I have met many a vegetarian who holds the view that they are better than I because of their dietary choices. At one point, even I followed suit, hanging up the meat hooks in exchange for gardening gloves. I loved it – I felt healthier and lighter and actually enjoyed the ‘green’, meat-free diet. A few years later, I got very hungry at a barbeque, and succumbed to a delicious chicken drumstick. I haven’t looked back… until now…
It was recently suggested that vegetarians are approximately 30% less likely to get common bowel disorder than meat-eaters. Bowel disorders (or diverticular disease) are common in western civilisation with symptoms that include abdominal cramps, bloating, excessive wind, constipation and diarrhoea.
Nearly 50 thousand people took part in the study set up by a team in Oxford, of which approximately 15 thousand reported to consume a vegetarian diet. Over about 11 years, there were 812 cases of bowel disease. After adjusting the statistics to include other possible factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and weight, the study revealed that vegetarians had a 31% lower risk of getting bowel disease compared with meat eaters.Furthermore, people who had a high intake of fiber (around 25g per day) also had a lower risk of being admitted to hospital or dying from diverticular disease compared with those who ate less than 14g per day.
Fibre or roughage is the indigestible portion of plant foods. Some types of fibre are broken down by bacteria in the colon and are used as energy sources, while other types absorb water and expand, moving through the digestive tract, easing defecation. So it makes sense that a diet that relies more on fibre rather than meat would lead to a lower risk of bowel disorders.
I don’t think I will betray my taste buds again and deny myself carnivorous pleasures, but I could easily devour more greens and beans, especially if there is a chance it will save on hospital bills…
Credits: BMJ 2011; 343:d4131
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