When it comes to animal welfare, there’s no debate. A vegetarian or vegan diet is, pretty much by definition, better for animals. When it comes to the environment, there’s a lot of evidence that giving up animal products can do a world of good. But what about health? Is going veggie good for your health?
The reasons vegetarian diets are healthy are pretty clear, explains Heather Hodson, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone’s Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. People who follow vegetarian or vegan diets tend to eat less cholesterol and saturated fat than do meat eaters, she says.
Health Benefits of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
The Adventist Health Study-1, conducted between 1974 and 1988, found that vegetarians had a lower risk of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Since then, many more studies have found similar results. For example, a 2017 meta-analysis of almost 100 studies found that vegetarian diets were protective against ischemic heart disease and cancer.
When it came to cancer, vegan diets were even more protective than vegetarian diets. A 2019 paper that reviewed 32 randomized clinical trials found that plant-based diets helped reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes.
