Fasting, going vegan may be age-defying

THE BEST, INSIDE AND OUT. Age-defying vegan food also helps lessen your carbon footprint. Photo by Tessa R. Salazar

For years, health proponents have presented studies that apparently show that fasting—going for extended periods without eating food or drinking any liquids—arrests the aging process. Akin to that, abstaining from eating animal products has been encouraged as a key factor in preventing lifestyle diseases.

Dr. Omar Arabia, a researcher of integrative medicine and a vegetarian for 39 years, and nutritionist-dietician Blecenda Varona, also a vegetarian, disclosed that fasting would be as close as one can get to finding the fountain of youth. Varona, a full-time health advocate and author of books on nutrition, cited the theory that the production of the anti-aging hormone melatonin in the body increases during periods of fasting. Ideally, a fast lasts 24 hours.

According to Arabia, the forms of fasting include the juice fast (where one takes only juices), water fast, buko (coconut water) fast, and “dry fast” (absolutely no food or drink). Both Arabia and Varona warn that fasting may not be suitable for people with medical conditions such as diabetes, and that those planning to fast on a regular basis should seek medical supervision.

Inquirer Science/Health earlier reported on neuroscience article in PlosOne journal (May 2010) describing the tangible differences among the brains of vegetarians, vegans and omnivores. The brain, as it was found out, tended to rewire itself toward compassion or empathy to fellow beings when subjected to a vegetarian diet. The PlosOne study presents the first neuroimaging evidence of brains wired for compassion when exposed to a meatless diet.

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Balik scientist Custer Deocaris, who has extensively studied the workings of the brain and the apparent link between diet and longevity, has been going around the country promoting the meatless diet among schools, companies and even in prisons. These are the scientific findings that he has shared:

Meat production (beef, pork, chicken) has been identified as one of the most significant contributors to global warming and is responsible for no less than 18 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. The Philippines has been identified as the third most susceptible in the world to climate change impact.

Livestock has also accounted for the use and pollution of 70 percent of global freshwater and 38 percent of land-use conversion, of which, 70 percent of the Amazon Rainforest have already been cleared for grazing and feed crop production.

It takes about 12,000 liters of water to produce a kilo of beef, compared with just 850 liters to produce the same weight of wheat.

Despite the Philippines being the second highest on the planet in terms of plant biodiversity and with more than 250 varieties of indigenous vegetables, Filipinos continue to eat disproportionately small amounts of vegetables, one of the lowest in the world.