Forks Over Knives

At the suggestion of a friend, I just finished watching the documentary, Forks Over Knives, on Netflix. This film examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.  After watching it, here are my thoughts:

1. Based on a considerable amount of research, I do not believe that cancerous tumors are the result of consuming meat and dairy products, as the film suggests.  I believe cancer the result of an overgrowth of candida albicans (yeast) in the body, combined with exposure to environmental and food toxins.  With that said, there is a reason why the studies cited in the film showed a higher incidence of cancer in populations that consumed large amounts of meat and dairy products--animals are fed antibiotics to minimize disease and steroids for growth.  When large amounts of meat and dairy products are consumed, the amount of beneficial bacteria in the intestines necessary to keep candida albicans under control is greatly reduced by the antibiotics and steroids they contain. 
2. Avoiding processed foods, processed sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup, as the film suggests, is sound advice.  These foods just feed candida albicans, worsening its overgrowth.  Avoiding them entirely is the key to avoiding disease.
3. As Forks Over Knives briefly touches on, consuming a diet comprised mainly of animal-based and processed foods lowers the body's pH.  Candida and cancer thrive in acidic environments. When the body becomes too acidic, in an effort to raise its pH level, it begins to extract calcium from the bones, resulting in osteoporosis.  Introducing plenty of fruits and vegetables into the diet will raise the body's pH level.  (Minimizing coffee consumption is also wise, as drinking large amounts of it lowers the body's pH.)
4. Cholesterol is not the evil killer, as depicted in the film. Furthermore, cholesterol levels do not  become grossly elevated from eating moderate amounts meat and dairy; rather, the body produces cholesterol  in an effort to protect itself from inflammation.  When an overgrowth of candida is present in the body, this causes inflammation.  The body, in turn, will start producing its own cholesterol to protect itself.  
5. While I do agree that eating mostly fruits and vegetables is healthy, the quality of protein in a plant-based diet is not the same as animal protein.  Furthermore, a totally plant-based diet is high in copper and low in zinc.  This can cause a copper imbalance, which can lead to many disorders, such as physical fatigue, mental and emotional issues, anxiety, and reproductive problems.  Since zinc is an antagonist to copper, zinc supplementation is often necessary when consuming a totally plant-based diet.

In my humble opinion, it's all about balance.  A better alternative to a totally plant-based diet is to consume a moderate amount of organic meat and dairy, especially Greek yogurt, along with an abundance of organic vegetables and fruit, nuts, organic brown rice, quinoa, and oats. (I personally try to avoid any type of pasta or bread.) This type of diet, combined with regular exercise, is essential to overall good health.