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Dr. Neal Barnard Of PCRM Weighs In On USDA Guidelines

Written by Vegetarian Star on Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 in Food & Drink, Nutrition-Health-Fitness.

Dr. Neal Barnard

Dr. Neal Barnard

The USDA has recognized that a plant-based diet may help a few problems many Americans are facing, such as high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and abdominal obesity.

In a new set of guidelines, the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services states: “Vegetarian-style eating patterns have been associated with improved health outcomes — lower levels of obesity, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower total mortality. Several clinical trials have documented that vegetarian eating patterns lower blood pressure.”

While that’s a step in the right direction, Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, feels the government still is shying away from telling people what not to or at least limit eating–animal products.

“They’re not enough, but they are the best guidelines that have ever come out,” Barnard told Smart Planet. “They’re a step forward. The most notable thing is they use the world “vegan” for the first time. They devote two pages to vegetarian and vegan diets. And that’s very important.”

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