Vegetarian News and Research

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Why pregnant women struggle to follow healthy diets despite knowing what to eat

A UK study found that women trying to conceive, pregnant, or new mothers face major barriers to eating healthily, from fatigue and nausea to high food costs and generic advice. Support from family, personalized dietetic guidance, and co-created resources were highlighted as key facilitators.

9 Sep 2025

Study finds vegetarians less likely to develop several common and rare cancers

A large North American cohort study found that vegetarian diets were linked to lower risks of several cancers, including colorectal, stomach, breast, prostate, and lymphoproliferative cancers. No evidence suggested that vegetarian eating increased cancer risk for any site.

14 Aug 2025

Scientists finally define what it means to be flexitarian

Researchers conducted a systematic review to develop a clear, evidence-based definition of the “flexitarian” diet, identifying it as consuming animal products at least once a month but less than once a week. Analysis of 42 countries’ dietary guidelines revealed that while “flexitarian” is not officially recognized, many nations implicitly support plant-forward eating by recommending reduced red meat consumption.

31 Jul 2025

Several healthy eating patterns may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes across diverse ethnic groups

A large new meta-analysis of more than 800,000 participants to be presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) shows that high adherence to three well-established healthy eating patterns is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of one's ethnicity.

30 Jul 2025

Vegan teens exercise more often than meat-eating peers, study finds

A nationwide Austrian study of nearly 9,000 teens reveals distinct health behaviors and motivations among vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous students. Vegan and vegetarian youth are more likely to report higher fruit, vegetable, and activity levels, but still fall short of daily exercise targets.

29 Jul 2025

More fiber, fewer health risks: evidence for this easy diet fix

This study reveals that adequate dietary fiber intake is crucial for lowering obesity risk and mortality, supporting its role in effective weight management.

9 Jul 2025

Flavonoid diversity, not just quantity, drives better health outcomes

This study reveals that diverse flavonoid intake is crucial for lowering chronic disease risk and mortality, advocating for a varied diet rich in flavonoids.

7 Jul 2025

Plant-based diets may help prevent erectile dysfunction

A narrative review in The Journal of Nutrition suggests that whole-food plant diets may help prevent or improve erectile dysfunction (ED) by supporting vascular health and reducing risk factors such as LDL cholesterol and inflammation. However, most evidence is observational, and more clinical trials are needed.

25 Jun 2025

Berries pack more fiber and antioxidants than America’s most-eaten fruits

Replacing one daily serving of commonly eaten fruits like apples or bananas with berries significantly boosts nutrient density in USDA dietary patterns. The modeling analysis showed notable gains in anthocyanins, fiber, and vitamins, with only modest cost increases.

16 Jun 2025

‘Junk food’ plant diets raise heart risk even if meat is cut out

Research shows that healthy plant-based diets lower cardiac biomarkers, while unhealthy plant foods raise heart disease risk. Key findings from a large study.

11 Jun 2025

What happened when 13,768 people started eating more mindfully?

Higher mindful eating scores are linked to healthier plant-based diets and less meat and dairy consumption among French adults. The study identifies specific psychological traits that help drive positive dietary choices.

9 Jun 2025

Back-to-basics, 'not fad' diets beat heart disease and diabetes

This review examines dietary interventions that can improve cardiometabolic health, highlighting the role of whole foods in reducing heart disease and diabetes.

4 Jun 2025

Global study maps the spread of IBD in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, has long been considered a modern condition of the industrialized West, with cases steadily increasing in North America and Europe throughout the 20th century.

28 May 2025

Is a vegan diet the right choice for your child?

A new scoping review analyzes current evidence on vegan diets in children, examining health outcomes, growth, and nutritional adequacy. The findings show that well-planned vegan diets can support normal growth, but highlight crucial gaps and the need for ongoing clinical and research guidance.

26 May 2025

What’s stopping restaurants from offering healthier kids’ meals?

Dutch researchers explored what motivates restaurants to offer healthier kids’ meals and what stands in the way. While willingness is high, perceived low demand, food waste, and operational barriers hold many back.

13 May 2025

Vegetarians may need to watch thyroid health, especially with low iodine intake

Vegetarians had a modestly higher risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to high meat-eaters, but only after adjusting for BMI. No increased risk was seen for vegans or pescatarians in incident cases, though pescatarians showed a slight increase in baseline prevalence.

11 May 2025

Eating avocado in pregnancy cuts infant food allergy risk by nearly half

Pregnant women who ate avocado were significantly less likely to have children with food allergies at 12 months of age. The association held even after adjusting for maternal diet quality, lifestyle, and perinatal factors in a large Finnish cohort.

8 May 2025

Survey shows many U.S. adults know plant-based diets improve health

Half of U.S. adults say they know eating a plant-based diet can improve their health and help prevent chronic diseases, according to a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey.

7 May 2025

Can a plant-based diet help prevent breast cancer?

A case-control study in Iranian women found that higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet significantly reduces breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women and those with a BMI under 25. In contrast, high intake of unhealthy plant-based foods raised risk in premenopausal women.

22 Apr 2025

Study links cold hypersensitivity and heaviness in legs to varicose veins

Hypersensitivity to the cold, especially ice cold feet, as well as a feeling of heaviness in the legs, are linked to the presence of varicose veins, finds a large study published in the open access journal Open Heart.

16 Apr 2025