Decrease in premature mortality and the number of heart diseases, vegetarians have a better life expectancy than carnivores.
Refraining from eating meat would allow you to live longer. This is what researchers have succeeded in demonstrating who have studied for 6 years a religious community of more than 73,000 members, within which vegetarianism is advocated by the Church but not strictly respected by all. The study conducted in the United States, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Jama), is reported by the Wall Street Journal.
“Vegetarians who participated in the study suffered 12% fewer deaths over the study period than people who ate meat. The likelihood of dying from heart disease was also 19% lower in this group. On the other hand, the risk of cancer was the same ”, specify the researchers.
In addition, “deaths from diabetes and kidney failure in the study group were also lower.” This study, on a larger scale than the previous ones, therefore shows once again that a diet based on plants and vegetables has a protective effect on health.
An analysis also shared by the nutritionist Patrick Serog. “The beneficial effects on the heart of vegetarianism have been known for a long time. Some studies have found that not eating fish or meat would reduce the number of heart problems and would lead to a better life ”.
But for this specialist, being a vegetarian is also a lifestyle. “When you practice a little more physical activity and pay a little more attention to yourself, the effects are beneficial on health. Followers of this type of diet also highlight other nutritional benefits, reducing the consumption of saturated fat, increasing fiber intake and limiting salt intake, ”observes Dr. Patrick Serog.
But the diet of vegetarians poses risks. “SIf we completely eliminate meat and fish, we can have iron deficiencies, notes the nutritionist. This may be the only problem with vegetarianism. Especially for women, because they lose iron during menstruation. They then risk iron deficiency anemia. If this is really the case, I recommend taking a blood test regularly to see if you have enough iron. If you don’t have enough, you will have to supplement your diet with tablets ”.
At the beginning of 2013, a very large British study confirmed the health effects of the vegetarian diet. 45,000 people had in this survey responded to detailed questionnaires on their state of health and lifestyle for 12 years. As a result, people who followed a vegetarian diet reduced the risk of hospitalization and death from cardiovascular disease by 32%.
.
