World Vegetarian Day: 8 benefits of eating vegetarian food

Celebrated across world on October 1, World Vegetarian Day was established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978.

Adopting a vegetarian diet can be a sure shot way towards better health. Associated with a higher consumption of fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, magnesium, unsaturated fat, and countless phytochemicals, vegetarian diet often results in vegetarians having lower cholesterol, being thinner, having lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease

Here are some of the other benefits of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle:

May improve mood: Vegetarian diets lack high concentration of arachidonic acid (comes from dietary animal sources). This can be beneficial, as research has shown it has a link with mood disturbances.

May improve symptoms of psoriasis: Psoriasis causes skin redness and. However, according to research published by Brazil's Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, a vegetarian diet may positively improve symptoms.

May reduce diabetes: According to Loma Linda University School of Public Health, vegetarian diets are associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of diabetes.

Reduces risk of cataract development: Research by Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford has shown a strong relation between the risk of developing cataracts and diet; with a higher risk falling on meat eaters and the lowest risk groups being vegetarians and vegans.

Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease: According to the JCU University Skin Cancer Research Clinic, there is a relationship between a vegetarian diet and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Vegetarian diets are full of antioxidant rich foods that can reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress.

Vegetarians have low cholesterol: Animal fat has no beneficial on human body. After examining the long term effects of following a vegetarian diet, Korean researchers very comfortably concluded that body fat, and cholesterol levels were lower in vegetarians than omnivores.

Less risk of stroke and obesity: Vegetarians and vegans tend to be much more deliberate in their food choices and far less likely to binge eat or choose foods based on emotions- two habits that greatly contribute to obesity.

Less chance of developing kidney stones: New York University Langone Medical Center reports that eliminating animal protein consumption in favour of vegetables will result in a higher urine pH; resulting in risk of elimination of stone formation.