--- title: Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy? | TIME description: Going vegetarian can be healthful, but simply shunning meat doesnít necessarily make a diet better for you. What else it includes and excludes is key. canonical: https://time.com/video/wR8WqmQY/ og:title: Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy? og:description: Going vegetarian can be healthful, but simply shunning meat doesnít necessarily make a diet better for you. What else it includes and excludes is key. og:url: https://time.com/video/wR8WqmQY/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/wR8WqmQY/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy? twitter:description: Going vegetarian can be healthful, but simply shunning meat doesnít necessarily make a diet better for you. What else it includes and excludes is key. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/wR8WqmQY/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy? > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy? [Watch (HLS stream): Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wR8WqmQY.m3u8) (2:30)  _Published 2015-05-15. Going vegetarian can be healthful, but simply shunning meat doesnít necessarily make a diet better for you. What else it includes and excludes is key._ --- Jul 27, 2023 6:16 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [There Could Be A Downside To A High-Protein Diet](/video/bZNFcch2/) ### There Could Be A Downside To A High-Protein Diet [Late Night Highlight: Nick Offerman's Meat-Only Diet Will Make Your Arteries Hurt](/video/MJl1YXq3/) ### Late Night Highlight: Nick Offerman's Meat-Only Diet Will Make Your Arteries Hurt [5 Healthy Foods That Can Wreck A Diet](/video/r0VhtZpm/) ### 5 Healthy Foods That Can Wreck A Diet --- ## Transcript You're watching everwell. Know more. Live better. [ MUSIC ] I think it's healthier to eat vegetarian because you are able to put things into your body that are a lot more natural than eating meat. I've had a really good experience as a vegetarian and feel great. And before I became a vegetarian, I was kind of In a bad place. People decide to go vegetarian for all kinds of valid reasons. For some, it's about animal welfare. For others, the environment. But what about your health? Is a vegetarian diet really better for you? Well, it all depends on what you're comparing it to. Large long- term studies in the U. S. and Europe have found that vegetarians, that is, non- meat- eaters Tend to be leaner and have lower cholesterol levels than those consuming a standard diet. They also have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. But research shows similar benefits in people who consume a mostly plant diet. Which may include fish or small amounts of red meat. So while going vegetarian is healthier than eating a typical American diet, it's unclear whether it beats a healthy diet, consisting mainly of fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and nuts, along with some meat, fish or chicken. Sorting all this out is tricky in part because vegetarians vary in what they eat. [ MUSIC ] Some, known as vegans, shun all animal products, while others include eggs or dairy. Still others eat fish. And then there are vegatarians who live on junk food like chips, soda, and fries, but you're not exactly healthy. One common concern is that vegetarians are at risk of vitamin and mineral deficient. [ UNKNOWN ] [ MUSIC ] While it can be harder for vegetarians, especially vegans, to get adequate amounts of nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin B- 12, it is possible with proper planning. Without question, vegetarian can be a healthy way to go, but it's not the only path to healthy eating. And simply shunning meat doesn't necessarily make a diet more helpful. What matters is your overall eating patter, an idea worth chewing on for vegetarians and omnivores alike. [ MUSIC ] Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I'm Robert Davis. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Are Vegetarian Diets Healthy?","description":"Going vegetarian can be healthful, but simply shunning meat doesnít necessarily make a diet better for you. What else it includes and excludes is key.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/wR8WqmQY/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-05-15T21:16:20.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wR8WqmQY.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/wR8WqmQY/","duration":"PT2M30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/wR8WqmQY/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```