Research Review: A Study on Vegetarian Diets

Fruits and veggies offer a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to help us stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

You may already know some of the great benefits of adding more fruits and veggies to your daily diet, including the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. Fruits and veggies also offer a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to help us stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

Here’s the latest scoop on new data! According to preliminary results of research published through the National Institutes of Health, following a vegetarian diet could mean you live more than nine years longer than you might by consuming a meat-based diet. The study followed 96,000 US and Canadian citizens to determine the potential health implications of a vegetarian vs. a meat-based diet. The research revealed that vegans (who don’t even consume eggs or dairy) are, on average, 30 pounds lighter, five units lighter on the BMI scale and less insulin-resistant than meat eaters. The study also revealed that pesco-vegetarians (vegetarians who consume fish) and semi-vegetarians (vegetarians who limit animal products but still eat meat about once a week), have an “intermediate protection” against lifestyle diseases. However, the researchers acknowledged that lean people are also more likely to exercise regularly and avoid cigarettes than overweight people, which suggests that there are many other factors that contribute to the overall health of these study participants.

The bottom line: There is a lot of evidence behind the claim that vegetarian diets have numerous health benefits, including weight management and the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes.

So, does that mean that we should all be vegetarian? Not necessarily. Over the day, do your best to include foods from all food groups: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods. Always try to fill your plate with a majority of plant-based foods and then add a small amount of animal-based protein, if you like. You can even try to incorporate “meatless Mondays” into your weekly dietary routine. Be sure to include protein sources like egg, peanut butter, tofu, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. For a 2000-calorie daily food plan, eat about 5½ ounces of protein foods every day. What counts as one ounce of protein, you ask? One egg or one Tbsp of peanut butter, a handful of nuts or seeds, or ¼ cup of cooked beans or lentils.

How will you incorporate more vegetarian foods into your eating plan?