Health benefits:
By Kermit B. Fernander, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter -
Nassau, Bahamas:


Faced with the increasing rate of heart disease and other lifestyle conditions like obesity and diabetes, more persons are being encouraged to make radical changes to their diet coupled with an increase in exercise.

As a result, some die-hard lovers of meat, fish and fowl, recognizing that they alone have ultimate control over their health, are now ready to embrace the traditional vegetarian diet especially if this will provide them with a healthier lifestyle.

Groups like the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada gave their official seal of approval to the vegetarian diet in 2003 by confirming the view that "appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."

While there has always been a concern that some vegetarian diets may be deficient in nutrients vital to health (including certain types of protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, fatty acids and iodine), the American and Canadian experts have assured that vegetarian diets today, aided by supplements and certain fortified foods, can meet current recommendations for all of above-listed nutrients.

Furthermore, they confirmed that the vegan (or all vegetable) diet and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence.

The exciting news, however, is that vegetarian diets offer significant advantages over other diets. These include, among others, lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein; higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals.

In addition experts have reported that vegetarians tend to suffer less from problems of obesity and have lower rates of death from heart disease. In fact vegetarians show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure and lower rates of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer than do non-vegetarians.