Not long ago, the concept of vegetarianism was unknown and unpopular, with people who adopted that lifestyle being warned that they will invariably have health problems caused by protein deficiencies. Some were even mocked for giving up animal-based foods. With time, however, animal rights activists and associations have been promoting the vegetarian and vegan diets as a way of protecting animals from harm and torture, and millions of people have jumped on the bandwagon.
Many, however, may still be reluctant to go vegetarian for multiple reasons. Although they may want to refrain from harming animals, they might not know enough about this lifestyle to make the switch, or they might have some misconceptions about it. The truth is that the vegetarian or vegan diet does offer lots of benefits to your body with only a few disadvantages.
Benefits of the vegetarian diet
Weigh less: it has been scientifically proven that people who adopt the vegetarian diet weigh less than those who continue consuming meat, poultry, and fish. Vegans (those who do not consume anything that comes from animals – including eggs and milk) lost more weight than both vegetarians and meat-eaters.
Lower cholesterol: one study compared switching to a vegetarian diet to a cholesterol treatment medication. The researchers found that the dietary change had the same effect on cholesterol levels as the medication.
Lower cancer risk: adopting a vegetarian lifestyle has been associated with a lower risk of developing several types of cancer. However, studies have also shown that vegetarians are more prone to colon cancer.
Longer life: multiple clinical studies have concluded that vegetarianism reduces your risk of developing life-threatening diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, thereby expanding your life expectancy.
Vegetarian foods offer these benefits because they are often rich in fiber, saturated (healthy) fats, and – contrary to popular belief – proteins. In fact, you can get all your daily nutritional needs solely from vegetarian foods. The only drawback is that, according to studies, vegetarians miss out on the Vitamin B12. Another noteworthy remark is that vegetarian does not always mean healthy; there are several plant-based foods that can be bad for you, for example fries. Always remember: a healthy diet relies on balance!
