Michael Greger, M.D. is a physician, prize-winning cook, author, and an internationally recognized speaker on a number of important public health and social justice issues. Dr. Greger is a general practitioner specializing in vegetarian nutrition and is a founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. MFA convinced Dr. Greger to slow down from his hectic schedule long enough to answer a few important questions concerning vegan health, corporate globalization, and mad cow disease in the United States.

What are some of the health benefits of a vegan diet?

The American Dietetic Association just published their latest official position paper on vegetarian diets. According to the ADA, there is evidence that vegetarians have lower rates of several of the chronic degenerative diseases that plague the western world, such as obesity. Vegetarians have lower blood pressure, and less diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer. It’s not just the big killers. Vegetarians also seem to have less arthritis, too. They have less kidney disease, gallstones, hemorrhoids, constipation, diverticulosis, and even less appendicitis. The list goes on and on.

What are some practical things that vegans can do to maximize their health potential?

A healthy vegan diet is perhaps the healthiest diet there is, but note I said “healthy” vegan diet. Just because you’re eating vegetarian or vegan, does not necessarily mean you’re eating healthy. When I go around speaking at colleges across the country, I too frequently run into junk-food-vegans who are surviving on bagels, french fries and beer, which are all vegetarian foods but not health-promoting. Even those vegans who are eating pretty healthily may be surprised to learn that there are a few simple changes you can make to be even healthier, such as ensuring adequate vitamin B12 intake with supplements or B12 fortified foods and adequate omega-3 fatty acids intake with ground flax seeds. For more info on these, people can check out my talk, “Optimum Vegetarian Nutrition,” which can be found for free online at www.VeganMD.org in both audio and video formats.

In your DVD, Maximum Nutrition, you mention that more research is showing the benefits of phytochemicals. Can you explain what these are and the importance they may have?

No longer can the nutritive value of foods be thought of as just a handful of vitamins and minerals. For example, a single apple has the antioxidant power of 1500mg of vitamin C (antioxidants are what protect our bodies against cancer, heart disease, Alzheimers, etc.) The thing is, apples only actually have about 10mg of vitamin C in them. Where’s all the rest of the anti-aging, anti-tumor, heart healthy antioxidant power coming from? From the phytonutrients concentrated in the peel, some of which we don’t even have names for yet. Researchers are discovering literally thousands of so-called phytochemicals, which are found only in plant foods. We have yet to realize the full potential of plant-based diets. Of course to take advantage of this health bonanza, we have to actually eat our fruits and vegetables, especially some of the antioxidant superstars like dark leafy greens and berries.

	You are one of the leading experts in the country on Mad Cow Disease. What threat does Mad Cow pose to the American public?
	No one knows how safe American beef is, especially now that mad cow disease has been discovered in North America. The problem is that by the time we do know, it may be too late. The incubation period of the human equivalent of mad cow disease can be decades, so for that and many other reasons, I encourage people to go vegan. Better safe than sorry.

You have given many talks about corporate globalization and how it affects animal rights. What are the issues at stake and what can people do about it?

International, undemocratic bodies run by corporations like the World Trade Organization have been erasing animal protection laws from the books for decades. For example, the WTO attacked our Endangered Species Act when activists tried to save sea turtles, and the WTO effectively gutted the Marine Mammal Protection Act when activists tried to save dolphins. Currently, protections for animals on factory farms in Europe are being rolled back in the interest of “free trade.” I encourage people to listen to my talk on globalization and animals on my website and check out www.WorldTradeCruelty.com to learn more.

	Where can people turn to for more information on vegan nutrition?
	Everyone should feel free to call or write me anytime for anything. I can be reached at (206) 312-8640 and at mhg1@cornell.edu. I also have a free, once-a-month email newsletter. To subscribe, send a blank email to drgregersnewsletter-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. And my website is www.VeganMD.org

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