Dear Pacific Union Member:

If you want to start a lively discussion full of differing viewpoints, suggest what people should or shouldn’t eat. Few topics stir up more emotion.

The Answer Is “Yes”

Does it really matter what we eat and drink? We hear endless commentary about the importance of low fat, properly balanced diets. Yet, we all know people who live long lives with few health problems who have violated many of the basic principles of good health. On the other hand, we know people who watch their diet carefully and die young anyway. That can lead to thinking, “We might as well enjoy ourselves and not be denied foods that taste good!”

However, for someone who professes a commitment to Jesus, there is another factor to consider: “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT).

“If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17, NIV).

God claims ownership of our bodies and therefore has a strong interest in what goes into them. It does matter to God what we eat and drink.

Facts that Support “Yes”

Past Adventist health studies have revealed that:

• The risk of a first fatal heart attack is reduced by nearly 50 percent in vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians (Fraser GE. Diet, Life Expectancy and Chronic Disease. Studies of Seventh-day Adventists and Other Vegetarians. Oxford University Press, 2003.)

• Increasing consumption of tomatoes, dried fruits, and soymilk are significantly associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer. (Mills PK, Beeson WL, Phillips RL, Fraser GE. “Cohort study of diet, lifestyle, and prostate cancer in Adventist men.” Cancer 1989; Jacobsen B, Knutsen SF, Fraser GE. “Does high soymilk intake reduce prostate cancer incidence?” Cancer Causes Control, 1998.)

• Adventists who are vegetarian, exercise regularly, have never smoked, who eat nuts four or more times each week, and who are not overweight live nine to 10 years longer than those who fit none of these categories. Each item appears to account for two to three extra years. (Fraser GE, Shavlik DJ. “Ten years of life. Is it a matter of choice?” Arch Int Med, 2001.)

Uniqueness of Adventists

In past health studies done by Loma Linda University, it was demonstrated that Adventists live longer than the general population and have a much lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer, arthritis and other diseases.

A new study is underway to explore further how diet and lifestyle affect the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Adventists are ideal for this study because we have a special interest in health and have a diversity of diet ranging from strict vegan to those who eat the same as most of the population.

Thousands of members are needed to fill out a one-time questionnaire to help find these answers. You don’t have to follow the perfect Adventist diet or be in good health to participate. Would you be willing to aid this important research by spending two hours of your time? If so, please call 1-877-700-7077 or e-mail ahs2@sph.llu.edu to request the Adventist Health Study-2 questionnaire. Visit www.adventisthealthstudy.org for more info.

Sincerely your friend,

Tom Mostert, Jr.

President

Pacific Union Conference

P.O. Box 5005

Westlake Village, CA 91361

tmpm3@attglobal.net