New findings from Harvard Medical School scientists recommend us to switch to a vegetarian diet if we want to live longer lives. They say that a third of early deaths could be prevented by changing our diet.
There is already a lot of study on how beneficial a diet without meat is, but their latest findings show an even better result. Scientists at Harvard have presented their study at the Unite to Cure Fourth International Vatican Conference last week and it’s going to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Until then, there is no certainty that the numbers are entirely correct.
Every year, there are almost 30 million deaths worldwide which can be prevented if people followed a healthy lifestyle. The deaths are caused by poor diet, smoking, and obesity.
At the Unite to Cure event, David Jenkins, from the University of Toronto in Canada was also there, presenting his research on lowland gorilla diets. These primates ate stems, leaves, vines, and fruit. When this diet was adjusted for human consumption, in just two weeks the cholesterol in humans was reduced by 35%.
Eating a proper diet based on plants can lower blood pressure, lower body mass index, and reduce the risk of heart attack. Red meat can increase the risk of cancer. But vegetarians must also get protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12, which are all provided by meats.
The research shows that cutting back on meat can help us avoid an early death, lose some weight and decrease the chance of developing cancer.