As time moves on there is an increasing belief amongst people that becoming a vegetarian may make a difference. Although in the scheme of things you may wonder just what effect one person can make. It is true just one person won't make a huge difference but if you multiply this by millions of people who make the choice then the effect becomes much more significant. Health is one issue which you cannot escape from as it is the consumption of meat that is the number one cause of heart disease in the United States.

Many of today's heart conditions would not be so commonplace if people did not eat so much food with high levels of cholesterol, such as dairy products and eggs. The figures speak for themselves when a person who eats meat is four times as likely to suffer a heart attack as someone who is a vegetarian. For those who go one step further and become vegans the figure lowers even still to an amazing one in ten chance. The health of a persons heart is only one of many areas where being a vegetarian will benefit their overall health.

There is less likelihood of cancer owing to the reduced number of preservatives that will be in your diet compared to a person that regularly eats meat. Animal feed also contains hormones to make them put weight on faster so vegetarians are not usually exposed to these chemicals which most people consume everyday. The consumption of lactose will also be reduced which is claimed to cause some digestive problems. The fact is people who become vegetarians have healthier lives; they can also feel comfortable knowing that they are not responsible for the slaughter of any animals.

The organization Vegan Out-Reach claims that the number of animals killed to feed the average American citizen during their life is in excess of two thousand seven hundred. In the course of just a few short years you could stop the death of hundreds of animals by changing your life this way. In addition to this, if you stop eating eggs and drinking milk, you will also reduce your share in the suffering and death of battery hens and their offspring, as well as dairy cows. So the answer is yes, it does matter whether or not you become a vegetarian. It matters to the thousands of animals you could potentially save and it matters to you as an individual because you can greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease.