Yoga Diet: Go Vegetarian for Good Health
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets, J Am Diet Assoc 2009, 109:1266-1282.
That should silence any remaining doubt out there about whether or not we need to eat animals to be healthy. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is conservative, and even they finally agree that eating veg isn’t just for hippie extremists. Vegetarian diets are good, solid diets for everyone. They note further that the diet is appropriate for all stages of the life cycle including infancy, childhood, pregnancy, during breastfeeding, and for athletes.
In their position statement, the ADA reviews the evidence for a vegetarian diet’s health promoting capacity. They note that vegetarians have a lower risk of death from heart attacks than non-vegetarians. Vegetarians also have lower blood pressure, presumably leading to fewer strokes, and also less risk of late-onset diabetes than their animal eating counterparts. People who follow a wholly plant based diet have lower overall cancer rates, and they weigh less than those who consume meat.
The benefits of a vegetarian diet are thought to be due to a higher intake of fruits and vegetables that help the body to fight disease, a lower intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, and more fiber, whole grains, nuts, and fermented soy products.
The American Dietetic Association finally echoes the wisdom of the yogis from centuries ago. As stated in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, meat (including fish) is not recommended for harmonized and maximizing, physical, spiritual and mental health.
For more info on the health aspects of vegetarian diets, see the Physicians for Responsible Medicine’s web page.