Protect your gut with high-fiber diet

Health-Net: Vegetarian diets or dietary fiber may help protect us from intestinal disorders.

A study led by Dr Francesca Crowe from the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University, published online in the British Medical Journal, involved 47,033 adults in the UK, and 15,459 of them are vegetarians.

After examining at least 11.6 years and found there were 812 cases of biventricular disease that causes the condition of cramps, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. The researchers found a vegetarian in this group had 30% lower risk of having the disease, compared with those who eat meat, or fish or both.

The authors explained this was because the consumption of meat alters the metabolism of bacteria in the colon, and therefore weaken the colon wall and increase the risk of biventricular disease.

This fact also shows the relationship between eating more fiber and a lower risk of developing the disease.

Patients who consumed more fiber from 25.5g a day for women and more than 26.1g for men, has a 42% lower risk of various diseases than those who only consume less than 14gr of fiber a day.

Being a vegetarian was able to Increase your Intelligence

Health-Net: Did you know that scientists and philosophers such as Albert Einstein, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Confucius, Isaac Newton, and Thomas Alva Edison, they are a vegetarians? This led the researchers tried to find a relationship between the tendencies of eating vegetarian food with intelligence.

British Medical Journal published the results of the study, where researchers measured the IQ of a number of respondents at the age of 10 years, and then follow their progress until the age of 30 years. Existing data show that they are vegetarians, while the children have an IQ of about five points higher than the average adult who is non vegetarian.

Those who are vegetarians are also more likely to have jobs and a higher degree. This is due according to the researchers a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can improve the ability of the brain among other health benefits to improve intelligence.

Studies have also shown that vegetarian kids grow taller than a higher IQ than his school friends. The risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other diseases also declined for the long term, commented PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), an institution that campaigning for animal rights.

However, the results of this research still raise questions. Are smart kids who decided to becoming a vegetarian as adults later, or did they become vegetarians in order to become more intelligent? Those with higher intelligence may be more to consider ethical issues, such as about animal welfare, as well as health benefits from eating lots of vegetables.

Vegetarian Reduce Risk of Cataracts

Health-Net: Vegetarian lifestyle and eating less meat turned out to reduce the risk of cataracts.

A British study on diet suggested these results. This research was conducted over 15 years to find three of 50 meat-eaters have cataracts than two of 50 vegans and vegetarians. Concluded the risk of vegetarians and vegans were 30-40 percent lower than meat eaters.

Cataracts occur when the lens becomes cloudy, blurred vision. Generally will be found by those who are old. According to the U.S. National Eye Institute, the country's more than half of parents undergoing cataract surgery.

But there are some vegetables that became patron of cataracts. Several previous studies also said the nutrients of plant foods reduce the risk of cataracts.

Researchers in the UK involving over 27 thousand people over 40 years. They were asked to fill out food surveys between 1993-1999 and monitored his medical records. In 2008-2009 they suffered from cataracts or not monitored. No fewer than 1500 people have cataract during the period.

Interestingly, these results contrast with research in India. About vegetarian diet are associated high rates of cataract.

There may be other factors that cause cataracts in addition to diet, said Dr. Jack Dodick, chairman of the Department Ophthalmology Langone Medical Center University of New York. He estimates Vegetarian lifestyle also affect cataract.