Danny Davis
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics believes that eating vegetarian comes with a host of health benefits. When appropriately planned, eating vegetarian is suitable for all ages. In fact, it’s possible that adopting a vegetarian diet in childhood can reduce the risk of disease later.
In addition to the health benefits of eating vegetarian, there are environmental benefits to consider. By choosing to go meatless you’re saving water, greenhouse gases, and beyond. Then there is the benefit to your bank account. Going vegetarian and eating with the seasons is going to save you money.
In the latest poll, it was found that 3.4% of American adults follow a vegetarian diet (ref.). That’s over 8 million people. When you put it in those terms, it’s quite incredible how it has grown in popularity. This also doesn’t factor in people who follow a vegan lifestyle.
There are all different types of vegetarians, with some eating fish, while others are okay with eggs and dairy. Your level of vegetarianism is your choice. Ultimately, a vegetarian diet eschews all meat products.
There have been countless studies over the years about the health benefits if a vegetarian diet.
50 Benefits Of The Vegetarian Diet
Let’s take a look at the many health benefits of following a vegetarian diet.
1| Reduced Diabetes Risk
A study from the New York University School of Medicine found that following a vegetarian diet is suitable for both treating and preventing the risk of type 2 diabetes (ref.).
2| Cancer
According to The American Institute of Cancer Research, following a varied plant-based diet can improve the recovery process, and also prevent many types of cancer (ref.).
3| Heart Health
As for the health of your heart, that’s another point in the pro column. Eating vegetarian can help you reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 29%, and a heart attack by over 30% (ref.).
4| Lower BMI
Vegetarians have also been found to be thinner than meat-eaters, and have more control over their BMIs (ref.).
5| Low Cholesterol
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine points to the power of a plant-based diet to control cholesterol levels (ref.).The foods that typically contain the fats that negatively influence cholesterol are found in animal products.
6| Controlled Blood Pressure
According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, vegetarians tend to have greater control over their blood pressure levels (ref.). This is believed to be down to the fact that vegetarians consume more fiber and less fat.
7| Controlled Blood Sugar Levels
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a vegetarian can influence your blood sugar levels. After all, it’s been tapped as an excellent lifestyle choice for anyone trying to manage their diabetes. A plant-based diet can help keep your blood sugar stable, which will prevent spikes that cause cravings (ref.).
8| Less Inflammation
According to the Arthritis Foundation, a vegetarian diet is a great way to find relief from arthritis (ref.). Why? Plant-based foods have anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve swollen joints, inflammation, stiffness, and improve grip strength.
9| Gut Health
Within your digestive system live bacteria. Your job is to ensure that good bacteria are well looked after. One of the ways that you can do that is through a healthy diet. Plant-based diets support the good bacteria that we associate with health. This supports your immune system, helps regulates the hunger hormone, and can reduce inflammation, too. Choose fermented vegetables to offer your gut even more support.
10| Great Skin
Your internal health isn’t the only thing a vegetarian diet influences. Your external health will also see a difference, namely in your skin. Think about the junk that contributes to acne breakouts and painful zits. Sugar, fat, dairy, and foods high on the Glycemic Index. Yet, plant-based foods feature phytochemicals that protect your skin. Think about all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will contribute to your beautiful skin.
11| Great Hair
It’s the same again. Plant-based foods offer your hair the same benefits as your skin receives in increased vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The fact that you reduce your intake of junk also helps.
12| Great Nails
Have you ever taken a close look at your nails? Are they smooth? Are there ridges? Are they a normal color? Your nails can tell you a lot about your health (ref.). More importantly, your diet can heavily influence the health of your nails. If yours are brittle and unsightly, there’s a good chance you have the balance of your diet wrong. However, an increase in plant-based foods can ensure you’re getting the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you need.
13| Less Depressed
The Nutritional Journal published research indicating that vegetarians are happier than meat-eaters (ref.). Vegetarians tested lower on depression tests than meat-eaters, suggesting they struggle less with mood and depression. This might be explained by the increase in complex carbohydrates which boost serotonin and the lack of animal fats.
14| Improved Mood
Vegetarians consistently consume a higher level of nutrients and vitamins. This helps combat disease and illness. For example, vitamin C is an incredible immune booster and Vitamin E fights infection. All of this contributes to an overall lift in your mood. When you’re unwell or feeling off it makes you lethargic, which leaves you feeling miserable and fatigued. Eating a vegetarian diet can prevent this.
15| Improved Sleep
As you eat more plant-based foods your intake of magnesium and calcium also increases. This will help you enjoy a healthier sleep cycle. Just as importantly, it may ensure your sleep is more peaceful. Forget waking up constantly throughout the night, tossing, turning, and looking at the clock. Foods like avocados, spinach, and pumpkin seeds offer high levels of magnesium.
16| Stress Relief
As we have already noted, eating a vegetarian diet helps fight high blood pressure and cholesterol, which is great for your stress levels. Vegetarians are often in better health physically, which is something else that can influence your levels of stress and anxiety. Vitamins like B, potassium, calcium, and magnesium have been linked to fighting stress levels, and you consume much more of those when you eat vegetarian.
17| Free Radical Fighting
Free radicals run riot when you are under stress. Vitamins A, C, and E provide you with antioxidants that reduce the damage free radicals cause throughout your body (ref.).
18| Disease Fighting
When a vegetarian diet is done right, you consume less saturated fats. This can reduce the risk of all kinds of chronic illnesses and diseases.
19| Improved Bowel Health
Gastroenterologist Dr. Alan Desmond is delighted with the growth of vegetarianism, as he and many in his profession have long found themselves frustrated over the western diet and its influence on bowel health (ref.). Whether you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or other bowel issues, eating plant-based foods is going to help keep you regular.
20| Prevents Gallstones
Thanks to an increase in fiber, antioxidants, carotenoids, phytonutrients, and flavonoids, a vegetarian diet might be just what you need to protect your gallbladder and prevent gallstones.
21| Trim Figure
Vegetarians tend to weigh less because they consume fewer calories. Foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes tend to have fewer calories than animal products. This means you get to eat plenty, stay full, and do so while consuming fewer calories. That’s good news for your figure!
22| Toxicity Reduction
It makes perfect sense that following a vegetarian diet will reduce the toxicity you consume. Even more so if you buy organic fruits and vegetables. Within the animal product industries, it’s common for there to be chemical toxins, food-borne illnesses, parasites, and bacteria. There are still toxicity issues with vegetables and fruits. However, vegetarians eat less processed foods and this means they are exposed to less toxicity.
23| Greater Sight
According to Nutrition Facts, eating a vegetarian diet can prevent macular degeneration and glaucoma (ref.). So, by going vegetarian you’re protecting your eyesight!
24| Fuller For Longer
Going veggie means staying full for longer. How can that be? Most people imagine vegetarians being constantly hungry. That’s not the case. You can eat far more because of the calorie count in plant-based foods. But here’s the thing, many plant-based foods are high in fiber, which helps you stay fuller for longer. So, even though you can eat more, you don’t! You feel just as satisfied and you save some calories.
25| Improved Physical Performance
Whether you’re planning to run a marathon or just looking to keep yourself fit, a vegetarian diet can help. A lot of people become fully focused on protein, protein, protein. First of all, legumes are a fantastic source of protein. You don’t need meat to get protein. More importantly, good fats, vitamins, and minerals are going to contribute to your physical health. All of this is going to improve your overall physical performance. World champion athletes like British boxer David Haye, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, ski racer Bode Miller, and NFL quarterback Tom Brady all embrace plant-based diets.
26| Lifespan
Vegetarians are known to live longer than meat-eaters, which is great when you’re healthier than everyone else, too (ref.).
27| Reduced Risk of Obesity
Vegetarians are credited as being more health-conscious in their dietary choices. They don’t tend to overeat, nor do they pick their meals based on their emotions. These are two practices that contribute to obesity, therefore, vegetarians are less likely to be obese.
28| Increase in Fiber Intake
Plant foods are high in fiber, particularly fruits and vegetables. These are crucial to healthy digestion. That increase in fiber is going to improve your metabolism and ensure toxins and chemicals are quickly eliminated by your body.
29| Metabolism Boost
Plant-based foods are easier to digest. There’s a reason that people eat a salad before their meal – it digests quicker. The same goes for fruit, it should always come at the start of a meal or before another type of food. When you eat foods that are easier to digest your metabolism is going to have an easier time burning fat.
30| Reduced Risk of Cataracts
Research from the University of Oxford has found that meat-eaters are more likely to develop cataracts than vegetarians (ref.). So, it’s not just carrots that contribute to your eyesight, it’s a whole diet.
31| It’s Economical
How does this have anything to do with your health? Well, one of the major causes of stress is financial worries. So, by choosing to follow a vegetarian diet you are saving money. By saving money you are helping relieve your stress levels. Lentils, leafy vegetables, beans, and nuts are all cheaper than buying meat.
32| Reduced Consumption of Saturated Fat
Cutting our animal products is going to reduce your intake of fat. More importantly, your saturated fat intake. Saturated fat contributes to coronary heart disease and clogged arteries. Even choosing an extra lean ground beef isn’t going to help you, it still contains more saturated fat than legumes. You can reduce your fat intake by using a meat substitute in your next spaghetti sauce.
33| Improves Psoriasis Symptoms
Psoriasis causes irritation and redness in the affected skin area. Sadly, it can be a debilitating condition. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, a vegetarian diet can help manage symptoms (ref.).
34| Lower Weight
Vegetarians have a lower BMI, tend to consume fewer calories, and therefore, tend to be better at maintaining a healthy weight.
35| A Healthier Diet
If you’re here, then you are interested in following a healthy, vegetarian diet. If you do so, you’re going to eat the right amount of fruit and vegetables daily and drink plenty of water as well. Essentially, you’re consuming a healthier diet overall. That’s going to benefit your overall health and wellness.
36| Changing Taste Buds
When you go vegetarian you will start to notice changes in your palette. You may find yourself enjoying foods you didn’t before or disliking your old favorites.
More importantly, once your taste buds become accustomed to healthier foods going back to processed and unhealthy options just doesn’t taste as good. However, it may also indicate a lack of zinc in your diet, make sure you’re eating plenty of chickpeas, whole grains, and spinach. However, just enjoying subtle flavors is the more likely outcome. Enjoy!
37| Energized
You will also likely notice a change in your energy levels. The idea behind going vegetarian is that you make positive changes to your lifestyle. By making positive dietary changes you are increasing your intake of vitamins and antioxidants, thus boosting your energy.
38| Prevents Osteoporosis
While many people firmly believe that a vegetarian diet won’t provide the calcium necessary to protect bone health, it just isn’t true. If you consume a well-planned vegetarian diet, then you get plenty of calcium and may actually be able to prevent osteoporosis altogether (ref.).
39| Builds Stronger Bones
Meat is high in renal acid. In order to neutralize this acid, your body has to steal calcium from your bones. That calcium is then lost in your urine. There are plenty of excellent calcium sources in plant-based foods, such as kale, collard greens, and spinach (ref.).
40| Prevents Kidney Disease
According to the National Kidney Foundation, following a vegetarian diet can help protect your kidney. More importantly, if you have kidney disease already, a vegetarian diet can stop it from developing further (ref.).
41| Prevents Dementia
Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine led a study that found meat-eaters were twice as likely to develop dementia versus the vegetarians and vegans who participated in the study (ref.).
42| Relieves Arthritis Symptoms
Due to the anti-inflammatory properties in plant-based foods, arthritis patients are likely to experience relief in their symptoms (ref.).
43| Reduces the Risk of Kidney Stones
A diet rich in animal protein forces your body to excrete uric acid, which is the main component of kidney stones. A vegetarian diet can prevent this from occurring (ref.).
44| Less Eating Out
You can still eat out at restaurants and fast-food eateries. Many cater entirely to vegetarians now. However, it’s still not quite as popular as a traditional western diet so, as you embark on a vegetarian diet you are more likely to cook at home. It’s just easier. The convenient option is now doing it yourself. You’re going to save money and protect your health. Even though there are vegetarian options available, they’re still going to be higher in salt, etc like any other restaurant foods.
45| Eating a Well Balanced Diet
Most Americans can agree that a healthy, well-balanced diet is not what they eat. This is something that is true of vegetarians, too. However, if you go into vegetarianism with good intentions and plan to build a healthier lifestyle, you’re going to be eating a well-balanced diet. This is going to contribute to your overall health.
46| Improved Joint Health
Joint pain generally stems from inflammation. Well, guess what diet just happens to anti-inflammatory? Yes, vegetarianism.
47| Reduced Risk of Food Poisoning
Going vegetarian doesn’t eradicate the risk of food poisoning totally. There are still plant-based foods that run this risk (romaine lettuce, we’re looking at you). However, animal products are more likely to lead to food poisoning than fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
48| Relieve Symptoms of Menopause
Many plant-based foods contain the right compounds to relieve symptoms of menopause. Look for foods rich in phytoestrogens which can help maintain the balance in your body to navigate menopause a bit easier.
The best source of phytoestrogens is soy, but it’s also present in yams, apples, dates, olives, beets, raspberries, garlic, squash, and plums. Of course, there’s an added benefit. It’s common for menopause to slow your metabolism and contribute to weight gain – a vegetarian diet can help you prevent that.
49| Contribute To Greater Air Quality
The agriculture industry is heavily contributing to the world’s pollution problem. The animal waste and chemical runoff coming from farms have polluted over 150,000 American rivers and streams. This threatens our waster supply and contributes to poor air quality, too.
The agriculture industry also contributes to pollution through the processes they follow during pesticide spraying, fertilizing, irrigating, harvesting, and the facilities where animals are confined. All that to say, by going vegetarian you become part of the solution. It may be a small contribution, but you are helping to improve the quality of the air you breathe. That can only be good for you.
50| Overall Wellness
As you can see from all of the points above, eating a vegetarian diet improves your overall health and wellness. It’s one of the best decisions you can make for your health. Once you do, you won’t look back!
Final Thoughts
The key to enjoying the many health benefits of eating vegetarian is following a healthy vegetarian diet. When done properly, a vegetarian diet is packed with all of the nutrients and vitamins that you need. You will miss out on certain vitamins and nutrients by cutting animal products out of your diet.
It’s vital that you know what you need to increase your intake of. Most of these are easily found in plant-based foods. For the few that aren’t, you can turn to supplements to ensure your body is getting everything that you need.
Protein is the big one that people worry about. We need protein. It’s made up of amino acids that contribute to your metabolism, muscle maintenance/building, and healthy organs. Eggs are a great protein source if you haven’t cut out all animal products.
However, peanut butter, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and seeds are also great options. Iron contributes to red blood cell production, but you can get plenty of it from raisins, tofu, beans, wheat, and broccoli. Find your omega 3 fatty acids in flaxseed and oil. You’ll find zinc in many kinds of cheeses, beans, soy products, and nuts.
If you follow a vegetarian diet, but only eat candy bars, chips, and drink soda, then you’re not going to enjoy the benefits we provided above. The purpose of going vegetarian is to make healthy decisions about your diet.
