Health Experts Weigh In On Vegetarian Diets
This new position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sets out advice and guidelines for dieticians and nutritionists to help vegans and vegetarians (veg*ns) maintain optimal health. It notes that plant-based diets are “becoming well accepted” among the general public as more nonprofit organizations and government agencies recognize it as a valid dietary choice with clear benefits. The authors discuss the varied reasons that people become veg*n and a variety of technological tools – from nutrition trackers to restaurant locators – that help veg*ns stay healthy.
This position paper is written primarily for nutritionists and dieticians. The authors note that more than 2/3 of the U.S. population is considered overweight or obese and that there is “evidence to support the use of vegetarian and vegan diets for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.” Being veg*n reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13%, they say, and veg*ns have a 32% lower risk of hospitalization or death from heart disease. The paper describes a range of health benefits to being veg*n. The authors say that “well-planned” veg*n diets are appropriate throughout all stages of the human life-cycle, including for children, pregnant women, and older people.
Most of the position paper focuses on nutrition and human health, but there is also a section devoted to the environmental benefits of veg*n diets. The authors remark that plant-based diets are “more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with considerably less environmental damage.” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the authors say that 70% of all water pollution in rivers and lakes in the U.S. comes from animal farming. Animal agriculture is “associated with land degradation, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, and global warming.”
For advocates, this paper represents an authoritative voice that clearly supports veg*n diets. It offers a “non-partisan” resource that veg*n advocates can use in our messages and materials, including supporting a number of health claims. What’s more, the article encourages dieticians and nutritionists to help people be successful with veg*ism: dieticians and nutritionists “have more current information on vegetarian diets to better assist the general public and vegetarian clients in making well-informed decisions about their nutritional health.” Perhaps these health professionals will be increasingly likely to support veg*ism and partner with animal advocates going forward.