Vegetarian Vitality A REPORT ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE VEGETARIAN DIET AND THE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF VEGETARIANS

FOREWORD I was once sombrely warned, in the early 1970s, by two friends of my family, both highly respected scientists, that if I ate a vegetarian diet, I would suffer serious vitamin deficiencies and should stick to a traditional British diet. I was nervous, but not deterred, and learned firstly that no-one is immune from myths about diet and secondly that food is an intensely emotional subject. Happily, as this summary of some key findings about vegetarianism makes clear, researchers have begun to investigate the effects of not eating meat with more rigour and dispassion. Without going into the rights and wrongs of meat eating, the national statistics show that meat consumption is declining. People are experimenting with diets in manners unthinkable decades ago. For that reason alone, many health professionals will find this a useful document, I am sure. If you are a health worker or doctor, you will already encounter many vegetarians who will turn to you for advice. Prejudice of the sort I encountered will not pass muster. People are vegetarian for a variety of reasons - concern for animals, the environment, taste, lifestyle, social - and you will agree that good health advice starts from where people are, not what you, the professionals think or do. This summary is not a proselytising document, even though it comes from The Vegetarian Society, but stems for a desire to help push back the boundaries of ignorance and prejudice which vegetarians or would-be vegetarians encounter. There does appear to be growing evidence of the advantages of either cutting back on, or abstaining from, meat consumption, adopting a diet which draws from a more diverse and wholesome range of foods. I hope that you find this summary a useful digest of some key findings and research areas in what is now part of the dietary landscape. Tim Lang PhD Professor of Food Policy, Thames Valley University.

INTRODUCTION One development in Britain's eating habits has dwarfed all others during the course of the last twenty years. Unprecedented in both speed and scale, vegetarianism has transformed the way we look at food, and the way we look at ourselves. The figures speak for themselves, we are discussing a change of diet which: had 100,000 adherents in 1945 but which today has over 3 million has doubled in size over the last ten years, with 2,000 people swelling its ranks every week. has convinced 40 per cent of the British population to cut down on or eliminate the red meat in their diet Vegetarianism is nothing new, and various forms of meat-free eating have been practiced for thousands of years, but in the USA, many parts of Europe, and particularly here in the United Kingdom, this new diet has taken our dinner plates, our menus and our supermarket shelves by storm. Awareness of vegetarian health and vegetarian issues will play an increasingly important part in the work of anyone involved in food, catering, nutrition and health. So what is a vegetarian? This may seem a superfluous question given the fact that we have all met vegetarians and have probably all eaten vegetarian food, but with so important a phenomenon, common definitions and terms of reference are invaluable. The Vegetarian Society, the acknowledged expert in this area, defines a vegetarian as: One who eats no fish, flesh or fowl and avoids all by-products of slaughter. Within vegetarianism there are one or two other definitions which may be helpful, they represent the degrees to which vegetarian eating patterns are adhered to by individuals: A lacto-ovo-vegetarian eats no fish, flesh or fowl but does consume both dairy products and eggs. Lacto ovo-vegetarians are undoubtedly the majority group amongst vegetarians. A lacto-vegetarian follows the diet of a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, but he or she will not eat eggs. A vegan is one who avoids all animal products, i.e. fish, flesh, fowl, eggs and dairy products. Those who are new to vegetarianism may be curious as to why so many people are making so dramatic a change to their diet. Studies show vegetarians to be motivated by three key factors: A RESPECT FOR ANIMALS As our concern over animal welfare grows, particularly over factory farming systems, many individuals have chosen vegetarianism as a way to avoid inflicting unnecessary suffering upon animals. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS The Earth's natural resources and habitats are precious indeed.. Pollution, global warming and deforestation can all be linked to livestock farming. Many vegetarians see their diet changes as an immediate and effective way to halt environmental damage. HUMAN HEALTH As this report shows, the health benefits of a vegetarian diet are better documented now than ever. Heart disease, for example, unheard of before this century kills more people than any other single cause. Many are moving away from meat for the sake of their health. Every vegetarian is different and so may have other reasons than those above for excluding meat, but each vegetarian has one thing in common: a thought out and forward thinking attitude to the food on their plate. As a medical professional or as someone involved in human nutrition, this report is designed to lay before you the complete picture. All the facts, figures and recommendations come not from the realms of vegetarian fancy but from the pages of respected journals. We hope that this report will show all that a vegetarian diet can offer; not just for your patients or those you advise but also for you and your family. Stephen Connor Former Campaigns Director of The Vegetarian Society back to health index : next page