By Allan Kornberg, MD A groundbreaking new study funded by the
National Institutes of Health and published in the Annals of
Internal Medicine made national headlines yesterday as
mainstream media outlets like CNN reported on its findings and
gave Americans plenty of food for thought. Following more than
85,000 female and roughly 44,500 male subjects without heart
disease, cancer or diabetes over a span of 20 to 26 years, the
study explored the correlation between low-carbohydrate diets
based on either animal or plant-based proteins and mortality
rates, ultimately revealing the positives of vegetarian
alternatives. According to the study, subjects who consumed low-
carbohydrate, high-protein diets centered on meat and other
animal products had a 14 percent increased risk of dying from
heart disease and a 28 percent risk of dying of cancer, while
those whose diets emphasized plant-based proteins and fats had a
23 percent lower risk of succumbing to heart disease, as well as
a 20 percent lower mortality rate over