Here are some reasons to go veg

Are you already a vegetarian or are you looking for a reason to make the switch away from a meat-based diet? Sometimes, when we are looking for a reason to make the decision to change some aspect of our lives (like going veg, for example) having a good reason to do so, helps us make that choice.
How about this: Vegetarians live longer, studies show.

To begin with, vegetarians invariably have lower blood pressure than their carnivorous counterparts. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Internal Medicine journal looked at data in about 40 studies of vegetarians vs. carnivores done over the last 113 years. They found in study after study, that vegetarians have lower blood pressure compared to people who eat meat.

Not enough to make the switch or keep you adhering to a plant based diet? Here are some more reasons that vegetarians might live longer:

• You have a lower risk of death from heart disease: A 2013 study found that vegetarians had a 12% lower risk of death from heart disease or related illnesses compared with meat eaters because they eat a diet free of saturated fats and cholesterol.
• You just feel better overall: A 2012 study found that after just two weeks, people on a vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those who either ate meat or who were on a mostly vegetarian diet but who ate fish.
• Your risk of cancer drops: Researchers at Loma Linda University in California discovered that a vegetarian diet may have protective benefits. Vegetarians and vegans were found to have the lowest risk for cancers, specifically cancers most common among women, like breast cancer.
• You lower your risk of getting diabetes: Studies have shown that vegetarians are less likely to get diabetes. While abstaining from meat won’t cure you if you already have the disease, it can lower your risk of getting it in the first place by helping you keep your weight in check and control your blood sugar.
• You can control your weight more easily: Research shows that vegetarians tend to weigh less than their carnivorous counterparts. They also tend to have lower cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) than the meat-eaters.
• More on low blood pressure: A recent study shows that not only do vegetarians have lower blood pressure on average, but that vegetarian diets actually could be used to lower blood pressure in cases where one might not want to or be able to take conventional medicines.

What do you think? Is improved health and health risk management a good enough reason to avoid a juicy hamburger?