How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease

by Michael Greger

While whole grains, such as oats, whole wheat, and brown rice, have been shown to reduce your risk of developing chronic disease,87 refined grains may actually increase your risk.

Daily servings of white rice were associated with a 17 percent greater risk of diabetes, whereas replacing one-third of a serving a day of white rice for brown rice might lead to a 16 percent drop in risk.

And it looks like replacing white rice with oats and barley may be an even more powerful step, associated with a 36 percent drop in diabetes risk.

people who ate the most whole grains had significantly slower narrowing of their arteries.

whole vegetables, whole fruits, whole beans, and other whole plant foods are needed, along with a significant reduction in your intake of trans

fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol,

adding meat to a plant-based diet can significantly elevate blood pressure in a matter of days.104

the more plants, perhaps, the better.

Those eating completely

plant-based diets appeared to have thrown three-quarters of their risk for developing this major killer out the window.112

the endurance runners on a standard American diet had a

better blood pressure average than their sedentary, meat-eating counterparts: 122/72 compared with 132/79,

But the sedentary vegans? They averaged an extra...

Apparently, eating standard American fare even when running two thousand miles a year may not bring down your blood pressure as low as a being a couch-potato vegan.

low-sodium

sodium diet centered around whole plant foods appears to be the best way to bring down high blood pressure.

In addition to their anticancer properties, flaxseeds have been demonstrated in clinical studies to help control cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels; reduce inflammation, and successfully treat constipation.

Hibiscus tea,

high blood pressure is where hibiscus

really shines.

Nitric oxide (NO)

The nitroglycerin people take when they’re experiencing chest pain is converted into NO, which dilates the coronary arteries, allowing more blood to flow to the heart muscle.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) pills like Viagra work the same way; they boost nitric oxide signaling, which relaxes penile arteries and improves blood flow to the penis.

endothelial dysfunction, the failure of the linings of your arteries to produce enough N...

Without enough NO, your arteries can then stiffen, become dysfunctional, and raise your blood pressure and your risk for heart attack.

So you need to flood your body with antioxidant-rich plant foods throughout the day to extinguish the free radicals and let NO synthase get back to its job of keeping your arteries fully functional.

put people on a high-antioxidant diet by, among many other things, switching their bananas for berries and their white chocolate for dark, and within just two weeks, they experience a significant boost in their arteries’ ability to relax and dilate normally.

you can also eat certain vegetables, such as beets and greens, that are rich in natural nitrates, which your body can convert into nitric oxide.

TOP-TEN FOOD SOURCES OF NITRATES 10. Beets 9. Swiss chard 8. Oak leaf lettuce 7. Beet greens 6. Basil 5. Mesclun greens 4. Butter leaf lettuce 3. Cilantro 2. Rhubarb 1. Arugula

eating your greens is associated with reduced rates of heart disease152 and a longer life span,153 not to mention the “veggie Viagra” effect.

Nitrates, concentrated in green, leafy vegetables and beets, not only help deliver oxygenated blood to your muscles by helping dilate your arteries but also enable your body to extract more energy from that oxygen—something never before thought possible.

The beet-juice-drinking group exhibited greater endurance while using less oxygen.

This effect works with whole beets too.

To maximize athletic performance, the ideal dose and timing appears to be a half cup of beet juice (or three three-inch beets, or a cup of cooked spinach159) two to three hours before a competition.

Heavy alcohol consumption can cause a fatty liver in less than three weeks,9 but it usually resolves within four to six weeks after stopping drinking.10 But in 5–15 percent of cases, the disease continues to progress,

There actually appears to be a beneficial effect on overall mortality by drinking some alcohol—but only, it seems, for those who are not taking good care of themselves already.

Grapes, barley, and potatoes are best eaten in their nondistilled form, and Johnnie Walker is no substitute for actual walking.

Drinking just one can of soda a day appears to raise the odds of getting fatty liver disease by 45 percent.

those who eat the meat equivalent of fourteen chicken nuggets or more daily have nearly triple the rate of fatty liver disease compared to people who eat seven nuggets’ worth or less.

cholesterol consumption was a strong predictor of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Those consuming the amount of cholesterol found in two Egg McMuffins34 or more each day appeared to double their risk of hospitalization or death.35

avoid excess calories, cholesterol, saturated fat, and sugar.

The green algae chlorella looks promising for the treatment of hepatitis C.

two teaspoons a day of chlorella boosted the activity of natural killer cells in participants’ bodies, which can naturally kill hepatitis C-infected cells.

Each pork chop consumed

per capita may be associated with about two beers’ worth of increased liver mortality risk on a countrywide scale.

starting out the day with a bowl of oatmeal and (surprisingly) coffee may help safeguard our liver function.

anthocyanins—the purple, red, and blue pigments in such plants as berries, grapes, plums, red cabbage, and red onions—have been found to prevent fat accumulation in human liver cells in in vitro studies.

cranberries are also effective in vitro against additional cancers, including those of the brain,68 breast,69 colon,70 lung,71 mouth,72 ovary,73 prostate,74 and stomach.

1 handful fresh or frozen cranberries 2 cups water 8 teaspoons erythritol (a naturally derived low-calorie sweetener; read more about erythritol and other sweeteners in part 2) Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed. Pour over ice and serve.