Being a vegetarian means changing your eating habits, not consuming meats and including in the diet only products of vegetable origin, following what is called a vegetarian diet (some also include milk and eggs, they are ovo-lacto-vegetarians).
In this article I will show you 11 Benefits of being a vegetarian For health that have been scientifically proven. If you are considering changing your diet and starting a meatless diet, look at the following benefits you can get.
Of course, the reasons To be vegetarian They are not reduced to just thin or avoid the negative consequences of eating too much meat. Some people follow this habit to avoid the suffering of animals.
1-Reduces the risk of colon cancer
A vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of colon and rectum cancer by as much as 20%, according to the results of a Recent scientific study .
This benefit can still be obtained by including fish in the diet.
The study was conducted in the University of Loma Linda In California and in the same participated more than 77 thousand adults, whose histories were controlled during seven years.
It was observed that in people on a vegetarian diet, the risk of colon cancer was significantly lower than that of the omnivorous diet.
Those who obtained this benefit not only avoided eating meat, but also decreased the consumption of sweets, sugary soft drinks and refined grains, including at the same time a greater amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes in their diet.
While it is unclear exactly what the mechanism by which a vegetarian diet helps reduce the risk of colon cancer, it is believed that avoiding red meat and increasing fiber intake could be the key factors in gaining the benefit.
2-Reduces blood pressure
Various scientific studies Have suggested that those who follow a vegetarian diet tend to have lower blood pressure compared to those who include meats in their diet.
Although the precise mechanism of action is not known, these studies have concluded that a vegetarian diet can be a useful tool for reducing arterial hypertension without the need for medication or as a complement to pharmacological therapy.
3-Increases life expectancy
Did you know that vegetarians can live longer? An investigation revealed that the vegetarian diet can increase the Life expectancy , By reducing the risk of various diseases, while decreasing the mortality rate.
As the saying goes, the fish by the mouth dies. Health, welfare And the diet you are following are closely related. The same scientists who found that the vegetarian diet is able to reduce the risk of colon cancer also found this diet regimen decreased by a 12% mortality rate, as compared to omnivores.
This is due to the decreased risk in cardiovascular diseases, renal and hormonal disorders. This benefit turned out to be more pronounced for men than for women.
4-Helps to lose weight
A vegetarian diet can Help you lose weight . Some recent research whose results were published in Nutrition Reviews Noted that vegetarian diets can be very effective at achieving weight loss.
This loss does not depend on the amount of exercise performed or the calorie count. Simply, stopping eating meat can help you lower up to 2 kilos per week.
However, you have to be careful. While vegetarian diets generally include few calories, there are exceptions. Those who opt for a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables and exclude meats are likely to lose weight.
But vegetarians who choose to eat plenty of simple carbohydrates (such as white bread, potatoes, white rice, etc.), sugary drinks, fried foods, etc. may not be able to lose weight due to the caloric intake of these foods and peaks in Levels of blood glucose that they are able to generate, which can lead to accumulation of fatty tissue.
5-Reduces the risk of suffering type 2 diabetes
Another of the great benefits of vegetarian diet This is their ability to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
In a study Carried out at an Adventist health center in North America, which involved more than 22,000 men and more than 38,000 women, found that the vegetarian diet is able to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, thanks to help To avoid obesity And that it is generally part of a healthy lifestyle.
The greatest benefit is obtained by following a vegan diet, although ovo-lacto-vegetarians also showed a discreet benefit. In people who followed a semi-vegetarian diet or included fish, the benefit was lower.
6-Reduce the level of cholesterol and triglycerides
Those who want to lower their cholesterol and triglyceride levels, may also opt for a vegetarian diet, as confirmed This studio .
By eliminating animal products from the diet, vegetarians have lower levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol (it's what they call"bad"cholesterol) compared to those on an omnivorous diet.
7-Increase the amount of antioxidants in your body
This benefit is mainly obtained by people who have followed a vegetarian diet for a long time.
The scientific studies Carried out on this topic show that vegetarians have a higher concentration of antioxidants in their tissues and therefore, they suffer a less oxidative stress, less inflammation and consequently reduces the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases, compared to the omnivorous people .
8-Helps control diabetes
If you are already a diabetic, a vegetarian diet will probably not cure your disease, but it can help you to control it in the best way possible ( See study ).
As mentioned earlier, the vegetarian diet helps to lose weight, which is very important in diabetic patients. Also, consuming more fruits and vegetables by avoiding meat reduces the risk of complications associated with diabetes and it is possible that this type of diet also helps make your body more sensitive to insulin.
Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes can help control blood sugar levels and decrease insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes. This means less medication and less risk Complications.
But beware, a vegetarian diet can also have the opposite effect by raising blood sugar levels if it is full of simple carbohydrates such as white bread, tarts, white rice and potatoes. Therefore, it is not just about being a vegetarian, but making a proper choice of foods that are consumed, to be able to get all the benefits.
9-Reduces the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases
In addition to increasing the antioxidants in your body, a vegetarian diet also reduces the risk of heart attack, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases through other mechanisms.
Since they do not include meats, vegetarian diets are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and generally include good amounts of soluble fiber, all of which helps prevent heart disease and blood vessel disease.
10-Prevents kidney and biliary lithiasis
It has been observed that the vegetarian diet can prevent the formation of Kidney stones And biliary.
Diets rich in meat, and therefore rich in animal proteins, increase the elimination of calcium, uric acid and oxalates in the urine. These substances are the major components in the vast majority of kidney stones.
Some English doctors recommend following a vegetarian diet for patients prone to kidney stones, to prevent the accumulation of calcium, oxalates and uric acid in the kidneys.
Similarly, a relationship has been found between the consumption of large amounts of fats and cholesterol (typical in omnivorous diets) and the formation of gallstones. So the vegetarian diet, by providing low amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol, also helps prevent gallstone disease.
Lithiasis is a rare disease in countries where vegetarianism predominates.
11-Helps prevent breast cancer
Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that vegetarian women are at a better risk of breast cancer.
In countries like China, where meat consumption is low, the incidence of breast cancer is much lower compared to countries like the United States, where the majority of the population consumes meat almost daily.
And it is not just a genetic component, because in women of Chinese origin who have settled in Western countries changing their diet and increasing the amount of meat they consume, has been observed a risk of breast cancer eight times greater, Compared to those still living in their country of origin following a mainly vegetarian diet.
Visit this article To know other foods that prevent cancer.
If you are considering following a vegetarian diet, then you have to first consult a health professional who is a nutrition expert to help you create a meal plan that is right for you.
So that your diet does not lack calories, essential amino acids, vitamins or minerals, your diet plan must be balanced and well controlled, and thus avoid potential nutritional deficits in the long term.
And what benefits have you noticed in becoming a vegetarian?