Are Vegetarians Healthier?

Are Vegetarians Healthier?

Could veggie burgers increase your lifespan? Many experts insist that switching to a vegetarian lifestyle can greatly increase overall health, leading some to ditch their pork rinds like an old smoking habit. Still others swear by an omnivorous diet, saying that occasional New York steak never hurt anyone. Is a fresh helping of tofu just what the doctor ordered, or only a lot of empty calories?

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PETA

Vegetarian Kids Grow up Slim & Healthy

PETA

Vegan foods, which are cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat, and rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, are optimal for children. They form the foundation of dietary habits that support a lifetime of good health.

In Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care, the world-renowned pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, wrote, “children who grow up getting their nutrition from plant foods rather than meats have a tremendous health advantage. They are less likely to develop weight problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer.”

According to a joint statement released by the American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada, “Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.”

Doctors and researchers have found that children who follow meat-free diets grow up to be healthy and strong. A study of 4,746 Minnesota adolescents published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that vegetarian kids were more likely than nonvegetarians to meet government standards for several of the most important dietary recommendations.

Dr. Charles Attwood notes, “Children on low-fat diets of mostly vegetables, fruits, grain, and legumes, when consuming adequate calories, not only grow normally, but have actually been shown to attain greater height than meat-eating children.”

To learn more, see the evidence section below.

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  • Scott Gold
    Scott Gold is the author of THE SHAMELESS CARNIVORE: A Manifesto for Meat Lovers (Broadway Books, 2008), a selection of which will be appear in Best Food Writing... More

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