Vegetarians

For years, a little known debate in biological circles has asked whether we humans are vegetarians or omnivores (ie. eaters of meat and plants). Some researchers think we first evolved as vegetarians and only later added meat to our diet. Evidence such as our dental structure and digestive system seems to support this theory. Other scientists disagree, and, as the saying goes - the jury is still out. We don't know for sure, one way or the other.

What we do know is that vegetarians are less vulnerable to illness as compared to meat eaters. Studies have shown that there is lower occurrence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity and some forms of cancer among vegetarians. Why? Because a vegetarian diet is lower in total fut.

Vegetarians also tend to eat more polyunsaturated fat than saturated fat, as animal products are a major source of dietary saturated fat. Therefore, a vegetarian's diet is typically low in saturated fat, and high in health-giving elements such as fibre and complex carbohydrates.

What goes into a vegetarian diet?

The common types of food that a vegetarian would eat include:

• Grains and cereals: wholegrain bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, muesli.
• Legumes, nuts and seeds: Soya beans, kidney beans, split peas, lentils, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds
• Fruit and vegetables: Leafy varieties and all kinds of fruits.
• Dairy or Soya products: Milk-based products such as cheese, yogurt and butter. Soya products such as tofu, bean curd, and Soya milk.

Your ally against disease

A vegetarian diet is not only low in saturated fat and high in fibre, but comes loaded with phytochemicals (plant-based chemicals) - and that's a huge advantage in preventing cancer. What other diseases could a green diet help prevent?

Heart Disease

Animal products are the main source of saturated fat and the only source of cholesterol known to contribute to heart disease - and vegetarians do not consume these. Additionally, a vegetarian's high fibre intake helps reduce his or her cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that a low-fat, high-fibre, vegetarian diet, when combined with stress reduction techniques, smoking cessation, and exercise, or with prudent drug intervention, could actually reverse atherosclerosis - the hardening of the arteries which leads to heart disease.

Hypertension

Vegetarians generally have lower blood pressure. The reason for this, medical research has shown, is the elimination of meat, dairy products, and other sources of animal fat from the diet. If consumed excessively, such food thickens the blood and gives rise to high blood pressure or hypertension. Plant products are generally lower in fat and sodium and have no cholesterol at all. Vegetables and fruits are also rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.

Diabetes

Vegetarianism can also battle diabetes.

Research shows that a low-fat vegetarian diet for diabetic patients, along with regular exercise, allows insulin to work more effectively. The person with diabetic condition will therefore be able to regulate his or her glucose levels more easily. Over time, non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset) diabetes can be better controlled, and sometimes even eliminated.

Gallstones, kidney stones, and osteoporosis

A vegetarian lifestyle would help reduce the risk of developing the above problems. Diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein, tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid - substances that cause urinary tract stones. Therefore, avoiding animal proteins and switching to a vegetarian diet would minimize the risk. Similarly, the formation of gallstones appears connected to a high-cholesterol, high-fat diet - a meat eater's diet. A woman on a meaty diet is almost twice as likely to develop gallstones as one who is a vegetarian.

Because animal products also force calcium out of the body, eating meat can promote osteoporosis, a form of bone loss. Here too, vegetarians, unsurprisingly, are at lower risk.