Essay about Health Effects of a Vegetarian Diet

When I was growing up I was taught how to hunt, fish and trap animals for food as well as being fed an omnivorous diet, but today I have found that I no longer need animals in my diet. The Vegetarian Times recently found that out of the 311 million people in the US, 7.3 million eat a vegetarian based diet and 22.8 million eat a vegetarian inclined diet. Over the past century people have begun looking into the health implications of plant based diets as a way of improving their health and increase their longevity. This research paper is intended

Our health is one of the most important part to live a longer life. Vegetarians and vegans are far less likely to get cancer,heart disease, less likely to be overweight, have lots of stamina ,consume far less pesticides in their food and have a superior immune function. The largest epidemiological study ever conducted,found that those eating the amount of animal foods typical for Americans have seventeen times the death rate from heart disease, and, for women, five times the rate of breast cancer, than those who get 5% or less of their protein from animal foods.Many people

The author suggests that in order to eliminate this big problem we should all start consuming vegetarian foods and eliminate foods that contain meat. But how is this even possible to achieve? We all need meat and protein in our bodies in order to survive and stay healthy. Although consuming meat has negative effects it also has positive effects that are necessary for our bodies. Meat is healthy and the saturated fat in meat helps reduce blood cholesterol. Many doctors recommend consuming

According to The Middle East Journal of Family Medicine, “many researchers have reported a direct relationship between a vegetarian diet and the prevention of and curing several illnesses, such as: hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart

With research and supplementation, a life free of the cruelty of meat, or even all animal products, can be safe and healthy for all kinds of people from infants, to athletes. On top of the fact that the are safe and healthy for humans, these diets save millions of animals from the cruelty of overcrowded slaughterhouses, and from the torture of being treated as a number on a check and nothing more. The health and moral benefits of following a vegan or vegetarian diet immensely outweigh the negatives, and improve the quality of many beings lives in many aspects including; moral and health consciousness, prevention of illness and disease, and moral respect for those who cannot battle the injustices imposed against them on a daily

A large part of a person’s lifetime is spent on their consumption of food, which is often done while neglecting the impact their diet has on their health. Is there a reason for us to be conscious of our diet? Are potential health benefits really worth the effort? Vegetarian have shown many health benefits in comparison to meat eaters such as decreased chances of developing type 2 diabetes, less risk of heart disease and prostate cancer, lower blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure to name a few (Mangels et al., 2014). Plants provide antioxidants that are only present in small amounts in meat products, these phytochemicals help protect cells from damage and thus have reduced odds of developing some cancers (Leitzmann, 2014). One of the

For 96 consecutive years, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States.1 The term “heart disease” encompasses multiple cardiac ailments including irregular rhythms, valve failures, coronary artery disease, and other issues.2 Coronary artery disease is the most common manifestation of heart disease and may be the most susceptible to improvement by non-medical intervention. Even though it is a complex issue involving multiple facets of genetics, physical activity, and other lifestyle choices, some of these risk factors may be altered or otherwise controlled in order to reduce mortality rates.3 This review will evaluate the possibility of reducing cardiovascular disease mortality rates through vegan

Dr. Michael Greger provides an eye-opening statistic regarding the link between health and nutrition when he states that, “The #1 killer in the US – heart disease – was found to be almost nonexistent in populations with diets centered around whole plant foods” (“Greger”). Even though the idea that a plant-based diet is the best option for many reasons, many groups still passionately contest it. However, recent research in nutritional and environmental science has established that a more plant-based, or vegetarian, lifestyle is the way society needs to go. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines vegetarian as, “one who eats no meat” (715). Society is showing a trend towards more people adopting plant-based eating. This trend can be seen playing out in the popular media via celebrities who openly discuss their vegetarian lifestyle choices and also in popular television shows whose characters talk about being vegetarian in the dialogue of show.

Vegan diets are often found to have higher than average levels of some nutrients such as, fiber, magnesium, vitamins C and E, and iron (Craig 1627S). They are also commonly low in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol (Craig 1627S). Vegans are also much more likely to be at a healthy weight than meat eaters. Since 1990, more than 20 different studies have shown vegans to be leaner than people other people eating healthy diets (Davis and Melina 39). Related to this, vegans typically have a lower risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure (Craig 1627S). Studies have shown that people who eat meat have a substantially higher risk of developing prostate and colorectal cancer than vegetarians or vegans (Craig 1628S). Consumption of tofu and other soy products, common in vegan diets, during childhood and adolescence has been linked to reduced lifetime risk of breast and prostate cancers (Davis and Melina 55). All this evidence supports the idea that a well-rounded vegan diet has numerous advantages against the omnivorous alternative.

The Vegan diet also largely consists of potassium, folic acid, magnesium and countless other beneficial vitamins and minerals. Compared to the vegetarian diet, the Vegan diet contains more dietary fiber and less saturated fats, along with high levels of cholesterol. In many cases, Vegans tend to be slimmer and have lower blood sugar levels and lower levels of serum cholesterol, which reduces their risk of heart disease, the current leading killer in the United States. (“57 Health Benefits…”) In a recent report, different plant groups were rated into categories of metabolic-epidemiologic evidence. At the end of the study, their levels showed reduction in chronic disease development. In another study completed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), individuals who consumed more fruits and vegetables than animal products were shown to have reduced risks of cancer. (Craig)

less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, and are less likely to be classified as

Adopting a vegetarian diet has exceptional health benefits that can’t be ignored. For instance, in the article “Why Turn to Vegetarianism,” award

Living a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle comes with enormous benefits such as reducing the possibility of diseases and cancers allowing one to live longer and also assist with losing weight through learning how to eat proper portions and the correct types of food. This is proven by Lap Tai Le and Joan Sabaté in their article, “Beyond Meatless, the Health Effects of Vegan Diets: Findings from the Adventist Cohorts.” However, less than ten percent of the U.S population is experiencing these benefits mainly since the public is unaware of the perks of living a vegan or vegetarian

Fortunately, 70% of patients diagnosed are able to reverse their heart disease when physicians prescribe a low-fat vegetarian diet. Vegetarians are 50% less likely to develop heart disease and 25% less likely to die from it. They also have 40% of the cancer rate of meat eaters. Meat eaters are also 9 times more likely to gain unnecessary weight than vegetarians. By becoming a vegetarian, you can also avoid food poisoning such as mad cow disease or salmonella from undercooked meat and poultry.

Vegetarian diets have also been linked to reducing heart disease. Heart disease is another common chronic disease. A contributing factor that can lead to a person having heart disease is hypertension (also referred to as high blood pressure). Factors that lead to hypertension include having high levels of fats and cholesterol in one’s diet. Vegetarian diets have low intakes of total fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol. Since the vegetarian diet is lower in cholesterol and fats the chances for hypertension is decreased. Hypertension is just one cause that can lead to heart disease; the main cause of heart disease is due to having high levels of cholesterol. High cholesterol is an indicator that a person is consuming a high amount of animal products that contain cholesterol and saturated fat. Vegetarians consume lower levels of cholesterol in their diet. The vegetarian diet contains high amounts of soy, nuts, oats, and vegetables, all of which have been found to reduce cholesterol. Another reason why the vegetarian diet reduces heart disease lies in the fact that it contains high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants include essential nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotenes which all help to minimize the damage that could occur in cells. These antioxidants are found in foods such as fruits