Health Benefits

There are many health benefits of being a vegetarian. After doing my research I have concluded that there are more benefits then dangers. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?Identifier=4777 This website gives lots of information on the health benefits of being a vegetarian aswell as the safe ways to go about doing it in order to stay healthy. The author of this website states," Most vegetarians diets are low in animal products. They're also lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Vegetarians have lower risk of obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure."Eating red meat increases the chance of getting breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and strokes. Many people who eat meat have much higher rates of cancer than vegetarians. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are linked to diets with a high amount of saturated fat and with a low amount of fiber. Animal products have lots of salt, which causes the blood to retain water and can cause plaque to build up in a persons arteries. A statistic says that Americans eat five time more protein then is actually needed. The intake of too much protein can cause a bone disorder. He goes on to explain that a vegetarians diet needs to be carefully planned out in order to make sure he/she is getting enough nutrients. One of the main things to be considered in a vegetarians diet is protein. Plant proteins can provide enough amino acids as long as they are high in energy. Whole grains, vegetables, seeds, and nuts are also another way to get important nutrients. " Doctors recommend that a healthy diet consists of getting 30% of total calories from fat and no more than 10% of total calories from saturated fat, and 55% of total calories should come from complex carbohydrates such as grains, cereals, vegetables and fruits. It is also recommended that a person eat only enough calories to maintain their body weight." Overall, a vegetarians diet is a lot healthier then eating a diet filled with meat, but if you don't eat a proper vegetarian diet you can do more harm then good to your body. Not all diets with meat in them are bad for your body. If you eat meat that is lean and do not over eat and still incorporate fiber, grains, vegetables, and fruit into your diet you will be able to stay healthy.