“Every year, more and more studies confirm that eating meat… can greatly increase… your chances of developing conditions such as high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.” (“Nutrition and Health Maintenance” 2) Diets that include meat are linked to a higher risk of disease. Studies have shown that by being a vegetarian you can lead a healthier life. To live a healthy life, people must be vegetarian. Many people think that to get all the essential nutrients you need to eat meat. Eliminating meat from a diet causes a great source of nutrients to be unavailable, but by eating the right foods and planning a diet, it is possible to "be as healthy as, or healthier than, most meat eaters." (“Nutrition and Health Maintenance” 2) The most common concerns about nutritional deficiencies in vegetarians involve protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12. “All the protein you need can be found in beans, nuts, grains and soy products.” (“Nutrition and Staying Healthy” 1) To combat calcium and iron deficiencies, a vegetarian should make sure to include “dark green leafy vegetables” (“Nutrition and Staying Healthy” 1) in their diet. Vegetarians who keep dairy in their diet can also get calcium by drinking low-fat milk. Vitamin B12 is also essential and to obtain it in adequate quantities it is necessary to "eat cereals enriched with B12" ("Nutrition and staying healthy" 2) or simply take a "B12 supplement". (“Nutrition and Staying Healthy” 2) “Vegetarians are less likely to suffer from heart disease, cancer, obesity,…type 2 diabetes, [and] gallstones.” (Hoy 1) Due to the specific diet that requires healthier foods and good habits, a vegetarian is more likely to have a lower fat intake. Veg......middle of paper......quotedHoy, Daniel. "No meat for me." GENTLEMEN. Herald Sun, 19 September 2011. Web. 5 February 2012. .Krane Derr, Maria. "PROS AND CONS OF A VEGETARIAN DIET." Live strong. Np, March 31, 2011. Web. February 5, 2012. "Nutrition and Staying Healthy." Adolescent health and well-being. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2012. Web. January 30, 2012ProCon.org. “Vegetarian ProCon.org.” vegetarian.procon.org. ProCon.org, Jan. 11, 2012. Web. Feb. 5, 2012. “Why Be Vegetarian or Vegan?” Adolescent health and well-being. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2012. Web. January 30 2012