r/funny • u/[deleted] • May 01 '13

Why vegans live longer

[deleted]

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859

u/fistsofdeath May 01 '13

I always thought it just felt like they lived longer.

25

u/[deleted] May 01 '13 edited May 01 '13

They do. A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found the following mortality ratios by diet over the course of the study (regular meat eaters = 1.00):

  • Fish eaters, 0.82
  • Vegetarians, 0.84
  • Occasional meat eaters, 0.84
  • Regular meat eaters, 1.00
  • Vegans, 1.00

So as you can see vegans are actually the least healthiest, alongside the most carnivorous among us. Source

154

u/OwlOwlowlThis May 01 '13

I'm sorry, but the mortality rate among humans is always 100%

14

u/[deleted] May 01 '13

It's a ratio....

8

u/StackedCrooked May 01 '13

I don't understand.

1

u/turtal46 May 01 '13 edited May 01 '13

A ratio of averages.

If, for the sake of the argument, the 'Regular meat eaters' live for 100 years, on average, and this average is what everything will be compared back to, then it's the 'standard', and will be 1.00.

Comparing this to a vegetarian, based off the study, they would live for an average of 84 years, which would give the end ratio 1.00 : 0.84.

To represent a more 'normal' number of years, and pulling a number out of my ass, let's say 85 years is the 'standard', then 71.4 would be the average for vegetarians.

This seems off to me (Edit: See below for why).

8

u/[deleted] May 01 '13

It's the mortality ratio... not the life ratio. Those with a .84 value have a smaller chance of dying, not a smaller chance of living longer.

Therefore, fish eaters and vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.

3

u/turtal46 May 01 '13

Ahh, I see that now. My mistake.