| A vegetarian diet is known to provide a wide range | | | | vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population. |
| of health benefits. Research has shown vegetarians | | | | Diverticular disease affects the colon and symptoms |
| to suffer less heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, | | | | include lower abdominal pain and disturbed bowel |
| obesity, various cancers, diverticular disease, gall | | | | habit. It occurs frequently in western countries where |
| stones, kidney stones, osteoporosis and bowel | | | | intake of dietary fibre is low. Diverticular disease is |
| disorders. | | | | found to be less frequent in vegetarians, 12% of |
| Vegetarian diets have also been used in the | | | | vegetarians studied having diverticular disease |
| treatment of various illnesses.Many of the health | | | | compared with 33% of non-vegetarians. This is |
| benefits derived from a vegetarian diet have to do | | | | thought to be due to the increased fibre of |
| with creating a healthy environment in the bowels | | | | vegetarian diets. |
| and stomach. Our digestive systems, from prehistory | | | | Other diseases of the bowel that occur less |
| on, were designed to metabolize vegetable matter, | | | | frequently in a vegetarian population include irritable |
| more than animal products. Fruits, vegetables, | | | | bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative colitis, mostly |
| legumes and nuts provide the kind of dietary fiber | | | | likely due to the increased fiber content in a |
| our digestive systems need to function properly. The | | | | vegetarian diet. And of course a diet that's higher in |
| Western diet that's high in processed and refined | | | | dietary fiber that comes from a vegetarian diet will |
| flour and sugar, and in animal products that are laden | | | | decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer. |
| with hormones and antibiotics, are actually anathema | | | | When you consider the risks that come with a diet |
| to our insides. | | | | that includes meat and animal products, and the |
| When the digestive system doesn't function and | | | | benefits that come from a vegetarian diet, does the |
| work as it's intended to, that leads to opportunistic | | | | prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound |
| diseases or changes in the DNA of cells in the | | | | that good to you? Doesn't it at least make sense to |
| stomach and colon. And there are more practical | | | | reverse the portion sizes and proportions of meats |
| considerations as well. When we don't get enough of | | | | to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you |
| the fiber we need, we incur a host of digestion and | | | | must continue to eat meat, then make meat your |
| elimination problems, such as constipation and | | | | side dish, or just incidental to your meal, such as in a |
| hemorrhoids that are a result of straining. These | | | | stir fry. Increasing the proportion of fruits and |
| diseases and syndromes are much less evident in a | | | | vegetables in your diet can only be good for you. |