London - Vegetarians live longer because of their diet, with men reaping the most benefits, researchers claim.
Scientists found a 12 percent cut in overall death rates among people eating no meat compared to non-vegetarians in a study of more than 70,000 people of all ages.
It is thought the benefits come from lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels - a result of eating a low-fat diet based on fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Vegetarian diets have been linked to lower risk for several chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
Researchers at Loma Linda University, California, assessed patients using a questionnaire that divided them into five groups: nonvegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian (includes seafood), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (includes dairy and egg products) and vegan (excludes all animal products).
There were 2,570 deaths among the participants over an average follow-up time of almost six years.
Men fared better, as they benefited from a significant reduction in deaths from cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
In women, there were no significant cuts in these categories of deaths.
The study also observed vegetarians tended to be older, more highly educated, to be married, to drink less alcohol, to smoke less, to exercise more and to be thinner.
The report, published online by JAMA Internal Medicine, added: “These results also demonstrate some associations with lower mortality of the pesco-vegetarian, vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets specifically compared with the non-vegetarian diet.”
Official advice from the Department of Health in 2010 said cutting down on red meat could reduce the risk of bowel cancer.
Findings from a study of 45,000 Britons earlier this year found vegetarians have healthier hearts than people who eat meat or fish.
Liz O’Neill, head of communications at the Vegetarian Society said: “With higher intakes of fresh vegetables, pulses and other plant-foods, it seems obvious to many that balanced vegetarian diets are healthier than those reliant on meat, but we do not need to rely on gut instinct with so much hard evidence of that health advantage, both in the UK and abroad.”- Daily Mail