Do vegans live longer?

On average, vegans and vegetarians live longer – they have longer life expectancies than meat-eaters, and grow old with fewer health issues. But why is this?

Before we get into the science and evidence about plant-based diets, there’s one important point to make: there are healthy meat-eaters, and there are unhealthy meat-eaters. Just as there are healthy and unhealthy vegans. But, on average, vegans and vegetarians do live longer – they have lower mortality rates than meat-eaters, and grow old with fewer health issues

Processed meats like hams, sausages, salamis, bacon, smoked and canned meat are class-1 carcinogens: the same classification as tobacco smoking, asbestos, and radioactive barium.

All meat, including white meat like chicken, contain high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, which is associated with cardiovascular risk. Dairy and eggs are also high in saturated fat, so vegans benefit even more from these effects.

Processed meat has been classified as a class-1 carcinogen (cancer-causing) by the World Health Organisation – this means the evidence is just as strong as it is with smoking and asbestos, both also class-1 carcinogens! It’s also classified all red meat (beef, lamb, pork, goat etc.) as class-2 carcinogens, meaning they are probably cancer-causing.

Meat and dairy contain hormones and antibiotics, given to livestock to increase rates of weight gain and feed efficiency, and these can impact human health in a number of ways.

Read the full article here.