Your heart health: Why a vegetarian diet could be good for you

Western diets are predominantly meat dependent. But is non-vegetarianism good for you? A recent study by Oxford University's researchers explores the effect of our dietary preferences on heart health.

New research from Oxford University indicates that a vegetarian diet could reduce the risk of Ischaemic heart disease (IHD).  IHD is the UK's biggest killer, causing around 94,000 deaths in the UK each year. It occurs when there is disruption in blood supply to the heart muscle causing insufficient oxygen supply, leading to angina or a heart attack. It is normally caused by atherosclerosis, a condition where the arteries that supply the heart are furred up with fatty deposits and are narrowed, impeding normal blood flow to the heart muscle.

The study involved 44,651 men and women, of whom 34 % were vegetarian, living in England and Scotland, who were followed up for 11.6 years. 1235 of those enrolled in the study developed IHD. The researchers examined hospital records and death records to find possible causes of disease and/or death and found that a vegetarian diet resulted in a massive 32% reduced risk of IHD. Vegetarians enrolled in the study consumed more cheese, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains but low amounts of milk when compared to their counterparts and had a lower mean Body Mass Index -BMI (BMI were highest among non-vegetarian men and lowest in vegetarian women) and lower non-HDL-cholesterol concentration and lower blood pressure when compared to non-vegetarians. Another  interesting observation was that at the time of recruitment of people into the study, the non-vegetarians were found to be more likely to require long term medical treatment, accounting to a quarter of them, when compared to less than 20% of vegetarians meaning the veggie eaters are more healthier.

The researchers speculate that the low IHD in vegetarians is probably due to the vegetarian diet and lifestyle leading to lowering of bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure. A vegetarian diet has been shown to be beneficial  to heart  health in many previous studies, though this study is the first of its kind in the UK population. The overwhelming evidence against meat should spur us on to pass the meat counter next time in the supermarket, at least in the interest of our hearts.

References:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Crowe FL, Appleby PN, Travis RC, & Key TJ (2013). Risk of hospitalization or death from ischemic heart disease among British vegetarians and nonvegetarians: results from the EPIC-Oxford cohort study. The American journal of clinical nutrition PMID: 23364007