Most of the health benefits experienced by vegetarians are the result of a more healthy environment in the stomach and bowels.  Our digestive systems metabolize vegetable matter better than animal products.  The dietary fiber that our digestive systems need to function properly is easily available from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.   A diet of animal products or that’s high in refined flour and sugar, are a curse on our digestive systems.

A digestive system that isn’t functioning properly becomes easy prey to opportunistic diseases in the stomach and colon.  When we don’t get enough fiber in our diets, we incur a wide range of digestion and elimination problems, like constipation - and hemorrhoids as the result of straining.  Vegetarians as a whole experience these problems much less than people who regularly eat animal products.

Irritable bowel syndrome and chronic ulcerative colitis also occur less frequently in vegetarians, most likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet. And a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber decreases the likelihood of colon cancer.

When you weigh the risks from a diet of meat and animal products against the benefits from a vegetarian diet, does the prospect of a steak or bacon burger really sound all that that good?  Shouldn’t you at least reverse the proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes?  In other words, if you continue to eat meat, make it your side dish, and vegetables the main course.  Like stir fry, for example.  Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet can only be good for you.