Studies show that vegetarians have markers of healthier illnesses than meat eaters

Vegetarians seem to have a healthier biomarker profile Meat eaterThis applies to adults of all ages and weights, and smoking and drinking, according to a new study of more than 166,000 British adults, presented at this week’s European Obesity Conference (ECO) online this year. Is not affected by.

Biomarkers have a negative impact on health and may promote or prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, age-related diseases and other chronic illnesses, and are widely used to assess the health effects of diet. I will. However, evidence of metabolic benefits associated with being a vegetarian is unknown.

To understand whether dietary choices make a difference in the levels of disease markers in blood and urine, researchers at the University of Glasgow found 177,723 healthy participants (ages 37-73) in the UK Biobank study. We conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing data from and reported that there were no major changes in diet over the last five years.

Participants are classified as either vegetarians (4,111 participants who do not eat lean meat, chicken or fish) or meat eaters (166,516 participants), depending on their self-reported diet. it was done. Researchers investigated the association with 19 blood and urine biomarkers associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, liver, bone and joint health, and renal function.

Even after considering potentially influential factors such as age, gender, education, ethnicity, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the analysis shows that vegetarians compare to meat eaters as follows: It was found that the levels of 13 biomarkers were significantly lower.

Total cholesterol; Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-so-called “bad cholesterol”; apolipoprotein A (related to cardiovascular disease), apolipoprotein B (related to cardiovascular disease); gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alanine aminotransferase (AST)-A liver function marker that indicates inflammation or damage to cells. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1; a hormone that promotes the growth and growth of cancer cells); uric acid; total protein; creatinine (a marker of renal dysfunction).

However, vegetarians also had low levels of beneficial biomarkers, including the high-density lipoprotein “good” (HDL) cholesterol, vitamin D and calcium (related to bone and joint health). In addition, blood fat (triglyceride) and cystatin C levels were significantly higher (suggesting poor kidney condition).

No association was found with blood glucose (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase (AST; marker of hepatocyte damage) or C-reactive protein (CRP; inflammatory marker).

“Our findings provide a true source of thought,” said Dr. Carlos Celis Morales of the University of Glasgow, UK, who led the study.

“Not only do we not eat lean and processed meats that are associated with heart disease and some cancers, but vegetarians also have vegetables that contain more nutrients, fiber, and other potentially beneficial compounds. , Fruits, and nuts tend to consume more. These nutritional differences explain why vegetarians appear to have low levels of disease biomarkers that can lead to cell damage and chronic disease. May be useful for. “

Although their study was extensive, the authors point out that it was observatory and it was not possible to draw conclusions about the direct causes and consequences. It also mentions some restrictions. The biomarker sample is tested only once per participant, and biomarkers may fluctuate due to factors unrelated to diet, such as existing illnesses and unmeasured lifestyle factors. They also note that participants relied on reporting dietary intake using food frequency questionnaires, but this is not always reliable.

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