WANT TO LIVE LONG? TRY VEGETARIAN DIET!

Before now, vegetarianism was usually found among those who had eating disorders, especially in adolescents. Not so again, as people adopt vegetarian diets for various reasons, ranging from religious to medical.

Nutritionists say being a vegetarian means your diet is restricted to foods of vegetable origin, excluding all meats of animal origin. Experts note that, generally, most vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products (milk products).

In extreme cases, there are those who don't eat any animal protein at all - not even eggs, dairy, or honey. Such people are known as vegans. Our focus, however, is on vegetarians; and the idea is to help you make informed choices about your dietary needs.

A scientist at the Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Giessen, Germany, Mr. Claus Leitzmann, in a study reveals that there are many accruable health benefits one can derive from eating wholly vegetarian diet.

The Leitzmann research notes that "A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that wholesome vegetarian diets offer distinct advantages, compared to diets containing meat and other foods of animal origin."

He goes further to say that with a vegetarian diet, you take low quantity of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein; while it also exposes you to higher intakes of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, carotenoids and other phytochemicals.

"All these impact positively on health on the long run," says the Nutrition Specialist at MART-Life Detox Clinic, Lagos, Mrs. Idowu Ashiru.

Ashiru explains that well-balanced vegetarian diets are appropriate for all age groups, including children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and even athletes.

She says, "As part of the modern Mayr medicine, for instance, in most cases, vegetarian diets are beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, renal disease and dementia; as well as diverticular disease, gallstones and rheumatoid arthritis."

She discloses that the antioxidant effects of eating more vegetables and fruit are commendable, as they help the body to combat harmful naturally-occurring chemicals in the body.