Here’s What He Says Keeps Him Young

Kim A. Williams, M.D. is a 100-year-old heart surgeon who is also the incoming president of the American College of Cardiology has adopted a vegan diet.

There have been many world renowned figures throughout history, such as Nietzsche and Plato to pop icons like Bob Marley and Paul McCartney, even political leaders like Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, have all heavily advocated vegetarian diets. There really isn’t any doubt that the influence of these types of “celebrity” figures, alongside animal rights advocates, have played a someone major role in the rise of vegetarianism in recent years.

The main reason, however, is that its recent popularity really has to do with the way people feel and the field of the science behind it. The, of course, has been no shortage of studies that demonstrate the extremely clear health benefits of plant based diets, and a lot of them help to outline just how these different benefits that increases the more and individual decreases the amount of animal products that they consume.

Even if you aren’t an advocate of the vegan or vegetarian diet, it’s important to make a note that an extremely high and alarming percentage of Americans hardly eat any vegetables whatsoever. In 2011, the Wall Street Journal found out that approximately 80% of Americans who ate meat rarely consumed any vegetables at all.

“Studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses.” – Harvard Medical School

The American Dietetic Association were able to produce a pretty heavy positioned paper in 2009 that concluded that,

“appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”

Some diseases can be more detrimental on your body without the balance of food such as vegetables such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and so much more.

The is a multitude of studies that show the benefits of what a vegetarian and/or even a vegan diet can do for your body. If you are still a little skeptical about these two types of diets, then with a little bit of research you may see that is abundantly clear that at least increasing the amount of vegetables that you eat, can increase your body’s well being.

“Veganism is a very fine form of nutrition. It’s a little extreme to tell a person who is using flesh foods that you’re going to take everything entirely away from them. When I was in practice in medicine, I would tell the patients that the vegetable based diet was the healthy way to go, and to keep away from the animal products as much as possible.

People are very sensitive about what they eat. You can talk to people about exercising relaxation, good mental attitude and they will accept that. But you talk to them about what they are eating and people are very sensitive about that. If an individual is willing to listen, I will try to explain to them on a scientific basis of how I think it’s better for them.” – Dr. Ellsworth Wareham

*Article originally appeared on Earth. We Are One.