Vegetarian Diets Lower Cancer, Heart Disease Risk: Study

If you're looking for a delicious, expert-backed eating lifestyle that will significantly boost your health for life, look no further than CNN's Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style. This eight-part guide offers a comprehensive introduction to the benefits of adopting a vegan, vegetarian, or lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. 
 
The advantages of these diets are backed by more than two decades of research and have been highlighted in an "umbrella" analysis conducted recently. Such umbrella reviews study existing meta-analyses and large numbers of studies to provide an overarching perspective on particular research areas. 
 
This specific review revealed that individuals who follow plant-based diets reduce their overall risk of developing various diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, considerably. They also lower their chances of dying early due to cardiovascular ailments. The lead author, Dr. Angelo Capodici, even noted a protective effect against certain cancers, like liver, colon, pancreas, lung, prostate, etc., associated with these dietary practices. 
 
However, it is essential to remember that quality matters as much as the nature of one’s diet when it comes to health outcomes. Consuming unhealthy plant foods can negate the benefits offered by following vegan or vegetarian lifestyles, according to some authors involved in this study. 
 
People who adhere strictly to plant-based diets tend not only towards healthier food choices but also towards better lifestyle habits, including regular exercise and avoiding harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol, which contribute significantly towards improved health outcomes as well. 
 
While other lifestyle factors may influence these beneficial effects partially, net results from predominantly plant-based dietary patterns remain clearly favorable for crucial health parameters, says Dr.David Katz, founder of True Health Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to evidence-based medicine focusing on prevention and healthy living. 
 
It has been shown through studies that even without additional exercise, simply switching over from meat-centered eating habits could lead to substantial improvements in one’s wellbeing, thanks to the to the largely high nutrient content found within plants and the reduced inflammation caused by meat consumption and processed food items. 
 
One reason why we see these health benefits is the nutritional richness of plants. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and substances that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. On the other hand, they also help reduce the inflammatory impact of animal-based food items. 
 
The review analyzed 48 meta-analyses that explored the effect of vegan or vegetarian diets on cancer development, cardiovascular disease onset, and early death risk. 
 
However, there were intriguing findings as well; for instance, no observable benefit was found for pregnant women following plant-based dietary patterns, which calls for further investigation into this matter, according to Dr.Federica Guaraldi from the IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences. 
 
It is important to understand that being a vegetarian or vegan requires careful consideration of one’s nutrient intake because certain elements, like B12, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamin D, can become deficient unless purposely incorporated within meals via specific food sources or supplements recommended by health experts such as the Mayo Clinic. 
 
Despite these challenges, adopting Mediterranean-style eating habits could prove a life-enhancing move given their potential long-term benefits, not just on an on an individual level but also from a broader environmental sustainability and global public health perspective.