For anyone who has become a vegetarian thinking they will live longer if they give up meat, research from the University of Sydney brings bad news - vegetarianism is not associated with a reduced risk of premature death.
Australian researchers followed the habits of nearly a quarter of a million people, aged 45 and over, over a period of six years. The report, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, noted that there were no significant differences in the likelihood of death between those who practiced a complete, semi-complete (meat once a week) or "pesco" (fish-based) vegetarian diet and those who regularly ate meat. .
The researchers also took into account other factors, such as: age, cigarette and alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, type XNUMX diabetes and heart disease. Vegans are also categorized as vegetarians.
The research found that vegetarians do not tend to smoke and drink excessively or to be obese, and that they have a lower chance of getting cancer or heart disease.
"It is important to note that the news is not all bad for vegetarians, as they generally have a much healthier lifestyle than non-vegetarians," said study co-author Dr. Sima Mihrshahi, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
This is confirmed by some earlier studies. Researchers from Oxford University, back in 2013, published a report in which it was determined that the risk of hospitalization or death due to heart disease was 32 percent lower in vegetarians.
An increasing number of people in the world point out that they are becoming vegetarians for various reasons, such as the welfare of animals and reducing the negative impact of humanity on the environment. Vegetarianism is also becoming a visible trend in restaurants, cafes and supermarkets, reports B92.
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