Animal-Based Diet Turns Our Blood Fatty

Our nation's current epidemic of chronic disease is not due to our genetic family history or the consequence of aging, but rather caused by poor diet and lifestyle choices. This is particularly true concerning heart disease. Heart disease rates rise and fall in direct proportion to the percent of animal fat consumed in the diet of that population. As the percentage of animal fat rises, so does the incidence of heart disease. Heart disease is our nation's leading cause of death. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately "600,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that's 1 in every 4 deaths."

The two short video excerpts below (two minutes each) show exactly what happens to our blood following a high-fat meal. They are very similar; however the first video clip comes from the documentary "Diet for a New America" with John Robbins. The second video clip highlights Dr. Michael Klaper's presentation "A Diet For all Reasons."

Using a blood sample from a patient that was scheduled for bypass surgery, Dr. Klaper demonstrates how saturated animal fat turns our blood fatty. The patient had eaten a cheeseburger and milk shake prior to having his blood drawn. You'll notice how thick and greasy the plasma turned following the meal. Normal blood plasma resembles a clear, yellowish liquid.

Turning our blood fatty has serious consequences. A single meal high in saturated animal fat can impair blood flow for up to 6 hours. Cells become sticky, making them clump together, which can slow and even stop the flow of blood in many smaller vessels. In order to compensate for the slugging of blood, blood pressure rises. This can rupture the small vulnerable plaques lining the inside of the arteries, resulting in a blood clot, which could cause a stroke or heart attack. The oxygen content of the blood also decreases, which can trigger chest pain, and impaired brain function.

Those consuming a typical animal-based diet keep their blood fatty all day long, day after day, year after year. As a result, heart disease develops after many years of consuming unhealthy meals. Autopsies show that the beginning stages of heart disease can be seen in children as young as 3 years of age. The good news is that diet-related heart disease can be prevented and even reversed using an aggressive plant-based diet and lifestyle approach.