Vegetarians are less healthy and have a lower life quality than meat eaters. That is the conclusion made by the researchers from the Medical University of Graz in Austria.
Eating Meat or Not?
The disputes about whether vegetarianism can be a way to better health and longer life expectancy have been conducted for a long time. Supporters of eating only herbal products are sure that this diet makes them stronger, youthful, cheerful, and keeps them protected from all sorts of diseases. Meat eaters claim that human nature is carnivorous, so we cannot live without normal animal foods.
Compare the Health of Meat Eaters & Vegetarians
Austrian scientists have decided to bring clarity to this issue. They collected the information on the incidence of a variety of illnesses among vegetarians and meat eaters. The table included not only the common physical ailments like hypertension, arthritis, diabetes and allergies, but also mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.
Do Eat Meat!
Meat eaters happened to defeat vegetarians in every respect. The proponents of plant-based nutrition fall ill more often and visit their doctors much more often; they are 50% more likely to suffer from heart attacks, diseases and cancer, as well as depression and other mental disorders. The only aspect where vegetarians have bypassed meat eaters is a more active lifestyle and a lesser inclination to bad habits, like smoking and alcohol abuse. In addition, vegetarians on average weigh less than meat eaters.
Who Goes Vegetarian?
The study also showed that more affluent and educated people are more likely to go vegetarian. It also refuted the popular judgment that eating red meat is associated with the risk of a number of diseases, including colon cancer.
