/Video/Food as ‘natural medicine’

Food as ‘natural medicine’

Cigarettes now kill about half a million Americans each year, whereas diet appears to claim hundreds of thousands more lives. The good news is that this means we have tremendous power over our health and longevity. Healthy eating not only has the potential to prevent but also reverse some of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

So why isn’t nutrition the most important subject taught in medical schools? Michael Greger, an American physician, author, and speaker on public health issues – particularly the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet and the harms of consuming animal products – has posed this question.

In his TED Talk video titled “Food as Medicine,” which has garnered nearly 1 million views, Dr. Greger explores this topic. Below is a summary of his insights. To watch the full video, click HERE.

A personal story

My grandmother, Frances Greger, was diagnosed with end-stage heart disease and sent home to die. At the time, she was 65 years old, had undergone multiple bypass surgeries until there was “nothing left to bypass,” was confined to a wheelchair, and suffered from severe chest pain. Her life seemed to be over.

Then she learned about Nathan Pritikin, one of the pioneers of lifestyle medicine. Her story is documented as a miracle in his biography. She arrived at his center in terrible condition, unable to walk due to the pain. Yet, within just three weeks of adopting a plant-based diet and making lifestyle changes, she was not only walking again but walking 10 miles (16 km) a day.

A photo of my grandmother at her grandson’s wedding, 15 years after being “left to die,” stands as living proof. Thanks to a healthy diet, she lived another 31 years – from age 65 to 96 – enjoying life with her family.

The importance of diet

Years later, Dr. Dean Ornish, an American physician and researcher, published groundbreaking studies showing that heart disease could be reversed through a plant-based diet and lifestyle changes without the need for drugs or surgery. I thought this would be a “turning point in medical history.” Yet, almost nothing changed.

Having witnessed this miracle firsthand, I decided to dedicate my life to uncovering the solutions overlooked by commercial interests. I began reading every English-language nutrition journal and sharing the most significant findings through the nonprofit website NutritionFacts.org.

This site is free, free of ads, and without commercial sponsorship – a community service in honor of my grandmother.

Lessons from Africa

Nathan Pritikin was inspired by research conducted in hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa, where cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., was virtually nonexistent. The people there consumed a diet rich in vegetables, grains, and plant-based proteins.

A study comparing Uganda and St. Louis (U.S.) found that, out of 632 autopsies in Uganda, there was only one case of myocardial infarction, compared to 136 cases in St. Louis. The key difference lay in their lifestyles and diets.

Heart disease can be reversed

Studies show that when patients stop eating artery-clogging foods and switch to a plant-based diet, their bodies begin to heal themselves. Within three weeks, arterial plaques start dissolving, and blood flow improves.

The human body is a self-healing machine, as long as we don’t “sabotage” it with harmful foods every day. Instead of turning to expensive drugs or surgery, why not start with changing our diets?

History repeats itself

Think back to the 1950s when smoking was considered “normal.” The tobacco industry used advertising and misinformation tactics to conceal the truth.

Today, the food industry is doing the same. Many doctors still consume harmful foods, just as doctors in the 1950s smoked. The advice to consume “everything in moderation” has become an excuse to maintain unhealthy eating habits.

A simple solution: A plant-based diet

Only one diet has been proven to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients: a plant-based diet. Not only does it help prevent disease, but it can also improve health and extend lifespan

So, the question is: are you ready to make a change for better health, or will you wait until it’s too late?

More about Michael Greger

Michael Greger, M.D., is an American physician, author, and renowned speaker on public health issues, particularly emphasizing the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet and the harms of consuming animal products. He is a vegan and the founder of NutritionFacts.org, a free resource offering evidence-based information on nutrition and health. Dr. Greger is also the author of bestselling books, including How Not to Die and How Not to Diet, which focus on preventing and reversing chronic diseases through healthy eating.

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