Adopting a vegetarian type diet can have a dramatic effect on one’s heart and overall health, new research suggests. The UK based study that included nearly 45 000 people found vegetarians had a 32 percent less chance of dying or needing hospital treatment as a result of heart disease. Researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed data from over a course of 11 years. 169 people died of heart disease and 1,066 needed hospital treatment from the group of 15 100 vegetarians and 29 400 meat-eaters. The key life-saving effects were thought to be associated with lower cholesterol, blood pressure and body weight. The purpose of the study was not to promote vegetarianism but show the powerful impact that diet has on one’s health. Heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are major preventable diseases that claim more than 17.3 million lives per year according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The study revealed that the foods...
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