A Vegetarian Diet Offers a Variety of Benefits

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Vegetarians are a growing group of people in the United States. More than 6 million Americans are vegetarians, according to the American Dietetic Association. Although vegetarians don’t eat meat, fowl, and fish, they eat a diet rich in grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dairy products. Whether a person chooses to be a vegetarian for personal reasons or because of a doctor’s order, there are many significant benefits. Eating a plant-based diet is healthier than eating a meat-based diet for a number of reasons, says Chris Hafner, LAc, an associate clinic faculty member at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn.

“Vegetarians who eat a variety of whole foods are expected to live longer, have lower death rates and lower rates of obesity, as well as a better quality of life,” says Hafner.

The American Dietetic Association reports, “Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals.”

Research suggests that less than five percent of a person’s diet should come from animal protein, such as meat, eggs, fish, and dairy, says Paul Ratte, ND, a naturopathic practitioner at Northwestern Health Sciences University’s Woodwinds Natural Care Center in Woodbury, Minn.

“Cutting animal protein out of your diet is very beneficial for your health,” says Ratte. “If someone becomes vegetarian, inflammatory disorders like arthritis tend to disappear because they decrease their omega-6 fatty acid intake [animal protein],” says Ratte. “By not eating meat, people also reduce their risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity.”

In addition, there are a number of environmental and emotional benefits to choosing a plant-based diet. Factory farms, the majority of livestock farms in America, consume enormous amounts of resources and energy and produce billions of tons of animal waste per year. The animal industry has an incredible dependence on fossil fuels, according to Hafner. He adds, “Eating an animal-based diet has the greatest negative impact on the environment and our social systems. Switching to a plant-based diet saves more energy than switching to a hybrid car.”

The amount of energy that it takes to produce a single hamburger is equivalent to the fuel it takes to drive 20 miles, reports Earth Action Network Inc.

 “I think people feel overwhelmed with the enormity of the environmental problems in our world,” says Hafner. “Changing the environment seems like it should be in the hands of corporations or politicians, but we have the power to save our planet. We can do this by the choices we make in our everyday activities such as what we eat, where we get our food from, and how we spend our money. A person can start today and have a profound impact on the environment. If everyone did that, we could change the world.”

Additionally, factory farms raise animals by the thousands and animals are often kept in small, disease-thriving cages with a number of other animals.

“Virtually all chickens today are factory raised, with as many as six egg-laying hens living in a wire-floored ‘battery’ cage the size of an album cover,” reports Earth Action Network Inc. “As many as 100,000 birds can live in each ‘henhouse.’ Conditions are so psychologically taxing on the birds that they must be debeaked to prevent pecking injuries.”

He adds, “What we choose to eat on a daily basis has a great effect on our health and the world around us – perhaps a greater effect than any other choice we make. I suspect that it has always been that way, but in light of what we now know and the increasing concerns of human health, social justice, and environmental harmony and sustainability, such a choice now causes a great deal more weight in human ethics and morality. The choice is yours.”

Hafner recommends taking small steps for making a great impact. “I’ve very optimistic about what we can do in the country,” says Hafner. “It starts with something as simple as your dinner plate.”

For additional resources on vegetarianism, visit http://www.nwhealth.edu/nns, a Web site focusing on natural approaches to health and wellness hosted by Northwestern Health Sciences University.

Editor’s note: The Natural News Service is a public information program provided by Northwestern Health Sciences University. If you choose to use this release, please attribute the information accordingly.  The University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy and integrative health and wellness. The University has 850 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minn.