Harvard says vegetarian diet could prevent one in three early deaths
The benefits of a vegetarian diet have been vastly underestimated, experts concluded
A third of all early deaths could be prevented by a vegetarian diet, according to a new scientific study.
The researchers at Harvard say their new findings indicate that people are vastly underestimating the benefits of a plant-based diet, according to The Daily Telegraph.
For example, while recent figures from the Office for National Statistics suggested that 141,000 deaths a year in Britain were preventable, the new research from Harvard has produced a much higher figure: about 200,000 lives could be saved each year in the UK if people removed meat from their diets.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The findings were presented at the Unite to Cure Fourth International Vatican Conference in Vatican City this week by lead researcher Dr Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard Medical School.
Willett told the conference: “We have just been doing some calculations looking at the question of how much could we reduce mortality shifting towards a healthy, more plant-based diet, not necessarily totally vegan, and our estimates are about one third of early deaths could be prevented.”
“That’s not even talking about physical activity or not smoking, and that’s all deaths, not just cancer deaths. That’s probably an underestimate as well as that doesn’t take into account the fact that obesity is important and we control for obesity,” he added.
British Professor David Jenkins, of the University of Toronto, who developed the glycemic index which helps explain how carbohydrates impact blood sugar, also told the conference that the benefits of vegetarianism had been “undersold”.
Jenkins said humans would do better following a “simian” diet, similar to lowland gorillas who eat stems, leaves, vines and fruits rather than a “paleo” or caveman diet, which cuts carbohydrates but allows meat.
The Daily Mail cites a recent study by the University of Toronto which found that “a vegetarian diet could actually reverse certain health problems by the same margins as commonly used medications called statins”.
In the UK around 17.5 million people are eligible for statins to stave off heart disease, equating to most men over 60 and most women over 65. But “many complain of side effects and stop taking the drugs”, says the Telegraph.
Dr Jenkins added: “We’re saying you’ve got a choice, you can change your diet to therapeutically meaningful change or you can take a statin. Drug or diet.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Israel's war is America's, too
Opinion 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' are just different slogans for the same hatred
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 16, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How happy is Finland really?
Today's Big Question Nordic nation tops global happiness survey for seventh year in a row with 'focus on contentment over joy'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How Tehran became the world's nose job capital
Under the radar Iranian doctors raise alarm over low costs, weak regulation and online influence of 'Western beauty standards'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Africa's renewed battle against female genital mutilation
Under the radar Campaigners call for ban in Sierra Leone after deaths of three girls as coast-to-coast convoy prepares to depart
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Argentina: the therapy capital of the world
Under the radar Buenos Aires natives go hungry to pay for psychoanalysis, amid growing instability, anxiety – and societal acceptance
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Does declining birth rate spell doom for Britain?
Today's Big Question Ageing population puts pressure on welfare state, economy and fabric of society, while fertility is rising on populist agendas
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How a new blood test could revolutionise sepsis diagnosis
The Explainer Early results from ongoing trial suggest faster identification of deadly condition is possible
By The Week Staff Published
-
Kush: the drug destroying young lives in West Africa
The Explainer There has been a sharp rise in young addicts in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia
By Flora Neville, The Week UK Published