vo vegetarians eat a 30% to 36% fat diet, and vegans eat a diet thatis about 30% fat" (59).This means that vegetarians also consume lesscholesterol, which has been linked to an increase in the risk of heartdisease and possibly even cancer. The amount of cholesterol of a lacto-ovovegetarian is about 150 to 300 mg of cholesterol per day compared to the400 mg of cholesterol that an omnivore consumes (Messina 59). Vegans, whoexclude the intake of any food that contains animal byproducts, do notconsume foods that contain significant amounts of cholesterol. The U.S.Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services have created a FoodGuide to better advise Americans on how to eat healthier, more balancedmeals, and which "advises using fats, oils, and sweets sparingly" (Farley52). Vegetarians as a group also consume higher amounts of fiber. Fiber,found mainly in grain products, is essential to healthy bowels and colons,lowers the risk for diabetes, helps control blood glucose levels, and alsolowers the risk for cancer and heart disease (Messina 59). And it is grainproducts that form the base of the U.S. Department of Agriculture andDepartment of Health and Human Services' Food Guide Pyramid, whichrecommends servings of bread, rice, cereal, and pasta 6 to 11 times perday. (Farley 52) The typical intake of fiber for an average omnivore isabout twelve grams of fiber each day, with vegetarians eating fifty to onehundred percent more fiber than nonvegetarians. A vegetarian diet also includes consumption of more antioxidants,which are believed to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, andpossibly arthritis and cataracts. Dietary antioxidants include suchvitamins as vitamin E, vitamin C- of which the typical vegetarian dietincludes 50%, 100%, or even higher- and carotenoids as well as the manyphytochemicals that are found in plants (Messina 59). They also consumeless animal protein, with omnivores consuming 14% to 18%, lacto-ov...
