Edited by Ann Marie ElpaÂ
Numerous individuals have unique diets and lifestyles due to various reasons. Many individuals are meat consumers, while others stick to only eating veggies. Since, I have been deciding whether I want to slowly change my diet to being that of only vegetarian food, I wanted to explore what a vegetarian-based diet has to offer.
By doing research, I came across this article called, “Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet,” that conveyed the various health-related benefits to attaining a vegetarian lifestyle. The text portrays that vegetarian diets consist of: cereals, nuts, fruits, veggies and dairy foods as well. I learned that a vegetarian diet is composed of less saturated fat and an elevation in starch, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), fruits and vegetables than a meat-based diet. Obtaining a vegetarian diet contributes to a lower BMI (approximately 1kg/m2 less) when compared to meat eaters. Likewise, the lower average BMI of vegetarians contributes to a lower chance of obesity. Further research has revealed that meat eaters have higher average plasma cholesterol levels than vegetarians, demonstrating that consuming only vegetarian food undeniably has health-related advantages. Vegetarians had a reduced plasma cholesterol level of approximately 0.5mmol/l.  In relation to mortality, there has been studies that display that a vegetarian diet helps reduce the risk of Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) due to the reduced levels of plasma cholesterol. Similarly, vegetarians have approximately a 25% lower mortality rate pertaining to IHD. Furthermore, vegetarian diets can act as a safeguard against particular sicknesses—colon, breast and prostate cancers. This study evidently conveys the health-related benefits of attaining a vegetarian diet, because it can contribute to a healthier body and mind.
I decided to speak with Olivia Levy, a University of Toronto student, to learn more about her experience with changing to a vegetarian diet.
Her Campus (HC): Why did you choose to go vegetarian?
Olivia Levy (OL): I decided to go vegetarian for several reasons; environmental, health, and fitness reasons. Environmentally, the more people eat less or no meat decreases the overall demand for meat. Meat industries are responsible for large amounts of environmental damage and animal cruelty. The less people consume meat, the less able these industries will be able to continue their harmful ways. In terms of health and fitness, my decision to go vegetarian is some what of an experiment to see how it will contribute to my current process of “cutting”, meaning decreasing the amount of calories consumed to make your body leaner and more agile for sports such as marathon running.
Her Campus (HC): How did the decision to go vegetarian help your health/lifestyle?
Olivia Levy (OL): I think often people associate vegetarianism/veganism with being healthier but this isn’t always the case (don’t forget French fries are a vegetable :P ). Vegetarianism isn’t the secret to weight loss/muscle toning as it does not automatically decrease the amount of calories you consume in a day. However, a difference I notice is if you chose to consume plant based proteins, these proteins make you feel fuller longer than meat products without the “heavy feeling.” This can increase agility and lessen cramps during sports.
In conclusion, attaining a vegetarian-based diet has the following benefits: a lower BMI, plasma cholesterol level and mortality rate. Although, more work needs to be done on the relationship between a vegetarian diet and mortality, it is clear that obtaining a vegetarian diet has numerous health–related benefits for consumers who want an efficient lifestyle.Â