Vegetarians Live Longer, Study Finds

By Annie Hauser

Some vegetarians can be awfully superior about the health benefits of their plant-based diet. What they might not know is they have the Adventist Health Study to thank.

In the '70s and '80s, a series of studies from Loma Linda University in California, which has tracked tens of thousands of Seventh-day Adventists since 1958, were the first to show that vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.

Not only that, the studies also indicated that the kinds of foods frequently consumed in vegetarian diets — fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes — can reduce a person's risk for diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, control body mass index and waist size, and boost brain health.

More from Everyday Health:
More Fruit, More Veggies, More Happy
Tips for Traveling With High Cholesterol
Sun Exposure, Age Related in MS Risk

In 2002, the National Institutes of Health gave Loma Linda a grant to continue the research on Seventh-day Adventists, branding this round of research Adventist Health Study 2.

The study, which is midway to completion and includes 96,000 people from the United States and Canada, presents findings just as dramatic, principal investigator Gary E. Fraser, MD, PhD, said at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' 2012 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo. Vegetarian Adventist men live to an average of 83.3 years and vegetarian women 85.7 years — 9.5 and 6.1 years, respectively, longer than other Californians, Fraser explained.

Here are more findings from the Adventist Health Study 2:

- Vegans are, on average, 30 pounds lighter than meat eaters.
- Vegans are also five units lighter on the BMI scale than meat-eaters.
- Vegetarians and vegans are also less insulin resistant than meat-eaters.
- Lean people are also more likely to exercise regularly, eat plants, and avoid cigarettes than overweight people, suggesting that numerous factors are boosting the overall health of these participants.
- Pesco-vegetarians and semi-vegetarians who limit animal products, but still eat meat once a week or so, have "intermediate protection" against lifestyle diseases.

Perhaps the most staggering finding? Obesity cuts an African-American's life span by 6.2 percent, and across races, the protective qualities of fat in seniors was not seen. (Previous studies have found past about age 85, people who are obese have a lower risk of dying than normal-weight peers.)

The study population is 25 percent African-American and half vegetarian. The reason why researchers have such an interest in the Seventh-day Adventist population, they say, is that the religion promotes vegetarianism and discourages drinking, smoking, and drug use. For example, health pioneer and breakfast cereal inventor John Harvey Kellogg is one of the church's most famous founding members.

Loading Slideshow

• Lentils

  A cup of iron-rich lentils packs <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4338/2" target="_hplink">18 grams of protein</a> -- almost as much as three ounces of steak. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/notahipster/4032706663/" target="_hplink">little blue hen</a></em>

• Greek Yogurt

  Regular yogurt's thickier, tangier cousin can contain up to <a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/09/30/greek-yogurt-vs-regular-yogurt-which-is-more-healthful" target="_hplink">twice the amount of protein</a>, all for about the same number of calories and a lot less sugar, according to U.S. News Health. <br><br> Depending on the brand and container serving size, Greek yogurt can pack anywhere from <a href="http://www.stonyfield.com/products/oikos/single-serve/53oz-fruit-bottom/strawberry" target="_hplink">about 13</a> to <a href="http://www.chobani.com/products/c/nonfat/" target="_hplink">18 grams of protein</a>. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpende/4349870788/" target="_hplink">bpende</a></em>

• Beans

  One cup of <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4326/2" target="_hplink">garbanzo beans</a>, or chickpeas, contains 15 grams of protein, as does a cup of <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4284/2" target="_hplink">black</a> or <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4297/2" target="_hplink">kidney beans</a>. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/doyland/4503473836/" target="_hplink">Jude Doyland</a></em>

• Tofu

  A half-cup serving of tofu contains <a href="http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4817" target="_hplink">more than 10 grams of protein</a>, according to the USDA. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiecarman/161688267/" target="_hplink">katiecarman</a></em>

• Tempeh

  A firmer, chewier cousin of tofu, a half-cup serving of this soybean-based bite has <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4381/2" target="_hplink">15 grams of protein</a>. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/notahipster/6099142994/" target="_hplink">little blue hen</a></em>

• Spinach

  Cook a cup of the leafy green for more than <a href="http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3234" target="_hplink">5 grams of protein</a>. Spinach is also a good source of calcium and iron. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toasty/316293797/" target="_hplink">ToastyKen</a></em>

• Quinoa

  A cooked cup of this whole grain contains more than <a href="http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6430" target="_hplink">8 grams of protein</a>, and a hearty dose of filling fiber. Other grains, like brown rice and bulgur, are good meat-free protein options too. <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/telegirl/2249921894/" target="_hplink">Lucy Crabapple</a> </em>

• Peanuts

  Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios and other nuts are <a href="http://www.rodale.com/vegetarian-protein-sources?page=2" target="_hplink">all good meat-free protein sources</a>, according to Rodale, but peanuts top the list. One ounce of dry-roasted peanuts contains nearly <a href="http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4782" target="_hplink">7 grams of protein</a>. Plus, nuts are loaded with healthy fats -- just don't eat too many! <br><br> <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinni/4763072143/" target="_hplink">Vinni123</a></em>

• Related Video

From our partners

• 39 Deliciously Unexpected Healthy Avocado Recipes - Greatist
• 8 Great Running Apps To Help You Train For Your Next Race - Shape Magazine
• 6 Reasons To Sleep At Least 7 Hours - Everyday Health

Comments

[sonsofbuddha]

10:08 PM on 11/02/2012

the greatest nutritional study ever conducted will always be The China Study... listen to the audiobook here: http://www.woktoss.com/wp-content/uploads/audio/TheChinaStudy1.mp3

[Rob1964]

09:44 AM on 10/31/2012

My big problem with this study and the reporting of it is the way the information is presented. Two very different groups. One is more likely to do drugs, drink, eat junk food etc the other lives a lifestyle that shuns it.

To say the benefits are from being vegetarian would be like me doing a study of 1000 vegetarians who smoke and 1000 everyday people who don't and then claim vegetarianism causes lung cancer.

A better study would be to compare the health and longevity of those who are vegetarian and those who eat healthy and tasty grass fed meats, wild fish, tonnes of veg and plenty of healthy fats. I know where i would put my money.

[papparocket]

03:53 PM on 11/01/2012

Not sure what study you are reading about. AHS-2 (http://www.llu.edu/public-health/health/early_findings.page) compares 96,000 Seventh Day Adventists who tend to have much healthier lifestyles and diets than the general population. In particular they tend to have several times the number of vegans (8%) and ovo-lacto vegetarians (28%). This gives enough people all of these groups to find those who other than diet share similar lifestyle patterns and thus be able to make some pretty clear conclusions. And you might be right that the real difference is the vegans tend to be much more aware of the impact of all their actions (or inactions) on their health and that is the real root of the better health. If any study has the chance to separate out this effect it is likely to be AHS-2.

Maybe they should add to their questionnaire what type of meat do they eat. Perhaps the greater wealth of Adventists and general awareness of health results in enough of them who eat pastured meats along with tonnes of veggies and that subgroup can be compared to the vegans and ovo-lacto.

Early results are showing that compared to other Adventists those eating

[Rob1964]

11:56 PM on 11/01/2012

The first study on lifestyle Diet and Disease showed that vegetarians made better lifestyle choices and since mead does not cause diabetes their are other factors in the meat eater group.
The second study on Wrist Fractures tried to play down the fact that meat eaters were less likely to get them.
And one study showed that Vegetarians were lacking in Vit D.
I can't find a study that shows a vegetarian diet is better than a clean Primal one only better than a Burger King one for lack of a better term.

[Lisamarie Dean]

01:29 PM on 12/13/2012

There is NOTHING healthy about ANY kind of meat or other animal product. It doesn't matter how or where the animal victim was raised, although yes, "grass-fed" may have less antibiotics and hormones injected into it, but the poor animal still winds up in the same place at the end, and you still have the fat and cholesterol and HARMFUL animal protein to think about!

[Rob1964]

04:16 PM on 10/29/2012

To try and put the benefits down to vegetarianism and ignore the huge lifestyle differences between the populations that Adventists don't do drugs, alcohol, smoke and probably don't eat fast food is very bad reporting.

[JTsenko]

03:09 PM on 11/14/2012

You have some good points but to claim they probably don't eat fast food is a gross unfounded over generalization. Also, why do people always refer to "tasty meat" in discussions like these. I see it everywhere. I make and have had vegetarian food that far outweighs meat in flavour! It just seems like meat eaters think meat is the holy grail of flavour.

[Rob1964]

07:45 PM on 11/14/2012

It is much harder for vegetrians to eat fast food as most of it is in the form of processed burgers, grains filled buns and rancid oil filled fake cheese.

Meat is tasty just as vegetables are.  One problem with a lot of store bought meat is it is grain fed and full of hormones.  Try some pasture raised hormone free meat with two helping sides of tasty seasoned veg - awesome.

[SeldeVala6]

09:43 AM on 10/28/2012

I think that eating meat is perfectly fine.... If the animals get to actualy live first. By live, I don't mean "Let's stick them into tiny spaces, living in their own waste, eating genetically modified corn, bumping and fighting the other animals and so loaded on hormones that they can hardly breathe. That isn't living. If animals actually got to be happy before they die, I would probably not be a vegitarian. As is, it is a sick and heartless thing to do. With the "food chain" excuses... that is a sick idea. Yes, we might have been made to eat meat, but we were also meant to find it ourselves. Realy, all we do is shove a bunch of animals into a pen to slaughter them. Thats like shooting fish in a barrel. Its sick.

[Lisamarie Dean]

01:37 PM on 12/13/2012

Eating meat is morally WRONG! Animals were NOT put here for US--they are their own individuals, and oh, how nice that you care that they're "happy first before they die". If you really cared about them, you wouldn't be eating them! Even the "happy" ones still wind up on the same long-distance transport trucks at the same place dying the same SLOW, horrible death, don't they--all for a product you DON'T NEED!

[SeldeVala6]

06:17 PM on 12/13/2012

First of all, I never said it was moral. I simply think that it is not totally wrong for people to eat meat: the whole comment was about how they should at least be treated better if people are going to eat them. You cannot deny that they are in a horrible state, and that it would be MORALLY better if they were able to live before they died. People are not going to give up meat for a long long time. Too many people are addicted to it, so the least we could do is to treat the animals like animals. Also, in your comment you say, "If you really cared about them, you wouldn't be eating them!" I do not eat them; I am a vegitarian, and plan to be for the rest of my life.

[Cirsten]

07:21 PM on 10/21/2012

Being a vegetarian is only a healthy thing if your diet is based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats. If your diet is based on rice, potatoes, bred, pasta and cookies, you can still be a vegetarian, but you are not going to live longer nor will you be healthy.

[Domingo0o]

06:03 AM on 10/22/2012

same chould be said about eating meat/flesh. It's only healthy thing if your diet is based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats.

[Cirsten]

06:26 AM on 10/22/2012

You're right, but that was not my point. My point is that it is not enough to be a vegetarian if that is all there is to it. If you want to live healthy and live longer, you have to base your diet on real food like the earlier mentioned vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats. You can be a vegetarian and even eat organic food and still eat unhealthy, be obese and have or get all kinds of diet related illnesses. There is no one thing you can do or eat that will make you live healthy untill old age. Whether you are a vegetarian or a carnivore, you need a combination of many things to stay healthy.

[Lisamarie Dean]

01:39 PM on 12/13/2012

We need to get away from this "meat is healthy if he/she was grass-fed/free range" MYTH. It's NOT, and also animals are NOT "food"; they are feeling, breathing individuals just like anyone.

[papparocket]

04:03 PM on 11/01/2012

I see that a lot of people talk about healthy fats and I am curious to know what they are and what are the positive effects on health that would not be present if those fats were not consumed. From what I have read we really only need two fats Omega-3 and Omega-6, and those aren't healthy, they are essential (as in die if you don't eat). But I see claims like extracted olive oil being "heart healthy" and I wonder what positive thing does it do for heart health. Or is it actually "healthy" only because it is less unhealthy than other types of fat like saturated fats. My feeling is the later, in which case you would be even healthier if you just eliminated processed fats and got the little fats you need in the natural state from whole foods.
And BTW, the healthiest populations around the world get a majority of their calories from whole food starches like rice, wheat, potatoes and corn. So I am assuming that you are gunning for processed starches that have been denuded of all nutrients like white bread, rice and pasta.

[dfdfgfgf01]

01:35 AM on 10/20/2012

Taking a daily multivitamin could slightly decrease men's risk of cancer, according to a large new study being presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.http://tinyurl.com/9ey8mfg

[papparocket]

04:35 PM on 11/01/2012

Eating a traditional Japanese diet of rice, vegetables (including sea vegetables) and very small amounts of fish and meat would appear to vastly reduce your chances of dying before 70 of prostate cancer. Age-adjusted mortality from prostate cancer is 15 times higher in the US than Japan in 2000. Before the Japanese started eating a more western diet the difference was even more stark. Bottom line, eat whole foods plant based (or at least largely) and cut your risk of dying from prostate cancer by over 90%. Oh, and Americans of Japanese origin get prostate cancer at the same rate as other Americans, so it isn't genetics, it's diet.

[PineTreeForest]

10:29 AM on 10/19/2012

IMO, it's not very meaningful to draw a blanket conclusion since it's possible for both vegetarians and not to screw themselves badly.

Why don't we promote the following findings that are fairly well-supported:
- plants are good
- refined carbs are bad
- saturated fats are bad
- red meat is bad

This is likely to benefit the general public and still leaves plenty of options for everyone.

[ddanimal]

02:08 PM on 10/29/2012

Sat fats are not bad, and neither is red meat, providedd that its grassfed.

[PineTreeForest]

04:21 PM on 10/29/2012

A recent large-scale cohort study[1] published in a fairly reputable journal that shows that red meat consumption is associated with higher mortality.

Grass-fed meat might not be as bad (mainly based on the omega-3/6 theory), but I'm not aware of any study as strong as the one above.

As far as I know, there is pretty strong evidence that saturated fat raises risk factors like cholesterol. The relation with mortality is weaker. The contention is between whether reducing sat fat is beneficial or has no impact. But there are already several studies showing that replacing sat fat with unsaturated ones reduces cardiovascular diseases[2].

[1] Red meat consumption and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies.
Pan et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22412075

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturated_fat_and_cardiovascular_disease_controversy#Systematic_reviews_in_reputable_medical_journals

[I-US]

12:44 PM on 10/18/2012

The Adventist Study 2 compares Adventists participants who are meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike. Based on actual records, we know that the Adventists on the whole are one of a handful of populations worldwide whose life-expectancy exceeds the average.Because of that, the Adventist Study 2 seeks to compare members of the Church to each other to find out what possible lifestyle factors contribute to that longevity. We already know that its members live longer on average than most non-members.

Here are some of their early findings from the Adventist Study 2--the most recent study:

http://www.llu.edu/public-health/health/early_findings.page

[TheBaronessElsa]

08:08 AM on 10/19/2012

Again, when people with similar lifestyles have been compared, the difference disappears. In fact, a study found that Mormons, who eat plenty of meat, live longer on average. So much for your argument.

[I-US]

09:19 AM on 10/19/2012

It's not my argument. It's the argument of the researchers. You should feel free to take it up with them. And feel free to link to the study showing Mormons outlive Seventh-Day Adventists.

[JTsenko]

03:25 PM on 11/14/2012

Can I get your source?

[TheBaronessElsa]

11:34 AM on 10/18/2012

Golly, how convenient that the author of this propaganda piece forgot to mention that when compared to other groups who don't smoke and drink, but eat plenty of meat, they actually live shorter on average! The Seventh Day Adventist study is in no way proof that vegetarians live longer. In fact, in the most comprehensive research to date, there is no overall difference between mortality rates of vegetarians and omnivores.

It really is a shame that so many vegetarians feel the need to twist the facts with propaganda in lieu of reason.

[Savine]

10:26 AM on 10/18/2012

This all so confusing. What about the health benefits of certain fish?

I think it all comes down to the purity of the food. Organic, not processed foods.

How do you get enough fat and protein in vegetarian diets? It seems like it would just be a huge carbo load.

I know there are good fats in avocado and coconut oil. I don't hear really great stuff about soy.

It's very controversial.

Best thing is to avoid all the highly processed junk with enriched flours, corn syrups, soy, wheat, sugars, trans fats, additives, preservatives etc.

You can be a vegetarian and vegan and still eat a ton of junk food.

I think it's about the quality of the food you eat.

[lele23]

11:54 PM on 10/18/2012

Sources of fat - nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut, oils.
Sources of protein - nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains. Even vegetables such as spinach have some protein.

A vegan or vegetarian diet does not have to include soy.

Yes, some vegetarians and vegans eat terribly. Others eat quite healthfully. The best way to do it is to eat a wide variety of whole plant foods, limiting or avoiding processed.

[papparocket]

05:08 PM on 11/01/2012

Actually 50% of the calories in spinach is from protein. Agreed there isn't that many calories in spinach, but then again because of this you can eat huge amounts of spinach (provided you don't drown it in fatty dressing, I use a Dijon/balsamic dressing that I make myself that is fat-free). A large spinach salad (about 3 ounces of spinach) only has 21 calories, but has 2.7 grams of protein. Add an ounce of walnuts for another 4 grams of protein. So even a spinach salad can represent 10% of the protein you need in a day. add a cup of black beans and a cup of brown rice for another 20 grams and I am at about half my daily protein.

Eat a whole food plant based diet and it is almost impossible to not get enough protein. Oh and my rice and beans with a big spinach salad also contains 25 grams of fiber.

As for fat only omega-3 and omega-6 are essential. Your body can make any other fat that it might need. Green leafies like spinach and flax seeds are high in omega-3 and whole grains in omega-6. Again a varied whole foods diet provides all the essential oils you need. Some questions about conversion efficiencies of the plant form of omega-3 (ALA), so you can take a supplement of DHA derived from algea (the same place fish get their DHA but without the mercury) as insurance.

[yttika1]

08:29 PM on 10/17/2012

Not only do the vegetarians live longer, so do the animals they don't eat.

[TheBaronessElsa]

11:51 AM on 10/18/2012

Actually yttika1, according to the most comprehensive research to date, vegetarians do not live longer, and it is not necessarily true that the animals that they don't eat live longer either. In fact, research has found that per kilo of protein, more than 25 times more sentient creatures die in plant agriculture than in pasturing ruminants. The research found that there is vastly more animal suffering in plant ag than in pasturing as well:
http://theconversation.edu.au/ordering-the-vegetarian-meal-theres-more-animal-blood-on-your-hands-4659?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=tweetbutton&utm_campaign=article-top

More than a million creatures can live on a single acre of perennial grassland. When that acre is plowed for rows of the shallow-rooted annuals of plant ag, the habitat for all of those creatures is obliterated, with many of them dying absolutely horrible deaths in the process, being plowed under, crushed, and torn to pieces. Conversely, if that same acre is used to sustainably pasture a cow, wildlife habitat can actually increase, root-systems are actually deepened, and soil vitality is massively increased, improving the health of the land and all of the creatures who depend on it, resulting in a significant net gain of life.

[yttika1]

05:23 PM on 10/18/2012

The particular animal that they would have eaten certainly lives longer.  It was a tongue in cheek comment.  I do eat meat, but only pasture-raised and farmer processed from a local source. 

[Rumzee]

09:45 PM on 10/18/2012

Your link took me to a blog discussing crops and grazing cattle specific to Australia, including much about kangaroos hunted for meat. The "research" you want us to view on this web site is introduced as: "Published figures suggest that ..." Yeah, that sounds convincing - that makes me think this is reliable information, especially when, as far as I can see, there is no reference to a specific study, scientist, or even a date.

It is laughable that you are relying on this bit of specialized scanty anonymous blogging to convince anyone that more animals die for a vegetarian diet than for meat eaters' diet.

[nonChristian]

11:03 AM on 10/17/2012

I am a lifelong vegetarian and I hate preachy vegetarian, that said I also hate preachy meat eaters.

Go eat your cave man diet or something, don't hum at my head that you are healthier and blah blah. The worst is the "food chain" excuse. Really?? When you go naked hunting for animals and eating them raw (Like ACTUAL carnivores do) call me.

[george martini]

08:02 PM on 10/17/2012

I just bit the head off my pet ferret named Larry. I'm going to miss him.

[Mom of 5]

05:42 AM on 10/18/2012

I hope "my pet ferret named Larry", is not a euphemism for a body part of yours. Sounds painful if it is and like someone needs attention.

[DavidShawnSmith]

10:36 AM on 10/17/2012

I work in Atlanta as a Life Coach and lately I have been encouraging my clients to move to a plant based diet to increase good health. I will be passing this information on to my clients.

[GODSWILLFIRST]

01:20 PM on 10/17/2012

F&F.

Thanks for making a difference in the lives of others.

[DavidShawnSmith]

09:15 PM on 10/17/2012

Thank you, go to www.ispeaklifecoaching.com and sign up for a special gift.

[george martini]

08:03 PM on 10/17/2012

Does shredded wheat and gluten sauce count?

[DavidShawnSmith]

09:14 PM on 10/17/2012

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Go to www.ispeaklifecoaching.com and let me assist you

[eva07]

04:39 AM on 10/17/2012

Actually the difference between Adventist and the general population other than being vegetarian is that they don't drink and don't smoke. The study was done in the 60-s, when half of the population smoked, it would be interesting to see how vegetarians compare to people who don't smoke and don't drink much and eat healthy.

[I-US]

10:27 AM on 10/17/2012

These results are preliminary findings from the Adventist Study 2, not the one done in the 1960s. This study compares Adventist meat-eaters to Adventist non-meat-eaters, according to the Loma Linda website.

[george martini]

08:04 PM on 10/17/2012

Are there any 6th Day Adventists out there?

[4 of 8]

11:15 AM on 10/29/2012

The 7th Day guys are the ones who failed to commit on Day 3. Wafflers all.

[Genten]

10:43 PM on 10/16/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuZEdMAVo

This is a lecture given in 2008 at Stanford University by Christopher Gardner, PhD. (a vegan) about diets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmL0gKEz00Q

This is a discussion about the science behind the paleolithic diet, and the host is Matt Lalonde, who earned a PhD from Harvard University's department of Chemical Biology.

I suggest these two videos to anyone who's willful and determined to investigate and promote good nutritional science. The science behind a high-fat, low-carb, Atkins/Banting diet exists and it will continue spreading.

[I-US]

10:28 AM on 10/17/2012

A high-fat Atkins diet is not the same as the paleolithic diet, which varies in macronutrient composition.

[Genten]

11:18 AM on 10/17/2012

Is that all you're going to say? I've never addressed such a claim and what I wanted to bring forth with these two videos is the idea that a vegetarian diet is lacking important things which makes it imperfect and can't promote longer living.

[george martini]

08:08 PM on 10/17/2012

Is there a classification for the McRib sandwich?