No matter what your reasons for eating a more vegetarian diet, there’s no denying the obvious health benefits from the elimination of red meat from your diet.  On average, vegetarians have lower levels of the blood fats, cholesterol and triglycerides than meat eaters in the same age bracket and social status.

An increased risk of heart disease is associated with high levels of blood fats.  Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products that contain cholesterol-raising saturated fats and cholesterol.  Vegans who abstain from all animal foods (including eggs and dairy products) have lower cholesterol levels.  But lacto-ovo vegetarians generally still have lower cholesterol levels meat eaters.

Research has shown that older men who eat meat six or more times a week are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those who abstain from meat.  According to the study, middle-aged male meat eaters were four times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack than vegetarians in the same age group.

In women, who are partly protected by their hormones, the risk of fatal heart disease has been found to be lower only among the older vegetarians.  In a 1982 study of more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British researchers found that the more meat consumed, the greater the risk of suffering a heart attack.

While eliminating meat from the diet is likely to reduce your consumption of heart-damaging fats and cholesterol, substituting large amounts of high-fat dairy products and cholesterol-rich eggs can negate the benefit.  To glean the heart-saving benefits of vegetarianism, consumption of such foods as hard cheese, cream cheese, ice cream and eggs should be moderate.  And the introduction of more vegetables, fruits and raw foods will definitely enhance the benefits of abstaining from eating meat.