New PETA Billboard Cautions North Dakota Residents To Avoid Alzheimer's, Go Vegan

State's High Mortality Rate From Dreaded Disease Prompts Group's Action

For Immediate Release:
November 10, 2011

Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382 

Bismarck, N.D. -- "Eat Your Vegetables. Don't Become One. Going Vegan May Help Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease," says PETA's brand-new billboard. PETA is negotiating with outdoor advertisers in Bismarck to put up the ad in November, which is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. Why Bismarck? Because North Dakota has the highest mortality rate from Alzheimer's disease in the U.S., according to a 2011 report by the Alzheimer's Association.

"It's long been known that a vegan diet is heart-healthy and reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, and diabetes, but so many people don't know that meat consumption is linked to Alzheimer's as well," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "It's essential that we use every tool at our disposal in the battle to prevent this horrible disease. If North Dakota residents want to lower the number of Alzheimer's deaths in the state, going vegan may help."

Eating meat, eggs, and dairy products has been strongly and repeatedly linked to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes—all factors that raise the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. On the other hand, plant foods appear to improve brain health. According to the Alzheimer's Association, a long-term study found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life and that those who also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure had six times the risk of dementia. Vegetarians have been shown to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels than meat-eaters do.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.