In the 6th century BC, clerics and philosophers from India, Greece, and southern Italy practiced vegetarianism. In 1847, the first vegetarian society was established in England and spread throughout Europe. It was mainly practiced for economic, environmental and ethical reasons. There are four main types of vegetarian diets. Lacto-vegetarianism is practiced in most parts of India. This diet includes all types of dairy products but excludes meat, fish, poultry and eggs. The Lacto-ova vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish and poultry, but allows all dairy products, including eggs; it is the diet widely practiced in the Western world. Ova vegetarianism is practiced primarily for ethical reasons; this diet allows the consumption of eggs but excludes all dairy products. The vegan diet excludes all products of animal origin. A properly planned vegetarian diet has many health benefits; Plant-based diets reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, lower the risk of cancer, promote weight loss and lower cholesterol. In 1980, the Adventist Health study clearly showed the correlation between a lower risk of diabetes with a vegetarian diet and an increased risk (WHO, 2014) (Kate Marsh, 2011) (Jenkins DJ) (Svenson2, 2011) (Vidal, 2010) with a non-vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism helps lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels, which significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and stroke. Additionally, some vegetarian diets that include soy protein and nuts help reduce serum lipid levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although significant advances have been made in cancer medicine and research, cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide. . According to (Jenkins DJ)the World Hea...... middle of paper ......Works CitedWHO. (February 10, 2014). Media Center. Retrieved February 11, 2014 from CANCER: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/Vidal, J. (July 17, 2010). 10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet. Retrieved January 10, 2014 from Life & style: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/18/vegetarianism-save-planet-environmentJenkins DJ, KC (nd). Type 2 diabetes and vegetarian diet. Retrieved from pubmed.gov: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12936955 Kate Marsh, PJ-m. (2011). Vegetarian diets and diabetes. Retrieved February 10, 2014 from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/739101_2Svenson2, AJ (March 8, 2011). Reduced risk of cancer among vegetarians: an analysis of recent reports. Retrieved January 10, 2014 from pubmed.gov: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048091/#b33-cmr-3-001