2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20
A long vegetarian diet can cause genetic changes that increase the risk of contracting the cancer, supports a study from Cornell University in New York that compared genetic profiles and traditional diets of different populations worldwide.
The effect of the altered gene, combined with a diet rich in vegetable fats, is the production of archidonic acid, known to increase the possibility of inflammation and degenerative diseases.
Now a new study that is causing heated reactions, conducted by the Medical University of Graz, Austria, and published by the scientific journal Plos One, suggests that vegetarians and vegans are more prone to diseases, allergies and ailments such as anxiety and depression than omnivores.
And this is despite leading a healthier lifestyle.
The vegetarian diet, characterized by a relatively low cholesterol and fat intake and a diet with whole grains, would favor the onset of allergies, some types of cancer and mental illness.
The research was conducted on a sample of 1320 people, equally distributed (between sex, age and social background) in 330 vegetarians, 330 omnivores, 300 with a diet that included more vegetables than meat and 300 with a diet that included more meat.
Vegetarians on average are more physically active, smoke less and consume less alcohol, have a lower BMI, and a higher economic status.
At first glance, therefore, it seems that they are living better and healthier.
But according to what emerged from the study they are more exposed to allergies, have a 50% increase in heart attacks and a 50% increase in the incidence of cancer.
They are also more into ailments, chronic illnesses, anxiety and depression than omnivores.
Scientists from the WHO (World Health Organization) had recently associated the consumption of red meat and sausages with cancer, which is also why the study by the Medical University of Graz has sparked much controversy.
But the researchers made it clear that their research is in no one's interests, much less the meat producers' lobby.