Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diet Consumption

Another benefit of a vegetarian diet is that we are able to attain the health-promoting properties of many substances found only in plant foods.

Phytochemicals - examples include flavonoids, isothiocyanates and phytoestrogens - present in plants have been shown in studies to boost health and offer protective effects against degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

The positive effects of phytochemicals are often underestimated and they play a great part in the health benefits of vegetarian diet foods.

There are literally thousands of studies, both clinical and epidemiological in nature, which prove the effectiveness of many individual substances and phytochemicals found in plants against various diseases and health conditions.

Interestingly, I have not really heard of many (or any) such studies for animal-based foods. You see, there is really nothing unique or special about almost all the nutrients which we get when we consume animals - most of them come second-hand from plants, anyway. The most powerful nutrients and antioxidants known are almost always found in plants.


Animal foods naturally contain bad stuffs

Some of the health benefits of vegetarian diet choices come about by virtue of absence - plant-based foods, when compared to animal food products, pollute the body a lot less, as a healthy vegetarian diet is typically also low in certain harmful substances.

Do note that even meat which is supposedly lean contains a lot of fat and cholesterol.

These substances clog up the arteries, causing the major organs in the body to degenerate and develop disease, as well as serious conditions like heart attack and stroke, which are major killers in the first world today. They are also linked to cancer.


Animal foods contain even more bad stuffs - microorganisms and toxic poisons

The health benefits of vegetarian diet choices become even more marked when we consider the additional harmful substances which are found in today's animal food products. Once again, the health benefits of vegetarian diet foods come about by the relative absence of these harmful substances.

In recent years, many health risks have emerged from the consumption of animal foods. Modern farming techniques, whereby animals are raised in overcrowded and filthy conditions, have directly caused the spread of many dangerous diseases to humans.

Farm animals are fed junk food and also injected with considerable amounts of chemicals such as drugs, antibiotics, steroids and artificial growth hormones, in a bid to make them grow faster and to battle the illnesses caused by their unsanitary living conditions.

Worse still, the pollution of our waters and lands has caused the accumulation of poisons and toxins, such as mercury and chemical fertilizers, in the tissue of animals.

By being a vegetarian, you can avoid the following:

When we eat animal flesh, all the abovementioned rubbish is going into our bodies.

Personally, I find it very scary. Is it any wonder that meat-eaters develop much more diseases - both contagious and degenerative in nature - when compared to vegetarians?


Vegetarians suffer less from many serious and dangerous diseases

If you are still not convinced about the health benefits of vegetarian diet choices, then see what research has shown.

Numerous studies champion the health benefits of vegetarian diet choices by revealing that vegetarians have lower risk for developing the following diseases:

Dr William Harris, MD, director of the Kaiser Permanente Vegetarian Lifestyle Clinic in Hawaii, stated in an oral testimony in Feb 1998 opposing a bill in Hawaii which proposed to float $10million in bonds to support the meat industry: "The cholesterol and saturated fat in meat is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and six types of cancer. Animal protein is a risk factor for auto-immune disease, kidney disease, and osteoporosis. By estimate in my book 'The Scientific Basis of Vegetarianism', about 1/6 of the almost trillion-dollar yearly U.S. medical bill can be traced to the consumption of animal source food."

He also mentioned that the peer-reviewed article, "The medical costs attributable to meat consumption," Prev Med 1995;24(6):646-55, placed medical costs due to meat consumption for 1992 between $28.6 and $61.4 billion.

It sure looks like eating meat comes with rather expensive consequences, literally.


Benefits of vegetarian diet - better health outcomes

Need even more proof? The benefits of vegetarian diet choices don't just relate to less disease - they also provide better health outcomes. For example, studies have shown that vegetarians have:

Higher calcium levelsLower blood pressureLower blood sugar levelsLower body mass index; body weight under controlLower cholesterol levels


The health benefits of vegetarian diet choices are further expanded when we take into account that the following conditions have also been said to respond well to vegetarian diets:

This is one main reason why those who embrace a healthy vegetarian diet are able to maintain a healthy weight, or even shed their excess weight. Being in good shape is one of the most noticeable health benefits of vegetarian diet consumption.


Conclusion on the health benefits of vegetarian diet choices

The health benefits of vegetarian diet consumption are numerous and very clear. Believe it or not, I have even come across mention of research that shows that not consuming red meat improves the sex appeal of a male's body odor!

Practically all the nutrients needed by animals and human beings are produced by plants and micro-organisms, and not by animals. By eating animal food products, we are actually getting those nutrients from a second-hand source. Now, why don't we get the same nutrients from their natural and original sources? And, without all the fat, cholesterol, harmful organisms and toxic chemicals too!

Just think of it this way - someone who only eats plant-based foods would do very well; in fact, he could even thrive, if he eats a well-balanced diet containing a variety of foods. On the other hand, someone who only eats animal-based foods would, in my mind, do quite badly. Not only would he be lacking many essential vitamins and other nutrients, he would be severely constipated due to the lack of fiber. In fact, I'm not sure how long he can actually survive without contracting a serious disease.

Why not start reaping the numerous health benefits of vegetarian diet choices today?

Even if you don't wish to, or are not ready, to give up animal food products and go fully vegetarian, then at least consider cutting down your consumption of these harmful foods.


There are some types of vegetarian diets which may be helpful in assisting your transition to vegetarianism, or in offering you alternatives to full vegetarianism.

To read about the reasons why people become vegetarians, click here.

To read about the various advantages of embracing a vegetarian diet, click here.

You may want to read the page discussing the concerns with regard to a vegetarian diet being low on certain nutrients, such as calcium, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and essential fatty acids.

There is also a page discussing whether there is sufficient protein in a vegetarian diet.

Click here for a discussion on a typical vegetarian food pyramid.

There are many benefits of vegetarian diet consumption. Which benefits of vegetarian diet consumption do you best identify with?

Read More: More on Vegetarianism | Understanding Nutrition and its Importance | Nutrition Health Articles - Foods, Diets, Supplements, Nutrients and more | Information on some Herbs | Favorite Herbs, Herbals Formulas and Foods | Natural Health Supplements - What to Consider | Home Page | Site Search

Being a vegetarian does not have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple, healthful and fun. Meals can be delicious, too. Click here for a step-by-step guide to a vegetarian lifestyle, which will help you to make a simple transition to a healthier diet.

Also, if you wish to learn how to lose weight quickly and healthily with simple, cheap and easy vegetarian meal plans, click here.

And if you love Chinese food or wish to learn healthy, delicious, natural, gluten-free Chinese vegetarian recipes which you can easily prepare at home, click here.

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