Evaluating the Health and Environmental Impacts of Vegetarian and Meat-Based Diets

Abstract

With the advancement of nutrition, the health effects of vegetarian diets and meat-based diets have been re-evaluated, giving the nutritional balance of meals a new way of evaluation. This paper assesses the comparative impact of vegetarian and meat diets on human health and environmental sustainability. It synthesizes research from multiple disciplines to assess the impact of these dietary patterns on health, with a focus on their role in the prevalence and management of chronic disease. Environmental assessments highlight the resource inefficiency of meat production and its ecological footprint, and advocate reducing meat consumption. In addition, the emergence of plant-based meat alternatives is discussed, considering their potential to mitigate health and environmental concerns. This paper concludes by promoting flexible eating habits, particularly Mediterranean and flexitarian diets, as a balanced approach to achieving health benefits and environmental sustainability.