 Luke Perry is an American actor best known for his role on Beverly Hills 90210. Unfortunately, he passed away last week at the very young age of 53. From what we know, Luke Perry was following a predominantly plant-based diet. I know this is far from what's ideal for human health, and I can help people by sharing this message. In this article from 2013, he advocates towards certain activities for benefiting the environment, indicating that he was likely following a plant-based diet. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015, likely after being on a plant-based diet for about two years. In this article for the Daily Mail, he states, He cut out red meats and started consuming more fish, grains and fiber, being a self-proclaimed steak and potatoes type of guy in his past. I find it odd that he is blaming the meat for his colon cancer issues when we know that most people consume a minimum of 70% of their calories from plant foods, and the idea that processed meat causes colon cancer doesn't stand up to epidemiology, let alone red meat. Eight cohort studies were included in the dose response analysis, which suggested that a 100 gram per day increase in red meat consumption was not associated with a significant increase in colorectal cancer risk. He also increased his fiber intake, but there is no evidence that dietary fiber intake affects colon cancer rates. This study also shows high dietary fiber intake was not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Something really alarming about this is that Michael Clark Duncan actually suffered from a heart attack after adapting a vegetarian diet as well. But what is actually happening here? Low testosterone is known to be associated with an increased risk for heart attacks. And we know that a vegetarian diet can lower your testosterone. Here we see the Seventh Day Adventists are predominantly vegetarian and vegan group with lower rates of testosterone as well as estrogen. This study shows that low testosterone increases risk for stroke in men. This may be because of legumes, especially soy, that can decrease testosterone and increase estrogen, especially in men. Soy can also impair thyroid function. This study shows increased risk of hypothyroidism with soy consumption, but this may also be related to an iodine deficiency. Because consuming high amounts of vegetables, especially from the cruciferous family, can exacerbate an iodine deficiency. These cruciferous vegetables contain anti-nutrients known as goitrogens, which can inhibit your body's ability to uptake iodine. This impairment of the thyroid function has incredible implications in regards to heart disease. Hypothyroidism is associated with decreased cardiac output due to impaired relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and decreased availability of endothelial nitric oxide. This produces a cascade effect of increased arterial stiffness that leads to increased systemic vascular resistance. Thyroid hormones also impact the renin angiotension aldosterone system. Renin substrates are synthesized in the liver under the stimulus of T3, a thyroid hormone. Thus, in a hypothyroid state, diastolic blood pressure increases, pulse pressure narrows, and renin levels decrease. What this does is reduce an enzyme that produces something called angiotension 2, and angiotension 2 regulates blood pressure. This results in diastolic hypertension that is often sodium sensitive, essentially high blood pressure, and we know that you cannot have heart disease without high blood pressure present. A hypothyroid state also results in decreased expression of hepatic LDL receptors and reduced activity of cholesterol A monooxygenase. This breaks down cholesterol, resulting in decreased LDL clearance. Also noted are elevations in both C-reactive protein and homocysteine. So not only do we have high blood pressure pushing more LDL cholesterol into the arterial wall, hypothyroidism causes less production of an enzyme that removes this cholesterol from the arterial wall. This combined with the high levels of C-reactive protein, which is an indicator of inflammation, and the high homocysteine levels, that is a piece to the puzzle that we will discuss in a few minutes. Thyroid hormones affect endothelial functions mediated by another thyroid hormone receptor. Activation of this increases coronary blood flow, decreases coronary resistance in mouse models, and increases production of nitric oxide and endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Thyroid hormone activation of this induces angiogenesis by initiating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Severe hypothyroidism can also cause pericardial effusion. Though the mechanism is unclear, increased capillary permeability and reduced lymphatic drainage from the pericardial space have been suggested. Hypothyroidism can also be associated with a decrease in insulin sensitivity due to downregulation of glucose transporters and direct effects on insulin secretion and clearance. If you wanted to get a heart attack, hypothyroidism is literally the best way to do it. You're increasing your blood pressure, pushing more LDL particles through the arterial wall. You're reducing your body's ability to clear LDL cholesterol. You're increasing oxidation in every cell in the body, which is causing more LDL to get oxidized and get stuck in the arterial wall, and you're also increasing the permeability. It's absolutely absurd. Another possibility is that both Luke Perry and Michael Clark Duncan had an MTHFR gene mutation, and they were unable to convert B vitamins efficiently in their body through methylation. This might not actually be a gene mutation. It might just be that they weren't consuming enough vitamin B12 in their diet. This study demonstrates recurrent stroke in these patients. If they weren't supplementing B12, this study shows malabsorption can lead to stroke-related issues as well. Hyperhomocystinemia is a medical condition characterized by an abnormally high level of homocystine in the blood, linked directly to low vitamin B intake. This is why it's super important as a vegan to get your vitamin B12 levels tested. This combination of high homocystine levels and impaired thyroid function paint a pretty clear picture as to why these two men may have suffered from strokes. High homocystine in the blood causes accumulation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in cell death in the body due to oxidation. Protein also oxidizes through homocystine elation and thiolation, increasing oxidation of cholesterol as well as oxidation of protein. This is by far the most significant argument there is against a plant-based way of eating. And not just a plant-based way of eating, any diet low in animal foods can potentially suffer from this issue. Protein intake is also shown to have an association in stroke patients. Low protein consumption may be observed in patients with stroke in both sexes. If high blood pressure is shoving oxidized cholesterol into the arterial wall and your body's ability to remove that is impaired, then what happens is white blood cells in your body will bind to these oxidized cholesterol particles and try to take them out. But this hypothyroidism and this high homocystine also causes the protein cells to oxidize. So these white blood cells gather up all this cholesterol, they get stuck in the arterial wall, and then they oxidize themselves and they burst and they die. If you want to have a stroke, stop eating meat. Stop consuming B12. This is a guarantee that you will have a stroke. This is a proven mechanism in the body. Every vegan likes to spout up and down that a plant-based diet reduces heart disease. Doesn't look that way after what we've seen today. Especially considering every single indigenous group consumed approximately 45 to 65% of their calories from animal foods, meat plays a fundamental role in the health of every single human being. This is really unfortunate. I don't want to see this happen to everyone else. As much as you could argue, oh, even the average person needs to take B12 injections, blah, blah, blah, methylation is a process in the body that is determined by your genes. Different people have different capabilities to convert vitamin B12 in their body. Imparing this by going on a plant-based diet can cause health issues in certain people. And the only way to fix or alleviate these health issues is the easier way to consume high amounts of animal foods and possibly vitamin B12 injections or vitamin B12 supplements, not going to cut it. Thank you guys for watching. Please like, subscribe, and share the video if you can. Down below is my Amazon shop that has a bunch of products that I use in my day-to-day life, ranging from vitamin D3 supplements to sleep masks. Also is my Patreon where you can get one-on-one personalized question support. On my website, frank-to-fano.com, I sell some hygiene products, just minimal ingredient, tooth powder, deodorant, lip balm, moisturizing cream, as well as hair pomade. You can also reach out to me on that website for one-on-one consultations in regards to improving your overall health through diet, exercise, sun, and water. You can also reach out to me via email, frank-to-fano.com. 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