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For many years, those eating a whole food plant-based diet have claimed to be healthier than their meat-eating counterparts.
Now they can put their money where their mouth is, with an insurance plan that offers those following a plant-based diet better rates.
Insurance company HealthIQ is offering vegans lower life insurance – claiming their diet makes them healthier and therefore more likely to live longer.
HealthIQ’s site says: “To celebrate these unsung heroes, we have negotiated lower rates on life insurance by measuring data from over 1M health conscious people.”
It lists a number of reasons why vegans deserve the lower rate, listed below.
Health stats
HealthIQ lists these facts as reasons why vegans are healthier than omnivores.
1. According to a 2012 study published by Public Health Nutrition Journal, vegans have a 63 per cent lower risk of hypertension than non-vegetarians.
2. According to a 2016 study in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vegans have a 15 per cent lower incidence of all types of cancer, 34 per cent lower risk of female-specific cancer and 22 per cent lower risk of colorectal cancer.
3. According to a 2009 study published in Diabetes Care Journal, vegans have a 49 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. According to The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, a diet focused on extra leafy green vegetables, fiber, fruits and berries is associated with a 53 per cent reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in those predisposed.
5. According to a 2013 study published by Journal of the American Medical Association, vegans have a nine per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to meat eaters.
Evidence
While HealthIQ is the first company in the US to offer cheaper life insurance for vegans, they have reportedly been offered cheaper deals because of their health habits.
Make a Difference Managing Director, Brian Jones, told the Melbourne-based Herald Sun: “There is growing evidence that suggests vegetarians have a lower risk of serious illnesses.
“Life insurance premiums are calculated based on several factors, including family medical history, lifestyle choices such as alcohol and nicotine intake, so surely a vegetarian or vegan diet should be considered, too.”
READ MORE:
Forbes Reports That Plant-Based Diet Is ‘One Of The Healthiest Out There’
Canada’s New Draft Food Guide Says: Up With Plant-Based And Down With Dairy
Plant-Based On Agenda For First Time Ever At America’s Biggest Food Tech Conference
