By David Liu

Namra Kr. Mahato published a paper In 2011 on the website of the journal Health Prospect telling readers that being a vegetarian has many health advantages.

There are three types of vegetarian, vegans or restrict vegetarians, lactovegeterians, and lacto-ovovegetarians.

Vegans do not use any animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and other dairy products. Many vegans don't even eat honey.

Lactovegetarians don't use meat, poultry, fish and eggs, but use diary products.

Lacto-ovovegetarians do not use meat, poultry, and fish, but do use diary products and eggs.

The author says vegetarians in the U.S. are lacto-ovovegetarians.

According to the author, being vegetarian provides health benefits including the following:

A vegetarian is less likely to be overweight and is more likely to have healthier glow/clearer complexion.  The author says meats contain helpful compounds like acids and protein, but plant-based foods can provide all adequate amounts of essential amino acids if a variety of plant foods are used and energy needs can be met.  Fish oil provides very good omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA. But flaxseed and flaxseed oil contain contain even greater quantities of it.

Eating less meat means that the person ingests fewer toxins, and unwanted hormones and more vitamins.  All these can boost a person's immunity. 

Vegetarian diet also prevent bird flu, mad cow disease, intestinal parasites among other things.

Studies show that people eating a vegetarian diet are less likely to have cancer (colorectal cancer, breast cancer), heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stroke.  A plant-based diet has been proved to reverse severe coronary artery disease.  Of meat eaters, 50 percent die from a heart disease, compared to 15 percent of vegetarians who died from the disease.

Healthy bones:  At age 65, the average woman has a bone loss of 35 percent, compared to 18 percent in a vegetarian woman.  Meat eaters lose more bone because they have high intake of protein.   The author of the present paper also mentions that at overage, meat eaters get 150 percent more protein each day than they need.  Vegetarian diet safeguards against osteoporosis. Also low intake of estrogen benefits vegetarian women.

Carefully planned vegetarian diet can also prevent and treat renal disease, according to the author.  Studies show certain plant proteins may boost survival rates and disease proteinuria, glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow and histological renal damage.