the leading cause of death is… eating?

“Death in America is largely a foodborne illness.”

How’s that for a controversial statement?

Dr. Michael Gregor is a medical doctor, director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture for the Humane Society of the US, and founder of NutritionFacts.org. His work is grounded is peer-reviewed research from international medical and industry journals. Dr. Gregor mines mountains of medical research and distills this information into informative videos, usually about three minutes each. Tune in each day to see what Dr. Gregor has to say about such topics as health benefits of chia seeds vs. flaxseeds, the importance of building better poop, or using maggots to reduce bacteria on meat (yes, it’s true).  I had the opportunity to hear him speak in Honolulu a few months ago, and I’ve been captivated by his work ever since.

This video below is a good highlight of his work; watch it below or link to it directly: Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death. Instead of a short video on one topic, this video is a 55-minute presentation by Dr. Gregor about the leading causes of death in the United States. This is Dr. Gregor in his best form- funny, smart, and engaging- despite the rather somber topic of death. According to the research, the leading causes of death in the US are:

  1. heart disease
  2. cancer
  3. emphysema
  4. stroke
  5. accidents
  6. Alzheimers
  7. diabetes
  8. kidney failure
  9. influenza/pneumonia
  10. suicide
  11. blood infections
  12. liver failure
  13. blood pressure
  14. Parkinson’s disease
  15. pneumonitis (swallowing problems from stroke or Parkinsons)

These diseases are the cause of suffering for hundreds of thousands of people, and yet there is one thing that can cure, treat, or prevent them all: A PLANT-BASED DIET! Though there are many drugs on the market to treat these various diseases, many have side effects that in themselves lead to death (over 100,000 a year!). Side effects of a plant based diet include better mood, better digestion, less risk of heart disease, better sex, and less risk of almost all other diseases. One of the most protective benefits of a plant-based diet is from the higher amounts of fiber found in plant foods. They’ve also found that when eating meat or other animal products, our bodies are kept at a chronic low-level of vascular inflammation- which affects our lungs, kidneys, reproductive system, and of course, our heart. There is also a link between meat intake and increased weight gain; vegans have a lower incidence of obesity, even when controlling for total calories! Check out this awesome video- and all his other videos- to learn more about how a plant-based diet can help prevent, treat, and cure many of our leading causes of death.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!


This post may contain some affiliate links. Currently I am affiliated with Avocado and Mountain Rose Herbs, and Amazon Affilaites to support my favorite supplements and superfoods. If you purchase something from these links I make a small commission that supports my work and keeps the site running. Thanks for supporting Vibrant Wellness Journal! 

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About Andrea Bertoli 592 Articles
A vegan chef, cookbook author, wellness educator, writer, surfer, and yogi based in Honolulu. Follow my delicious adventures on Instagram

1 Comment

  1. Better sex, you say? If a plant-based, vegetarian diet can make sex better, I think you veg-types have finally started to understand marketing to Americans. :)

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