Forgetful? Forget Meat

PETA first ran a billboard connecting meat consumption and Alzheimer’s after former President Ronald Reagan died of the disease. Now, in recognition of Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, PETA has created a new billboard to spread awareness about the link between eating more plant foods and Alzheimer’s prevention.

Red pepper: © iStockphoto.com/subjug • Glasses: © iStockphoto.com/zlmrdm

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, diets high in cholesterol and saturated fat may increase a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s. Since saturated fats are found primarily in animal-derived foods and dietary cholesterol is found only in foods of animal origin, eating a healthy, plant-based diet may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The American Dietetic Association has also stated that vegetarians and vegans have a lower risk of developing heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower rates of hypertension (high blood pressure) and type 2 diabetes, and lower body-mass indexes than meat-eaters. Every single one of these is linked to Alzheimer’s. 

If you haven’t already, consider adopting a vegan diet to help ward off Alzheimer’s and other diseases. A vegan diet also saves more than 100 animals a year from facing the horrors of fishing nets, factory farms, and slaughterhouses.

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan