Individuals choose to go vegetarian for a multitude of reasons: animal welfare, sustainability, and/or the perception that vegetarianism is inherently healthier. This latter point has been a point of contention amongst scientists and clinicians. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in overall calories and higher in fiber, some micronutrients and phytochemicals. Recent studies have associated vegetarianism with a healthier Body Mass Index (BMI), decreased risk of heart disease and about a reduced risk of overall cancer.

Contrary to these reduced risks of disease, vegetarian diets are an area of concern for some clinicians - strict vegetarian diets (vegan) are devoid of B12 without supplementation (side note: there are some claims that B12 can be found in algae and fermented drinks like Kombucha - these contain B12 analogues that actually inhibit absorption of active B12). Vegetarian diets also provide lower levels of usable iron and can contain higher amounts of mineral inhibitors; it is generally recommended that vegetarians get twice as much iron in their diets compared to their omnivorous counterparts. (Not to despair though - Vitamin C consumed alongside plant sources of iron can drastically increase its absorption!)

It's difficult to make a generalized statement about the healthfulness of a vegetarian diet because there are so many variations - there are vegans, who eat no animal products, lactovo vegetarians, who eat eggs and dairy, ova vegetarians, who exclude dairy but not eggs, and pescetarians, who include fish but abstain from other meats - I have even had people describe themselves to me as pollo lacto ova vegetarians, simply meaning they abstain from red meat but still eat chicken.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at almost 75,000 individuals in the Adventist Health Study, a population of men and women, about half of whom adhere to one of these type of vegetarian diet. The study found that vegetarian dietary patterns were associated with lower mortality compared with nonvegetarian dietary patterns. These findings are in contrast to an earlier, smaller study of British vegetarians found no significance between mortality rates in vegetarians and nonvegetarians.

My takeaway from this study: there is nothing inherent to vegetarianism that conveys special health benefits. The reason for going vegetarian, for health instead of ethical or environmental reasons, is the major factor behind reduced mortality - a plant based diet may prolong anyone's life. This Adventist study found a higher intake of fiber and Vitamin C than the study of British Vegetarians. Fiber is known to be beneficial for heart and colon health, and vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that is essential for number of physiological processes. It appears that the specific nutrients that a healthful, well planned diet, vegetarian or not, can provide are potentially protective against mortality factors. If you want to be a vegetarian, do so because of animal welfare or sustainability concerns, and seek the help of an experienced dietitian in planning your diet.

If you are an omnivore, make sure to include whole plant sources to get all of your vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals. Overall, a whole food (minimally processed), plant-based diet, with or without some animal products, can be truly beneficial for your health!

Some Vegetarian Helpful Resources:

http://www.vrg.org/

http://jacknorrisrd.com/

http://www.theveganrd.com/

- Kevin Klatt, Nutritionist + Assistant Site Manager for: