Benefits of Living a Vegetarian life
This is a widely discussed topic around the world as there is a growing population that are choosing to embrace a plant-based diet!
Why are people drawn to the vegetarian lifestyle?
Generally, it falls into two categories, for environmental reasons (reduce greenhouse gasses in farming) and for ethical reasons, where people are uncomfortable at eating animals.
Fun Fact: You do not need meat to get all the nutrients required for good health, but it is good to supplement with a plant-based Vitamin B as there are few fruit & veg that can give you the same nutritional benefits as meat.
A Meat-free Diet can lead to a generally healthier life for various reasons.
- Better Heart Health
According to Crowe et al. (2013)’s research on heart disease, people with a vegetarian diet are a 1/3rd less likely to be hospitalized or die from heart disease. A vegetarian diet is inherently healthful since vegetarians consume much less animal fat and cholesterol, a key contributor to heart disease. As more fibre and antioxidant-rich-products are consumed, it helps to regulate blood sugar levels better and helps you to keep a healthy weight, which is good for your heart too!
- Improves Asthma
There is research conducted on the topic of the relationship between asthma and a vegan diet. Lindalh (2009) states that 22 out of 24 participants who started a vegan diet see improvements in their asthma with less dependency on medications. It is suspected that certain animal foods produce an allergy or inflammation response and a vegetarian diet could avoid such situations from happening
- Better Bone Health
Increasing Calcium the way nature intends, is how we can help promote our bone health. Vitamin D, phosphorus, and magnesium are all vital for our bodies to absorb and use calcium. With Marsh et al’s study on bone mineral density, it’s shown that people who followed a vegetarian diet for 20 years or more have only 18% less bone mineral by the time they reach the age of 80 while meat-eaters have about 35% less bone mineral at the same age.
Without any dairy products taken, a helpful dose of calcium can still be consumed from dry beans, tofu, soy milk, and dark green vegetables such as broccoli and kale.
Should I become a Vegetarian/ Vegan?
It’s entirely up to you! There are still a few things you can start doing from today.
- Swap Ingredients for Healthier Alternatives
- Avoid Heavily Processed Food
- Become a Label-Reading Expert
