Vegetarian or Vegan: The Health Benefits of Plant Based Diets

The average American consumes about 270 pounds of meat a year, making the United States the country with one of the highest meat consumptions per person in the world. We know of our love for meat, and most of us know at least about some connection between meat consumption and our health, particularly cardiovascular, or heart health. So how much healthier is a diet that is much more – or entirely – plant based, that avoids animal meat or animal products all together? New studies are out that are looking at the effect of plant-based diets on our health, both for vegetarian as well as vegan diets.   Guest:  Vandana Sheth, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Los Angeles, CA