to iron from plants." The new fact sheet Ironing out the Facts will tell you how much iron you need, where to get it and why it matters.

For your copy of the fact sheet send a cheque payable to Viva Health for £1.40 (inc p&p) to Iron Fact Sheet, Viva Health, Top Suite, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH or telephone 0117 970 5190 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm).

Contrary to popular belief, white meat, including turkey, is not the healthy option, Viva!Health says in its publication, White Meat Myths.

Research from Viva!Health has revealed white meat in its true colours - an unhealthy and potentially health damaging food that can be replaced with healthier, meat-free alternatives.

Although more people than ever are meat-reducing and no longer eat red meat, white meat from chicken, ducks, turkey and geese, has become the choice for many.

FACTS

- The "juice' found in chicken packaged in polystyrene trays is a bloody serum absorbed when the little birds are lowered (sometimes alive) into scalding tanks in the slaughterhouse
- A medium-sized chicken contains almost a pint of fat
Chicken nuggets, often fed to children are made largely from mechanically recovered meat (MRM) mixed with gums, flavourings (which may include sugar), polyphosphates and soya for bulk, bound together with breadcrumbs
- Cooking white meat at high temperatures forms of cancer causing compounds which can damage DNA even at low concentrations
- Eating white meat at least once a week increases your risk of suffering colon cancer three-fold and significantly increases the risk of diabetes
- Chicken is the main source of food poisoning in Europe, with salmonella found in up to 30 per cent of all broiler chickens, causing symptoms including nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting
- White meat is not low in cholesterol; it contains as much as beef

Viva!Health senior nutritionist, Amanda Woodvine, says: "It is upsetting to think that people all around us, our friends, family and colleagues, continue to be conned by the myth that turkey is a healthy, low-fat meat that causes less animal suffering. It is not.

"White Meat Myths is packed with easy-to-digest information, illustrations and delicious meat-free recipes which aim to inspire consumers to make the right move towards going veggie and enjoying great health.

"The guide, under our vital new campaign White Meat Black Mark, aims to open people's eyes to the truth behind these myths. Exposing the health consequences of eating white meat has never been done before and it could help save the lives of millions of animals and people."

To order the White Meat Myths guide, please call 0117 970 5190, email info@viva.org.uk or visit vivahealth.viva.org.uk. The guide costs £2.90 including postage and packing.

For more information about this media release, please call press officer Helen Rossiter on 0117 944 1000 or emailpress@viva.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190 to speak to Amanda Woodvine or email amanda@vegetarian.org.uk.

White Meat Myths is one of 13 guides by Viva!Health. Viva!Health also produces guides and fact sheets on nutrition. For lists of guides available, please refer to the contact details above.

Numerous studies have shown people who are vegetarian or vegan to be up to 20 per cent. Most overweight people shed pounds when they change to a vegetarian diet, Viva Health has produced its own antidote to fad diets: firmly based on scientific research and proven to work. Low fat and veggie, the V-Plan Diet can produce greater weight loss than Atkins. The guide features over 28 tasty recipes to help you put its healthy eating guidelines to work straight away.

Just as importantly, the V-Plan Diet can cut the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers - giving the whole family a new lease of life! For more information, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190. "Going veggie can also slash your shopping bill by several pounds each week. Six months of diet pills would cost over £260! Veggie food on the other hand continues to grow in popularity, is widely available, easy to prepare and affordable," added Ms Woodvine. Viva Health also produce the Vegetarian Recipe Club, which features four deluxe colour-coded, wipeable sections: Basics, Veggie Food for Thought; a Health MOT - and delicious, delicious low fat veggie recipes. For only £15 per year you receive four issues in the post, a fantastic binder to store them in and access to the online Vegetarian Recipe Club www.vegetarianrecipeclub.org.uk.

To join the Vegan Recipe Club, please send a cheque to the Viva Health, Top Suite, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH or call 0117 970 5190 or visit www.vegetarian.org.uk/recipeclub.

For more information about this media release, contact senior nutritionist, Amanda Woodvine, on 0117 970 5190, or press officer Helen Rossiter on 0117 970 5190 or email press@vegetarian.orgk, UK Full references available upon request. For more information, visit http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaigns/globesity/globesity_report.pdf to read the Viva Health's Globesity report. News reports state that Alli which is now available to buy over the counter, costs £1.60 per day.

It says: "It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes."

The ADA position statement comes hot on the heels of a report published in the British Journal of Cancer last month which found that vegetarians have a lower risk of cancer - 45 per cent less in the case of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"Meat-eating is creating little short of a disaster area," says Dr Justine Butler, senior health campaigner with the UK health charity, Viva!Health. "We are receiving scientific reports on almost a weekly basis that meat is central to almost all the chronic diseases - those that kill most people in developed countries.

"There is an equal weight of scientific evidence showing that livestock production for meat and dairy is at the heart of almost all the world's great environmental catastrophes, including global warming. It really is time for the Government to stop subsidising meat production and advocate vegetarian diets to cope with the epidemic of chronic diseases that are destroying the health of people in the West."

The ADA maintains that vegetarian diets are often associated with health advantages, including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes as well as a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals.

The ADA dismisses claims that being a vegetarian is not for everyone, particularly pregnant women, by saying that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes.

For further information on vegetarian diets see www.vegetarian.org.uk or contact Dr Justine Butler on 0117 970 5190 or the ADA direct at media@eatright.org or view their website at www.eatright.org.

Authored by, Juliet Gellatley, and leading cookery writer, Rose Elliot, the Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide brings together everything you need to know about what foods provide the correct nutritional balance so babies can thrive on a plant-based diet.

The guide contains information on:

- Increasing nutrients for a healthy pregnancy
- What to eat each day for health - pre and post pregnancy
- The importance of breastfeeding
- Foods for weaning and how to prepare them

The Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide also features a week's menu plan for toddlers' lunches and dinners and special recipes for both toddler and mother.

Nutritional therapist Juliet Gellatley says: "Bringing up your baby on a plant-based diet really can give them the best start in life - promoting healthy eating patterns in childhood while reducing their risk of developing some chronic diseases of adulthood in later life.

"The Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide shows you, simply, how to feed you and your baby a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, complete with all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates and essential fats the body needs without the harmful saturated fat and cholesterol that animal products provide."

To order the Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide for £1.90 plus p+p, please call 0117 944 1000, or visit www.vivashop.org.uk

To view online visit http://vivahealth.viva.org.uk/vegetarian-and-vegan-mother-and-baby-guide

For more information please email press officer Helen Rossiter or Juliet Gellatley at info@viva.org.uk or visit www.viva.org.uk or vivahealth.viva.org.uk.

The Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide is one of 17 guides by Viva!. Viva!Health also produces guides and fact sheets on nutrition. For lists of guides available, please refer to the contact details above.

Viva Health has produced a great fact sheet Simple Tips to Sharpen Wits, which suggests ten clever reasons to go veggie:

1. Folic acid (from broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, chick peas, yeast extract and brown rice) can improve mental agility in the over 50s.

2. Smart kids go veggie - a group of people who were vegetarian at 30 had an IQ five points higher than average when they were 10.

3. Complex carbs bolster mood - carbohydrates from wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta) boost serotonin production.

4. Cut dementia risk by going veggie - being obese in your 40s is linked to dementia later in life, veggies tend to weigh less.

5. Slim to improve memory - research shows that obese people may score lower in memory tests. A veggie diet can help you shed pounds.

6. Juicy way to cut Alzheimer's - fruit and veg juice may cut the risk significantly.

7. 'Good' omega-3 fat (from flaxseed, hempseed and rapeseed oils and walnuts) may help some people cut their Alzheimer's risk.

8. Go veggie to cut cholesterol - people with high cholesterol levels in mid-life are more likely to develop Alzheimer's later in life. A plant-based diet can be used as an alternative to statins to lower cholesterol.

9. Ditch the dairy - too much calcium in older adults may lead to dementia, depression and stroke. Loading up on calcium from dairy may be responsible.

10. Go meat-free - red meat and processed meat have been linked to a range of degenerative diseases including Alzheimer's.

Viva Health senior health campaigner Dr Justine Butler says: "Not many people realise how what you eat can affect your physical and mental health; changing your diet can bring about significant benefits." For more information on this and Viva Health's other fact sheets go to www.vegetarian.org.uk/factsheets or call 0117 970 5190. They can be viewed fully online, or hard copies purchased for 40p.

For more information about this media release contact Dr Justine Butler at the Viva Health on 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk or press officer Helen Rossiter by calling 0117 970 5190 or emailing press@vegetarian.org.uk

Experts suggest that reducing your meat consumption by a third could have a significant impact on climate change* and that the widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet could prevent approximately 40,000 deaths from Heart Disease in the UK each year**. So maybe we could all do with taking a look at what we are serving up at the dinner table?

Leading health charity Viva!Health has put together a special Green Cuisine Dinner Party menu - to help you cut down on the amount of meat you eat in the most delicious and environmentally friendly way.

The recipes, which are 100 per cent vegan, are designed to make the most of fresh and seasonal vegetables this spring - including asparagus, nettles and rhubarb.

Viva!Health senior health campaigner, Dr Justine Butler says: "Eating more vegetarian and vegan food, even a couple of times a week is the most significant thing anyone can do to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their health at the same time. If you want to do your bit to help the environment why not give one of our recipes a try? You also stand to reduce your chances of developing some of the UK's biggest killer diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers."

Viva!Health can help you cut down on the amount of meat you eat - we can even help you go veggie or vegan! We produce scientific reports, practical guides, informative fact sheets, we even have a free online Vegan Recipe Club! For more information visit vrc.viva.org.uk.

Asparagus and cheatin' Meatie Spears
Serves 4

12 fat spears of asparagus
30g vegan margarine
1 packet Redwood cheatin Pepperoni Style slices or Ham Style slices

1. Pre heat oven to 180°C/350F/Gas Mark 4
2. Cut cheatin slices into strips and wrap around the asparagus
3. Brush each spear lightly with margarine
4. Cook for 3-4mins until lightly roasted
5. Serve with vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

1 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 pepper corns
1 dried bay leaf
40g silken tofu
125g/4oz vegan margarine
1tsp tumeric
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the vinegar in a small pan with the peppercorns and bay leaf. Reduce the vinegar over a high heat until there is only 1 tbsp left. Strain the peppercorns and the bay leaf from this reduction.
2. Put the silken tofu in a food processor with the vinegar reduction.
3. Gently melt the margarine so the solids fall to the bottom of the saucepan.
4. Add the tumeric and turn the food processor on and slowly pour the margarine on to the tofu with the motor still running. The sauce will start to thicken. When only the butter solids are left, stop.
5. If the sauce is too thick, add a little hot water.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.

Nettle Dahl
Serves 4

Traditionally made with spinach, try using nettles in this gorgeous recipe. Serve the dahl with your favourite veggie curry and either white or brown Basmati rice, or as a light meal with warm chapatti and salad on the side. Yum! Make sure you wear gloves to pick the nettles, selecting young, fresh leaves. Mung dahl are tiny, yellow split lentils that make this dish very velvety in texture. They are available from Asian stores and good delis, otherwise the usual red lentils will do just fine.

225g/8oz mung dahl OR red lentils
750ml/1pt 7fl oz water
1-2tbsp plain vegetable oil
1tsp black mustard seeds
½tsp ground turmeric
½tsp ground cumin
¼tsp asafoetida OR ground fennel powder
2tbsp grated fresh ginger (peel before grating)
½ a medium green chilli, de-seeded and chopped (use ¼ tsp chilli powder if you are particularly sensitive to hot food)
100g/3 ½ oz young nettle leaves OR finely shredded spring greens OR shredded spinach
1-2tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste

1. Wash the dahl in a sieve with cold running water.
2. Put into a heavy-based saucepan, pour in the water and bring to the boil.
3. Reduce the heat then simmer for 20-30 mins.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan.
5. Meanwhile, add the mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, asafoetida or fennel seeds, ginger and chilli. Saute for 2-3 mins then add to the dahl.
6. A few mins before the dahl is ready, stir in the nettles and lemon juice.
7. Cook for a further 2 mins. check taste and add salt if needed. Serve hot.

Rhubarb crumble
Serves 4-6

340g rhubarb
3 tbsp water
160g raw cane sugar
115g wholewheat flour
55g oats
55g desiccated coconut
2 tsp ground ginger
115g vegan margarine

1. Chop the rhubarb and place in an oiled oven-proof dish with the water. Sprinkle 70g of the sugar over it.
2. Put the remaining 90g of the sugar in a mixing bowl with the flour, oats, coconut and ginger. Mix well then add the margarine and blend in well with your fingers.
3 Spoon the crumble mixture on top of the fruit and bake at 400°F/200°C/Gas 6 for 30 mins.
4. Serve warm with soya cream.

*Friel et al., 2009 Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: food and agriculture. Lancet. 374 (9706) 2016-2025.
**Key et al., 1999. Health benefits of a vegetarian diet. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 58 (2) 271-5.

Notes to Editors

For more information about this media release contact Dr Justine Butler at Viva!Health on 0117 970 5190 or email info@viva.org.uk or press officer Helen Rossiter by calling 0117 970 5190 or emailing press@viva.org.uk. Out-of-hours media mobile: 07939 051351.

There is no doubt that the healthiest lunchbox is a vegan lunchbox. Wholemeal bread, bean salad, lentil pate, hummus, fresh fruit and vegetable sticks, nuts and seeds - you can't beat it! These foods provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, fibre and a good source of "good' fats and will help set your child up for the day with its slow-release carbohydrates.

Viva!Health senior health campaigner Dr Justine Butler says: "On the other hand, ham and cheese sandwiches made with white bread, crisps, cakes, biscuits, chocolate bars contain high levels of saturated fat, animal protein, cholesterol, salt and sugar associated with obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. These baddies are all too often seen in the school lunchbox, which is part of the reason why today's children are so unhealthy.

"Providing a healthy nutritious meal will help your child concentrate better at school, it will also establish life-long healthy eating habits that will protect them from diseases now and in adulthood.

For exciting healthy lunchbox ideas go to www.teachvegetarian.com or call 0117 970 5190 or email info@vegetarian.org.uk for free help and advice on going vegetarian or vegan.

For more information about this media release call Dr Butler or press officer Helen Rossiter on 0117 970 5190 or email vvfpress@vvf.org.uk.

For more information about this media release call press officer Helen Rossiter or Veronika Charvatova on 0117 970 5190 or email vvfpress@vegetarian.org.uk or veronika@vegetarian.org.uk. Out-of-hours media mobile: 07939 051351.

Notes to Editors

A number of scientific studies have revealed that dairy consumption is not helping in the prevention of osteoporosis and can in fact increase the risk of this disease. Viva!Health. Registered charity 1037486

References

Lanou A.J., Berkow S.E., and Barnard N.D. 2005. Calcium, Dairy Products, and Bone Health in Children and Young Adults: A Re-evaluation of the Evidence. Pediatrics. 115 (3) 736-743.

Gibbons M.J., Gilchrist N.L., Frampton C., Maguire P., Reilly P.H., March R.L., Wall C.R. 2004. The effects of a high calcium dairy food on bone health in pre-pubertal children in New Zealand. Asia pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 13 (4) 341-347.

Frassetto L.A., Todd K.M., Morris R.C. Jr and Sebastian A. 2000. Worldwide incidence of hip fracture in elderly women: relation to consumption of animal and vegetable foods. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 55 (10) M585-92.

Feskanich D. Willett W.C. Stampfer M.J. and Colditz G.A. 1997. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. The American Journal of Public Health. 87 (6) 992-7.

Marsh A.G., Sanchez T.V., Michelsen O., Chaffee F.L. and Fagal S.M. 1988. Vegetarian lifestyle and bone mineral density. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 48 (3 Supplement) 837-41.

Sellmeyer D.E., Stone K.L, Sebastian A. and Cummings S.R. 2001. A high ratio of dietary animal to vegetable protein increases the rate of bone loss and the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 73 (1) 118-22.

Frassetto L.A., Todd K.M., Morris R.C. Jr and Sebastian A. 2000. Worldwide incidence of hip fracture in elderly women: relation to consumption of animal and vegetable foods. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 55 (10) M585-92.

Abelow B.J., Holford T.R. and Insogna K.L. 1992. Cross-cultural association between dietary animal protein and hip fracture: a hypothesis. Calcified Tissue International. 50 (1) 14-8.

Campbell T. C. and Campbell T. M. II. 2004. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. Dallas, Texas, USA. BenBella Books.

If you are looking for a way to spice things up in the kitchen and bedroom this Valentine's Day, health charity Viva! Health has some fantastic and frisky tips to get you in the mood.

Vegetarian diets are jam-packed with natural aphrodisiacs - such as asparagus, almonds, avocados, bananas, celery, hot chillies and dark chocolate, raspberries and strawberries - that will make your heart glow and other bits tingle too. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of zinc, known to improve sex drive and they also protect against impotence.

Viva! Health campaigner, Veronika Charvatova, says: "Aphrodisiac foods have to get the blood pumping. This can be a problem for people who suffer from impotence, sometimes cause by blocked arteries.

Fatty foods such as meat, egg and dairy products clog up the arteries, thus blocking the blood flow to certain vital organs! They also increase the risk of diabetes and obesity which are also linked to impotence."

"On the other hand, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds protects against blocked arteries, heart disease, stroke and many other conditions. These foods are also bursting with vital nutrients that increase energy and zest!

Recipe ideas for Valentine's Day

Starter: Avocado and Smoked Tofu Salad
Mains: Asparagus and Celery Risotto - served with Green Salad, pumpkin seeds and vinaigrette
Dessert: Luxury Chocolate Mousse

Luxury Chocolate Mousse
The Big Mama of all mousses! Try this on any of your friends who believe that being vegan is about "giving up' and being a martyr and watch the smiles of pleasure on their chocolate-smeared chops!
Good served with berry fruits as a garnish - the colour and tartness gives a lovely contrast - or try orange zest, as on our photo.

Serves 3-5
Time:
25 minutes, plus chilling time

Ingredients:
1 pack silken tofu (approximately 330g) available in good supermarkets or health stores
150g dark chocolate - 1 ½ big bars of dairy-free dark chocolate such as Divine or Lidl Fair Trade Dark
2 tbsp maple, date or agave syrup (agave is available in large supermarkets. It's a bit like vegan honey)
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Method:
1. Blend tofu until completely smooth and creamy.
2. Soften chocolate with syrup in a double boiler (or bowl over pan containing 5cm/2 inches of hot water), set over a low heat.
3. Stir gently with a rubber or plastic spatula until the chocolate has completely melted.
4. Blend chocolate mixture with vanilla extract, salt and tofu. Mix until creamy, scraping down sides once or twice to ensure everything is well mixed in.
5. Refrigerate in individual serving dishes of your choice for an hour or so -little espresso cups look lovely, or nice glasses.

Visit the Viva! shop for all your Valentines' gifts by clicking here.

For more information about the health benefits of going veggie or vegan, visit www.vivahealth.org.uk.

The Vegan Recipe Club, which started life as a subscribed publication, is now FREE for everyone to access online. All recipes are suitable for vegans and those with dairy intolerances.

http://vrc.viva.org.uk/

It features lots of fabulous features to help and inspire all, from veggie virgins to veggie and vegan veterans!
- Handy search facilities - you can search by recipe, ingredient, food type and dietary requirement to name a few
- Weekly Newsletter - just sign up and we will send you new recipes
- Blog - read what we're up to in our kitchens. It's where we share new ingredients, recipes and other foodie ideas with you
- Send in your own recipes - vegan, of course!
- Save your own recipes to create a handy personal resource
- Basics - from how and what to buy to stocking a new kitchen with ingredients and basic equipment
- Health - because vegan diets are superb for promoting and maintaining optimum health!
- Join our Facebook page to get daily updates of new recipes and blogs
- Check out our Shop for lovely animal and planet-friendly merchandise

Viva! and Viva!Health Food and cookery manager, Helen Rossiter, says:

The Vegan Recipe Club is the best online resource to find whatever veggie recipe you need. From family favourites such as chilli and bolognaise, to more exotic dishes using tofu and spices, it has it all. Whatever type of veggie meal you want to cook or whatever ingredient you have to hand, we can help you create a delicious meal.

For more information, call Helen Rossiter on 0117 944 1000 or email helen@viva.org.uk. Alternatively, email food &; cookery coordinator, Jane Easton, jane@viva.org.uk. Recipes and hi-res pictures are available for use on request.

The D-Diet is tailored specifically for the needs of diabetics, and it has helped people who tried it for the initial period of four weeks not only reduce their medication, but also lose weight. Peter adds: "I still have a way to go but I expect to be no longer obese within the next two weeks. I'm enjoying the new diet and look forward to staying on it for a very long time - it is changing my life!" The D-Diet keeps you well-nourished and sated while it makes your cells burn the fat that is standing in the way of insulin sensitivity. It also reduces cholesterol levels, blood pressure and protects the kidneys from further deterioration. Because the D-Diet champions foods with a low glycemic index, it protects the body's vital organs from damage caused by blood sugar rising too high or dipping too low. Viva!Health health campaigner, Veronika Charvatova, says: "There are 2.5 million diabetics in the UK and current medication and diet recommendations are not doing enough to treat the condition and save lives. The D-Diet can actually reverse type 2 diabetes and significantly improve the health of type 1 diabetics. But don't take our word for it, try it for four weeks and see the results for yourself." Viva!Health claims the D-Diet does not only treat diabetes, it can also prevent a number of health conditions that commonly occur in diabetics such as heart disease, kidney disease, eyesight deterioration and neuropathic pain. The charity is looking for diabetes sufferers to come forward and try the diet for themselves.

A guide, The Big-D: defeating diabetes with the D-Diet is available for £2.90 and a scientific report, The Big-D: Defeating Diabetes through Diet, for £5, by calling 0117 970 5190 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm) or order online at http://vivahealth.viva.org.uk/diabetes. The guide includes a seven day meal planner, recipes and shopping and cooking tips. A summary fact sheet is also available.

For more information, visit http://vivahealth.viva.org.uk/diabetes or email info@vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190. Please note: this is not an advertisement and the diet does not require patients to subscribe or pay for any service. It is a free diet plan with advice given on a charitable basis. For more information call press officer Helen Rossiter or report and guide author, health campaigner Veronika Charvatova on 0117 970 5190 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm) or email vvfpress@vegetarian.org.uk or veronika@vegetarian.org.uk. A picture of Peter Scott is available upon request.

The following papers all support the D-Diet principles: Barnard, R.J., Jung, T., Inkeles, S.B., 1994. Diet and exercise in the treatment of NIDDM: The need for early emphasis. Diabetes Care. 17 (12) 1469-72 Barnard N.D., Cohen J., Jenkins D.J., et al., 2006. A low-fat, vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 29 (8) 1777-83 Turner-McGrievy, G.M., Barnard, N.D., Cohen, J., et al., 2008. Changes in nutrient intake and dietary quality among participants with type 2 diabetes following a low-fat vegan diet or a conventional diabetes diet for 22 weeks. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 108 (10) 1636-45 Barnard, N.D., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D.J.A., et al., 2009a. A low-fat vegan diet and conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 89 (5) 1588S-96S Liu, E., McKeown, N.M., Newby, P.K., et al., 2009. Cross-sectional association of dietary patterns with insulin-resistant phenotypes among adults without diabetes in the Framingham Offspring Study. The British Journal of Nutrition. 102 (4) 576-83 American Diabetes Association: Standards of medical care in diabetes - 2010. Diabetes Care. 33 (Suppl. 1) S11-S61

Authored by nutritional therapist and VIva!Health founder &; director, Juliet Gellatley, and leading cookery writer, Rose Elliot, the Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide brings together everything you need to know about what foods provide the correct nutritional balance so babies can thrive on a plant-based diet.

The guide contains information on:

- Fabulous foods for fertility and pregnancy

- Food and drinks to avoid

- Why breast is best

- Foods for weaning and how to prepare them

- Foods for babies from six-eight months, then eight-twelve months

- Survival tips for baby and you.

Juliet says: "Choosing a veggie pregnancy and birth really is a fantastic decision which you should celebrate and really embrace! It's a chance to explore cooking and eating many new foods - which not only taste amazing - but give you and your baby a brilliant health boost. The Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide shows you how."

Now in its third edition, the very popular Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide also features a two week menu plan for toddlers' lunches and dinners and special recipes for both toddler and mother. Recipes include: tofu potato cakes with parsley, very quick lentil soup and borlotti beans in coconut milk - to name just three from Rose Elliot. The second week's recipes are from Viva! and Viva!Health food &; cookery manager, Helen Rossiter. These include baby spinach pancakes with vegan cream cheese, soft vegetable lasagne with tofu and mini pizza bites. Juliet adds: "Bringing up your baby on a plant-based diet really can give them the best start in life - promoting healthy eating patterns in childhood while reducing their risk of developing some chronic diseases of adulthood in later life. "The guide shows you how to feed you and your baby a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, complete with all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates and essential fats the body needs without the harmful saturated fat and cholesterol that animal products provide." To order the Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide (now 56 pages) for £2.95 plus p+p, please call 0117 944 1000, or visit https://www.vivashop.org.uk/books/new-vegetarian-and-vegan-mother-and-baby-guide

For more information please call press officer Helen Rossiter or Juliet Gellatley on 0117 944 1000 or email vvfpress@vegetarian.org.uk or visit www.vegetarian.org.uk. The Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide is one of 30 guides by Viva! and the Viva!Health. Viva!Health also produces sheets on nutrition. For lists of guides available, please refer to the contact details above.

Health charity, Viva!Health, say that many vegetarian foods are known for their aphrodisiac properties - so if you'd like to enjoy a fruity or possibly steamy time on February 14, cooking up a dish bursting with fruit and veg will really improve your chances!

Viva! founder & director, Juliet Gellatley, nutritional therapist, says:
“Eating veggie just makes you feel more sexy.”

Vegetarian diets are jam-packed with natural aphrodisiacs that will make your heart glow and other bits tingle too - such as asparagus, almonds, avocados, bananas, celery, hot chillis and dark chocolate, raspberries and strawberries. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of zinc, known to improve sex drive as they protect against impotence and infertility.

Aphrodisiac foods have to get the blood pumping; this can be a problem for people who suffer from impotence. The main cause of which is blocked arteries, caused by fatty foods such as meat and dairy products. These foods clog up the arteries leading to and from the heart also block the blood flow to other vital organs! They increase the risk of diabetes and obesity which are also linked to impotence.

Juliet adds: “On the other hand, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds protects against blocked arteries, heart disease, stroke and many other conditions. They are also bursting with vital nutrients that increase energy and zest!”

Want to plan a romantic three course veggie meal to impress your loved one? Viva!Health are here to help with these delicious and simple recipes available for free online. Visit http://vrc.viva.org.uk/

Starter: Avocado and Smoked Tofu Salad
Main: Sun-dried Tomato and Asparagus Pasta with Pesto
Dessert: Chocolate &; Brandy Truffle Hearts

Full recipes and hi-resolution images are available upon request.

For more information about this media release, call the press office on 0117 970 4637 or the VVF on 0117 970 5190 or emailvvfpress@vegetarian.org.uk or info@vegetarian.org.uk.

The results of the 'Restriction of meat, fish, and poultry in omnivores improves mood: a pilot randomized controlled trial', were published in Nutrition Journal on February 14.

Researchers divided 39 meat-eaters into three groups and asked them to follow either a vegetarian diet, a meat-based diet, or a fish-based (pescetarian) diet. After just two weeks, vegetarians achieved significantly better results in standardised mood and stress tests. The tests measured mood profile, depression, anxiety and stress.

People who consume meat-based diets have high intake of arachidonic acid (AA) compared to vegetarians. Research shows that high intakes of AA promote changes in the brain that can disturb mood. Although fish contain omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA) that have been thought to counteract the negative effects of AA, this research didn't show any positive effects of fish on mood or stress levels of the volunteers.

The authors of the study suggest that consuming a diet high in meat, fish and poultry may negatively impact mental state while vegetarian diets improve mood and reduce stress. The positive effects of vegetarian diets are attributed to the differences in the types of fats consumed as well as to the higher intake of antioxidants - stress reducing substances found in plant-based foods.

The results have been welcomed by health charity, Viva!Health, who have been leading a series of lectures during the last year on the effect food can have on your mood.

Viva!Health founder & director and nutritional therapist, Juliet Gellatley, says: "It is widely proven that vegetarian and vegan diets are fantastic for your health, in terms of reducing your chances of developing some of the UK's biggest killer diseases. But plant-based diets are also packed with all the vitamins and nutrients we need for good brain health - and subsequently good mood - as shown in this recent study. We believe it is vital that people experiencing mood disorders are encouraged to take a close look at their diet - and consider what a difference cutting out animal products and consuming more fruit and vegetables could make to their mental health."

For more information about going vegetarian or vegan, visit http://vivahealth.viva.org.uk/ or call 0117 940 5190 (Mon-Fri, 9-6).

The charity offers an ever-growing source of bone-friendly recipes. As Veronika Powell, Viva! Health's Health Campaigner says: "Animal products such as cheese or meat produce acid in your body. The acid needs to be neutralised quickly so calcium is leached from your bones because that's how the acid is neutralised.' In 2005, the UK Advertising Standards Authority forced Nestlé Health and Nutrition to withdraw adverts stating that milk was "Essential for healthy bones.' - simply because it isn't and can indeed be harmful. As the Break Free campaign explains, one of the best things you can do if you want to have healthy bones is ditch dairy. Scientists, researchers and many healthcare professionals agree. Veronika Powell says: "If you want to have healthy bones, don't listen to the dairy industry propaganda. A varied, plant-based diet formed of alkalising foods is the best for your bones and long-term health.' Carrie Goddard, who's been following a plant-based, alkalising diet for 20 years leads by example: "When scanned last year, I was informed my bone density was that of a much younger person, so much so that if I lived until 100, I would have no fear of brittle bones." Alkalising foods are fruit and vegetables, many pulses (lentils, beans, etc.), nuts and seeds (eg almonds, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds), plant milks (soya, almond milk) and herbal teas. They are best complemented by wholegrains which are around the 'neutral' zone.

For more information, go to vivahealth.org.uk/bones 

Nutritionists' recommendations 

Hilary Thomas Dip.BCNH MBANT NTCC CNHC GRCCT Qualified Nutritional Therapist- "I have now had a chance to look at the links above and I like them all very much. The Break Free & Calcium information is very well referenced, which I feel is always such a bonus. I liked the recipes very much too. I do recommend alkaline based diets, especially in respect of any inflammatory health conditions. I am always very careful with whom I associate my company with or recommend as I always feel that this is a reflection of myself, my knowledge and my integrity as a Practitioner, and I don't feel one can be too careful where that is concerned. There are so many websites where the information is not always accurate and certainly not referenced well, if at all. However, from what I have seen, I would be very happy to be associated with, or recommend your company."

Cheryl Colpman MBRCP, ITEC Dip., Grad. ICGT, FE. Dip. MCS, Col. Cert. MCS - "I do recommend an alkalising diet as it can be helpful in so many conditions, and the use of a colour coded food list so that people can see easily how acid- forming or alkalising a food is. I certainly never recommend dairy to anyone for anything, partly because of the ethics, and because the idea of adult humans consuming bovine calf milk seems rather odd. For calcium, I start by mentioning common foods that are easy to increase or incorporate, such as almonds, broccoli, other sturdy greens, and tofu, along with encouraging activity to promote bone density." 

Carla Dixon Nutrition Consultants Diploma, Institute for Optimum Nutrition- "A very well-written handbook and excellent explanation of the reasons that we lose bone and how to maintain it, with references. I do recommend alkaline diets regularly and do see clients with bone problems - many as a result of steroid use for skin conditions in earlier life, eating disorders and low weight and little exercise - high coffee consumption also appears to have negative impact. I would recommend this information to my clients."

Dr Magda Robinson BM- "I've had a look through your Break Free report, and I support it wholeheartedly."

Carol Granger BSc(Hons) MSc MSB CBiol NTCC MBANT- "I have many patients with osteoporosis, and even more with "osteopenia" and risk factors for osteoporosis. I already recommend the kind of bone supporting dietary measures that you advocate. By providing good recipes, such as yours, we can help to support better diets that consume less animal products."

Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD- "How refreshing to see information on osteoporosis that is not all focused on dairy foods. I have written a book called 'Osteoporosis - how to treat, prevent and reverse it', which covers the acid/alkaline balance and the problem with dairy foods (www.marilynglenville.com). I run a number of clinics in London, Kent and Ireland specialising in osteoporosis and women's health, and would be happy to help in any way with your campaign or with looking after any women that contact you."

Jayne Totty FdSc Dip ION- "Thanks very much for the campaign information, this is really very useful for me. This material is very suitable for my nutrition clients (I'm developing a niche with women c.40ish) and I would be very keen to use this information for talks etc."

Viva! decided this appalling abuse of animals had to be challenged, and opened offices in Warsaw to campaign against the trade. We filmed in Polish markets where the horses were bought and watched them being uncomprehendingly loaded onto the-long distance transporters with no sign of food or water. The German Group, Animals Angels, worked with us and filmed these transporters along the route, recording on camera the injuries, death, despair and sickening abuse of the animals. Viva! cut this footage into a heart-breaking film Journey to Death and used it as the central plank in our Polish campaign. It shows scene after scene of abuse and despair and can be viewed at http://www.viva.org.uk/resources/video-library/journey-death. You'll need a strong stomach. This shocking Viva! film was shown on Polish TV more than 30 times and caused a public outcry. It ended with the trade collapsing by more than two-thirds and Poland's chief vet blaming Viva! for its decline. The strong public criticism provoked by our campaign made the Polish authorities concentrate on properly monitoring the trade for the first time and demanded far better facilities and modern lorries, but the trade still continues at a much lower level.

The outcome of Viva!'s campaign was not only to choke off the outlet for live horse exports but also to decrease its profitability. We suspect that many of those horses that were being exported are now being slaughtered in Poland and other European countries, and that new markets have been sought for the chilled and frozen meat. One disturbing aspect of the trade was the involvement of criminal gangs who, we believe, use the stench of the transporters to camouflage illegal cargos of cigarettes. It is also believed that hard drugs are secreted in the vaginas of mares. Impossible to prove, particularly as the various authorities seem to have no interest in investigating it. Hard to prove but there is little doubt that the mob is involved and it may be one reason why the illegal use of horse meat is so widespread - why wouldn't they be active when it can be increased in value five-fold simply by labelling it beef? Almost as good as drug profits!

As with anything that threatens the meat and dairy industry, the Government's instant reaction is always to offer reassurances that everything is alright (John Gummer and BSE - it wasn't alright but fortunately for him, not as bad as it might have been). And so it was with Secretary of State Owen Patterson, a man who made his millions from the leather of livestock. Like the proverbial rabbit caught in headlights, he immediately claimed that everything was okay and it was just a question of labelling. He had no idea how or where the horses were slaughtered and under what conditions or what their drug regime had been. He leant of Jeff (Baron) Rooker's assurances (just resigned as head of the Food Standards Agency), a man who also cosied up to the livestock industry by heading up the dairy farmers body.

We live with the pretence that farming and slaughter in the UK is the gold standard and it is only Johnny Foreigner who's cruel to animals. And it continues no matter how frequently groups such as Viva! go inside factory farms and slaughterhouses and show the abysmal reality. There is a huge stench of hypocrisy emanating from this whole frenetic news story. We fill our cheap pies and pasties with macerated mush, refuse to insist on proper health labelling for our own consumers, allow multinationals to continue diseasing our children with their fatty, sweet products, drag in cheap meat from every corner of the planet and pretend that cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity and all the other degenerative diseases are an act of God and can only be tackled only by giving money to charities to aid their research. Prevention through diet is almost a foreign concept because of the impact it might have on the livestock industry! We are a society where the promotion and protection of this industry is paramount because it is the largest industry on Earth. The panic over horse meat has nothing to do with the treatment of horses or even public revulsion - it is because they do not want a spotlight shone into the dark recesses of meat and dairy production because the reaction of intelligent people is increasingly to reject the whole lot. 

For more information contact Tony Wardle: tony@viva.org.uk or call 0117 970 4633 or 07596 496 923 http://www.viva.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/horses http://www.viva.org.uk/resources/video-library/journey-death

On March 26, Bristol based animal charity, Viva!, will be opening people's eyes to the heartbreaking suffering of these forgotten mothers. Supporters will be taking part in an awareness-raising event in Broadmead - at the same time as other events in the country. A person dressed as a cow wearing a pinny and holding a sign that reads "the hardest working mum' will be ironing clothes whilst other people wearing a cow mask and a pinny will be handing out leaflets and holding placards.

The event is meant to dispel the myth of contentment and reveal why the dairy cow truly is the hardest worked of all mothers - nurturing a growing baby inside her while simultaneously producing up to 39 litres of milk a day (enough for seven calves!). And to keep that milk flowing she must give birth to a calf every year, having just a few precious hours with her newborn before they're dragged away - never to be seen again. As a final insult, her breast milk - meant to nourish her baby - is stolen and sold. And when her body is exhausted and cannot take any more, around the age of five, she's slaughtered for cheap beef. This is the agonising fate faced by 1.8 million dairy cows in Britain.

Viva! campaigner, Veronika Powell, says: "It's time to see dairy milk for what it is - breastmilk of another species meant for their newborns. People can only ever consume cow's milk, organic or not, it if the calf is removed. One hundred thousand male calves are shot (or killed in another manner) each year whilst females replace their mothers in the system." "People often don't realise we're not meant to drink milk of another species and that it's not even healthy. The dairy industry will always claim otherwise but it's nothing more than advertising." The event is part of Viva!'s White Lies campaign, which exposed the shooting of baby calves, large-scale goat dairying and also published reports on the harmful impact of dairy products consumption on human health.

For more information see www.whitelies.org.uk. Viva! is encouraging people to go dairy free and offers a lot of resources. There are delicious dairy alternatives almost everywhere - from a host of plant-based milks (eg soya, almond and coconut) to dairy-free ice creams and cheese. They're not just cruelty-free products but they're better for your health too! For more information about the White Lies campaign, visit www.scarydairy.org.uk or email health@viva.org.uk.

As good nutrition is the key to a healthy heart, the charity have produced various resources to help people get on the right track. When it comes to heart health, plant-based diets have consistently shown the best results and people all over the world are discovering the benefits.

Viva! Health nutrition adviser, Veronika Powell, says: “With a little help, everyone can make changes in their diet that will improve their heart health and overall quality of life. And that’s why we’re here, to help people make those changes and give them confidence at every step.”

Sadly, many people are simply prescribed medication as soon as their tests show high cholesterol, raised heart pressure, or both, but they’re not given any lifestyle advice. With the right diet, the need for medication can be reduced or eliminated completely. Viva! Health offer free nutrition resources and advice. For personal advice email health@viva.org.uk or call 0117 944 1000.

And to read more or download free heart health guide, go to: http://www.viva.org.uk/heart-guide.

Why You Don’t Need Dairy – the impact of dairy on our health and animal welfare; and easy sources of calcium gives you the health and nutritional low-down on why dairy-free is the way to be. Written by Viva!’s Founder & Director, Juliet Gellatley, this guide tells you all you need to know about milk and why you’re better off without it. Find out how milk increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, acne and cancers and why it’s bad for babies. Read how milk is full of hormones, saturated fat and pus. The guide also reveals the suffering of dairy cows. It explains why people who drink the least milk have the strongest bones and what the easy sources of calcium are – it’s all here. A gripping insight into why dairy damages our health!

So now you know why you should go dairy-free, Viva! have also launched a companion guide to help show you how…

Everyone’s Going Dairy-Free is a colourful guide packed with delicious dairy-free recipes, shopping tips and much more. Written by Viva!’s expert Food & Cookery Coordinator Jane Easton, this guide provides all the information you need to shop, cook and enjoy dairy-free living. This stylish guide is not just for the dairy intolerant but anyone who wants to cut out dairy from their diet and explore the exciting and tasty world of dairy-free alternatives. Includes divine dairy-free recipes to please everyone – Tiramisu, Speedy Pizza, Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff, Luxury Chocolate Mousse and more. Find out Viva!’s top dairy-free secrets, shopping tips, what are the best dairy-free products and how you can use them. There is even a handy calcium-rich foods chart.

Notes to Editors:

Why You Don’t Need Dairy (£2.50 plus p&p) and Everyone’s Going Dairy-Free (£2.00 plus p&p) can be ordered by calling Viva! on 0117 944 1000 or visiting www.vivashop.org.uk.

For information about this media release, contact Viva! by emailing justine@viva.org.uk or health@viva.org.uk or call 0117 944 1000. Recipes and images from both guides are available to be reproduced in your publication for free. If you are interested in commissioning an article based on one or both of these guides or running a giveaway competition please do contact Viva!.

This breaking news came just two days after Viva!’s shocking footage revealed pigs crammed into tiny cages next to abandoned carcasses at Red Tractor farm that supplies Morrisons supermarket (see more here).

No wonder meat consumption is falling! R​ecent data from Defra shows UK meat consumption has fallen by 13 per cent since 2007.

Early this week 22 scientists from ten countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. Their assessments were published on Monday.

Here are the main findings from their report: 

• Overall, the Working Group classified consumption of processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans” (Group 1) on the basis of sufficient evidence for colorectal cancer. Additionally, a positive association with the consumption of processed meat was found for stomach cancer. 

• The Working Group classified consumption of red meat as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A).

• In making this evaluation, the Working Group took into consideration all the relevant data, including the substantial epidemiological data showing a positive association between consumption of red meat and colorectal cancer and the strong mechanistic evidence. Consumption of red meat was also positively associated with pancreatic and with prostate cancer.

In an open letter to the BMJ, David Katz, associate professor of public health practice at the Yale University School of Medicine, said: “The notion that the opinion of one journalist with a book to sell is in any way a suitable counterweight to the conclusions of a diverse, multidisciplinary, independent group of scientists who reviewed evidence for the better part of two years and relied upon knowledge and judgment cultivated over decades of relevant work- is nearly surreal”.

Eating a diet that is high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. Having high cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in butter and lard, pies, cakes and biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, sausages and bacon, and cheese and cream. Find out how to improve your diet and protect your heart health here.

Many large chain food outlets are including vegan options as standard from  Pret A Manger to Wetherspoons to Nando’s.

See our Vegan Recipe Club for inspiring, tastbud bursting healthy and decadent vegan recipes!

The story comes from a ‘wellbeing’ website that cites some anecdotal evidence from a professor and psychiatrist (who also has a new diet book to sell). The article also refers to research done last year by Australian market research company Roy Morgan Research for healthcare company Alere – this was not published in any peer-reviewed journal.  

The report suggested that vegetarians are less optimistic about the future, with 28 per cent more likely to suffer panic attacks and anxiety disorders and reckons they are also 18 per cent more likely to suffer from depression than the general population. Depressing reading!

However, if you look at the peer-reviewed science, it quickly becomes clear that the opposite is true. Just two months ago, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutritional Neuroscience found that vegans report less stress and anxiety than omnivores (meat and dairy-eaters). The authors of this study concluded: “A strict plant-based diet does not appear to negatively impact mood, in fact, reduction of animal food intake may have mood benefits”.  

Beezhold et al., 2015. Vegans report less stress and anxiety than omnivores. Nutritional Neuroscience. 18 (7) 289-296.

To find out more, read Mood Food by Juliet Gellatley.

Here’s some more evidence…

Good mood food

We all know a veggie diet helps us fight illness and disease, but new research shows that a vegetarian diet can help you beat the blues. The study published in the Nutrition Journal compared 60 vegetarians to 78 meat-eaters and found that the veggies experienced less negative emotions.

Beezhold et al., 2010. Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in Seventh Day Adventist adults. Nutrition Journal. 9 (1) 26.  

And some more…

Fancy a mood boost?

A group of 39 meat-eaters were given various diets and recorded the effects of the diets on the mood of the participants. The three diets they tested were: vegetarian, pescetarian (fish but not meat) and meat and fish. The participants completed questionnaires about their mood, stress and anxiety levels and kept a food diary. Results showed that while mood scores didn’t change for participants on meat-based and fish diets, mood score of participants on the vegetarian diet improved significantly after two weeks.

Beezhold, B.L., Johnston, C.S., 2012. Restriction of meat, fish, and poultry in omnivores improves mood: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal.  11 (9).

There are several problems with this study. Firstly, the inappropriate comparison between bacon and lettuce is based on calories. The comparison should be made between similar foods – meat compared to another high-energy food like nuts, lentils or beans, not lettuce which is one of the least nutritious of all the vegetables! If it was your mission to find a plant food that used up the most water and other resources per calorie, you couldn’t do much worse than lettuce. It’s almost as if they picked this limp leaf deliberately to make a very unscientific point! The energy use, water footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of animal products is generally considerably larger than that of a wisely chosen plant food with equivalent nutritional value. 

Just to put it into numbers to make it clear how inappropriate this comparison is…

Two fried rashers of streaky bacon (70g) contain around 236 calories. To get the same number of calories from lettuce, you would have to eat nearly four whole medium-sized heads of iceberg lettuce (totalling over 1.8kg!!). Silly isn’t it?

You can’t compare replacing calories from meat with calories from lettuce – that’s why switching from meat and dairy to a plant-based diet is good for weight loss because vegetables contains less calories! In other words, less meat and more vegetables equals a healthier (and greener) diet, but you still need some high-energy food and good sources of protein. A more sensible comparison would be to look at high-energy plant foods like nuts, lentils or beans… 

This study was conducted in the US. A similar study in Europe would find reduced energy use ,water footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to the fact that food is often produced more locally. 

Also, the study investigated a vegetarian diet, not a vegan one. Cow's milk and dairy foods have a massive impact on increased greenhouse gas emissions. 

Think about this, if an animal produced more energy (calories) than went into raising the animal that would defy the laws of physics. Obviously it is more efficient and less damaging to the environment to eat plant foods than to eat the animals that are fed the plant foods (please don’t say cows eat grass, they eat a relatively small amount in concentrated diet of grain, soya, corn and other supplements).

Veganuary has taken the media by storm this week appearing in The Guardian, The Telegraph and the Daily Mail as well as many other smaller news websites.

If you care about animals, your health, the environment and the planet then there has never been a better time to act. The Veganuary team offer support and advice in all areas including meal plans, shopping guides, recipes and nutrition facts.

Sign up here www.veganuary.com.    

Viva! and Viva! Health campaign all-year-round to promote veganism and offer the free 30 Day Vegan program where we'll email you every day for 30 days with:

• Tasty, healthy meal plans
• Celebrity vegan inspiration
• Nutritional advice
• Health information

With this much information, help and support, there has never been a better time to go vegan! 

Most research into how obesity passes between generations has focused on mothers and their diet before or during pregnancy. This new study suggests that dad’s health may also be important.

Susan Ozanne at the University of Cambridge is quoted in Susan Ozanne at the University of Cambridge, is quoted in New Scientist as saying: “The results add to the body of evidence that we are not just products of ‘what our mothers ate’, but also ‘what our fathers ate’”.

Would-be parents should aim to be as healthy as possible at the time of conception. If you want to shed a few pounds see our fabulous 5:2 Vegan Style guide which explains why weight loss is fast on this diet and how to keep the weight off.

She said milk is considered essential for everyone – from the cradle to the grave – overlooking the fact that 75% of the world’s population that don’t drink it – they couldn’t if they wanted to as they are lactose intolerant and cannot digest the sugar in milk.

She waved an article from the Independent about in front of the camera saying there had been reports about the ‘apparent’ dangers of milk and said all the experts they had spoken to have dismissed the headlines based on one small piece of research… The study in question (peer-reviewed and published in the British Medical Journal), analysed data from over 100,000 Swedish adults over 20 years. They found that high milk intake was associated with higher risk of early death and with higher incidence of bone fracture in women.

This study is not alone in revealing how cow’s milk may in fact do more harm than good. Another large-scale study from the US looking at over 96,000 adults over 22 years found no association between teenage milk consumption and hip fracture in women whilst for men, fracture risk for high milk consumers was actually higher!   

Other studies show the wide-ranging detrimental health effects of milk, not least the links with acne, allergies, arthritis, some cancers (breast and prostate), colic, constipation, coronary heart disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, dementia, ear infection, food poisoning, gallstones, kidney disease, migraine, autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis, overweight, obesity and osteoporosis. Read the evidence for yourself here!

Interestingly, the public interviewed in the street on why they choose soya and almond milk over cow’s milk said it is lower in fat, lowers cholesterol, contains less calories and is better for you. It seems we are becoming better at discerning the facts for ourselves despite the BBC’s spectacular failure to investigate the real facts objectively.

When a school kid said that milk makes you stronger and healthier Gloria piped up “She’s right of course!” The entire piece was scattered with unfounded, biased comments based on outdated notions.

But it wasn’t just that the programme over-egged the supposed benefits of milk while dismissing the harmful effects – they misrepresented the science on soya and gave misleading advice designed to warn people off. They said too much soya could be toxic for people with thyroid problems –  what the research actually shows is that soya does not cause problems in people with thyroid problems who are otherwise healthy and getting enough iodine in their diet. See more soya myth-busting here.  

Interestingly Linia Patel, the nutritionist wheeled in to provide nutritional credibility to the magical elixir that is cow’s milk refused to say that it was in fact better than plant milks – Gloria was clearly frustrated “Linia is not so quick to crown a winner”. Well good for Linia, sticking to the principle that nutritional advice should be evidence-based not relying on outdated notions that the milk from another (usually pregnant) species is natural or healthy – it is neither. Catch up BBC! 

Around eight per cent of the men studied said they followed a vegan diet and 1,079 cases of prostate cancer were reported among the entire group. The researchers at Loma Linda University in California found a 35 per cent reduction in prostate cancer risk in men who followed a vegan diet.

Professor Gary Fraser, who led the study funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This new research makes a significant step in linking a vegan diet to reduced prostate cancer risk.

“What we now need is more research into this area to determine to the extent a vegan diet could reduce the number of men developing this cancer.”

In the UK, about one in nine men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. It affects more men in the UK than any other form of cancer with 47,000 new cases each year. Of these, over 10,000 men will die each year.

However, research show that switching to a vegan diet may also help men who already have the disease. Last year Viva! Health published the White Lies report which looked at the detrimental health effects of dairy. The chapter on prostate cancer covered many studies looking at how diet affects the disease with some studies showing how a vegan diet can slow prostate cancer progression and improve prognosis.

Finally it seems the press are catching on. Research linking meat and dairy products to numerous different types of cancer provides a convincing argument for eliminating all animal foods from the diet while increasing the intake of whole grains, pulses (including soya), fruit and vegetables.  

Read more about diet and men’s health here: www.vivahealth.org.uk/menshealth

This news was reported in:

The Independent “Vegan diet 'can cut risk of prostate cancer by 35 per cent'”

ITV News “Going vegan could help prevent prostate cancer, study finds”

Huffington Post “Vegan Diet 'Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk By 35%'”

The researchers from Oxford University predicted what the effects of four different types of diet would be by 2050. The four different diets were as follows:

• No change
• One that follows health guidelines for fruit, veg and meat
• A vegetarian diet
• A vegan diet

Results found that more than five million premature deaths could be avoided globally by 2050 if health guidelines on meat consumption were followed, rising to more than seven million with a vegetarian diet and eight million on a vegan diet. These steps, if widely followed, could also reduce global healthcare costs by $1 billion a year by mid-century.

Lead author, Marco Springmann of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food said: Unbalanced diets are responsible for the greatest health burden around the world.

He said that a lower calorie intake, leading to fewer overweight people, could play a key role in improving health in the Eastern Mediterranean, Latin America and Western nations.

Climate change impacts of the food system will be hard to tackle and likely require more than just technological changes. Adopting healthier and more environmentally sustainable diets can be a large step in the right direction.

Links to the headlines:

Eat less meat to avoid dangerous global warming, scientists say – The Guardian

Earth 'would be healthier and richer if we all became vegetarian': Diets containing less meat could save 5.1 million lives a YEAR – Daily Mail

Vegan Eating Would Slash Food's Global Warming Emissions: Study – NBC News

Myles Kitchiner, Operations Manager in Catering, added: "There's been an increase this year of vegan students throughout Manchester and we've reacted to that.

"It is more inclusive of everybody as we offer shepherd's pie topped with sweet potato mash, tikka masala, red bean stew, falafel and spinach burger, lentil casserole, vegetable enchiladas, Bolognese, pies and vegan hot dogs."

Emma Gardner, Head of Environmental Sustainability at the University, who is a vegan too, said they listened to Aless' suggestions as well considering other students' needs and the sustainability issue. 

"We see more vegans coming to university and a result of student engagement, we now have at least one vegan option across the halls and bigger canteens. Let’s hope other universities follow suit!

Vegan student claims victory after University of Manchester launches vegan friendly menu – The Telegraph

Vegan student claims victory after convincing university to change menus – The Mirror

The Conservative MP Heather Wheeler cried wolf immediately, painting the picture of crumbling teenagers lacking calcium and pregnant women carrying underdeveloped babies as a result. Ms Wheeler is, coincidentally, also the chairman of the dairy all-party parliamentary group that very recently released a report pushing for the promotion of a “three-a-day” dairy intake. And she was recently paid by Dairy UK to promote dairy consumption at their conference.

However, even the previous guidelines, which suggested more dairy, weren’t enough to ensure people have a healthy diet with teenage girls lacking in calcium, so perhaps it’s high time we look at our diet as a whole and stop equating milk with calcium. Countries with the highest dairy intakes have the highest rates of osteoporosis and milk consumption has been linked to digestive disorders, asthma, cancer, obesity and more.

The government suggests we eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day which is very important for healthy bones as there’s a whole lot of nutrients we need in them. Viva! Health recommends eating at least eight portions including green leafy vegetables as sources of calcium. Other foods such as tofu, almonds, Brazil nuts, enriched plant milks and dried figs are also good sources and we should regularly put them on our menu. Our White Lies website provides complete guidance on dairy-free diets and answers many questions.

The news reports are saying that scientists believe that a genetic mutation occurred to make it easier for vegetarians to absorb essential fatty acids from plants. They say that researchers from Cornell University in the US compared hundreds of genomes (it was actually 234) from a primarily vegetarian population in India with those of (331) traditional meat-eating people in Kansas and found there was a significant genetic difference. What they actually found was that 68 per cent of the Indians carried a mutated gene that conferred an advantage in that it helped them convert short chain fats into long-chain ones that are required for good health. This is called ‘positive selection’. Just 18 per cent of the sample from the US had the mutated gene.

The newspapers said “when coupled with a diet high in vegetable oils – such as sunflower oil – the mutated gene quickly turns fatty acids into dangerous arachidonic acid.” The problem with arachidonic acid is that it is an omega-6 fat that can promote inflammation. Omega-3s, on the other hand, reduce inflammation.

The authors of the study say that this is a problem associated with modern Western diets not vegetarians and vegans. They say we evolved eating a diet characterised by a 4:1 or less ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s. Whereas, the modern Western diet has undergone an extraordinary increase in omega-6s resulting in a ratio above 10:1 and is likely to be even higher in an Indian diet that contains high levels of fat, estimated to be as high as 50:1. This is where the problem lies – not with vegetarianism!

Over the last few decades, consumption of sunflower, corn oil and vegetable fats in processed and baked foods has increased. As a consequence, omega-6 intake has gone up, as has the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. It is likely that this dramatic shift is a risk factor for diet-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer as well as inflammatory diseases. The authors say that most commercially produced seed oils, sunflower, safflower, peanut, grapeseed, cottonseed and corn, contain very high levels of omega-6s. People with the adapted genotype then may be at increased risk for inflammatory diseases but as already said, this is a problem with Western diets – not vegetarian diets.

The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the diet may be more important than the actual amounts of each fat eaten because omega-6 competes with omega-3, essentially cancelling it out. So cutting down on omega-6 may be just as important as increasing omega-3 to get the balance right. Typical diets can produce whopping ratios of 30:1 (omega-6 to omega-3) in contrast to the WHO’s recommendation of between 10:1 and 5:1. Other sources recommend ratios as low as between 4:1 and 2:1 but it’s not an exact science.  

For omega-3, a good rule of thumb is little and often. Reduce the use of sunflower, safflower and corn oils, replacing them with olive oil, flaxseed, rapeseed and soya bean oils.

The last (misleading) word in the news reports say that “this finding may help explain previous research which found vegetarian populations are nearly 40 per cent more likely to suffer colorectal cancer than meat eaters, a finding that has puzzled doctors because eating red meat is known to raise the risk.” Well this puzzles me too and I have yet to see the study in question. I have however seen countless studies that show that vegetarians have a much lower risk for bowel cancer than meat-eaters which is exactly why the World Cancer Research Fund and the World Health Organisation now advise people to avoid or reduce their consumption of red and processed meat. 

This work was supported by grant from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Office of Dietary Supplements.  

Links to the headlines:

Long term vegetarian diet changes human DNA raising risk of cancer and heart disease - The Telegraph

Vegetarian diet 'raises risk of heart disease and cancer'  - The Daily Mail

To find out where you can omega-3s from in a healthy vegan diet see our guide Go Fish Free.

High blood sugar levels are a major killer - linked to 3.7 million deaths around the world each year and the numbers will continue to increase unless drastic action is taken.

The report groups both type 1 and type 2 diabetes together, but the rise in cases is predominantly in cases of type 2 which is closely linked to diet and lifestyle.

As the world's waistlines have expanded, with one in three people now overweight, so too has the number of people with diabetes. It is often called the silent killer because of the easy-to-miss symptoms. In 2012, governments stated their intention to halt the rise in diabetes by 2025, but that looks unlikely to happen at the current rate of progress. 

Viva! Health has devised a diet plan to help you avoid or reverse diabetes. Our D-Diet can help! Find out more at: www.vivahealth.org.uk/diabetes

Links to the headlines:

BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35959554

Guardian: www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/apr/06/who-world-health-organisation-healthier-diets-surge-in-diabetes

Butter is a very rich source of saturated fat (we all know that’s bad!) while corn oil is a polyunsaturated vegetable fat – which is what we are told we should be replacing animal fats with – or is it?

The results of the study were somewhat unexpected in that although cholesterol rates dropped in the corn oil-eaters, there was no drop in heart disease or risk of death for those avoiding butter. The authors of the study concluded that there has been an over-estimation of the benefits of replacing saturated fat with vegetable oils that are rich in linoleic acid. And THAT is the key issue here…

Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fat found in corn and sunflower oil. Other oils such as soya, rapeseed and flaxseed (or linseed) oils are a rich source of linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat (olive oil is out of the picture here as it is a rich source of oleic acid, an omega-9 fat). 

Recent changes in the diet have led to a massive increase in our intake of omega-6 fats from vegetable oils and processed foods. This has increased the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in our diets. The ideal ratio should be 4:1 or less, typical Western diets may contain ratios of up to 30:1, dramatically skewed towards omega-6 fats! The health consequences of this could be far-reaching leading to health problems such as arthritis, inflammation and cancer.

It's been suggested that diets high in omega-6 can increase the susceptibility of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol to oxidation which may promote vascular inflammation thus increasing the risk of heart disease. However, the bulk of evidence suggests that plant-based fats (including a mix of omega-3, 6 and 9) are by-far the healthiest fats compared to saturated fats found in lard and butter. This all sounds quite complicated but the bottom line is that these type of headlines should not put you off choosing plant-based fats in place of unhealthy butter. 

Thankfully the experts aren't buying it; Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, stood by the current guidelines, saying: “The evidence shows eating too much saturated fat raises your cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of heart disease".

“We are all eating too much saturated fat. This can mean too many calories leading to weight gain and obesity.”

Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, also rejected the findings, saying: “We know that having too much cholesterol in your blood can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, which is why managing our cholesterol level is crucial.”

You can improve your omega-3 intake by reducing the use of sunflower, safflower and corn oils and increasing the use of flaxseed, rapeseed and soya oils. Find out more in our Fish Report here.  

Links to the headlines:

Daily Mail: Ditching butter for veg oil may not be better for heart: Fresh research finds drop in cholesterol has no effect on the risk of heart disease or death

Sky News: Oils 'Don't Cut Heart Risk Compared With Butter'

The Telegraph: Butter is no more deadly than vegetable oil, study finds

The study suggested that the occasional Western-style ‘treat’ might not pose as much of a risk for people with heart disease as previously thought. They looked at 15,482 people with serious heart disease from 39 countries and scored their diets for ‘Mediterranean diet’ elements, (wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, fish, alcohol and some meat). They then scored them for ‘Western diet’ elements (refined carbohydrates, sweets and desserts, sugared drinks and deep-fried foods).

After an average of less than four years, those scoring highest for a Mediterranean-style diet had suffered fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths. However, Western junk foods didn’t appear to increase the risk of these events expected in this group of unwell people. The researchers concluded that eating more healthy foods may be more important for secondary prevention of heart disease than avoiding unhealthy foods typical of Western diets. That is NOT the same as saying you don't need to ditch junk food which is how this study was reported.

The study was carried out by researchers in the US, New Zealand, Sweden, France, Denmark and Canada and was funded by pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. The study analysed data in the STABILITY trial which was designed to test whether a new drug called Darapladib (not yet licensed in the UK) would prevent major cardiovascular events in this high-risk group. Some of the group were taking Darapladib, while others were taking a placebo. The study was published in the peer-reviewed European Heart Journal.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death both in the UK and worldwide. It’s responsible for more than 73,000 deaths in the UK each year. About one in six men and one in 10 women die from it. Find out how you can prevent and even reverse heart disease simply by changing your diet in our informative Have a Heart guide. 

Links to the headlines:

Express: “Experts say you DON’T need to ditch the junk food... and THIS is why”.

The Daily Telegraph: “Junk food not harmful to heart when eaten with Mediterranean diet, study finds”.

Mail Online: “Heart disease patients 'no more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke if they eat a fatty Western diet after being diagnosed'.”

The Guardian: "People with heart disease have a lower risk of heart attack and strokes if they eat a Mediterranean-style diet".

Vegans don't eat any animal products such as meat, fish, cheese, milk, eggs or honey. They don't wear leather, wool or silk and don't drink wine or beer filtered using animal products.

The research, commisioned by the Vegan Society and Vegan Life magazine is featured in today's Telegraph, Daily Mail and Sun newspapers.

Find out how easy it is to go vegan here!

Earlier this year Public Health England amended its Eatwell Guide to include more carbohydrate, more fruit and veg and less fat and animal foods. Dr Aseem Malhotra, one of the authors of the new report, described the new Eatwell Guide as a metabolic timebomb! He says: “We must urgently change the message to the public to reverse obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Eat fat to get slim, don’t fear fat; fat is your friend.”

The report describes calorie counting as a red herring, as calories from different foods have different effects on the human body. It emphasises the fact that in spite of dietary guidelines, the number of people with obesity and type 2 diabetes is rising. But this doesn’t prove that the guidelines are wrong; it merely shows that people are ignoring them.

Public Health England says the National Obesity Forum’s report is irresponsible and misleading. Professor Simon Capewell, from the Faculty of Public Health, says: “We fully support Public Health England’s new guidance on a healthy diet. Their advice reflects evidence-based science that we can all trust. It was not influenced by industry. By contrast, the report from the National Obesity Forum is not peer reviewed. Furthermore, it does not it indicate who wrote it or how it was funded. That is worrying.”  

The report has attracted considerable criticism. Professor Susan Jebb, a nutrition expert at Oxford University, is among a group of senior scientists condemning the report as non-rigorous and irresponsible. Professor Jebb questioned the National Obesity Forum’s motives after accusing it of accepting funding from the pharmaceutical industry. A quick look at the National Obesity Forum’s website reveals who their supporters include. 

Cholesterol rates in the UK are among the highest in the world. High levels are caused by saturated fat from meat, sausages, bacon, pies, cakes, biscuits, cheese and cream. The government recommends eating less of these and more foods containing unsaturated fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, plant-based oils and spreads.

The pro-fat lobby (linked to the meat industry) try to convince us that saturated fat is not bad for you and may even be beneficial.  A limited number of flawed studies, claiming that saturated fat may not be as bad as previously thought, have received a disproportionate amount of media attention. This has led to much confusion among consumers. 

There is a substantial body of current evidence supporting the case that saturated fat is bad for health. All major health organisations (World Health Organisation, American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, British Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, British Heart Foundation, World Heart Federation, British National Health Service, United States Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority) agree that saturated fat is a risk factor for heart disease.

The pro-fat and animal farming lobbies have their sights fixed on sugar as the villain of the piece. It may well be that focusing on saturated fat as the primary dietary villain for heart disease has distracted from the risks posed by sugar, but replacing one villain with another is not helpful.  

For information on what foods can help you avoid and/or reverse heart disease visit: www.viva.org.uk/heart-guide.

Links to the headlines:

The Guardian: Official advice on low-fat diet and cholesterol is wrong, says health charity.

The Mirror: How you can eat high-fat foods like butter and cheese and STILL lose weight.

The Telegraph: 'Eat fat to get thin': Official diet advice is 'disastrous' for obesity fight, new report warns. 

Find out how easy it is to go vegan here! 

It was biased reporting and drew misleading conclusions – it was more like an advert for the egg and dairy industries! In the goji berry vs strawberry test they only measured vitamin C ignoring other important nutrients such as selenium (low in UK foods). In Quinoa vs pearl barley they only measured energy ignoring protein which quinoa is a better source of. In kale vs ‘good old’ white cabbage; the ‘kale’ didn’t look like kale, it looked like salad leaves. 

They concluded the eggs and bacon breakfast was the healthiest dismissing links with processed meat and bowel cancer. Consuming one egg a day can double the risk of diabetes (1). 2.5 eggs per week can increase the risk for prostate cancer by 81 per cent (2). The WCRF and the WHO say processed meat does cause cancer. The WCRF say we should avoid eating processed meat – that means no bacon, ever.

It presented a very biased view towards the dairy industry focusing on one aspect of milk – iodine. A huge body of evidence shows the harmful effects of dairy which is why Public Health England recently reduced dairy in their Eatwell guide by almost half; down from 15% to 8% (3). The programme said saturated fat may be good for you – this is incorrect, the few headline-grabbing studies suggesting this have been discredited (4).

The BBC should be encouraging a diet rich in complex carbs, fruit, veg, nuts and seeds and discouraging meat, eggs, dairy and saturated fat which is what the new Public Health England Eatwell Guide says.

1)            Spence et al., 2010. Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: not for patients at risk of vascular disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 26 (9) e336-9.

2)            Richman E.L., Kenfield S.A., Stampfer M.J., et al., 2011. Egg, red meat, and poultry intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer in the prostate specific antigen-era: incidence and survival. Cancer Prevention Research. 4 (12) 2110-2121.

3)            www.vivahealth.org.uk/healthfeatures/out-old

4)            www.viva.org.uk/blog/butter-lies

Of becoming Viva!’s Honorary Scientific Adviser, he said: "I'm delighted to become Viva!'s honorary scientific adviser. The good news is that we have tremendous power over our health destiny and longevity—the vast majority of premature death and disability is preventable with a plant-based diet and other healthy lifestyle behaviors."

Dr. Greger's recent scientific publications in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, Critical Reviews in Microbiology, Family & Community Health, and the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition, and Public Health explore the public health implications of industrialized animal agriculture. And his latest book, How Not To Die, accompanied by an international speaking tour has been a phenomenal success.

The pro-fat lobby claim that saturated fat has no adverse effect on human health and that it is the overconsumption of carbohydrates fuelling the obesity epidemic. They even say calorie counting is wrong. Much of their ‘evidence’ has been challenged and corrections published for most if not all of the studies disputing the links between saturated fat and heart disease.   

Hopefully now that Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Walter Willett and his colleagues at Harvard University have published a major study, we can finally put this nonsense to bed. They combined two large cohorts (the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study) examining the effects of fat intake on death in more than 126,000 adults in the US. In this large study, carried out over several decades, they monitored people’s diet every few years so they could assess the effects of changing diet over time. There were over 33,000 deaths since the study started in the 1980s.

Results showed that replacing just five per cent of calorie intake from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat lowered the risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other causes by 27 per cent!

Replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates had little effect but that was probably because carbohydrates in the average US diet are more likely to be simple carbs or sugar rather than healthy wholegrain complex carbohydrates like brown rice or wholemeal bread.

The authors say that “These findings support current dietary recommendations to replace saturated fat and trans-fat with unsaturated fats”. The results are consistent with advice from the World Health Organisation who says we should move away from saturated animal-based fats to unsaturated vegetable-oil based fats.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Internal Medicine and surprisingly was widely covered in the UK press. The Sun said: “Butter is bad for you again as new study proves link between dairy and early death”.  Sadly, this adds to the confusion suggesting that the idea that butter is OK was ever a credible notion rather than the outlandish opinions of a small number of nutritionist and writers (some with books to sell) who consistently argue against official advice. It’s misleading and confusing when the media present minority opinions in such an authoritative manner, maybe this major study will finally stop the fat lies.

Links to the press:

• Eating more saturated fats raises risk of early death, says US study. The Guardian, July 6 2016
• ANOTHER U-CHURN Butter is bad for you again as new study proves link between dairy and early death. The Sun, July 6 2016
• Butter IS bad for you (today’s study claims) Eating a diet high in saturated fats ‘raises the risk of death from heart disease, cancer and dementia’ Daily Mail, July 6 2016
• Fat may be less harmful than previously thought, but it's still not a 'health food'. The Daily Telegraph, July 6 2016

Links to the science:

• Wang DD, Li Y, Chiuve SE, et al. Association of Specific Dietary Fats With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine. Published online July 5 2016

Vitamin D is normally made in the skin when it’s exposed to sunlight and this is the main source of vitamin D for most people. However, if you always use sun-block, cover most of your skin or live in a country like the UK, where we don’t get enough sunlight over the winter, you might need a supplement.

Dr Louis Levy, Head of Nutrition Science at Public Health England, said: “A healthy, balanced diet and short bursts of sunshine will mean most people get all the vitamin D they need in spring and summer. However, everyone will need to consider taking a supplement in the autumn and winter if you don’t eat enough foods that naturally contain vitamin D or are fortified with it. And those who don’t get out in the sun or always cover their skin when they do, should take a vitamin D supplement throughout the year.”

So what does that mean if you’re a vegan?

Just 20 minutes of exposure to sunlight on the face and arms is all that is required by the body to manufacture vitamin D (unless you're using sun-block). However, some countries, including the UK, don't get enough sunlight (the particular portion of sunlight responsible for vitamin D) over the winter months and it's recommended to supplement vitamin D regardless of your diet, especially in the autumn and winter.

Fortified breakfast cereals, plant milks and vegetable margarines can be useful dietary sources if exposure to sunlight is not practicable. There are two types of vitamin D, both can be used by the body, but it's advisable to check the source - vitamin D2 is always vegan but vitamin D3 can be of animal origin. Many vegan foods are fortified with vitamin D2 and labelled so but if not specified, especially on cereal products, vitamin D tends to be of animal origin. If you choose to supplement your diet, there are quality and affordable vegan supplements with vitamin D2 or those made from algae that contain D3 (this is recommended if you need a higher dose). When choosing the dosage, 10 micrograms per day is enough and you shouldn’t go above 25 micrograms.

Government’s press release: www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-new-advice-on-vitamin-d

The World Health Organisation warns that poor diets account for around 30 per cent of cancers in western countries making diet second only to tobacco as a preventable cause of cancer. A large body of evidence shows how meat and dairy foods increase the risk of cancer while a vegan diet (containing plenty of fruit, vegetables, pulses - peas, beans and lentils, wholegrain foods, nuts and seeds) can lower the risk of cancer and other diseases. Two key studies show that vegetarians have an 8-11 per cent lower risk of cancer and vegans, a 16-19 per cent lower risk.

To find out more about how you can lower your risk of cancer see Viva!’s Incredible Health Report.

Links to the news:

Guardian: Thousands of cancer sufferers surviving decades after diagnosis

Daily Mail: Twice as many patients now survive cancer for ten years after diagnosis: Number beating disease soars since 1970s

Telegraph: Quarter of cancer patients diagnosed in 80s still suffering ill-effects

Additional notes and links to the science:

The study from the University of Oxford included 61,647 British men and women (32,491 meat-eaters, 8,612 fish-eaters, 18,298 vegetarians and 2,246 vegans) among whom there were 4,998 cases of cancer. Results showed that compared with meat-eaters, cancer incidence was 12 per cent lower in fish-eaters, 11 per cent lower in vegetarians and 19 per cent lower in vegans.

Key TJ, Appleby PN, Crowe FL, Bradbury KE, Schmidt JA and Travis RC. 2014. Cancer in British vegetarians: updated analyses of 4998 incident cancers in a cohort of 32,491 meat eaters, 8612 fish eaters, 18,298 vegetarians, and 2246 vegans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 100 (1 Suppl) 378S-385S.

The results of the US Adventist Health Study II (AHS-2) were similar with total cancer risk significantly lower in vegetarians and vegans than in meat-eaters. This included 69,120 people among whom 2,939 cancer cases were identified during an average of four years. Vegetarians had an eight per cent lower risk of cancer and vegans had a 16 per cent lower risk. In addition to this, vegan women experienced 34 per cent fewer female-specific cancers.

Tantamango-Bartley Y, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Fan J and Fraser G. 2013. Vegetarian diets and the incidence of cancer in a low-risk population. Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers Prevention. 22 (2) 286-294.

Looking at separate food groups, the results revealed that replacing processed meat with plant protein reduced the risk of death by astonishing 34 per cent, replacing eggs saw the risk fall by 19 per cent and swapping unprocessed red meat for plants decreased the risk by 12 per cent.

Perhaps predictably, the risk of premature death was increased for people with other risk factors such as smoking, excessive drinking or being obese.

This study is the newest addition to a growing body of evidence showing how beneficial vegan diets can be. See our section Longevity and Mortality for more information on this topic.

It’s becoming more and more obvious that the source of protein in our diets matters a great deal, with animal protein having been linked to diseases such as cancer, kidney disease, gallstones, osteoporosis and heart disease – see our Vegan Health pages or The Incredible Vegan Health Report for more information.

For tasty vegan meal inspiration see Vegan Recipe Club and for guidance on how to go vegan and do it well, check out our 30 Day Vegan programme!

Then today Independent published a story telling us how “Italian parents who force vegan diets on children face jail time under new law”. This misleading headline refers to one Italian politician’s proposal for a new law. Elvira Savino, a member of Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, has a background in economics, business studies, public relations and media; she does not have any nutritional or medical training. Savino’s proposal comes in the wake of four recent high-profile cases of children requiring hospital treatment after being fed a substandard ‘vegan’ diet. These cases were misrepresented in the press (see below). Critics of the proposed law argue there is a much more pressing issue – tackling Italy’s childhood obesity problem. 

Italy’s younger generation are increasingly eating more processed foods, more junk food and more sugary sweets and drinks and over a third of children in Italy are now obese! Italy’s children are the second fattest in the world (behind Greece), with larger numbers of obese children than the US!

Last month the Independent ran a story saying that vegan diets for children aren’t abusive and that raising a child to eat meat is actually more extreme. “Vegans are often penalised for ‘forcing’ their child to eat like them. But it’s unreasonable to expect a vegan parent to give their children chicken nuggets just because this is what most people do”. This article debunks the health claims pointing out how the British Dietetic Association and other experts agree that vegan diets can be suitable for anyone of any age.  

A well-balanced vegan diet contains all the protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals you need. It is low in saturated fat and free from animal protein, cholesterol and hormones – all linked to disease. A vegan diet can provide all the nutrients required for all stages of life, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and for athletes too!

Discover the benefits of a vegan diet here and sign up to the 30 Day Vegan today!

Footnote: of the four malnourished children: 

• One was still exclusively breastfed at the age of 30 months
• One had a heart congenital defect and was not able to eat owing to his heart failure
• One had been feed with home made almond milk instead of breast milk or formula
• One child's parents unfortunately were followers of hygienist theories that promote natural eating with no need of supplementation

"Our findings are likely to be controversial because they suggest that meat contributes to obesity prevalence worldwide at the same extent as sugar," says Professor Maciej Henneberg, head of the Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit.

The research has resulted in two scientific papers on the issue, published in BMC Nutrition and the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences.

Population studies show that vegans have a healthy protein intake, whilst meat-eaters often have twice or even three times as much as they need. Excess protein and all the unhealthy fats in animal products are certainly not doing our health any good. We’re much better off with plant protein but it’s great to see so much new research confirming what we’ve been saying for years – go vegan and prosper!

For more information on diet and health see The Incredible Vegan Health Report.

As a result, not only do we have an ever-increasing number of overweight and obese children, but these children also suffer from high blood pressure, impaired blood sugar control (which can lead to diabetes) and joint problems. And despite the abundance of food in their diet, children can suffer from malnutrition due to the poor nutritional value of sugar and fat-laden meals and the lack of healthy, nutrient-dense food.  This may be the first generation of children who will not outlive their parents!

The media are always quick to jump on any story involving a vegan child who might be lacking a nutrient but you won’t read about the crowds of malnourished overweight meat-eating children. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s a growing number of vegan children, healthy and thriving. Vegan parents tend to be more aware of nutrition basics and make informed food choices which is why vegans tend to weigh less, have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and suffer much lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

All children need healthy carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, wholegrains), protein (pulses, nuts and seeds), healthy fats (nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil), plenty of unsweetened drinks and a vitamin B12 supplement (in the UK a vitamin D supplement is advisable too). Those are the cornerstones of a healthy diet that will ensure a healthy development, strong bones and healthy weight. Healthy carbs also give children plenty of energy for physical activity, unlike the sugary and fatty snacks that can make them drowsy and gloomy.

Viva! Health doesn’t just promote a healthy vegan diet, we also offer a range of practical resources for people of all ages. To see what scientific studies and respected health bodies say about real-life vegans and vegan children, see Viva! Health’s Well-Nourished Vegans.

Ross Beagrie, managing director of P-Fit said: “Many vegetarians insist that they are just as healthy, or healthier, than meat eaters; but the fact remains that being a vegetarian means you really have to work to make up the nutrients you are losing in animal products. Protein and vitamin supplements should be your best friend…”

This is curious given the results of just about ALL of the thousands of studies comparing vegetarians to meat-eaters show that vegetarians and vegans are healthier; they weigh less, have lower blood pressures and cholesterol, a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Oh yes, and they live longer!

The large, well-respected European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) studies have found that vegetarians in Western countries are around 30 per cent less likely to die from heart disease and 18 per cent less likely to get cancer than meat-eaters.

Previous studies in the EPIC-Oxford cohort showed vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease, diverticular disease, cataracts, high blood pressure, kidney stones and some types of cancer.  They say "Appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan diets are nutritionally adequate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle and across all physical activity levels​".

A 2016 EPIC-Oxford cohort study of over 30,000 men and women living in the UK, compared the nutrient intakes of 18,244 meat-eaters, 4,531 fish-eaters, 6,673 vegetarians and 803 vegans (a substantial population study). They found that there was high compliance most people met the population dietary goals and nutritional inadequacy was generally low.

Vegetarians and vegans had higher intakes of important fibre and healthy polyunsaturated fats and lower intakes of unhealthy saturated fats compared to meat-eaters. This nutrient profile is linked to a lower risk of heart disease and along with high intakes of magnesium and low or zero intake of haem iron (seen in vegetarians and vegans in this study) is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Similar results have been seen in the extensive US Adventist Health Studies.

This study found vegans had the highest intakes of magnesium, iron and copper, all of which were lowest in meat eaters, showing that you don’t need meat for iron. So why the vegetarians in the P-fit survey thought they might be lacking iron is a mystery.

The World Health Organisation say that 10-15 per cent of our energy should come from protein. This study found vegetarians and vegans got 14 per cent and 13.1per cent respectively, both well-within the recommended guidelines. The meat-eaters exceeded the limit at 17.2 per cent.

Put another way, current guidelines recommend you eat 0.8g of protein daily per kg of bodyweight. Again the vegetarians and vegans met the target (1.04g and 0.99g). The meat-eaters got 1.28g of protein daily per kg bodyweight – remember, too much protein (especially animal protein) is harmful.

The meat-eaters didn’t eat enough fibre, failing to meet the goal of 23g a day (in the UK 30g a day is now recommended). They also ate too much unhealthy saturated fat (linked to high cholesterol and heart disease) exceeding the recommended maximum of less than 10 per cent of energy. The meat-eaters also were the only group not getting enough vitamin E, with over half of them failing to achieve adequate intakes.

Vegetarians and vegans fared better but there were some concerns about vitamin B12 and iodine being on the low side. However, the food tables used in the study did not take account of B12-fortified foods, so the B12 intake may have been underestimated. That said, Viva! Health do recommend that vegans and everyone over 50 take a supplement. Other vegan-specific recommendations advise taking 5-10μg of B12 daily, unless at least three servings of fortified foods per day are consumed on a regular basis.

For iodine, this study did not record the use of seaweed and iodised salt, two potentially concentrated sources. Furthermore data on iodine supplements were not available. So again, intake among vegetarians and vegans may have been underestimated. Viva! Health recommend the regular use of small amounts of powdered or crumbled sea vegetables added to soups, stews, salads, pasta dishes or used as a condiment, as an excellent way to ensure a sufficient iodine intake. Read the label though as too much iodine can be harmful (it can disrupt thyroid function).

Taken together, the research leaves no doubt – a varied vegan diet is the healthiest diet! Find out how well-nourished vegans are here and see The Incredible Vegan Health Report here.

Links to the news: Express: Vegetarian warning: A QUARTER who go meat-free admit to being malnourished, survey reveals​

Among those they list are are high street favourite Pret a Manger, as well as Las Iguanas and family-friendly Zizzi who now offer vegan cheese on their pizzas.

They say how supermarket shelves are bursting with well-known labels turned vegan as Hellmann's prepares to launch an egg-free mayonnaise. 

Other reports say how a record-breaking number of people have signed up to Veganuary this year. 

There are so many positive articles on veganism out there! Why not try our 30 Day Vegan free program? You can start anytime and we're here to help www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan.  

Shona believes that getting an adult’s recommended daily amount of protein is very, very difficult on a vegan diet. Hasn’t she seen the Facebook group What Fat Vegans Eat!? It’s a tired old chestnut; people thinking meat, fish, eggs and dairy are the only proper sources of protein. Where do they think gorillas, elephants, horses and rhinos get theirs? People have been thriving on plant-based protein for thousands of years and if you eat enough calories in a varied, vegan diet, it is very difficult to go short. Most people eat around 50 per cent more than they need, which is not necessarily a good thing as too much (animal) protein is linked to disease.

The article compares the protein content of extra-large servings of chicken breast, cod fillet and eggs with that of extra small servings of brown rice, lentils and broccoli. A fairer comparison would be proper-sized portions of tofu or kidney beans! These foods don’t contain saturated animal fat, hormones and animal protein – all linked to disease. For a fair comparison of protein foods see the table below.

So we move on to vitamin B12, an important vitamin involved in a number of vital processes in the body. Shona says: Non-animal products have to be specifically fortified to make sure vegans get enough. Well, vegans should take B12 supplements or choose fortified foods but so should everyone over 50 according to the US government and I’m guessing Shona may not realise that meat and dairy foods from factory-farmed animals only contain B12 because they are given a supplement too! Cut out the middleman and take your own. More info on B12 here.

The article also says omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are missing in a vegan diet. However, you can make both from the omega-3 fat ALA which is present in walnuts, flaxseeds and lots of other foods or you can buy vegan supplements containing EPA and DHA from algae – which is where fish get it – but in taking these and avoiding oily fish you bypass all the nasty pollutants and toxins found in fish. Find out why plant foods are the best source of omega-3s here.

They mention the sad case of 34-year-old Maria Strydom from Australia who died climbing Mount Everest. The article says: A doctor told Women’s Health that her vegan diet may have contributed to her death. How many meat-eating 34-year-olds could heave themselves up Everest? And how many deaths is the typical meaty, fatty, sugary Western diet responsible for? A poor diet kills more people than smoking now. To say the vegan diet may have contributed to the death of one person who died undertaking an extreme endeavor is ridiculous and irresponsible. If everyone went vegan in 2017, the NHS bill would take a nose-dive! 

There are so many positive articles on veganism out there! Why not try our 30 Day Vegan free program? You can start anytime and we're here to help www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan.  

Study author, Dr Tormod Rogne from the Department of Public Health and General Practice at NTNU, says low levels of vitamin B12 may be associated with undernutrition and poverty, that may affect length of pregnancy.  The study looked at pregnant women from a range of countries including India and said that ‘B12 deficiency may be a proxy for inadequate nutritional status’.   

B12 is a tricky vitamin and notoriously difficult to absorb in some people. Vitamin B12 in meat is bound to animal protein and so is more difficult to absorb than the unbound form used in fortified foods and supplements. B12 is found in meat and dairy only because factory-farmed animals are given a supplement. France accounts for 80 per cent of world production of vitamin B12 supplements producing more than 10 tons per year; over half of that goes into animal feed. Cut out the middleman and take your own supplement!

Viva! Health recommends a B12 intake of 5μg per day from fortified foods with the regular use  of supplements to ensure topping this up. This is particularly important for children too. B12 deficiency increases with age; up to 40 per cent of the UK’s meat-eating elderly population suffers from low B12 due to a reduction in their ability to absorb this vitamin. In the US, The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends that all adults over 50 years (including meat-eaters) get B12 from supplements or fortified foods because of the high incidence of impaired B12 absorption from animal foods in this age group.

Encouraging people to eat meat in order to improve their health is irresponsible and dangerous. Meat and dairy products are linked to a huge number of health problems and diseases that affect infants too. A Finish study found that children of breastfeeding mothers who ate red meat and meat products had a 19-27 per cent higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes – a lifelong condition. Being overweight or obese can lead to B12 deficiency and meat-eaters are far more likely to be overweight than vegans. This is more of a public health issue than a healthy vegan diet!

A study in Switzerland found that despite a relatively low B12 intake from food in a vegan group they looked at, deficiency of this vitamin was low thanks to the widespread use of supplements. They concluded that consuming a well-balanced diet including supplements or fortified products, all types of diet can fulfil requirements for vitamin and mineral consumption.

It could be argued that vegans have a heads-up on B12 as they routinely include a supplement or fortified foods in their diet.

Read more about vitamin B12 here. 

Read our Mother & Baby guide.

So apart from issuing uneducated misleading claims, Vine also insults pretty much everyone’s intelligence – apparently, we’re so dazzled by celebrities we want to follow their fancy vegan lifestyles but we’re too stupid to do it right. Ironic considering a health and beauty website she co-founded published a vegan myth busting article just a couple of months ago!

Although veganism has received much attention over the last few years, it’s certainly not a fad, it’s a lifestyle. People come to it from different angles – health, animal or environmental concerns – but as long as they gain basic knowledge of what good vegan nutrition means, it’s not difficult at all. It’s not driven by superficial interests such as losing weight or looking younger, it’s about making informed choices about the way you live. Studies show that ordinary vegans do very well in ensuring they are well-nourished, better than the average population! And there’s plenty of guidance available for new vegans to help them make their transition smooth – we offer a free 30 Day Vegan program with lots of practical information, health and nutrition tips and recipes.

Perhaps tabloid journalists should better try veganism before judging it instead of spouting out attention-seeking nonsense. It could make them much healthier and perhaps less bitter too!

Regular egg consumption has been linked to these hormone-sensitive cancers in two ways^1,3. Eggs are a rich source of cholesterol, which is involved in the synthesis of sex hormones such as testosterone and oestrogens that promote cell growth^1,4. High levels of these can contribute to cancerous growths in hormone-sensitive tissues such as ovary and or prostate.

Eggs also contain a substance called choline – in fact, they are the richest dietary source of it. High choline intakes are directly linked to a serious risk of lethal prostate cancer and it is highly concentrated in prostate cancer cells³.

Both cholesterol and choline are also essential components of cell membranes and a plentiful supply might help cancerous cells to grow⁴.

Don’t fear, it’s not all doom and gloom! You can easily adapt most of your favourite recipes traditionally made with eggs to be egg-free and delicious, such as scrambled eggs, omelettes and meringues.

There are also many foods that have been shown to be able to help prevent certain cancers. Regular consumption of fruit, vegetables, soya foods and pumpkin seeds can lower your risk of prostate cancer. A diet rich in fruit, vegetables (particularly dark green leafy ones - kale, broccoli, cabbage, watercress, Brussels sprouts) and wholegrains can help prevent ovarian cancer.

Viva! Health are offering a FREE download of their guide on eggs and your health: vivahealth.org.uk/eggs to help people make informed choices when it comes to their diet.

Further research into a plant-based diet and its impact on health can be found here.

References:

1 Pirozzo S, Purdie D, Kuiper-Linley M, Webb P, Harvey P, Green A and Bain C. 2002. Ovarian cancer, cholesterol, and eggs: a case-control analysis. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. 11 (10 Pt 1) 1112-1114.

2 Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL and Chan JM. 2011. Egg, red meat, and poultry intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer in the prostate specific antigen-era: incidence and survival. Cancer Prevention Research. 4 (12) 2110-2121.

3 Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL, Zeisel SH, Willett WC and Chan JM. 2012. Choline intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer: incidence and survival. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 96 (4) 855-863.

4 Keum N, Lee DH, Marchand N, Oh H, Liu H, Aune D, Greenwood DC and Giovannucci EL. 2015. Egg intake and cancers of the breast, ovary and prostate: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. British Journal of Nutrition. 21: 1-9.

Find out more about eggs in our Cracked guide: Everything you need to know about eggs – how they’re produced, the chickens who lay them and how eggs affect your health.

Or go to our Eggs and Your Health page.

And! Don't forget to check out the fabulous Egg Replacer Chart - a must-have for every cook.

Diet change might seem challenging but we’re here to help you adapt your favourite meals and support you whilst you’re finding your feet.

This falls in line with Viva! Health’s new report Meat the Truth (see graph below) which shows a steady decline in the quantity of meat purchased for UK households. Since 1974, total meat consumption in the UK has dropped by more than 10 per cent (119g per person per week).  

Soya milk, rice milk and almond milk have all been included in the basket for the first time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says their inclusion reflects the growing popularity of non-dairy milks.

 “The once-parodied trappings of hipster subculture – from well-groomed beards to a taste for the retro – appear to have become increasingly mainstream in the last few years,” said Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics at the ONS.

Find out why dairy-free milks are better for your health. For delicious dairy-free recipes, shopping tips and much more, see Everyone’s Going Dairy-Free.  

A range of reasons were given for cutting back including health, going veggie and a growing awareness of the environmental impact of meat production.

This falls in line with the findings of Viva! Health’s new report Meat the Truth which reveals how meat consumption in the UK has been in a steady decline since the early 1970s.

It's easy to go meat-free! Try our free 30 Day Vegan free program. You can start anytime and we're here to help www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan.  

Cow’s milk and dairy products are not essential for health – in fact they do more harm than good. They contain saturated fat, animal protein and cocktail of over 35 different natural hormones and growth factors. Cow's milk increases levels of IGF-1 in the body, this is a growth factor linked to cancer. Dairy products are linked to acne, allergies, arthritis, some cancers, colic, constipation, coronary heart disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, dementia, ear infection, food poisoning, gallstones, kidney disease, migraine, autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis, overweight, obesity and osteoporosis. Read the evidence for yourself here! 

Young people are not stupid; they are perfectly capable of making informed decisions based on the facts. Muddying the water with misleading headlines and scare stories is doing them a disservice. Research suggests that physical (especially weight-bearing – walking, dancing and climbing stairs) exercise is the most critical factor for maintaining healthy bones, followed by improving diet and lifestyle; this means eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and cutting down on sugar and caffeine and avoiding alcohol and smoking. 

The fact is over 70 per cent of the world’s population are lactose intolerant (they can’t digest the sugar in milk – drinking it makes them unwell). They don’t suffer osteoporosis more than us; in fact, the reverse is true – the highest levels of the disease occur in Europe and the US, where most milk is consumed. Osteoporosis is a big problem in the UK; half of all women and one in five men over 50 suffer a fracture or a break because of fragile bone health. Clearly, drinking milk is not protecting us! 

Of course you do need to make sure you have a good supply of calcium but many plant milks like soya milk are fortified with the same amount of calcium as found in dairy milk. Good plant-based sources of calcium include: dark green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, spring greens, cabbage, pak choi and watercress but not spinach), dried fruits (figs), nuts (particularly almonds and Brazil nuts), seeds including sesame seeds and tahini (sesame seed paste), pulses (including soya beans, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans, broad beans, lentils, peas and calcium-set tofu) and calcium-enriched plant milks. See our calcium-rich foods wallchart here. 

Another factor is vitamin D – which helps us absorb calcium. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin as we make it in our skin in response to UV rays from the sun. In the winter months in the UK, we just don’t get enough (or the right type) of sunshine and last year, Public Health England changed their advice announcing that people should consider taking a daily supplement of vitamin D in autumn and winter and people whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun (like those in institutions such as care homes), or who always cover their skin when outside, should take a supplement throughout the year.

To find out more about how to build and protect strong bones see our Break Free campaign featuring our scientific report, easy-to-read guide and fact sheet.

Find out why you don't need dairy here and how easy it is to go dairy-free here. 

Links to the headlines: 

BBC: Dairy-free diets warning over risk to bone health

Metro: Dairy-free so-called ‘clean eating’ could be putting your health at risk

Huffington Post: Dairy-Free Diet Fad Causing Risk To Bone Health, Charity Warns

Statement from Viva!'s director, Juliet Gellatley on the National Osteoporosis Society's claim that milk is needed for bones:

"The National Osteoporosis Society are outrageous in implying that young people need to drink cows' milk for strong bones. They know full well that research shows this is not the case, and that dairy harms our health. The good news is that their survey shows that one-fifth of young adults (18-35 years) have significantly reduced or cut out dairy. Cows' milk is meant for calves - superbly designed for a fast growing mammal to triple his or her weight to a whopping 300-400kg within a year. It is not however, suited to human animals, hence it having to be reformulated for babies to make it as close to breast milk as possible. 

Cows' milk is laden with proteins that are linked to human cancers; and contains 35 hormones including oestrogens and progesterones, linked to breast and prostate cancers, and 11 growth factors - you guessed it, also linked to several human cancers. 

No mammal is meant to drink milk past weaning - we are the only one to do it (apart from cats and dogs that we feed). It is wholly unnatural. Humans are fabulously adapted to absorbing calcium from plants - we have been doing it far longer than our species has been stealing the milk of cows! 

Congratulations to all the young people who have stopped consuming dairy - you are on the road to good health and helping forge a kinder world." Juliet Gellatley, founder & director, Viva!

More info at www.whitelies.org.uk including a calcium chart and the guide Why you don't need dairy www.whitelies.org.uk/resources/why-you-dont-need-dairy.

This feels like a last-ditch attempt from a dying industry to drum up trade. It smacks of desperation. The dairy industry is going down – sales of plant-based milks are booming and the British public aren’t buying it any more. Saturated fat (found in high levels in butter, cheese and full-fat milk) does increase the risk of heart disease and Public Health England are not budging.

In 2016, Public Health England’s new Eatwell Guide recommended people halve their dairy intake and eat less meat, replacing it with beans and pulses. This is erring on the side of caution as we clearly have no need to eat any dairy foods but it shows that the government recognise the damage dairy foods do to our health.

It’s tiresome that these dairy-funded studies get so much attention, no wonder people are confused. Add to that the poor-quality reporting: the Guardian article says “Saturated fat is a vital part of diet”. That is wrong; we have no dietary requirement for saturated fat at all! We do need polyunsaturated essential fatty acids – the clue is in the name. We can get these in abundance from plant foods.

Embedded in the article is a link to a study last year that showed that those who eat more saturated fat have a higher risk of an early death. This study, from the Harvard School of Public Health, followed 126,000 people for 30 years to assess the impact of diet on health. It is one of the most detailed and powerful examinations to date of the effects of eating different types of fats. There are plenty more studies like this showing how dairy foods harm health.

Cholesterol rates in the UK are among the highest in the world. High levels are caused by saturated fat, trans fat and animal protein from meat, eggs and dairy products. All reputable health bodies recommend eating less of these and more foods containing unsaturated fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, plant-based oils such as olive oil and spreads. Isn’t it about time we started demanding the truth from scientists and journalists, after all, it is a matter of life and death.

If you care to see it – here is the conflict of interest declaration for this new study:

SSSM received funding from the Global Dairy Platform, Dairy Research Institute and Dairy Australia for a meta-analysis on cheese and blood lipids (2012) and this meta-analysis of dairy and mortality (2015). SSSM has also received the Wiebe Visser International Dairy Nutrition Prize from the Dutch Dairy Association’s (NZO) Utrecht Group. AA is recipient of research grants from Arla Foods, DK; Danish Dairy Research Foundation; Global Dairy Platform; Danish Agriculture and Food Council; GEIE European Milk Forum, France. He is member of advisory boards for Dutch Beer Knowledge Institute, NL; IKEA, SV; Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd, UK; McCain Foods Limited, USA; McDonald’s, USA; Weight Watchers, USA. He is consultant for Nestlé Research Center, Switzerland; Nongfu Spring Water, China. Astrup receives honoraria as Associate Editor of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and for membership of the Editorial Boards of Annals of Nutrition and of Metabolism and Annual Review of Nutrition. He is recipient of travel expenses and/or modest honoraria (<$2000) for lectures given at meetings supported by corporate sponsors. He received financial support from dairy organizations for attendance at the Eurofed Lipids Congress (2014) in France and the meeting of The Federation of European Nutrition Societies (2015) in Germany; DIG and JG received funding from the Global Dairy Platform, DIG and JAL have received funding from The Dairy Council and AHDB Dairy for dietary pattern analysis of diets defined by dairy food content (2012-2015).

If you're craving cheese, why not make this delicious, healthy cashew cheddar cheese? 

And for other cheese-free yet cheese-based recipes such as cheesecake or quiche, see our Vegan Recipe Club 'cheese' pages.

Supplementing an inadequate diet with eggs improved the growth and development of malnourished children. All this confirms is that a diet poor in energy, fat and protein is inadequate, we know that already! This is like finding that Coca-Cola benefits thirsty children suffering in a drought. 

Protein-rich plant-based foods such as peas, beans, lentils, tofu or a soya based meat-substitutes are all excellent sources of protein, iron and other nutrients that don’t have the health risks associated with eggs. It’s not a good idea encouraging people to feed babies eggs as they are a common cause of allergy (affecting up to 2.5 per cent of children) and Salmonella poisoning, are rich in unhealthy saturated fat and are linked to type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of early death in adults.

All major health bodies agree we should be striving to lower the amount of saturated fat (animal food) in the diet while increasing antioxidant- and fibre-containing fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds that protect against disease. In short- how likely are we to hear that eggs are a superfood? …..very unlikely! 

Viva!’s Vegan Egg Replacer chart colourfully displays all the methods to achieve a crackin’ substitute where eggs are called for – tried and tested by Viva!'s Vegan Recipe Club.

A new study¹ has appeared claiming that small children given non-dairy milks don’t grow as fast as children who drink cow’s milk. In this study of 2-6-year olds, for each cup of plant milk children consumed daily, they were on average 0.4 cm shorter than those who drank dairy milk. At three years of age, the difference was 1.5 cm. The findings don’t show a cause and effect, only a potential link but the researchers are quick to warn against non-dairy milks.

The study results raise an important question about what’s normal and the effect of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) from milk. IGF-1 is a hormone produced in the liver and body tissues of mammals and is naturally present in cow’s milk. IGF-1 in humans and cows is identical so the human body reacts to it in the same way – by accelerating growth. Cow’s milk intake also stimulates a higher production of IGF-1 in the human body. But faster doesn’t mean better!

About two thirds of the entire human population don’t drink milk and, as long as the children are fed an adequate diet, grow perfectly well. What this new study shows is not children drinking plant based milks lagging behind; it shows how cow’s milk can unnaturally stimulate growth.

As a comprehensive review of science² on the subject pointed out, regular cow’s milk intake indeed seems to enhance growth early in life, particularly before five years of age and in adolescence. It has also been associated with early menarche (age of the first period in girls), which is a risk factor for hormone sensitive cancers later in life. The author concludes that routine cow’s milk consumption can alter some aspects of human development leading to negative long-term consequences.

Consuming cow’s milk is unnatural for humans and studies like this one only show how profound the effects can be. Many people jump to the conclusion that bigger means better and surely, the dairy industry will try to use this study to their advantage, yet nothing can be further from the truth.

See more on the health consequences of milk consumption here and find answers to some frequent questions here.

References

1 Morency ME, Birken CS, Lebovic G et al., 2017. Association between noncow milk beverage consumption and childhood height. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. First published June 7, 2017, doi: 10.3945/​ajcn.117.156877

2 Wiley AS, 2012. Cow milk consumption, insulin-like growth factor-I, and human biology: a life history approach. American Journal of Human Biology. 24 (2): 130-138.

During the Neolithic period, farming rapidly spread across Europe reaching Britain and Northern Europe around 6,000 years ago. These Neolithic farmers relied on a mostly plant-based diet, compared to the Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers that preceded them. Because they ate fewer long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) than their predecessors, they developed enzymes to make them in the body from short chain fats found widely in plant foods (nuts and seeds). LCPUFAs are important for brain development and cognitive function.

This provides further evidence that we have evolved to be flexible eaters and that we continued to evolve well into the Neolithic era. Other modern adaptations include increased production of amylase, an enzyme that helps us digest carbohydrates or starch. The research clearly shows that humans have more characteristics in common with herbivores than carnivores and the idea that we are designed to eat meat is not supported by the evidence. 

To find out more see our Wheat-Eaters or Meat-Eaters Interactive Table.

It's easy to go meat-free! Try our free 30 Day Vegan free program. You can start anytime and we're here to help www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan.  

Eggs are also the richest dietary source of choline and men with the highest choline intake have a 70 per cent increased risk of lethal prostate cancer2. Both cholesterol and choline play a part in cell growth and a plentiful dietary source may help cancer to spread³.

Veronika Powell, Viva! Health campaigner says: “If eggs are a staple in your diet, you should rethink what you’re feeding your body. Egg consumption has been steadily increasing and so have prostate cancer and diabetes rates. You can be putting yourself at serious risk by supplying materials for cancer growth and at the same time blunting your body’s insulin, inviting diabetes.”

According to scientific studies^4,5,6, people who eat an egg a day have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who eat hardly any. Egg consumption affects blood sugar metabolism and increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, mostly due to the cholesterol in eggs⁶. Cholesterol not only suppresses insulin production (the hormone responsible for sugar metabolism) but can also lower the body’s sensitivity to it.

It’s time to give up eggs, chaps! Kickstart your health with fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, soya foods, almonds and pumpkin seeds - excellent for prostate protection. And you can easily adapt most of your favourite recipes traditionally made with eggs to be egg-free and delicious, such as scrambled eggs, omelettes and meringues.

Viva! Health are offering a FREE download of their guide on eggs and your health: vivahealth.org.uk/eggs to help people make informed choices when it comes to their diet.
Further research into a plant-based diet and its impact on health can be found here.
 

References

¹ Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL and Chan JM. 2011. Egg, red meat, and poultry intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer in the prostate specific antigen-era: incidence and survival. Cancer Prevention Research. 4 (12) 2110-2121.
² Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL, Zeisel SH, Willett WC and Chan JM. 2012. Choline intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer: incidence and survival. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 96 (4) 855-863.
³ Keum N, Lee DH, Marchand N, Oh H, Liu H, Aune D, Greenwood DC and Giovannucci EL. 2015. Egg intake and cancers of the breast, ovary and prostate: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. British Journal of Nutrition. 21: 1-9.
⁴ Spence JD, Jenkins DJ and Davignon J. 2010. Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: not for patients at risk of vascular disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 26 (9) e336-339
⁵ Djoussé L, Gaziano JM, Buring JE and Lee IM. 2009. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. Diabetes Care. 32 (2) 295-300.
⁶ Lee CT, Liese AD, Lorenzo C, Wagenknecht LE, Haffner SM, Rewers MJ and Hanley AJ. 2014. Egg consumption and insulin metabolism in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS). Public Health Nutrition. 17 (7) 1595-1602.

The advert refers to the injustice and cruelty of talking the calf away from their mother.

The ASA said: “We understood that Defra recommended that calves should be kept with their mothers for at least 12 and preferably 24 hours after birth. Although the language used to express the claims was emotional and hard-hitting, we understood it was the case that calves were generally separated from their mothers very soon after birth, and we therefore concluded that the ad was unlikely to materially mislead readers.”

The story has been covered widely appearing in today’s Guardian, Telegraph, Times and Independent. 

The ASA’s finding is a real boost to campaigns such as this that are aimed at revealing the extreme cruelty of dairy farming. Viva!’s ground-breaking report The Dark Side of Dairy  lifts the lid on modern dairy farming, shattering its benign image and exposing the immeasurable mental and physical suffering inflicted on millions of cows and their calves every year. It provides an informative overview of Britain’s dairy farming industry. Viva! Health's report White Lies covers the detrimental health effects of consuming dairy. 

Many people have no idea what the life of a modern dairy cow is like. To find out more about dairy farming click here. 

More than 21,000 cases of hepatitis E infection have been reported in the EU over the last 10 years (80% of cases were reported from France, Germany and the UK), with an overall 10-fold increase in this period. 

Rosina Girones, chair of EFSA’s working group on hepatitis E, said: “Even if it is not as widespread as other foodborne diseases, hepatitis E is a growing concern in the EU. In the past, people thought the main source of infection was drinking contaminated water while travelling outside the EU. But now we know the main source of transmission of the disease in Europe is food.”

Farmed pigs are the main carriers of hepatitis E in the EU. A recent study found that 93% of British pigs are now infected with the virus. Wild boars can also carry the virus, but their meat is less commonly consumed.

Experts from EFSA’s Panel on Biological Hazards recommend that Member States increase awareness of public health risks associated with raw and undercooked pork meat. 

The Food Standards Agency advise consumers to cook pork thoroughly until steaming hot throughout and the meat is no longer pink. 

Some people with a weak immune system may find infection hard to fight, which in turn can cause chronic inflammation of the liver. Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, told The Independent hepatitis E can “have a devastating effect, especially for people in poor health or with existing liver conditions”.

“We know that it does exist in meat products. It’s not the same sort of virus as hepatitis C or B, but it’s still something we should be really worried about, particularly regarding how we cook our meat, making sure pork products are being cooked properly to kill the virus.”

Why take the risk? There are plenty of tasty, vegan options for that summer barbeque that don't pose a potential threat to your health or even your life! See Viva!'s Vegan Recipe Club for a wide selection of ideas and recipes. 

Key facts about hepatitis E

• Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV).
• The number of cases in Europe has increased in recent years and it's now the most common cause of short-term (acute) hepatitis in the UK.
• Hepatitis E is generally mild in its effect unless you have pre-existing liver disease or are pregnant.
• In some cases especially for those with liver damage or patients with a weak immune system, it can lead to liver failure – which can be fatal.

Find out more about viruses in meat here. 

See our 10 Easy Ways to Cut Out Meat wallchart here. 

The judge, Owen Davies QC, said the plot to pass off 30 tonnes of horsemeat as beef is a big issue for the public to be concerned about, especially given that it was discovered by accident.

How many other people are getting away with it and how many people are eating horse, cat or dog, thinking that it is beef?

The scandal reveals a major breakdown in the traceability of the food supply chain and shows the potential for harmful ingredients to be included as well. Where did these horses come from? Sports horses could have entered the food supply chain, and with them the veterinary drug phenylbutazone which is banned in farmed animals.

The Food Standards Agency say the crime was discovered after an environmental health officer visited a meat manufacturer in Newry, Northern Ireland.

The meat industry would argue that the presence of undeclared meat is not a health issue. But it’s not unreasonable to want to know what or who is in your food!

It may only be a matter of time before dog, cat and perhaps even rat meat is found in a British meat pie. The obvious way to avoid being caught out is to not eat meat.

Read more about the horsemeat scandal here. 

See our 10 Easy Ways to Cut Out Meat wallchart here. 

Curiously, the original study this article was based on shows that 10.3 per cent of the ‘vegetarians’ said that they ate meat pies, 12.3 per cent ate chicken, 52.3 per cent (even more than the non-vegetarians) ate oily fish and 4.7 per cent ate meat! So a large number of the so-called vegetarians in this study were not vegetarian. Which is perhaps why the authors chose more careful wording than the Daily Mail journalist in their conclusion: “…self-identification as a vegetarian was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms”.  

The article says phytoestrogens from soya might be to blame but several studies show that soya reduces depression. The authors of one review published last year say that soya isoflavones may offer “a safe, well-tolerated option for management of depression”.

The article also says it might be a lack of B12 from meat, but meat only contains B12 because farmed animals are fed supplements, it's easier to cut out the middleman and take your own B12 without eating saturated animal fat and hormones. 

Not eating fish is also suggested as a potential contributing factor but seven out of ten people in the UK don’t eat any fish. Also over half of the 'veggies' in this study said that they ate fish! 

A study published in 2015 found that vegans report less stress and anxiety than meat and dairy-eaters. The authors say: “A strict plant-based diet does not appear to negatively impact mood, in fact, reduction of animal food intake may have mood benefits”. 

More research showing that a vegetarian diet can help you beat the blues found that vegetarians experience less negative emotions.

A 2012 study looked at the effects of a changing to a vegetarian diet on a group of meat-eaters. They found that mood scores didn’t change for the group continuing to eat meat and fish, but in those eating a vegetarian diet, mood score improved significantly after just two weeks. 

Going vegetarian or vegan offers tremendous benefits to health (including mental health) as well as the environment. All major health bodies (including the World Health Organisation, the World Cancer Research Fund and Public Health England) are shifting their advice towards more plant-based eating. Isn’t it about time the Daily Mail stopped giving bad advice? 

To find out more about the harmful effects of eating meat see our fully-referenced scientific report Meat the Truth. 

It's easy to go meat-free! Try our free 30 Day Vegan free program. You can start anytime and we're here to help www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan.  

The contaminated eggs have been used in fresh products such as salads, quiches and sandwiches sold in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda and Morrisons. This case highlights the scale on which supermarkets use eggs in their fresh products that they wouldn’t put on the shelves. The UK imports almost two billion eggs every year.

As fipronil is not legally allowed to be used on or near farmed animals, this raises questions about farming standards. Some farms are believed to have used fipronil containing product as a disinfectant and/or to treat red mite in poultry houses. Red mite are persistent parasites and a common problem in poultry farming. It’s simply not feasible to hold large numbers of birds in confined spaces and avoid diseases, parasite infestation and a range of serious welfare issues.

Why take the risk when giving up eggs is an easy, healthy and ethical decision?

Find out more about eggs in our Cracked guide.

And check out the fabulous Egg Replacer Chart - a must-have for every cook.

First up was gelatine, we didn’t know that was a superfood now! It’s the clear, wobbly stuff derived from collagen from various animal body parts. Gelatine is commonly used as a gelling agent in foods such as jelly, pharmaceutical drugs, vitamin capsules, photography and cosmetics.

Various claims have been made for collagen particularly in the field of skin care. At face value, the idea of making skin healthier from within makes sense, but are these 'nutricosmetics' just a spoonful of expensive pseudoscience? Would you be better off just eating well and drinking plenty of water?

Cosmetic companies have been pushing collagen creams and drinks but with limited success as the science just isn’t there to back up the claims. In 2015 the Advertising Standards Authority ruled against the company Minerva’s TV advert for Pure Gold Collagen (containing fragments of collagen extracted from fish). They said it misleadingly implied the product directly affected the quality and collagen properties of consumers’ skin. Last year Minerva were again told to cease an advert that claimed their product could help you achieve younger-looking skin, healthier hair and stronger nails. Again, the scientific evidence was even more absent than the wrinkles!

So Channel 4’s Superfoods: The Real Story decided to investigate gelatine (because that’s an easier hook from a journalist’s perspective than ‘collagen’). They wanted to find out if gelatine could help you build collagen around muscles and bones thus increasing strength and protecting against damage.  

However, instead of looking at the strongest people in the world who have the least bone fractures, the programme’s presenter Kate Quilton hopped on a plane to where she described as ‘hip health food Mecca’ Los Angeles where she hung out in a hipster bar that now sell the latest fad – bone broth – in trendy Mason jars for $9 a pint.

She then met Prof Keith Barr at the University of California who is investigating the effects of gelatine on building new collagen in the body. Quilton ate some jelly, did some speed-walking, then a blood test showed she was making more collagen than earlier – when she hadn’t been speed-walking! The programme then inferred that jelly could help reduce aging wrinkles in the face. Hurrah – a new magic bullet. This seems to be the point of nutrition journalism today rather than searching for the truth.

It’s very tiresome having to repeat the same mantra over and over – there is no magic bullet. Coconut oil, honey, fish oil, goji berries… none of them are the elixir of life. However, antioxidants (found in abundance in fruit and vegetables) delay deterioration and help combat aging. Some studies show that prunes, apples and tea (especially green tea) can be beneficial. Peas, beans and lentils are a rich source of nutrients that have a protective effect on the body too. Meat and dairy on the other hand have an adverse effect. Not as sexy as one new trendy food fad but far more effective.

A number of studies show that vegans live longer. For more information on longevity and mortality see here. 

It's easy to go meat-free! Try our free 30 Day Vegan free program. You can start anytime and we're here to help www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan.