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Frequently dismissed as cranks, their fussy eating habits tend to make them unpopular with dinner party hosts and guests alike.
But now it seems they may have the last laugh, with research showing vegetarians are more intelligent than their meat-eating friends.
A study of thousands of men and women revealed that those who stick to a vegetarian diet have IQs that are around five points higher than those who regularly eat meat.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, the researchers say it isn't clear why veggies are brainier - but admit the fruit and veg-rich vegetarian diet could somehow boost brain power.
The researchers, from the University of Southampton, tracked the fortunes of more than 8,000 volunteers for 20 years.
At the age of ten, the boys and girls sat a series of tests designed to determine their IQ.
When they reached the age of 30, they were asked whether they were vegetarian and their answers compared to their childhood IQ score.
Around four and a half per cent of the adults were vegetarian - a figure that is broadly in line with that found in the general population.
However, further analysis of the results showed those who were brainiest as children were more likely to have become vegetarian as adults, shunning both meat and fish.
The typical adult veggie had a childhood IQ of around 105 - around five points higher than those who continued to eat meat as they grew up.
The vegetarians were also more likely to have gained degrees and hold down high-powered jobs.
There was no difference in IQ between strict vegetarians and those who classed themselves as veggie but still ate fish or chicken.
However, vegans - vegetarians who also avoid dairy products - scored significantly lower, averaging an IQ score of 95 at the age of 10.
Researcher Dr Catharine Gale said there could be several explanations for the findings, including intelligent people being more likely to consider both animal welfare issues and the possible health benefits of a vegetarian diet.
Previous work has shown that vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, cutting their risk of heart attacks. They are also less likely to be obese.
Alternatively, a diet which is rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains may somehow boost brain power.
Dr Gale said: 'Although our results suggest that children who are more intelligent may be more likely to become vegetarian as adolescents or young adults, it does not rule out the possibility that such a diet might have some beneficial effect on subsequent cognitive performance.
'Might the nature of the vegetarians' diet have enhanced their apparently superior brain power? Was this the mechanism that helped them achieve the disproportionate nature of degrees?'
High-profile vegetarians include singers Paul McCartney and Morrissey and actress Jenny Seagrove.
Past exponents of a meat-free lifestyle include George Bernard Shaw and Benjamin Franklin.
Promoting the cause, Shaw said, 'A mind of the calibre of mine cannot drive its nutriment from cows', while Franklin stated that a vegetarian diet resulted in 'greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension'.
Liz O'Neill, of the Vegetarian Society, said: 'We've always known that vegetarianism is an intelligent, compassionate choice benefiting animals, people and the environment. Now, we've got the scientific evidence to prove it.
'Maybe that explains why many meat-reducers are keen to call themselves vegetarians when even they must know that vegetarians don't eat chicken, turkey or fish!'
I can think of several better titles for the story...
1. Smarter people are more likey to become vegetarians or "meat-reducers."
2. Smarter people are more likely to eat diets rich in fruits and vegetables.
3. Vegans might need someone who eats meat or dairy to explain this news story to them. :p
4. Doctors who may or not be vegetarians, but probably are or are at least smart enough to give it a shot after reading the studies, use a lot of big words.
hah run any statistic test on their data and I will garentee you that youll get the null, which is, there is no damn difference its just co-incidence that their data worked out that way.
Any study can prove anything. I could make a study showing how almost every 'study' is bs.. but then again...
Meat-eating and mortality - adapted from the British Medical Journal, June 25, 1994 issue
Nutrition Research Newsletter, Sept, 1994
The diets and lifestyles of vegetarians differ from those of nonvegetarians in many important ways. Several aspects of a vegetarian diet are believed to protect against cardiovascular disease, and some epidemio-logical studies have reported reduced mortality in vegetarians. In the prospective study summarized here, conducted in the United Kingdom, the researchers compared mortality rates in large populations of vegetarians and nonvegetarian controls.
A total of 6,115 non-meat eaters, identified through the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom and the news media, and 5,015 of their meat-eating friends and relatives participated in this study. The researchers chose this unusual method of control selection in an effort to find comparison subjects similar to the vegetarians in socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors. During up to 12 years of follow-up, 404 subjects died, including 94 who died of ischemic heart disease and 164 who died of cancer.
As compared to values for the general population of England and Wales, the standardized mortality ratios were 51 (95% CI 38-66) for the meat eaters and 28 (95% CI 20-38) for the vegetarians in this study. In comparison with meat eaters, vegetarians had significantly lower standardized mortality ratios for all causes, ischemic heart disease, and cancer. After adjustment for other lifestyle factors (smoking, body mass index, and social class), the difference in ischemic heart disease death rates between vegetarians and meat eaters became non-significant, but the difference in cancer mortality was essentially unchanged. The effect of diet on all-cause mortality was reduced after this adjustment but remained statistically significant.
The authors conclude, "Our data do not provide justification for encouraging meat eaters to change to a vegetarian diet....There are several attributes of a vegetarian diet apart from not eating meat which might reduce the risk....Current recommendations in most Western countries advise people to adopt many of the attributes of a vegetarian diet, but do not advise excluding meat. This advice seems appropriate in the light of our results."
[Editor's note: This study has an accompanying editorial which discusses several aspects of the study design, including the unusual method of control selection and the types of statistical adjustment used in the data analysis.]
Margaret Thorogood, Jim Mann, Paul Appleby, and Klim McPherson, Risk of Death from Cancer and Ischaemic Heart Disease in Meat and Non-meat Eaters, BMJ 308(6945):1667-1670 (25 June 1994) [Correspondence: Professor Jim Mann, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand]
The authors conclude, "Our data do not provide justification for encouraging meat eaters to change to a vegetarian diet....There are several attributes of a vegetarian diet apart from not eating meat which might reduce the risk....Current recommendations in most Western countries advise people to adopt many of the attributes of a vegetarian diet, but do not advise excluding meat. This advice seems appropriate in the light of our results."
(I added the bold)
This was my take on the study, as well. In a nutshell, eat healthy, whole foods, lots of produce, few refined foods, but don't necessarily ditch the meat.
John Berardi sometimes tells people to imagine eating like a vegetarian, but then eat meat, too.
quote from the first article:
"There was no difference in IQ between strict vegetarians and those who classed themselves as veggie but still ate fish or chicken."
This completely contradicts an already poor choice of title. People who eat fish and chicken apparently need to look up what the word "vegetarian" means!
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
Yet another stupid study conclusion (Or, maybe I just eat too much meat)
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