Nutrition as Skin and Health Care

from A medical Point of Veiw
by Dr. med. Ernst Walter Henrich

The Meaning of Nutrition for ones Health

It has been irrefutably proven for some time now that awareness is growing regarding the importance of nutrition for the health and wellbeing of mankind. Nutrition influences every organ in the body and also the skin. The beauty and health of the skin is decisively dependent on our nutritional choices. As such, nutrition dictates ones general health and the health of ones skin from within. The skin receives its nutrients from the Dermis via the blood vessels. These nutrients are acquired from foodstuffs and are reabsorbed into the intestines. In the blood vessels of the skin the valuable nutrients can only be absorbed and utilized in the optimal constellation if the mentioned valuable nutrients can be extracted from the food we consume. It is therefore extremely important to avoid any questionable substances in our nutrition in order to ensure our good health. Following a scientific evaluation of the latest nutritional studies; foodstuff such as meat, sausage, fish and dairy products can no longer be recommended.

Only a healthy and varied diet can ensure that the skin and all the other organs are supplied with healthy, essential nutrients. Therefore nutrition should not be determined by habits, questionable opinions of self proclaimed “experts”, and the advertising done by the food industry but only from the conclusions reached by renowned scientists. It is exactly this source that is reflected in this informative brochure.

In 2009 the ADA ("American Dietetic Association") published a revised statement regarding their position on vegetarian and vegan nutrition with a strong recommendation for this nutritional form. It is there that one reaches the conclusion that a vegetarian diet, including a vegan diet, when carried out correctly is healthy and nutritious for adults, toddlers, children and teenagers. In fact this type of diet can help in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.

In July 2009 a paper was published in the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association” representing the official standpoint of the ADA with regard to a vegetarian diet including a vegan diet:

"The American Dietetic Association is of the opinion that a well planned vegetarian diet, including a complete vegetarian or vegan diet is healthy, and meets all the necessary requirements both nutritionally and physiologically and offers health advantages in the prevention and treatment of specific illnesses. A well planned vegetarian diet is suitable for all age groups including, women during pregnancy and lactation, toddlers, children, teenagers and sportsmen."

The declaration of one of the most renowned German nutritional scientist; Professor Dr. Claus Leitzmann of Giessen University is clear:

"Studies carried out with people who are strictly vegan by ourselves and internationally show that these people are generally measurably healthier than the general population. Body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and cholesterine values, kidney functions as well as the health status tends to lie more in the area of normality."

The PCRM (The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) is a non profit organisation that propagates preventative medicine, carries out clinical research and promotes higher standards for ethics and efficiency in research. The PCRM views a vegan diet as the healthiest diet and bases this view on a logical premise:

"Vegan nutrition, containing no animal products or content is actually healthier than vegetarian nutrition. Vegan nutrition contains no cholesterine and in fact contains less fat, saturated fatty acids and calories than a vegetarian diet because it omits dairy products and eggs. Scientific studies show that health advantages decrease when the majority of foodstuffs are obtained from animal sources. This clearly makes vegan nutrition the healthiest overall."

www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/nutritionfaq

Numerous nutritional scientific investigations in the last years exposed the connection between the consumption of meat, sausages, dairy products and illnesses i.e. cancer, osteopathy, (bone disease) heart attacks, blood pressure and diabetes. The burden on fish from environmental poisons such as Dioxin and heavy metals were also thoroughly researched and proven to be relevant in a shockingly high measure.

Further information and the appropriate nutrition studies in the last years are to be found on the german website: www.fleisch-macht-krank.de

A purely vegan diet is not only healthy because of the omission of meat, sausages, fish, milk, cheese and eggs nor is it adequate to avoid all foodstuffs that contain ingredients that are suspect but most importantly to ensure that one plans a varied menu that contains all the important food components.Critical nutrients such as Vitamin B12 must be particularly controlled and an adequate supply guaranteed.

Therefore training in healthy nutrition is essential for all Dr. Baumann SkinIdent cosmetic institutes and SPAS.

Our nutrition doesn’t only have an enormous influence on our health:

  • Climate Catastrophe: The renowned World Watch Institute released a study on 21 October 2009 on the influence of animal husbandry and the consumption of animal products on climate changes. In fact the consumption of meat, milk and eggs by people worldwide is responsible for 51 % of the entire greenhouse gas emissions on our planet.
  • Environmental Damage: To acquire 1 kg of meat (depending on the type of animal) one needs to produce fodder of 10-20 tons and supply 10,000-20,000 litres of water. The end result is the creation of enormous amounts of liquid manure that damages the environment dramatically.
  • Rain Forests: These Tropical Rain Forests are extremely important for the global climate and they continue to be levelled in order to grazing land and in order to cultivate fodder vast areas of trees are eroded.
  • World Hunger/Human Rights: World hunger affects approximately 1 Billion people. Every three seconds a child dies from starvation whilst approximately 50% of the global harvest of grain and approximately 90% of the Soy is used as fodder for utilizable farm animals
  • Animal Protection/Animal Rights: The suffering experienced by animals in order to acquire meat, milk, and eggs is well documented. Extreme torture of animals resulting from breeding and subsequent slaughtering is on the international agenda.
  • Overfishing: The global seas and oceans are overfished bringing a catastrophe ever nearer!

Suggested Reading

Vegan Brochure, can be ordered free of charge from www.ProVegan.info

Website www.ProVegan.info

Website (German) www.Fleisch-macht-krank.de

Book (German) "Vegane Ernährung"
Dr. Jill Langley, Echo-Verlag,
ISBN 3-926914-33-5
This book explains the findings of scientists in layman’s terms

Book(German) "Die vegane Küche"
Ingrid Newkirk, Heyne Verlag,
ISBN 978-3-453-12550-6
An excellent cookbook for daily use,
a motivation to enjoy the varied vegan kitchen

Script (German) "Die gesündeste Ernährung"
A medical analysis and evaluation
by Dr. med. Ernst W. Henrich
(Download free from the website www.ProVegan.info
to be found under "links")