In general individuals who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet are healthier than someone who consumes meats. There is a large amount of clinical evidence that suggests low fat vegetarian and vegan diets are closely associated with weight loss, better insulin sensitivity, reduced cardiovascular disease risks, lower rates of heart disease, lower risk of high blood pressure, and moderately lower cancer rates.
Depending on the type of vegetarian diet followed, there are differences in food consumption. For example, a vegan diet strictly excludes any form of animal product in their diet, while a lacto ovo vegetarian diet can include some dairy and egg products. There are also many reasons why an individual chooses to be a vegan or vegetarian, and this this could be for religious reasons, personal reasons, ethical reasons, environmental reasons, just to name a few.
However, regardless of the type of vegetarian diet you follow or your reasons for doing so, one thing that is for certain is that there are countless health benefits of being a vegan or vegetarian.
One study from the Loma Linda University in California stated that "there is convincing evidence that vegetarians have lower rates of coronary heart disease, largely explained by low LDL cholesterol, probable lower rates of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and lower prevalence of obesity." Cancer rates also seem to be moderately lower compared to other who live in the same communities. Vegetarians also appear to have longer life expectancy. [1]
Vegetarian diets can also help prevent childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a health problem that is common in the developed nations around the globe, and being obese or overweight during childhood could lead to the development of various cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. In an Australian study, 215 adolescents aged 14 to 15 years old participated. The study found that adolescents consuming mostly vegetarian foods had significantly better scores on cardiovascular health, body mass index, waist circumference, and cholesterol levels. The study also found that exercise on its own was not statistically associated with any of the risk factors tested, and that the diet is the most important deciding factor in promoting health in this age group. [2]
It should not be surprising that the vegetarian diet has so many health benefits - after all, our bodies are design to process plant based foods more than animal products. If you're looking for healthy vegetarian diets, click the link below.
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