Pig gas chamber flattened; vegan diets tied to 23% lower cancer risk
Activists' 2021 undercover footage led Pilgrim's to demolish its Ashton, UK, pig gas chamber, and national pig slaughter fell 10% in the closure's wake.
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Activists' 2021 undercover footage led Pilgrim's to demolish its Ashton, UK, pig gas chamber, and national pig slaughter fell 10% in the closure's wake [82].
02
A meta-analysis of seven prospective cohorts found vegan diets cut total cancer risk 23% versus non-vegetarians [11].
03
A fully controlled crossover trial cut LDL cholesterol 17.9% in people with a genetic cholesterol disorder eating a whole-food plant-based diet [6].
04
USDA's FSIS issued a public health alert for 18 meat and poultry products after a Salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeños sickened 345 people across 27 states [79].
05
A food-derived molecule cocktail nearly quadrupled bovine muscle stem cell yield in serum-free cultured-meat growth media [46].
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Amazon deforestation alerts fell to their lowest level since 2013, continuing a decline under stronger Brazilian enforcement [76].
The movement today▲Activism & Animals▲Research & NutritionThe receipts →
750,000pigs slaughtered annually at the Ashton facility before it closed in 2023 [82]
1.1 millionfewer pigs slaughtered in the UK during 2023, a 10% drop to the lowest annual total since 2013 [82]
FromPlant Based News
02▲Research & NutritionStory
Meta-analysis finds vegan diets lower total cancer risk by 23 percent
Wikimedia Commons / Kale
By the numbers
0.77relative risk of total cancer for vegans versus non-vegetarians, a 23% reduction, across three prospective studies [11]
0.80relative risk of breast cancer for vegans versus non-vegetarians [11]
0.87relative risk of total cancer for vegetarians versus non-vegetarians, a 13% reduction, across four studies [11]
Early"Vegetarian diets compared to non-vegetarian diets are associated with reduced risk of total cancer and seven specific cancer types, while vegan diets are associated with reduced risk of total and breast cancer" (study authors) [11]. Built from 17 publications of observational cohort and case-control data; the authors themselves rated the vegan-diet evidence "limited-suggestive," not proven.
From(plant-based diet[tiab] OR vegan diet[tiab] OR vegans[tiab]) AND
-17.9%LDL cholesterol on a whole-food plant-based diet versus a standard American diet, in adults with genetically confirmed familial hypercholesterolemia [6]
50adults completed the 4-week-per-arm crossover trial, each serving as their own control [6]
Solid"The WFPB induced a clinically significant reduction in LDL-C relative to the SAD (-17.9%, 95% CI: -21.7%, -14.3%; P < 0.0001)" (study authors) [6]. A randomized, fully controlled crossover feeding trial with genetically confirmed patients, though only 4 weeks per diet arm; one co-author discloses unrelated consulting fees from the Dairy Farmers of Canada.
From(plant-based diet[tiab] OR vegan diet[tiab] OR vegans[tiab]) AND
Worth Knowing
Food & Recipes
Try Rainbow Plant Life's fattoush: sumac-dressed cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs topped with oven-baked za'atar pita chips, a Levantine classic built to use up stale bread [66].
Law & Policy
USDA's FSIS warned that 18 meat and poultry products containing recalled jalapeños, many under the Taylor Farms and Marketside brands, may carry Salmonella [79].
Activism & Animals
Amazon deforestation alerts fell 36% year over year to 2,874 square kilometers, the lowest total since 2013, as Brazil tightens enforcement [76].
Research & Nutrition
A randomized trial found intranasal vitamin B12 matched intramuscular and intravenous shots for reversing B12-deficiency anemia at 28 days, a needle-free option worth knowing about for vegans on supplementation [1].
A cocktail of citrus and olive compounds boosted bovine muscle stem cell yield up to 3.63-fold in serum-free cultured-meat media, a step toward cutting production costs [46].
A meta-analysis of seven randomized trials found plant-based diets lowered C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker, by 1.13 mg/L compared with omnivorous diets [12].
A dose-response meta-analysis linked the healthiest plant-based diets to 21% lower dementia risk, while the least healthy plant-based diets raised it 24% [19].
Recreational runners and lifters at four universities showed no significant performance loss switching to a plant-based diet in a randomized crossover trial [17].
An 8-week vegan diet lowered white blood cell and platelet counts compared with a meat-rich diet in healthy adults, suggesting reduced inflammation [20].
A pulse-protein diet raised ferritin more than lean pork did in adults over 60, without raising TMAO, a cardiovascular risk marker [5].
In a small trial, a vegan Mediterranean diet cut LDL cholesterol and reported pain more than a standard Mediterranean diet in women with fibromyalgia [3].
One Good Thing
Vegan MMA fighter Ahmed Labban is the face of Croatia's ZeGeVege Festival this September, his boxing gloves next to the words "veganism is a fight for a more just world." Labban went vegan in 2023 and says the diet sharpened his energy and recovery, but the line that sticks is simpler: "If we are strong, we have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable. Animals feel pain and fear and want to live just like us." He cooks vegan sarma now, a Croatian dish made his own [80].
One bite of this vibrant fattoush salad and you may never want another salad again. Chopped veggies mingle with fresh herbs, crunchy za’atar pita chips, and a bright, tangy sumac…
6 servings16 ingredients
See the ingredients
3 thin pita (ideally Lebanese pita (6.5 oz / 180g) (see Note 1 if pita is not thin))
2 ½ tablespoons (35g) extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons za’atar ((see Note 2))
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper ((see Note 3) )
12 ounces (340g) Persian cucumbers ((~4 Persian cucumbers))
12 ounces (340g) cherry tomatoes ((or heirloom tomatoes, if in season))
10 (6 to 7 oz / 170 to 200g) radishes ((see Note 4))
1 bunch scallions ((about 6))
1 heaping cup (20g) flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
1 cup (16g) fresh mint leaves
1 large lemon ((or 2 medium lemons))
2 to 3 cloves garlic ((3 for garlic lovers))
2 to 3 teaspoons sumac, (plus more to taste)
2 tablespoons (40g) pure pomegranate molasses, ( more to taste (see Note 5))
