Vegetarian Diet Keeps Heart Healthy, Cuts Risk of Early Death

A new study has found that vegetarian diets prolong life in some people. The study was conducted on more than 70,000 men and women.

The present study looked at various types of vegetarian diets such as pesco-vegetarian (diet that includes seafood), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (includes dairy and egg products) and vegan, and their effect on health.

A recent study from BMC Medicine conducted on over half a million men and women had found that eating processed meat was linked with higher chances of early death. Previous research has supported the idea that a diet rich in meat, especially processed meat, can up the risk of several health complications.

One study from Circulation had found that processed meat, and not red meat, is associated with higher risk of heart disease and diabetes type-2. Red and processed meat have been associated with a higher risk of pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. Another study conducted in Uruguay had found that processed meat intake could increase the risk of many types of cancers.

"Some evidence suggests vegetarian dietary patterns may be associated with reduced mortality, but the relationship is not well established," the present study said.

The study was conducted by researchers from Loma Linda University in California and colleagues, who found that a vegetarian diet is associated with a 12 percent lowered risk of early death. Vegetarians, especially men, had good heart health. The study didn't find any statistically significant improvement in women's health.

The study was based on data from 73,308 men and women Seventh-day Adventists. Study participants were categorized into five groups: nonvegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan.

"These results demonstrate an overall association of vegetarian dietary patterns with lower mortality compared with the nonvegetarian dietary pattern. They also demonstrate some associations with lower mortality of the pesco-vegetarian, vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets specifically compared with the nonvegetarian diet," the authors conclude.

The study is published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.