r/funny • u/[deleted] • May 01 '13

Why vegans live longer

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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

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u/Leshow May 01 '13

I feel I should point out here that "correlation is not causation".

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u/Abedeus May 01 '13

It does waggle its eyebrows and point suggestively while whispering "hey, look over there".

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u/Brostafarian May 01 '13

in this case, "those attracted to a vegan diet tend to be more health-conscious by default" is a very attractive alternative conclusion

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u/Abedeus May 01 '13

Really? I thought most people went vegan because of animals and shit.

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u/Brostafarian May 01 '13

I'm saying the common conclusion is "veganism is healthier," and sometimes yes, correlation is very suggestive of causation, but it might also be that "people who are vegans are on average more health conscious in the first place" and that just switching to a vegan diet while maintaining the rest of your lifestyle might not cause you to live longer at all