‘Vegan diet can reverse diabetes’

Why do we need to drink milk?

Why do we need to have protein when there are diseases of protein excess?

When teeth are bones why can’t cavities heal?

Why can’t humans eat by instinct when animals don’t eat other than what they are meant to?

These were some of the questions posed by Dr Nandita Shah in her talk on Thursday at Saptaparni under the aegis of Manthan. Dr Nandita’s talk was titled ‘Food Demystified: A Rational and Factual Perspective’.

Dr Nandita Shah and her organisation Sharan have programmes for reversing diabetes where they also show recipes without using oil. The doctor advocates a vegan diet and lifestyle, which she feels will take care of the body and the environment.

The doctor maintained that a vegan diet (without oil) can reverse diabetes, and cardiac and kidney problems, too. She stressed that a diet containing milk and meat was harmful not just for the body but also for the environment.

Through most of the presentation Dr Nandita debunked that milk is healthy and emphasised on how it is not. She also quoted that the highest osteoporosis occurs where there is high consumption of milk.

“In order for us to consume milk calves are denied their share and cows are artificially inseminated. In all animals the mother’s milk is reserved for the babies. A number of South-East Asian countries do not use milk,” she said.

“Food is the cause and can be the cure for many diseases. Diabetes is on the rise and nobody gets well. One is not cured by cutting down carbohydrates and sugars. This is because diabetes is due to lack of insulin. Heart diseases are also on the increase, due to accumulation of fat which narrows the arteries,” Dr Nandita said.

She emphasised, “Every animal knows what to eat but we humans, despite having instincts, don’t look around. The dairy industry brainwashes us through advertisements. The food that we eat affects the health, climate change, results in stress, depression and psychological problems and loss of biodiversity. A hundred thousand litres of water is required to produce a kilo of beef and 12-16 kilograms of grain is needed to produce a kilogram of meat. One billion humans could be saved from starvation if Americans ate just 10 per cent less meat.”