American researchers conducting a large-scale trial over several years, have found that a vegetarian diet is associated with a longer life. They enrolled into the study, 73 000 members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, in both the US and Canada. Adventists tend to share similar lifestyles, namely not drinking alcohol or smoking, although they do exhibit the usual range of other dietary patterns.
Over a six year follow-up period, significant associations were detected between a vegetarian diet and deaths from cardiovascular disease, non-cardiovascular non-cancer disease, renal disease and endocrine disease. These links appeared stronger in men than in women. Overall, vegetarians were 12% less likely to die from all causes combined, compared with non-vegetarians.
(Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2. Journal of the American Medical Association, 8 July 2013.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
View all posts by Robin Costello
