There appears to be strong evidence for the association between vegetarianism and lower risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A combined analysis of 5 prospective studies involving two cohorts of Seventh Day Adventists [8, 9] and a cohort of British [10] and German vegetarians [11] showed that mortality from heart disease was 24% lower in vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians after adjusting for sex, smoking status and age [12]. These studies categorized individuals by degree of vegetarianism and showed that different groups had different rates of mortality from heart disease: pesco and lacto-ovo vegetarians had a 34% lower rate of mortality and vegans had a 26% lower rate. Vegetarians in the studies as a whole had higher nut and whole grain consumption, foods that are associated with lower CVD risk, and had lower total or LDL cholesterol levels, which are also associated with lower CVD risks. Furthermore, in each of the studies the vegetarian subjects had lower body mass indexes compared to their non-vegetarian counterparts; The association between body mass and blood pressure, and studies of hypertension in vegetarians [13, 14]suggest that the vegetarians in these studies also had a lower prevalence of hypertension, another risk factor for CHD, although blood pressure was not measured in these cohorts.
Most studies also agree on the association between a vegetarian diet and diabetes, with vegetarians having lower rates of diabetes. A large study showed that the
