Why going vegetarian isn’t always the healthiest option

VEGETARIAN diets are not always healthier than eating meat, a study has found.

Veggies who also consume lots of white bread and pasta, chips and sweets had a higher risk of heart problems than those who ate a moderate amount of meat.

The findings are good news for so-called ‘flexitarians’ – people who have reduced their meat intake without cutting it out altogether. The Harvard University scientists say their study shows even a modest meat reduction can cut heart risk.

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, studied a series of diet categories, with and without meat.

Those with the lowest risk of heart disease ate a veggie diet based on healthy wholegrains, fruit and greens – which are lower in saturated fats and high in fibres, antioxidants and micronutrients. The most risky diet also refrained from meat but was made up of unrefined grains such as white bread, pasta, rice and biscuits.

Lead author Ambika Satija, of Harvard’s School of Public Health, said: ‘It’s apparent there is a wide variation in the nutritional quality of plant foods, making it crucial to take into consideration the quality.’