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Impacts of vegetarianism on health
Impacts of vegetarianism on health
Impacts of vegetarianism on health
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Benefits of a Lacto-vegetarian diet A lacto-vegetarian diet can be healthier than other diets. December 2013, in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that while meat eaters have a higher average BMI, vegetarians have a lower average BMI. Red meat has several risks and downsides. Meat has high saturated fat and cholesterol content, and can contribute to diseases when consumed excessively. A lacto-vegetarian diet is low in fat, and high in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. This means it is higher in fibre and antioxidants. It can lower the risk of illnesses such as Obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Reducing or eliminating red meat can reduce the risk of Coronary Heart Disease. (CHD)
In 2013, Feb 22, a study in Cancer Epidemiology found that a vegetarian diet can reduce the general risk of all cancers. In 2013, June 3, a study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that a vegetarian diet had a 12% reduced risk of death. A vegetarian diet can also help prevent metabolic syndrome, Diverticulitis, Osteoporosis, kidney
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4 out of 6 studies about ‘the effects of low-meat/meatless diets on longevity’ that researchers reviewed showed that vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters. Heart benefits of a vegetarian diet are decreased blood pressure, cholesterol, & blood lipid (fat) levels.
Research says that animal protein may be bad for your bones, since animal protein is slightly acidic. Acidic blood extracts calcium out of the bones. Plant source protein is less acidic, and therefore helps with bone building.
Fruits and vegetables are a major part of this diet. They contain essential micronutrients (vitamins & minerals), such as vitamin A, vitamin C and folate, and are important for maintaining good health. They also carry fiber, an insoluble substance that keeps the digestive system healthy and adds bulk to food so that it can be pushed along the gut. Fiber prevents constipation and controls blood
This article details the benefits of a primarily vegetarian diet in primary prevention of heart disease.
Vanessa Ha and Russell de Souza published a study they did over the health benefits of vegetarianism in the Journal of the American Heart Association. They found that switching to a vegetarian diet can cause healthy weight loss, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure. They also found that vegetarians eat lower amounts of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. If the United States’ population could start to lose weight, there would be a multitude of benefits. People would have more energy, they would sleep better, and the nation would get back on track. Weight loss can also help to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. Many people would be able to get off their medication and be able to function without being dependent on their medicine. They would also save time because they would not have to go to doctor’s appointments so often. If the American people were all vegetarians, the obesity problem in the United States could practically be eradicated, as Ha and Souza proved that the vegetarian diet could cause weight loss. People could live normal, healthy
Appropriately planned vegetarian diets can be essential to any one, in any stage of their life. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of cancer, death from ischemic heart disease or any cardiovascular disease. Also lower body mass index (BMI), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, low blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension than those of which are non-vegetarians.
These nutrients include fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and water. These list values measure the nutrient intakes of healthy people, and their major goal is to help prevent chronic diseases. Dietary Reference Intakes are broken down by gender and age. The daily recommendations for my age, 31-50 are as follows: Calories – 2,403, Carbohydrates – 130 grams, Protein – 46 grams, and Fiber – 25 grams.
Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont says, “[Your risk of heart disease reduces] because of the fatty red meats and many processed meats that are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol which increases risk of coronary heart disease.” Being vegetarian doesn’t just help women with heart disease, but it helps with so much more. For one it helps lower your blood pressure, in a research that was done on a group of people it was found that only vegetarians were found with the lowest blood pressure (Alexandra p.1). Secondly it helps lower the risk of death. A 2013 study showed that more than 70,000 people found that vegetarians had a twelve percent lower risk of death compared with non-vegetarians (Alexandra p.2) With the absence of the saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs arteries, vegetarians are at a lower risk for chronic disease overall. Thirdly, when being a vegetarian you are also in a better mood. “ A 2012 study randomly split participants into three diets: all-meat allowed, fish-only and vegetarian no-meat. The researchers found that after two weeks, the people on the vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those on the other two diets.”(Alexandra p.3). Being a vegetarian also gives you a less risk of being over weight, which we all know has been one of the biggest problems here in America. Too many people are overweight and are not doing
Roughly over 20% of 121,000 middle-aged men and women died over a period of 28 years during a study of red meat effects on the body (Harding). Beef, pork, lamb, mutton, and veal are all red meats. While these meats are rich in vitamins and protein, they can lose much of their benefits through cooking and processing. Limiting how much red meat an individual eats could add years to their life by avoiding heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. By simply replacing one meal weekly, that consists of red meat, for a meal that is poultry, fish, nuts, or vegetable based could reduce the risk of dying in middle aged years by 7 to 9% (Harding).
Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle, is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets, whether they become a strict vegetarian who eats no animal byproducts, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy. As with any other lifestyle, research is always being done to see if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and so far, the results of vegetarian diets have been encouraging. Vegetarian diets have proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other health problems. With a little planning and dedication, a vegetarian diet will be healthier and more beneficial than a traditional diet
Today’s medical experts say that avoiding meat helps you avoid saturated fat. They have found out from studies that women who eat meat daily have a fifty percent greater risk of developing heart disease than vegetarian women and a sixty-eight percent greater risk in men (staff writer). People may not know about serious diseases meat can cause such as, mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease. In the September 1999 issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases, approximately 76 million food-borne illnesses- resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths occur in the United States each year from improperly cooked or diseased meat (Licher). That is a lot of fun!
People who are against vegetarianism believe that vegetarians don’t get enough nutrients in their diet. Vegetarians and vegans could easily become deficient in vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and the fatty acids EPA & DHA, and vitamins A & D that are fat-soluble. Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common among vegetarians and vegans which could lead to fatigue, weakness, memory loss, anemia, neurological, and psychiatric problems. In Western vegetarians, zinc deficiency can fall below the recommended levels
The first benefit to being a vegetarian is health reasons. Recent research studies have shown that vegetarians have better health than people who eat meat. The risk of a disease is less likely when being a vegetarian. For example, vegetarians have a lower rate of gallstones, kidney stones, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon disease. Studies have also shown that not only does a vegetarian diet have a greater chance of preventing these diseases but becoming a vegetarian can sometimes even cure these diseases. In a study conducted by Dr. Ornish from the University of California, he found that a vegetarian diet is also good for unclogging arteries of patients with very serious heart disease. The American Medical Association announced, in 1961, that heart disease, which is the cause of over half of deaths in the United States, could be eliminated by a vegetarian diet. The AMA has also reported that a high saturated fat diet is a key component to high levels of the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. The reason for vegetarians less risk for heart disease ...
The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are hard to ignore. Vegetarians have a lower chance of developing many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Women who eat meat daily are more likely to develop breast cancer. According to an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “consumption of well-done meats and, thus, exposures to heterocyclic amines (or other compounds) formed during high-temperature cooking may play an important role in the risk of breast cancer.” Men are also more than almost more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who do not include meat in their everyday diets. “Up to 80 percent of prostate cancer is attributed to dietary practices, and international comparisons show strong positive associations with meat consumption” (Alexander, 2010). Vegetarians have also shown to have lower blood pressure, better digestion, and more energy than humans with a meat based diet. The effects of a vegetarian life style ...
In conclusion, vegetarianism benefits many part of our life. A healthier body, a better environment, and more fair treatment of animals are all requites of becoming vegetarians. It is hard to change eating habits, but it is not impossible. There are many kinds of food that vegetarians can choose today. The taste of the non-meat food is not all bad and some of them maybe much better than imagination. It is not wise to deny being a vegetarian before trying to be. With more and more people adopting the vegetarian diet, the world will be a better place in the future: animals will be treated better; global warming will be alleviated; fewer people will be starving, and ultimately, people will be healthier and be living longer. Therefore, people should start action before it is too late.
Vegetarians tend to be healthier than those who consume meat. This is due to the prevalent unnatural chemicals used in the processing of meats, and eating these are unsuitable for the body. Meats already contain harmful amounts of cholesterol, and over-consumption of red meat can lead to early heart disease. Animals that are raised on farms for their meat are not treated well, and this mistreatment can lead to harm in the meat they are producing. Although one life choice cannot change one’s environmental
Let’s start with some good news first such as the health benefits of this adaptation. A diet consisting of mostly red meat has been known to lead to high rates in diabetes and heart disease and a simple diet change could help reduce the chance of diabetes by 50% and heart disease by up to 30% by a better-quality meat by raising livestock in better living conditions such as free range and grass fed meats. By eating a better-quality meat and ingesting less of it, it helps lead to a higher quality of life, weight loss, a cheaper grocery bill, and reducing your carbon footprint (Green). Ironically one of the main interests associated with the positive impact of switching to the weekday vegetarian is also one of its greatest downfalls for the same cause, health benefits. The largest con to this change is the lack of information and convenience associated with a vegetable based meal plan. Some of the most important nutrients that are easily found in the meats that most of us consume but don’t come by as easy with vegetables. Proteins are one of the core building blocks of the human body and usually aren’t present or in very low amounts when found in vegetables. Meats are also our primarily source of essential fats and oils that are crucial to the human diet. We also lose the vitamins generally involved in our meat
The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits are associated with the vegetarian diet. This dietary method has been linked to reducing the causes of obesity, heart disease, and cancer. With the vegetarian diet, the chances of becoming obese are lowered. Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases.