Apart from health considerations, people become vegetarian for a range of reasons. Producing vegetarian food is more ecologically sustainable, and it reduces damage to the environment. Many people stop eating meat for ideological, ethical, or religious reasons.
But often, the focus is on health. Here are some ways in which avoiding meat products can enhance a person’s health.
A lower body weight:
A study of 38,000 people showed that fish eaters, vegetarians, and vegans had a lower body mass index (BMI) than meat-eaters.
Healthier cholesterol levels:
Scientists have shown that one specific vegetarian diet can lower cholesterol almost as well as treatment with medication. Levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol that causes clogging in coronary arteries, fell by almost 30 percent in participants who followed the diet. This was only slightly lower than those who used lovastatin alongside their usual diet.
The diet consisted of almonds, soy proteins, high-fiber foods such as oats and barley, and a special margarine with plant sterols, found in leafy green vegetables and vegetable oils.
