Vegetarians Live Longer, Says Science

Vegetarians are likely to live longer than meat eaters, according to a newly-published report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The six-year study included more than 70,000 members of the Seventh-Day Adventist church, which proudly promotes a meat-free diet. Participants ranged from meat-eaters to pescatarians to vegans. The results show that people who don’t eat meat are less likely to suffer from a range of ailments, including heart disease, cancer, and kidney-related diseases, and that vegetarians had a 12 percent lower mortality rate than non-vegetarians.

This is good news for vegetarians as well as for animals. And maybe it’s why other studies have shown that vegetarians also lead happier and less stressful lives. Indeed, the demand for plant-based foods is growing; from China to the United Kingdom, animal-free foods are increasingly popular and accessible.

Interestingly, while the JAMA report concludes that overall, “vegetarian diets are associated with lower all-cause mortality and with some reductions in cause-specific mortality,” it also notes that the “results appeared to be more robust in males.”

This is perfect timing for father’s day – let your dad know just how much you care by serving a delicious vegan meal and perhaps giving him a vegan cookbook, such as John Schlimm’s Vegan Grilling Style.