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Loma Linda University Researchers Highlight Potential Benefits of Including Seafood in Vegetarian Diets
A recent study from Loma Linda University in the United States has found that a pesco-vegetarian diet, which includes seafood along with plant-based foods, may offer older adults a longer, healthier life compared to strictly vegetarian diets. The findings were published on Friday, sparking interest in the global nutrition community.
Pesco-Vegetarian Diet Offers Edge Over Other Diets
The study analyzed data from 96,000 participants across the United States and Canada, exploring the long-term effects of different diets on mortality rates. While vegetarian diets are widely recognized for their health benefits, particularly in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases, the study suggests that they may not be sufficient for the sustenance of people in their later years.
Participants adhering to a pesco-vegetarian diet, which incorporates fish and other seafood as primary sources of protein alongside plant-based foods, experienced an 18% reduction in overall mortality compared to non-vegetarians. This is higher than the 15% reduction observed in those following a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (which includes dairy and eggs but excludes meat and seafood) and significantly better than the 3% decrease in risk noted among vegans.
Increased Neurological Risks for Elderly Vegetarians
The study also uncovered concerning findings for very old vegetarians, who appeared to have a slightly elevated risk of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and stroke. This contrasts with middle-aged and male participants, who showed a lower risk of mortality when following a vegetarian diet. According to Gary Fraser, a professor at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, while the increase in neurological risks among elderly vegetarians wasn’t large, it raises important questions.
“A vegetarian diet appears to offer protection from the risk of death through middle-aged years, but once it helps people get into their 80s, that overall advantage seems to disappear for those adhering to a strict vegetarian diet,” said Fraser. “These increased risks of neurological conditions among vegetarians in their 80s weren’t huge, but something is going on there that we shouldn’t ignore if we wish the vegetarian advantage to continue for all vegetarians in their later years.”
Potential Global Lifestyle Trend
The study’s results suggest that a pesco-vegetarian diet may be the most beneficial for longevity, particularly in older adults. Given that the inclusion of seafood appears to mitigate some of the risks associated with aging that a strict vegetarian diet might not address, this diet could become a new trend in global health and wellness practices.
However, the researchers caution that further studies are needed to fully understand the long-term impacts of different dietary patterns on older adults. While the findings are promising, they highlight the complexity of dietary needs as people age and the importance of tailoring nutrition strategies to support healthy aging.
As the global population continues to age, the insights from this study could inform dietary recommendations and public health policies aimed at promoting longevity and reducing the burden of age-related diseases.
