People are drawn to vegetarianism by all sorts of
motives. Some of us want to live longer, healthier lives or do our part
to reduce pollution. Others have made the switch because we want to
preserve Earth’s natural resources or because we’ve always loved animals and are ethically opposed to eating them.
Why go veg? Chew on these reasons:
You’ll ward off disease.
Vegetarian diets are more healthful than the average American diet,
particularly in preventing, treating or reversing heart disease and
reducing the risk of cancer. A low-fat vegetarian diet is the single
most effective way to stop the progression of coronary artery disease
or prevent it entirely. Cardiovascular disease kills 1 million
Americans annually and is the leading cause of death in the United
States. But the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is lower in
vegetarians than in nonvegetarians, says Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. A
vegetarian diet is inherently healthful because vegetarians consume no
animal fat and less cholesterol and instead consume more fiber and more
antioxidant-rich produce—another great reason to listen to Mom and eat
your veggies!
You’ll build strong bones.
When there isn’t enough calcium in the bloodstream, our bodies will
leach it from existing bone. The metabolic result is that our skeletons
will become porous and lose strength over time. Most health care
practitioners recommend that we increase our intake of calcium the way
nature intended— through foods. Foods also supply other nutrients such
as phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D that are necessary for the body
to absorb and use calcium. People who are mildly lactose-intolerant can often enjoy small amounts of dairy
products such as yogurt, cheese and lactose-free milk. But if you avoid
dairy altogether, you can still get a healthful dose of calcium from
dry beans, tofu, soymilk and dark green vegetables such as broccoli,
kale, collards and turnip greens.
You’ll reduce your risk of food-borne illnesses.
The CDC reports that food-borne illnesses of all kinds account for 76
million illnesses a year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and
5,000 deaths in the United States. According to the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), foods rich in protein such as meat, poultry, fish
and seafood are frequently involved in food-borne illness outbreaks.
You’ll spare animals.
Many vegetarians give up meat because of their concern for animals. Ten
billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year. And,
unlike the farms of yesteryear where animals roamed freely, today most
animals are factory farmed—crammed into cages where they can barely
move and fed a diet tainted with pesticides and antibiotics. These
animals spend their entire lives in crates or stalls so small that they
can’t even turn around. Farmed animals are not protected from cruelty
under the law—in fact, the majority of state anticruelty laws
specifically exempt farm animals from basic humane protection.
It’s a breeze.
It’s almost effortless these days to find great-tasting and
good-for-you vegetarian foods, whether you’re strolling the aisles of
your local supermarket or walking down the street at lunchtime. If you
need inspiration in the kitchen, look no further than the Internet,
your favorite bookseller or your local vegetarian society’s newsletter
for culinary tips and great recipes. And if you’re eating out, almost
any ethnic restaurant will offer vegetarian selections. In a hurry?
Most fast food and fast casual restaurants now include healthful and
inventive salads, sandwiches and entrées on their menus. So rather than
asking yourself why go vegetarian, the real question is: Why haven’t
you gone vegetarian? 
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