Benefits of Vegetarianism: 14 Key Benefits
Consider the health benefits of vegetarianism; Let’s look at the reasons why people become vegetarians; find out how vegetarianism and weight loss are related. Read 🙂
Why do people gravitate towards vegetarianism? Some people just want to live longer and be healthier. Others choose to conserve natural resources. Someone becomes a vegetarian by ethical standards, because of the love of animals.
Thanks to numerous scientific studies showing the environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet, even governments in many countries recommend replenishing calories from grains, vegetables and fruits.
No wonder. Approximately 70% of all diseases, including one third of all cancers, are related to nutrition. A vegetarian diet lowers the risk of chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung, and esophagus cancers.
“When I was eight years old, my father took me to a medical conference where the achievements of laser surgery were demonstrated. A live chicken was used as a visual aid. Since then I have not eaten meat. “
Natalie Portman
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Pros of vegetarianism
So why vegetarianism?
1. You will be less susceptible to disease
What are the benefits of vegetarianism for the body? A vegetarian diet is especially good for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease and reducing the risk of cancer.
A low-fat vegetarian diet is the only effective way to stop or prevent coronary heart disease altogether. Cardiovascular disease kills millions of people around the world every year and is the leading cause of death in many countries.
Also, vegetarians consume less animal fat and cholesterol (vegans do not consume them at all) and instead eat more fiber and antioxidant-rich foods – another great reason to listen to mom and eat vegetables!
2. You normalize your weight
A standard diet high in saturated fat and processed foods, low in plant foods and complex carbohydrates makes us fat and kills us slowly.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64 percent of adults and 15 percent of children aged 6 to 19 in developed countries are overweight and at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
A study conducted from 1986 to 1992 by Dr. Dean Ornish , M.D. , found that overweight people on a vegetarian (low fat) diet lost an average of 10 kg. for the first year and kept this weight until the end of observations.
The benefit of vegetarianism is that these people lost weight without counting calories, without changing portion sizes and not starving themselves.
3. You will live longer
If you switch from a standard diet to a vegetarian diet, you will add 13 healthy years to your life. At least that’s what Michael Roysen, MD, author of YOU. Your body. Instructions for use ”.
“People who consume saturated fat live less and are more susceptible to disabilities at the end of their lives. Animal products clog arteries, drain energy, and slow down the immune system. Meat eaters also experience accelerated cognitive and sexual dysfunction at a younger age. ”
Want more proof? Residents of Okinawa, Japan, live the longest in the world, according to a 30-year study that examined over 600 Okinawan centenarians. Their secret: A low-calorie diet of unrefined complex carbohydrates, fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and soy.
4. You will have strong bones
When there is not enough calcium in the blood, as a result of metabolism, human bones become porous and lose strength over time. Most doctors in this case recommend increasing calcium intake through food. Because with food, we also get other nutrients that the body needs to absorb calcium, such as phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D.
People with mild lactose intolerance can consume small amounts of dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and lactose-free milk.
Without dairy, calcium can be obtained from beans, tofu, soy milk, and dark green vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, turnips, etc.
5. You will ease the symptoms of menopause
Many vegetarian foods contain nutrients that are beneficial for perimenopausal and menopausal women. Some foods are rich in phytoestrogens, plant-based chemical compounds that mimic estrogens.
Because phytoestrogens can increase or decrease levels of estrogen and progesterone, keeping them in balance in the diet helps ensure a more comfortable passage through menopause.
Soy is by far the most abundant natural source of phytoestrogens, but it can also be found in hundreds of other foods such as apples, beets, cherries, dates, garlic, olives, plums, raspberries, squash, etc.
Since periods are also linked to weight gain and slow metabolism, a low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian diet can help prevent extra pounds.
As you can see, the benefits of vegetarianism for women are impressive.
6. You will have more energy.
Good nutrition generates usable energy. Conversely, poor nutrition “generates” too much fat in the blood. This means that the vascular capacity decreases and the muscles do not receive enough oxygen.
Result? You feel exhausted.
Why is vegetarianism good for you? Balanced vegetarian diets do not contain cholesterol that clogs blood vessels . They contain whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, which supply the body with energy through carbohydrates.
7. You will have normal bowel movements.
Eating a lot of vegetables involves consuming a lot of fiber, which removes waste from the body.
Meat contains no fiber. People who do not eat meat are less prone to constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis.
8. You will help reduce pollution
Some people become vegetarians after realizing the destructive effects of the meat industry on the environment.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), chemical and animal waste streams from livestock facilities are responsible for more than 350,000 kilometers of polluted rivers and streams .
Agricultural runoff is one of the most serious threats to water quality today. Agricultural activities that cause pollution are: animal husbandry, plowing, pesticide spraying, irrigation, fertilization and harvesting.
9. You will avoid toxic chemicals
Nearly 95 percent of pesticide residues in the average diet are found in meat, fish and dairy products. In particular, fish contains carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium), which cannot be removed by cooking or freezing.
Meat and dairy products can also be “loaded” with steroids and hormones, so be sure to read the labels on the dairy products you buy.
10. You will help reduce hunger
About 70 percent of all grain grown in the world is fed to animals.
If all the grain currently fed to livestock were consumed directly by humans, the number of people that could be fed would be nearly 800 million.
If grain from our country were exported, and not fed to animals, this would bring Russia tens of billions of dollars annually .
This is the undeniable benefits of vegetarianism.
11. You will not kill animals
Many vegetarians give up meat because of animal care. Ten billion animals are killed every year just for people to eat them. And, unlike past lands, where animals could roam freely, today most of them are raised in factories – in cages where they can barely move. In addition, they are fed food contaminated with pesticides and antibiotics.
12. You will save money
Eating vegetables, grains, and fruits instead of the 100 kilograms of beef, chicken and fish that the average non-vegetarian eats each year is a decent cut in annual spending.
13. Your food will look beautiful
Disease-fighting phytochemicals also give fruits and vegetables rich and varied hues of color. They come in two main types: carotenoids and anthocyanins.
All yellow and orange fruits and vegetables – carrots, oranges, sweet potatoes, mangoes, pumpkin, corn – owe their color to carotenoids. Green leafy vegetables are also rich in carotenoids, but get their green color from chlorophyll.
Red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables – plums, cherries, and red bell peppers – contain anthocyanins.
14. Vegetarianism is available
Delicious and healthy vegetarian options can be found effortlessly these days. If you need inspiration in the kitchen, search the internet for recipes. If you are eating out, almost every restaurant offers vegetarian options.
Also, most fast food restaurant menus include vegetarian salads, sandwiches and snacks. So instead of asking us why we are vegetarians, ask yourself: why are you still not a vegetarian?
“You can help the environment, you can help stop cruelty to animals, and you can improve your health. All you have to do is become a vegetarian. “
Paul McCartney
The benefits of vegetarianism in one table:
| one | Less disease |
| 2 | Weight loss |
| 3 | Long life |
| 4 | Strong bones |
| 5 | Mild menopause |
| 6 | More energy |
| 7 | Normal stool |
| 8 | Reducing environmental pollution |
| 9 | Food without chemicals |
| 10 | Reduced hunger |
| 11 | Ethics |
| 12 | Saving money |
| 13 | The beauty of food |
| 14 | Availability |
