Vegetarian diet and use of health services:
Vegetarian diet may reduce the use of health services, rates of allergic disease, and use of medications. A study looked at diet, lifestyle and disease in 1976 with 27,766 participants, of which 15,228 (55%) were vegetarians. Among female participants, researchers found a higher rate of reported overnight hospitalizations and surgeries among non-vegetarian females compared to vegetarian females. Non-vegetarian males reported more overnight hospitalizations and x-rays. When comparing the rates of disease between non-vegetarian and vegetarians, non-vegetarian females were 1.3 times more likely to report a chemical allergy, 1.2 times more likely to report asthma, 1.17 times more likely to report drug allergy, 1.17 times more likely to report bee-sting allergy, 1.15 times more likely to report hay-fever. Among non-vegetarian males, they were more likely to report chemical and drug allergy. Additionally, use of medication increased by 70-115% in non-vegetarian females and more than doubled in non-vegetarian males. (37)