Vegetarians are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases

Those who do not eat red meat, fish or poultry have a healthier predisposition regardless of other factors

Biomarkers are one of the most innovative tools used by current medicine. Thanks to these indicators, prognoses can be anticipated based on patient profiles, which is driving in-depth investigation of their possibilities. In this sense, an analysis by the European Association for the Study of Obesity has been able to find an interesting vein of study by discovering that vegetarians have fewer options for suffering pain and chronic diseases .

The study, which the scientists say is not definitive because they want to dig deeper into the results, analyzed data from 166,000 Britons and found that regardless of whether the individuals consumed alcohol, were smokers, young or old, thin or overweight, the profiles of vegetarians were healthier than the rest . In fact, they also analyzed the socioeconomic situations and their lifestyle without finding differences other than the renunciation of eating animal meat.

Using blood and urine samples, the scientists analyzed up to 19 biomarkers related to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, liver, bone and kidney function, among other aspects related to health. This profile of people who do not eat red meat, fish or poultry had some negative aspects in the comparison such as increased kidney problems, but in general they offered healthier characteristics such as characteristics that reduce the chances of suffering pain and illness Chronicles. In fact, among the biomarkers with levels "significantly" better than the rest of the population, the study points out cholesterol, vitamin D, protein or calcium .

"Our findings are sobering. Just as not eating processed red meat has been linked to heart problems and some cancers, people who follow a vegetarian diet tend to consume more vegetables, fruits and nuts that contain more nuts, fiber and other components potentially beneficial . These nutritional differences may explain why vegetarians have lower levels of disease biomarkers and those that can lead to cell damage and chronic disease," summarized Carlos Celis-Morales, lead author of the study and researcher at the University of Glasgow (Scotland) .