This apparent high incidence locally requires serious investigation. The actual number of CJD cases in North America would be boosted dramatically by even a small percentage of misdiagnosed cases reported as Alzheimer's. In light of these unanswered questions, caution is warranted on the part of North Americans. If this whole issue moves us to ask more questions about the source and quality of the food we eat, it will have served a valid purpose. The resources of the planet its ability to feed us are in jeopardy.
Much less land is required to support a plant-based diet than a diet based on animal products.
In the '90s we are continuing to add between 90 and 100 million new human beings to the planet yearly. A diet based on plant foods is both appropriate and increasingly necessary if we are to continue to be able to feed ourselves. With the current beef scare, many people may opt instead to increase their consumption of chicken, pork and fish. Meat, eggs and milk products are linked to the diseases of western, affluent countries. The typical western diet, high in fat and cholesterol, is implicated in heart disease, strokes, adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity and many forms of cancer.