I’ve been a dietitian for over 10 years now, and a vegetarian for nearly 9 of them. I became vegetarian because of personal difficulty justifying the ethics of killing animals for food when I, better than most people, know how to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet without doing so. At the time I would never have proposed that a vegetarian diet was inherently any healthier than a non-vegetarian diet. However, more and more, the research is showing that vegetarians and vegans, indeed, are generally healthier than their meat-eating counterparts.
The issue was discussed last week in an article in the Toronto Star, brought about by the recent report of the Adventist Health Study-2. This study examined the overall health of 96,000 Seventh Day Adventists across Canada and the US over the span of more than a decade. Seventh Day Adventists are typically vegetarian or vegan. The results clearly indicate many improved health measurements, specifically lower incidences of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, diabetes, and arthritis. The lifespan for the average Seventh Day Adventist man is 83.3 years, which is 9.5 years longer than the average man. For an Adventist woman, it’s 6.1 years longer, achieving an average of 85.7 years of age. To be fair, some of the improved statistics may be due to the fact that most Adventists do not smoke or drink, either.
The Star also mentioned another large-scale study, the China Study, which was published in 2005. China’s government did a population-wide study, painstakingly documenting eating patterns of citizens across the country and then comparing those regional diets with regional data for rates of various diseases. A direct relationship was apparent, showing that increases in animal protein intake correlated strongly with increased rates of chronic disease. This study was highlighted in the documentary Forks Over Knives , a film which also examined other evidence to back up this theory. (I highly recommend seeing this one…the breadth and depth of documentation presented is truly remarkable.)
The evidence is mounting. People consuming less animal protein tend to have better long-term health. This does not mean that simply becoming vegetarian will lead to an improvement in health. There are many very unhealthy vegetarians out there. In fact, despite 40% of Indians being vegetarian, they have one of the higher rates of diabetes and heart disease in the world. It’s worth noting, however, that they also consume a significant amount of milk and dairy products, and is the number one milk-producing country world-wide. “Vegetarians” encompass a wide range of intakes: some consume fish, others just dairy and/or eggs. Few benefits will be seen if one is simply replacing one animal protein for another: switching from poultry and beef to fish or cheese or eggs, for example. However, removing animal protein altogether, or at least significantly reducing it – by substituting in beans, tofu, nuts and seeds, for instance – can lead to significant health improvements. Vegans consume no animal protein at all, and their diet, in all these studies, consistently demonstrate huge improvements in health statistics. Just look at Bill Clinton! With his impressive weight loss and improved health, he’s the poster boy for the power of a vegan diet.
I know most people wouldn’t even consider a vegan diet, but if you’re at least trying to reduce your meat consumption, and want to do it in a healthy way, I’d love to meet with you! As i said, I’ve made the transition myself and would be pleased to help you do it, too.
Winner of "Best Alternative Medicine/Healing" in 2020
All Rights Reserved | Heal From Your Past
Built With Love By The Awesome People at Flowerpot Marketing