Meat is the key ingredient in most people’s meals, but a new study suggests that a vegetarian diet could actually be better for you. Researchers looked at the cause-specific mortality in a group of over 73,000 men and women Seventh-day Adventists, who generally follow a vegetarian diet. Looking at the dietary patterns of the participants, they categorised them into five groups – non-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian (which includes fish), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (which includes dairy and egg products) and vegan. Those in the vegetarian groups tended to be older and more educated – they were also less likely to engage in drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. Researchers noted that they were also more likely to exercise and be thinner than those in the other groups. Though some studies have associated a vegetarian diet with a reduced mortality, the relationships are not well established.
Researchers found that the vegetarian diet benefited men more than women, noting that they were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease. But there were no such figures to suggest that women could benefit in the same way. While this study suggests that a vegetarian diet could benefit you in a number of ways, you could be lacking in certain vitamins and minerals found in foods that are stricken from this type of diet. It’s important to ensure that you get plenty of iron, as this is something that most people get from red meat – it can be supplemented by eating plenty of rich green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli. Likewise, protein should be included by opting for eggs, tofu and pulses, such as chickpeas and beans. It’s easy to ensure you get all of the vital nutrients, simply by ensuring that your daily meals include foods from the main food groups – if you ordinarily get one group from meat and fish, ensure that you replace it with a vegetarian-friendly alternative.