Both the typical vegetarian and omnivore diet have many problems but overall vegetarians are healther.
"A number of studies have evaluated the health of vegetarians.
Others have studied the health effects of foods that are preferred
or avoided by vegetarians. The purpose of this review is to
look critically at the evidence on the health effects of vegetarian
diets and to seek possible explanations where results appear
to conflict. There is convincing evidence that vegetarians have
lower rates of coronary heart disease, largely explained by
low LDL cholesterol, probable lower rates of hypertension and
diabetes mellitus, and lower prevalence of obesity. Overall,
their cancer rates appear to be moderately lower than others
living in the same communities, and life expectancy appears
to be greater. However, results for specific cancers are much
less convincing and require more study. There is evidence that
risk of colorectal cancer is lower in vegetarians and in those
who eat less meat; however, results from British vegetarians
presently disagree, and this needs explanation. It is probable
that using the label "vegetarian" as a dietary category is too
broad and that our understanding will be served well by dividing
vegetarians into more descriptive subtypes. Although vegetarian
diets are healthful and are associated with lower risk of several
chronic diseases, different types of vegetarians may not experience
the same effects on health."
http://www.ajcn.org/...ract/89/5/1607S"
Background: Few prospective studies have examined the mortality
of vegetarians.
Objective: We present results on mortality among vegetarians
and nonvegetarians in the European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford).
Design: We used a prospective study of men and women recruited
throughout the United Kingdom in the 1990s.
Results: Among 64,234 participants aged 20–89 y for whom
diet group was known, 2965 had died before age 90 by 30 June
2007. The death rates of participants are much lower than average
for the United Kingdom. The standardized mortality ratio for
all causes of death was 52% (95% CI: 50%, 54%) and was identical
in vegetarians and in nonvegetarians. Comparing vegetarians
with meat eaters among the 47,254 participants who had no prevalent
cardiovascular disease or malignant cancer at recruitment, the
death rate ratios adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and alcohol
consumption were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.57, 1.16) for ischemic heart
disease and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.16) for all causes of death.
Conclusions: The mortality of both the vegetarians and the nonvegetarians
in this study is low compared with national rates. Within the
study, mortality from circulatory diseases and all causes is
not significantly different between vegetarians and meat eaters,
but the study is not large enough to exclude small or moderate
differences for specific causes of death, and more research
on this topic is required."
http://www.ajcn.org/...ract/89/5/1613S"
Design: This was a prospective study of 63,550 men and women
recruited throughout the United Kingdom in the 1990s. Cancer
incidence was followed through nationwide cancer registries.
Results: The standardized incidence ratio for all malignant
neoplasms for all participants was 72% (95% CI: 69%, 75%). The
standardized incidence ratios for colorectal cancer were 84%
(95% CI: 73%, 95%) among nonvegetarians and 102% (95% CI: 80%,
129%) among vegetarians. In a comparison of vegetarians with
meat eaters and after adjustment for age, sex, and smoking,
the incidence rate ratio for all malignant neoplasms was 0.89
(95% CI: 0.80, 1.00). The incidence rate ratio for colorectal
cancer in vegetarians compared with meat eaters was 1.39 (95%
CI: 1.01, 1.91).
Conclusions: The overall cancer incidence rates of both the
vegetarians and the nonvegetarians in this study are low compared
with national rates. Within the study, the incidence of all
cancers combined was lower among vegetarians than among meat
eaters, but the incidence of colorectal cancer was higher in
vegetarians than in meat eaters."
http://www.ajcn.org/...ract/89/5/1620S
Edited by Blue, 15 September 2009 - 10:20 AM.