Why Do Vegetarians Live Longer?

Author: Ivan Red Jr. Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

The effect is probably due to lower saturated fat intake and higher fiber intake.

Vegetarians live longer than meat- eaters , according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine .

The authors followed 73,308 people for just over 6 years, starting with a survey of their nutrition, which is repeated periodically every 12 months. Participants are divided into three groups - strict vegetarians, "semi-vegetarians" who eat meat more often than once a month, but less often than once a week, and regular meat consumers . Vegetarians avoid dairy products and eggs, but for the purposes of the study, they are categorized as vegetarians who consume milk and eggs. Among vegans also have different views regarding the fish.

During the observed period, the mortality rate among vegetarians was 12% lower than among those who regularly ate meat. Nutrition seems to be important for the cardiovascular health of the participants - vegetarians are 19% less likely to get sick than their carnivorous peers. Vegetarianism is also associated with a lower incidence of diabetes and chronic renal failure. However, cancers affect vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

It seems that caloric intake does not have a large impact on the risk, as all participants have approximately the same energy intake. The type of food you eat is important. The benefits of a vegetarian diet are greater for men than for women.

According to Michael Orlich, principal investigator and team leader, the study is large-scale and involves a wider group of people, making the sample representative and the results reliable .

He still can't say for sure why a plant-based diet prolongs life, especially since it's poor in a number of vital ingredients. The team suggests that the effect of this deficiency is offset by increased fiber intake and reduced saturated fat intake, which ultimately predetermines a longer and healthier life for vegetarians.

However, the author's team does not recommend the complete exclusion of meat from the diet, some of which are useful. Also, even with strict vegetarianism, the type of food you eat is not unimportant, as purely plant-based foods can also be high in fat and calories .

When switching to a vegetarian diet, many nutritionists and doctors recommend monitoring the intake of certain vitamins and minerals that are contained in low amounts in plants or are not contained in them at all. These are mostly iron, zinc, vitamin B 12 , to a lesser extent calcium.

According to a study conducted last year by Gallup, about 5% of Americans identify themselves as vegetarians.

Why Do Vegetarians Live Longer?

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