Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Value of vegetarian and Vegan Food market $1.2 Billion

Vegetarian Foods in the United States - Research and Markets - Market Research Reports

As some segments of the vegetarian market move into the mainstream and become commodity products rather than exotic, specialty foods (as is the case with soymilk), Mintel predicts that the overall vegetarian food market, as defined here, will grow to over $1.7 billion by 2010.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Vegan Authors try to Save Million Dollar Pigs

vegan authors try to save pigs, need to raise one million pounds "HALFWAY THERE" says Vegan on Solent TV

UK authors of a best-selling Vegan Cookbook are desperately trying to raise investment to start a vegan health and nutrition cookery school and save two pot-bellied pigs, Bubble and Squeak, from the stew pot.

Tony and Yvonne Bishop-Weston's healthy vegan cookbook by Hamlyn is selling well all over the world but they say "seeing is believing" and they want to teach chefs face to face how delicious and nutritious vegan food can be and start up a vegan cookery school.

Top London Nutritionist Yvonne and award winning vegan cook and food writer husband Tony have found a great location for their latest joint venture of combined skills.

"We found a fantastic 17th century pig farm on the Isle of Wight which is perfect for our needs to set up a health and well-being therapy centre and vegan cookery school" says Tony.

There are only two pigs left on the farm, two Vietnamese pot bellied pigs called bubble and squeak plus a collection of ducks, chickens, geese and a turkey which are threatened with being put down if the owners can't find a suitable buyer soon.



Tony adds "We hope to save not only bubble and squeak and their friends from an untimely death, but save many millions of other farmed animals from unnecessary suffering by showing chefs from all over the world how easy it is to create stylish, delicious and healthy food with using innovative vegan recipes."

Speaking from London Tony reflects "We don’t get royalties from our book and raising one million pounds when you have nothing but experience, fame and each other seems a bit daunting. But on the other hand opportunities for 'safe as houses' truly ethical investment are few and far between these days. This is a great project and a great opportunity to make a real long term difference to the health and well-being of people, animals and the environment"

Tony and Yvonne also plan to publish a Caterer's Vegan Catering Guide – "Suitable for Everyone" based on their many years experience in Foodservice.

They plan to have commemorative ceramic tiles on the school's walls to thank the investors, and brass patrons’ plaques on the culinary school's workstations, which represent how many animals have been saved by each new trained chef.

If someone handed Tony and Yvonne a million pounds tomorrow, they anticipate they could be up and running by World Vegan Day 1st November. Bubble and Squeak and lots of turkeys could then look forward to the best Christmas they've ever had.

EDITORS’ NOTES

Yvonne worked for UK health food chain Holland and Barrett, before joining pioneering vegetarian restaurant chain Cranks. Having qualified with credit at The Institute of Optimum of Nutrition she joined The Food Doctor and now runs her own consultancy Foods For Life.

Tony grew up in a London delicatessen obsessed by fine food. After establishing an award winning vegan guesthouse in the Highlands of Scotland he joined first The Vegetarian Society and then The Vegan Society as business development officer. He is author of two vegan cookbooks and has had a diverse career from drive-time radio presenter and lifeguard to nude modelling and life assurance salesman.



Press Release, downloadable pictures and PDF file


For more information contact:

Tony or Yvonne via www.foodsforlife.org.uk

Email tony@foodsforlife.org.uk

+44 (0) 7944 068432

Monday, August 15, 2005

Vegan diet may reverse cancer

bmj.com -- UK health news 20050815: "Vegan diet may reverse cancer
Source: The Times
Date: 15/08/2005
A brief item in The Times today points at new research by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. The research team has found that a vegan diet could stop or even reverse the progression of prostate cancer after tests on 93 volunteers in conjunction with the University of California in San Francisco. Levels of a key biological marker for prostate tumours fell significantly when patients had adopted a vegan diet. "

Vegan Founder is 95 - Please send Birthday Wishes

Donald Watson - 95th Birthday - born in 1910, 2nd September- founded Vegan Society 34 years later

Donald Watsonis the visionary that formed the word vegan from the begining and end of "vegetarian" and founded The Vegan Society in November 1944.

Donald Watson celebrates his 95th Birthday this year. Donald was born on 2nd September 1910. Please send birthday wishes and thanks for the inspiration to make the world a better place.

Cards and wishes should be posted to arrive no later than 29th August 2005.

Addressed to:

FAO Donald Watson - Founder
(Birthday Wishes)
C/O The Vegan Society
7 Battle Road
St Leonards On Sea
East Sussex
TN37 7AA

Fax Number +44 (0) 1424 717064
If you have a photograph of your vegan group or a vegan event (from last years World Vegan Day?) Donald would be very pleased to see these.

You can email photos and wishes suitable for printing to

info@vegansociety.com with "Donald Watson Wishes" in Subject Line

No animated cards please.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

Tony Bishop-Weston

More about Donald Watson - Interview with Donald Watson Part 1 , Part 2
- Donald Watson - Oldest, longest Vegan?

Superbugs found in chicken - Antibiotic resistant

chicken's could cause bladder infections - immune to anti biotics

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Real Story | Superbugs found in chicken survey: "Significant numbers of chickens on sale in UK shops are contaminated with superbugs, a scientific survey commissioned by BBC One's Real Story suggests. "

Of the British-grown chickens analysed, over half were contaminated with multi-drug resistant E.coli which is immune to the effects of three or more antibiotics.

More than a third of the 147 samples, which included overseas and UK produced chicken, had E.coli germs resistant to the important antibiotic Trimethaprim which is used to treat bladder infections.

According to the latest figures, British animals consume 15 tonnes of Trimethaprim a year.

The World Health Organisation has named antibiotic resistance as one of three major threats for the future.

Dr Mike Millar, the head of Infection Control at St Barts Hospital in London, said: "Potentially this is very worrying.

"We've known for years there've been outbreaks of bladder infections in different parts of the world but we haven't really known where the germs have been coming from.

In worst cases, bladder infections could lead to kidney damage and the need for renal dialysis, he said.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Vegan diet and exercise may stop or reverse prostate cancer

Vegan diet and exercise may stop or reverse prostate cancer progression: "Vegan diet and exercise may stop or reverse prostate cancer "

Men with early stage prostate cancer who make intensive changes in diet and lifestyle may stop or perhaps even reverse the progression of their illness, according to a new study.

The research is the first randomized, controlled trial showing that lifestyle changes may affect the progression of any type of cancer. Study findings are published in the September issue of the Journal of Urology.

The study was directed by Dean Ornish, MD, clinical professor, and Peter Carroll, MD, chair of the Department of Urology, both of the University of California, San Francisco, and the late William Fair, MD, chief of urologic surgery and chair of urologic oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The research team studied 93 men with biopsy-proven prostate cancer who had elected not to undergo conventional treatment for reasons unrelated to this study. The participants were randomly divided into either a group who were asked to make comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle or a comparison group who were not asked to do so.

After one year, the researchers found that PSA levels (a protein marker for prostate cancer) decreased in men in the group who made comprehensive lifestyle changes but increased in the comparison group. There was a direct correlation between the degree of lifestyle change and the changes in PSA. Also, they found that serum from the participants inhibited prostate tumor growth in vitro by 70 percent in the lifestyle-change group but only 9 percent in the comparison group. Again, there was a direct correlation between the degree of lifestyle change and the inhibition of prostate tumor growth.

Participants in the lifestyle-change group were placed on a vegan diet consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes supplemented with soy, vitamins and minerals. They participated in moderate aerobic exercise, yoga/meditation, and a weekly support group session. A registered dietitian was available for consultation, and a nurse case manager contacted the participants once a week for the first three months and weekly thereafter.

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

EFA study in Vegetarians and Vegans

As a new study warns of Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) levels in vegetarians and vegans a London Nutritionist warns veggies to eat a balanced diet.

Yvonne Bishop-Weston BSc Dip ION MBANT, a London based Nutrition Consultant from Foods For Life says " The good news is that despite lower levels it doesn't seem to be a dangerous problem as long term vegans and vegetarians don't appear to be any more worse off than new converts"

"There is an issue here though , especially for those people planning children and for vegetarian mothers during pregnancy, birth and breast feeding"

"Vegetarians and vegans should ensure they eat EFA rich foodssuch as flax and hempseeds or take a algae based DHA supplement."

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma in British meat-eating, vegetarian, and vegan men -- Rosell et al. 82 (2): 327 -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Long-chain n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma in British meat-eating, vegetarian, and vegan men1,2,3
Magdalena S Rosell, Zoue Lloyd-Wright, Paul N Appleby, Thomas AB Sanders, Naomi E Allen and Timothy J Key
1 From the Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom (MSR, PNA, NEA, and TJK), and the Nutrition, Food and Health Research Center, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (ZL-W and TABS)
Background: Plasma concentrations of long-chain n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are lower in vegetarians and in vegans than in omnivores. No data are available on whether these concentrations differ between long- and short-term vegetarians and vegans.
Objectives: We compared plasma fatty acid composition in meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and examined whether the proportions of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3; EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3; DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3; DHA) were related to the subjects' duration of adherence to their diets or to the proportions of plasma linoleic acid (18:2n6; LA) and -linolenic acid (18:3n-3; ALA).
Design: The present cross-sectional study included 196 meat-eating, 231 vegetarian, and 232 vegan men in the United Kingdom. Information on anthropometry, diet, and smoking habits was obtained through a questionnaire. Total fatty acid composition in plasma was measured.
Results: The proportions of plasma EPA and DHA were lower in the vegetarians and in the vegans than in the meat-eaters, whereas only small differences were seen for DPA. Plasma EPA, DPA, and DHA p"