The Case For Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian is a term that means a mixed bag of things to different people. In essence vegetarian describes avoiding meat, eggs, and diary products. There are different types of vegetarians. A lacto-ovo vegetarian is an individual who does not eat meat, but does eat dairy - meaning lacto and eggs meaning ovo. Without doubt the raising rates of problematic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure is driving an increasing number of people to find alternative healthy dietary lifestyles.

Some researchers are concurring that a vegetarian diet is useful and beneficial in protecting people from specific diseases namely hypertension and heart disease. In Particular the American Dietetic Association notes that a well planned vegetarian diet can be helpful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are suitable for people of all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, nursing, infancy, childhood and adulthood.

Particular benefits of vegetarian diets offer specifically identified nutritional benefits. To begin with, the diet has less levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate and antioxidants. Doctors note that animal products are the main source of saturated fat and cholesterol. By-passing meat, eggs and diary products significantly reduces the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol all of which plays an important role in causing heart disease. Advocates of vegetarian diet note that cases of breast cancer are remarkably lower in societies that follow plant-based diets. Cancer rates are higher in countries where people consume more animal products in their diets. It can be further noted that people who are vegetarian have lower rates of colon cancer compared to non-vegetarians. Some studies have claimed that a low-fat, vegetarian diet with routine exercise can help stop and even reverse prostate cancer.

As noted earlier, obesity is a big problem especially in the United States. It has long reached epidemic proportions with some estimating that it will soon surpass tobacco use in terms of the number of people killed. A low-fat vegetarian diet with moderate exercise has been shown to have the ability to take-off and even keep-off weight. On average vegetarians have been shown to be leaner than people who eat meat. Doing away with obesity will have a significant impact on the prevention f high blood pressure. Obesity has been shown to be an extremely important risk factor for hypertension.

Potassium has been mentioned as a positive spin-off of a vegetarian diet. Learn more about the association between hypertension-bloodpressure-center.com/potassium-and-high-blood-pressure.html potassium and high blood pressure. You may also learn more about healthy-eating-centre.com/childhood-obesity.html childhood obesity which can be dealt with early by employing a vegan diet.