The World Peace Diet: Eating For Spiritual Health And Social Harmony

The Intelligence of Human Physiology / 73
that try to help the beleaguered immune system by killing off pathogens
within the body. The unfortunate effect of this practice is that antibiotics
are indiscriminate and may also kill off beneficial bacteria as well.
The so-called harmful bacteria, which are just performing their vital
function in nature, often develop more resistance and thus require everincreasing
dosages of antibiotic drugs to dispatch. This bacterial resistance
to drugs is also directly attributable to the routine administration
of antibiotics to factory-farmed livestock and fish, and the meat, dairy
products, and eggs derived from them may contain high concentrations
of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
One result of the stress placed on our bodies by animal products is
an increased risk of cancer. It is well known now that every minute a
few cells out of the trillions in our bodies become cancerous. A healthy
immune system can and does routinely locate and destroy these cells,
thus preventing any cancers from developing in a healthy body. When
the immune system’s forces are overworked, however, by the trans fats
and pathogen load in animal foods, they may be spread too thin to
detect cancers in the body and prevent them from developing. The
World Cancer Research Fund concluded after it analyzed more than
4,500 cancer research studies that “Vegetarian diets decrease the risk of
cancer,” and its primary dietary recommendation was, “Choose predominantly
plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits and
legumes.” 17 Cancer is clearly and positively linked with eating animal
foods.
The body, in its wisdom, constantly regulates the blood’s pH, which
must stay within a narrow range. With modern Western diets, the body
must work hard to keep the blood from becoming overly acidic from the
excess animal protein being eaten. To do this, it uses alkaline bone tissue
substances such as bicarbonates and calcium. This can lead to the
loss of bone density and helps explain the high rates of osteoporosis in
cultures where people eat large quantities of acidifying animal foods.
Osteoporosis rates among the Eskimo people, who eat an almost completely
flesh-based diet, are among the highest in the world. 18 Next are
northern Europeans and North Americans, who eat high quantities of
flesh, eggs, and dairy products. 19 While there are other factors that may