I have been a vegetarian for about a year and a half now and my boyfriend has been one for about 6 months. Many people have very strong opinions about this way of life, especially in a state where meat is viewed as absolutely necessary for every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. However, studies have found that those of us who do not eat meat may actually have lower risks of disease and overall better health.
There are several types of vegetarians, however the majority of vegetarians, including myself, are lacto-ovovegetarians, meaning we do not eat any meat but do eat eggs and dairy products. Many people confuse vegetarians with vegans, who do not eat any animal products including eggs, dairy, and sometimes honey. There are also variations of vegetarians who eat fish but no other meat (pescatarian) or only chicken (pollotarian). The studies say, however, that as long as someone is eating little to no meat they will at least receive some of the health benefits.
The first benefit I noticed when I became a vegetarian was weight loss, which is a reason why many people become a vegetarian. The reasons for this weight loss are stated in an article on atasteofhealth.org, which are that vegetable diets are typically lower in fats and sugars than the average meat diet. With this being said it is understandable why there are so many other health benefits to becoming a vegetarian.
In a study on health.harvard.edu it is stated that vegetarians are 25% less likely than meat eaters to die of heart disease. This was found in a combination of studies involving 76,000 people and a later study of 65,000 people by Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford) found that vegetarians are 19% less likely to die of heart disease. One of the health benefits for being a vegetarian listed on brown.edu for becoming a vegetarian is a lower risk of developing heart disease (they also list a lower risk for developing “Colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers, Diabetes, Obesity, and Hypertension (high blood pressure)”). Many of these are also echoed in the Harvard article with studies to accompany them.
With all of this being said it is somewhat suspicious that two studies found different findings when looking at heart disease and vegetarianism. Is there a chance that there was an error in one of these studies or possibly a third variable such as a high fat vegetarian diet vs. what most would think of as an average vegetarian diet? Could the file drawer problem be at work here and there are other studies which were not published showing negative or potentially negative results?
With all of this being said it seems pretty likely that there at least a few benefits to becoming a vegetarian if not many. As a science student if I were not already a vegetarian I would seriously consider it and look at what I have to give up and if it outweighed the health benefits which I have found. If the benefits outweigh what you have to give up and you are interested in this lifestyle, more information on becoming a vegetarian can be found on eatright.org.
Kathryn, I actually eat a lot of nuts and nut products, such as peanut butter, as well as eggs for my protein. Many vegetarians also find that they need to take some type of daily vitamin in order to receive some of the vitamins and minerals which their diets might not include. My boyfriend has actually found vegetarian specific vitamins, listed on this website http://www.vitacost.com/vegetarian-vitamins-and-supplements?csrc=PPCADW-vegetarian+vitamins&mtp=suryiUpDU-dc|pcrid|41278515011|mt|p&gclid=CLHHqbGmrcICFcQ-Mgod71sAJQ. I often just eat types of bars or drink shakes with extra protein in them, such as special k.
This was a very interesting post. You talked a lot about the studies that say that meat eaters have more potential for diseases. The problem here is that you didn’t specify about the type of meat that people were eating. People who eat lean meats and avoid cooking them in oils and condiments actually benefit from there more than you would think. It is true that vegetarians end up with a lot less fats regardless of the type of meat being consumed but eating the right meats in the right proportions wont have that much of a negative affect on the body. Here is an example of an article that actually talks about how vegetarians are less healthy than meat eaters.
http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2014/04/01/study-vegetarians-less-healthy-lower-quality-of-life-than-meat-eaters/
Vegetarianism would definitely increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables that you are eating which provide great nutrients, but what about the protein you are missing from meat. How do you make up for that as a vegetarian? Apparently, as long as vegetarians eat enough calories to sustain their weight they are fine, but it seems as though it would be hard to have a full diet as a vegetarian. I definitely wouldn’t mind the weight loss though! Either lifestyle choice can be healthy depending on how the individual goes about it. Here is an article the compares the two with pros and cons of each http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/all-meat-vs-vegetarian-diets.