Stomachs on legs are proud to present

Hock said that I'm like a dog with a bone on this whole animal/vegetable diet debate, and maybe I am. Perhaps it is all part of an internal wrestling with what diet choices I should try to be making, perhaps not from a moral but more a health standpoint....I tend to flail between "body as temple" vs "body as fairground". Like Kjam, from time to time I self reflect on the choices I should or should not be making regarding my diet....An obsession if taken too far becomes an exercise in extremly self-absorbed naval gazing. Should I be this concerned with my own consumption?

The battle has long been waged, and will certainly continue in spite of this study. Are humans designed/evolved to eat everything and at risk of malnutrition as vegetarians? Or is vegetarianism the healthy and ethical choice? The most impressive data arises from a study of 1904 vegetarians over 21 years by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsche Krebsforschungszentrum). The study's shocking results: vegetarian men reduced their risk of early death by 50%! Women vegetarians benefit from a 30% reduction in mortality.

Long-term Study of Vegetarians
The participants of the the German Cancer Research Center study included 60 vegans (no animal products consumed), 1165 vegetarians (eating eggs, milk but no meat) with the remainder described as "moderate" vegetarians who occasionally ate fish or meat. The health of these study participants was compared with the average German population. Living longer seems not to be exclusively related to eating meat, though, as the results for moderate vegetarians was not statistically different from those for vegan or strict vegetarian diets.

To the argument that it is not vegetarianism but a general interest in a healthier lifestyle which leads to such notable results, scientists reply with evidence that the majority of vegetarians do not cite health reasons for their lifestyle, but make their choice based on ethical commitment, environmental concerns or simply personal taste.

Vegetarians and Malnutrition
Research by a team led by Professor Ibrahim Elmadfa at the University of Vienna found a much better than average intake of Vitamin C, Carotinoides, Folic acid, fiber and unsaturated fats. Where shortcomings may arise is for Vitamin B12, calcium und Vitamin D in a vegan diet. Astoundingly, however, study participants did not suffer from diseases, such as osteoporosis, typically related to inadequate intakes of these micro-nutrients.

Link

Via Die Welt (german)

But I'd like to know what the study defines as moderate.

All things in moderation, even moderation they say....other wise you could end up as fodder for the less scrupulous as humorously outlined in stuffwhitepeoplelike.com's item number 32