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HEALTH.TXT
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1995-03-13
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VegSocUK Information Sheet
THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY
___________________________________
HEALTH AND VEGETARIANS
A vegetarian diet is known to confer a wide range of health benefits.
Research has shown vegetarians to suffer less heart disease, hypertension,
obesity, diabetes, various cancers, diverticular disease, bowel disorders,
gall stones, kidney stones, and osteoporosis (Dwyer, 1988). Vegetarian diets
have also been used in the treatment of various illnesses, including
rheumatoid arthritis and nephrotic syndrome.
Dickerson & Davies (1986) studied matched pairs of vegetarians and
non-vegetarians with regard to their general health. It was found that the
vegetarians made 22% of the visits to hospital out-patients of
non-vegetarians, and spent a similarly reduced proportion of time in
hospital.
A HEALTHY VEGETARIAN DIET
A typical vegetarian diet closely matches expert dietary recommendations for
healthy eating, being low in saturated fat and high in fibre, complex
carbohydrates, and fresh fruit and vegetables.
The 1983 NACNE Report (National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education) in
the UK recommended a reduction in fat intake, particularly saturated fat, and
an increased dietary proportion of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats. An
increased intake of complex carbohydrates and fibre and a decreased intake of
sugar and salt were also recommended.
The World Health Organisation (1990) has similarly recommended a reduced
intake of fat and increased consumption of complex carbohydrates. Increased
consumption of fruit, vegetables, cereals and pulses is also recommended.
The nutritional guidelines from the World Health Organisation, the NACNE
Report and other expert bodies form the basis of advice given on healthy
eating by health professionals today.
Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in total fat. Taber & Cook (1980) found
lacto-ovo vegetarians to consume an average of 35% of energy as fat, compared
to omnivores consuming over 40% of energy as fat. A study of the diets of a
group of French vegetarians found they had a daily intake of 25% less fat
than non-vegetarians (Millet, 1989). Vegetarians also tend to eat
proportionally more polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat compared with
non-vegetarians. Animal products are the major sources of dietary saturated
fat.
The best dietary sources of complex carbohydrates and fibre (also called
non-starch polysaccharides or NSP's) include wholegrain cereals, vegetables
and pulses and so vegetarian diets tend to be high in these nutrients. Animal
products contain no fibre or complex carbohydrate.
Recent research has demonstrated the importance of protective antioxident
nutrients in the diet found in fresh fruit and vegetables. These antioxident
nutrients include the beta-carotene form of vitamin A, vitamin C and E. Many
researchers now believe that these nutrients play a major role in reducing
the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. A high
consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is a benefit of vegetarian diets.
All these factors contribute to the proven health of vegetarians although it
is difficult to account for the exact contribution of each nutrient. All
vegetarian diets are not necessarily healthy, for example if too high a
proportion of high fat dairy products are consumed.
HEART DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality in Britain, being
responsible for around 50% of all deaths. The majority of these deaths are
from coronary heart disease.
Vegetarians suffer markedly lower mortality from coronary heart disease
compared to non-vegetarians. This reduced risk may be related to the lower
blood cholesterol levels of vegetarians.
Data from the Oxford Vegetarian Study suggested that the incidence of
coronary heart disease may be 24% lower in vegetarians and 57% lower in
vegans (Thorogood, 1987).
Burr & Butland (1988) found vegetarians to suffer significantly lower
mortality from heart disease than health conscious non- vegetarians.
Mortality from ischaemic heart disease was 57% lower in vegetarians than the
general population, and 18% lower than in non-vegetarians following a healthy
lifestyle. Deaths due to cerebrovascular disease was 43% lower in the
vegetarians compared with the general population.
A study of nearly 28 000 Seventh Day Adventists in California noted a clear
trend of increasing incidence of heart disease with rising frequency of meat
consumption (Snowdon, 1988).
The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study examined
diet in relation to health in over 5000 young adults aged 18 to 30.
Vegetarians were found to have greatly improved cardiovascular fitness and a
lower risk of heart disease (Slattery, 1991). A low level of meat consumption
was linked to improved general health.
An eleven-year study of 1900 German vegetarians has found mortality from
cardiovascular disease to be 61% lower in male vegetarians and 44% lower in
female vegetarians than the general population. For ischaemic heart disease,
mortality was reduced still further, to only one-third of that expected
(Claude-Chang, 1992).
The protective effect of a vegetarian diet is believed to be related to the
lower blood cholesterol levels seen in vegetarians. Repeated studies have
demonstrated the low blood cholesterol levels of vegetarians (Resnicow,
1991). Thorogood (1990) found vegetarians to have cholesterol levels 10%
lower than health conscious meat-eaters. High blood cholesterol is a primary
risk factor in heart disease. Significantly, vegetarians have lower levels of
low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is the cholesterol fraction
particularly associated with heart disease.
Research has suggested that a 10% reduction in blood cholesterol may be
associated with a 30% reduction in the incidence of coronary heart disease
(Martin, 1986).
The California Lifestyle Heart Trial has indicated that a low fat vegetarian
diet together with other lifestyle changes such as exercise and stress
management can in fact reverse the progress of heart disease, by reducing
cholesterol plaques in coronary arteries (Ornish, 1990).
HYPERTENSION
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can contribute to heart disease,
strokes and kidney failure. A number of studies have shown vegetarians to
have lower blood pressures than non-vegetarians (Sacks, 1974, Armstrong,
1977).
A vegetarian diet has also been shown to reduce blood pressure in
hypertensive patients (Margetts, 1986).
The reason for the low blood pressure associated with vegetarian diets is
unclear. The relative leanness of vegetarians is one suggestion, as is the
effect of reduced sodium or increased potassium or calcium in the diets of
vegetarians.
OBESITY
Vegetarians are leaner than non-vegetarians and their weights are generally
closer to desirable levels. The British Medical Association (1986) has stated
that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity. This may be due partly due to
vegetarians being more aware of diet and leading healthy lifestyles in other
respects. Also, the energy intake of vegetarian diets tends to be lower, with
a lower proportion of energy from fat.
DIABETES
Snowdon (1985) found type II diabetes to be only half as common as a cause of
death amongst the largely vegetarian Seventh Day Adventist population as in
the general population.
An average vegetarian diet closely matches the British Diabetic Association's
recommendations for diabetic patients. Vegetarian diets tend to be high in
complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre, which has a beneficial effect on
carbohydrate metaboli