[rsync]

"There are actually strong links between diet and health."

Agreed. The strongest link being, restriction of over-eating. We've known about this link since before the time of Moses.

"Eating a lot of vegetables lowers the risk of quite some diseases including cancer and heart diseases."

Probably because one can only eat so much and the vegetables crowd out the meat and dairy in the diet. Probably not because of special, magic flavonoid chemicals.

[Fritsdehacker]

That's an interesting idea. I thinks it's definitely part of the benefit vegetables give.

Vegetables also contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that we require and a lot of fibers that are beneficial to gut bacteria. These are also linked to good health, so I don't think you you leave out vegetables, even if you wouldn't replace them with meat and dairy.