Vegetarian diet prevents ailments, says Nadda

Citing scientific evidence, Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said vegetarian diet helps prevent ailments such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and renal diseases.

“The benefits of vegetarian food arise from lower intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein as well as higher intakes of complex carbohydrates dietary fibre, rich in micronutrients like magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C and E, carotenoids and other phytochemicals,” Nadda told the Lok Sabha to a question on a report, saying that vegetarian food is healthier than non-vegetarian.

“Scientific evidences indicate that vegetarian diets are beneficial in the prevention and control of certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, renal disease and dementia, as well as intestinal disease, gallstones and constipation,” he said.

Under the government’s National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, one of the important activities is to promote behavioural change and consumption of healthy food (more vegetables, fruits, grains and less sugar, salt and fat) to prevent and control non-communicable diseases, he said.

Hailing the Budget, he said the health sector has been given the “top” priority and there has been a “sizable” increase of 21 per cent in this year’s allocation.

“Health has been given the top priority. A high allocation for health has been given in this year’s Budget. Providing Universal Health Coverage and reaching out to the poor is the government’s commitment, I think the Budget will be helpful in taking that forward,” he said.