Vegetarian Diet Plan

Top Ten Reasons to Switch to a Vegetarian Diet Plan

Many people have chosen to forsake meat products and have a vegetarian diet plan. Some choose this lifestyle change because of their personal beliefs regarding animal slaughter, while others make the change for their health and well being. Regardless of the reasons for choosing to go vegetarian, there are some health benefits that you should consider before you eat your next burger or steak.

  1. Vegetarian diets provide better results than other forms of dieting. Because fruits and vegetables are high in protein and low in fat, they provide faster weight loss results than diets that include meat. People who have a vegetarian diet also tend to keep the weight off longer, as they are not tempted to go back to eating unhealthy foods such as fast food burgers.

  2. Vegetarians live longer. Studies have shown that people who live by a strict vegetarian diet live an average of fifteen years longer than those who eat meat. Vegetarians have healthier hearts and are less likely to get cancer than their meat-eating counterparts.

  3. Vegetarians are less likely to get cancer. Studies have been done in past years that show that red meat consumption is directly linked to breast cancer. It is thought that the immune system of a vegetarian is more effective in attacking and destroying tumor cells than the immune system of someone that eats meat. Women are not the only one that benefit from a vegetarian diet, as further studies have shown that a vegetable based diet will help prevent colon and prostate cancer in men.

  4. Vegetarians are less likely to have heart disease. The typical American diet is heavy with fat and cholesterol. A large percentage of these unhealthy aspects of the diet are caused by meat and dairy. Fruits and vegetables are chalk full of antioxidants that help combat heart disease. Considering that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, it is surprising that more Americans have not switched to a vegetarian diet.




  5. Vegetarians have stronger bones. Women traditionally suffer bone loss as they age, but the average meat eater has twice the bone loss of a vegetarian of the same age. Most specialists believe that the reason for this occurrence is the excess protein that is found in a diet that includes meat. When too much protein is in the diet it prevents the proper absorption of calcium.

  6. Vegetarians avoid toxic chemicals in their diet. A vegetarian diet lacks the chemical toxins that are found in meat. Fish contain mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium that is not expelled during cooking.

  7. Vegetarians are less likely to get food borne illnesses. Over twenty-five percent of the chicken sold in America contains the harmful salmonella bacteria and five percent of cows carry E. coli.  These harmful food borne illnesses can be almost completely avoided with a vegetarian diet.

  8. Vegetarians are less likely to develop diverticulitis and other problems of the colon and bowels. The body needs fiber to push wastes out of the body. Meat has no fiber, so a diet heavy with meat can wreck havoc on your digestive system.

  9. Vegetarians are less likely to develop weight related disorders. Because a vegetarian diet is higher in fiber and lower in fat, many of the common weight related disorders are completely avoided. Heart disease, diabetes and stroke are all common diseases in the overweight population that vegetarians avoid.

  10. Vegetarians save money. The average vegetarian spends over $4,000 less on groceries each year than someone with a standard American diet.