Can Eating a Vegetarian/Vegan Diet Help You Live Longer?

Because nutrition and overall health are linked, eating a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet can have a positive impact on longevity. This is true for several different reasons.

Animal Protein Affects the Heart

Consuming a diet that’s high in animal protein is strongly associated with an increase in cardiovascular mortality. Many studies of large populations have shown that vegetarians and vegans who do not consume meat live 7 to 15 years longer, with vegans – who consume no animal products at all – living the longest. 

Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Lower Death by Disease Overall

Major studies on nutrition, environment, and health revealed that those who ate the smallest amount of animal products had the lowest risks of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases that are degenerative in nature. 

Do Vegetarians Live Longer?

One study that tracked both vegetarians and meat consumers for a period of 12 years, discovered that vegetarians were 40% less likely to die due to cancer and 20% less likely to pass from other diseases altogether.

This is in part due to lower rates of obesity, a lower prevalence of Type-2 Diabetes, lower rates of various cancers and, of course, lower heart disease than those who consume meat.

Maximizing Vegan and Vegetarian Diet Longevity 

A global review of vegans and vegetarians conducted in the U.K., Germany, Japan, and the U.S. showed that vegans and vegetarians in all countries have a 9% lower risk of death from all causes, compared to those who eat meat.

Of course, if you’re looking to achieve the most successful longevity effects, vegan and vegetarian diets should be high in whole plant foods rather than processed plant-based foods. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and whole grains. 

Limiting sugar, caffeine, and alcohol intake can also be key. 

Do Vegans Live Longer?

A vegan diet has been shown to reveal the most longevity. By eliminating all animal-based foods, as well as heavily processed items, the health and length of life is greatly enhanced. 

Vegan diets also tend to include a great deal of healthy fiber and antioxidants along with that healthy plant protein. 

Feeling Better Leads to More Activity

Along with increasing longevity due to diet components themselves, because vegans and vegetarians feel healthier, they also tend to have considerably more active lifestyles.

Less likely to develop heart disease and cancers due to diet, vegans and vegetarians are making lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, and are more likely to avoid sedentary past- times.

Making Healthy Food Choices

Because they are already aware of the benefits of a healthy diet, vegans and vegetarians may be more informed about and likely avoid heavily processed and preserved foods as well, which also improves longevity.

Choosing whole grain bread over white bread, cooking fresh beans rather than opening a can of processed beans, avoiding sugary sodas and candies, as well as avoiding heavily salted items such as potato chips, all helps to create a beneficial diet. They may also take healthy supplements to further enhance well-being.

Learn More About Longevity Herbs

If you’d like to learn more about healthy lifestyle choices including supplements, and about increasing longevity, visit us at Longevity Herbs. You can browse our product selection online or reach out and contact us today!