Well, Vegetarian diets usually are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and E. Research shows that vegetarians even have lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plant-based diets also require much less water, land, and energy to produce than meat. This helps combat climate change, deforestation, and pollution that are connected with industrial animal agriculture. Animal welfare is also a big reason that many choose to be vegetarians to avoid being a part of the people that contribute to animal suffering in factory farms and slaughterhouses.
Not only health, animal welfare, and environmental benefits...there are economic benefits. Vegetarian diets can be more economical than meat-centered ones. Plant proteins like beans cost significantly less than equivalent amounts of animal protein, making nutritious eating easier to get.
Did You Know?
Vegetarianism has roots dating back to ancient civilizations. In ancient India, the concept of ahimsa (non-violence) promoted vegetarianism as early as the 6th century BCE. Ancient Greek philosophers like Pythagoras also advocated for vegetarian diets around 500 BCE.