In today’s society, it is impossible to deny the fact that many of the world’s health problems and chronic diseases list poor diet as a leading cause or contributor. With issues like the obesity crisis and the rise of illnesses such as type two diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, it is imperative that people understand how what they eat affects their health and that their diets can possibly be the difference between life and death. While the “right diet” varies among people, there are certain foods that, when reduced or eliminated from one’s diet, can benefit the health of almost any person. One common healthy diet adjustment is the reduction or elimination of animal products, specifically meat. Vegetarian diets can aid in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Over the last 100 years, many of the changes that have occurred regarding our diet and nutrition have taken a negative toll on the health of consumers. 100 years ago, meatless diets were not nearly as popular as they are today; however, this is due in part to the many unfortunately disadvantageous transformations that have shaped the food industry to be what it is today. While our great grandparents probably ate a lot more meat, eggs, and dairy than pro-vegetarians today may deem healthy, the products were most likely locally sourced and most of the practices that steer people away from animal products today such as the use of growth hormones, GMOs, and the factory conditions, were rarely heard of back then. Some supporters of eating meat make the claim that our ancestors have been eating meat since biblical times and while this is true, the level of industrialization in food production has never been as high or detrimental as it is today, thus causing the increases in diet-related illness and the urgency to spread awareness to this issue. 

Although there have been, and will continue to be, changes in many aspects of the food industry over time, the concept of choosing to exclude meat from the diet has existed since ancient times. Originally labeled as Pythagoreans, we now refer to followers of a meatless diet as vegetarians. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, vegetarian is defined as “a person who does not eat meat; someone whose diet consists wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products” (“Vegetarian”). While this definition is accurate, it can be considered broad, as many people now choose to identify with the various “subcategories of vegetarianism such as ovolactarians, who eat dairy products and eggs but abstain from meat; lactarians, who eat dairy products but abstain from meat and eggs;” and pescatarians, a newer subcategory of people who include fish in their otherwise meat-free diet (Avey). People who have adopted these lifestyles are primarily driven by ethics, health, and/or religion. With all the diet-related health concerns in the world today, choosing to follow a vegetarian diet is a responsible choice because of the positive effects it can have on health. In 2003, a poll revealed that “3.6 percent [of women and] 2 percent [of] men said they don’t eat meat, poultry, or fish and seafood,” which was an increase in the statistics from a poll taken three years prior (Iacobbo and Iacobbo 7). Today, 13 years later, roughly ten percent of adults are vegetarians. Based on the increase of talk surrounding vegetarian diets in recent years, it may seem to some people like just another fad diet, however, vegetarianism is not merely another short-lived, celebrity-endorsed scam to lose weight, but it has been around for thousands of years and has proven health benefits including the prevention of some chronic diseases. 

Chronic diseases, also known as noncommunicable diseases (NCD’s), are those that cannot be passed from person to person and are generally slow in progression and largely preventable. Chronic diseases are “by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 60% of all deaths” which impacts not only those directly and indirectly affected, but also the world’s economy (Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion). One assessment of the economic impact of unhealthy diets found that with the levels of obesity at double of what they were in 1980, “[the cost is] a staggering 2.8% of the world’s GDP” (Candari et al.). Vegetarianism is a solution to these problems along with many others. It is not to be ignored that cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers are some of the deadliest chronic diseases. While vegetarianism will not eliminate the threat of these diseases entirely, it has the ability to aid in prevention when combined with other healthy practices such as exercise.

One of the most well-known chronic diseases, Cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, is the number one cause of death in the world. In the United States alone, every one in four deaths is caused by heart disease. Heart disease is a term referring to various specific types of heart conditions which involve the buildup of plaque in the arteries causing blood flow to be restricted. Some of the main contributors to this disease are high LDL (“bad” cholesterol), low HDL, (“good” cholesterol), and high blood pressure (American Heart Association). Those most likely to develop heart disease are oftentimes overweight, diabetic, following a harmful lifestyle including poor diet and lack of exercise or some combination of these, and possibly other, factors. 

Proving the relationship between cardiovascular disease and vegetarianism, a comparative study was done by physicians at Catholic University at São Paulo in Brazil Levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL were all measured from the blood of various levels of vegetarians (lacto-ovo, lacto, and vegans) and omnivores. After comparing those levels among the groups, the researchers found that the less animal products consumed, the lower these levels were, which is favorable. This was proven by finding the biggest difference in levels to be between those of the vegans and the omnivores. The mean total cholesterol for vegans was 141.06 mg/dl, while the mean total cholesterol for the omnivores was a much higher 208.09 mg/dl. Also, it was found that the “LDL values for omnivores and vegans were respectively: [123.43 mg/dl] and [69.28 mg/dl],” again proving that subjects benefited from a meatless diet (De Biase et al.). Another comparative study looked at vegetarians and omnivores to find the difference in levels of various health factors including risk of coronary heart disease. They tested 30 vegetarians and compared them with subjects from the omnivorous control group, matching subjects that had similar qualities such as age, weight, and sex. In the study, they found that while omnivores may seem otherwise healthy, they are actually at risk for coronary heart disease, or at least more so than their vegetarian counterparts (Benzie et al.). Based on these two studies among others, it is evident that a meatless diet has the ability to support heart health and thus aid in the prevention of heart disease. 

Another prevalent chronic disease is diabetes. It is not uncommon for most people today to know a family member or friend who suffers from diabetes. There are two primary types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Previously known as juvenile diabetes because it is usually diagnosed during the childhood and young adult years, type 1 diabetes represents only 5% of all diabetes patients. The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown; however, there are several genes that have been linked with a higher risk of this disease. While type 1 diabetes can be cared for by monitoring glucose levels and managing insulin levels, it cannot be cured. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is often developed over time and, based on the patient’s profile, it can be cured controlled through a patient-specific remedy of diet, exercise, medications, and insulin therapy. Often with type 2 diabetes, the need for medication and insulin therapy is eliminated if diet and exercise plans are strictly followed. This shows how vital a role diet can play in type 2 diabetes, which makes sense knowing that type 2 diabetes is often associated with high BMI and good diet is frequently related to lowering BMI or reaching and maintaining a healthy weight.

While a diet constructed to prevent or nurse diabetes has many factors, a useful strategy is to eliminate meat from it. According to Dr. Michael Greger, MD, diabetes is the seventh most common disease leading to death in the United States. Greger claims that a plant-based diet, or one excluding the consumption of animal products, can prevent, treat, and reverse the effects of diabetes. Supporting his claim, Greger focuses on an important element found only in plant-based foods: fiber. As explained by Greger, the good bacteria in our guts break down fiber to make propionate, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream. Propionate has a hypophagic effect, meaning “it helps us eat less by [slowing] the emptying of our stomach which makes us feel fuller longer” so that we eat less and have an “overall anti-obesity effect” (Greger). Drawing conclusions from various studies and research, Greger was able to conclude that an increase in meat intake is directly related to an increase in weight. Greger referenced a study done in which there were two diets with equal caloric intakes, but one had lower meat content than the other. The study found that the diet with more meat resulted in more weight gain and after five years, the weight gain would be more than two kg higher than the weight gain from the diet with less meat. These findings are relevant because those with type 2 diabetes often list obesity or being overweight as the largest contributor to the development or worsening of the disease. In another study looking at the relationship between vegetarianism and diabetes, David A. Snowdon and other researchers study a population of over 25,000 adult white Seventh-day Adventists. Following up for 21 years, the researchers looked for the risk of diabetes as an underlying cause of death. The reason Seventh-day Adventists were the chosen subjects is that “members of this conservative religious group are encouraged by the church to avoid the consumption of meat, fish [and] eggs.” Therefore approximately 50% of all members follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (Snowdon). During the 21 years of follow-up, it was found that “the rate of diabetes as an underlying cause of death in [these subjects] was only 45% of the rate for all US Whites,” again proving that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of developing diabetes (Snowdon). 

Cancer is yet another disease that is one of the top killers and has been found to have reduced risks from a vegetarian diet. Like diabetes, it is not uncommon to have at least one family member or friend that had, has, or will have cancer. The prevalence of this disease urges to importance of methods to prevent it including vegetarianism. In 2015, the NIH’s National Cancer Institute predicted that “in [the following year], an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer [would] be diagnosed in the United States and 595,690 people [would] die from the disease” (“Cancer Statistics”). There are many different types of cancer, each one effecting a different area of the body or having a different effect. In all types of cancer, the body’s cells begin to divide and move into the surrounding tissues without stopping, often leading to the formation of malignant cancerous tumors. While it is not unheard of for seemingly healthy individuals to be diagnosed with cancer, there are steps that can be taken by everyone to try to reduce their risk of cancer. One of those steps that can be taken is to implement a vegetarian diet into your lifestyle. 

In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, it was found that a vegetarian diet can help in reducing the risk of some cancers including colorectal and prostate cancer (Craig). Researchers believe that the lower BMI’s and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables often associated with vegetarians are the primary reasons for the reduced risk of some cancers, although a specific cause for the reduced risk has not yet been targeted. According to researchers, “fruit and vegetables contain a complex mixture of phytochemicals…[which] interfere with several cellular processes involved in the progression of cancer” (Craig). As explained by Dr. Michael Greger, one study was done in which subjects on different diets (some including animal products, some not) had their blood drawn. The individual blood samples were then dropped on cancer cells growing in a lab to see whose blood was better at suppressing cancer growth. What they found was that the blood from those subjects who did not eat animal products was a lot less hospitable to cancer cells. Vegan blood fights cancer eight times better than that of meat-eaters (Greger). Although there is less evidence supporting the benefits of vegetarianism in cancer than other diseases, it should not be overlooked.

While there is clear evidence supporting the health benefits of vegetarianism, some continue to believe that a diet including meat is the answer to a healthy lifestyle, arguing that sufficient nutrition cannot be obtained. This argument, however, is false as there are extensive options of plant-based foods that offer the same, if not more, nutritious value than meat and yes, that includes protein. Vegetarians can get sufficient protein from mixtures of foods that are considered complete proteins such as quinoa, beans, soy, mycoprotein (Quorn). Another argument is that as more people cut out meat from their diets, the meat industry will begin to suffer. This, however, is not a bad thing, as the meat industry accounts for about “15% of greenhouse gas emissions and uses five times more water than fruit (Brown). Overall, when managed reasonably and responsibly, a diet without meat is better for not only your own health, but the health of the planet and the health of animals. 

With expansion, development, and growing accessibility of meat alternatives, it is easier and more convenient than ever to practice a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. Especially once you become aware of facts such as that “after a meal of animal products, people suffer from endotoxemia, meaning their bloodstream becomes awash with bacterial toxins that are present in the animal products,” and other proofs about meat consumption, it becomes more difficult to enjoy your food knowing that it is worsening your health as you eat it (Greger). Unlike the fad diets that have come and gone, I believe that vegetarianism is here to stay. Scientists, doctors, and researchers are continually progressing in their studying the effects of meatless diets and we know more today regarding the truth about what meat does to our bodies than we have ever known before. As discussed, chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer all have high mortality rates and can be prevented by following a vegetarian diet. While these points are urgent and relevant, they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the health benefits of vegetarianism, and the health benefits of vegetarianism are just a subcategory of all the ways that removing the consumption of meat can help the world. Vegetarianism can help to reduce the risk and diagnoses of diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
