What are the potential health benefits of plant-based diets?What are the potential negative health consequences?Do plant-based diets increase life expectancy? This book answers all these questions and more. More and more people are reducing or completely eliminating meat and other animal products from their diet.Some are motivated by concerns surrounding animal welfare and the environmental impact of meat, while others hope to improve their health by following a plant-based diet.Although a vegetarian or vegan diet can provide many benefits, it can also pose unique challenges and health risks.These topics are explored here in an accessible way with clear, unbiased answers. Part of Bloomsbury's Q&A Health Guides series, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Your Questions Answered follows a reader-friendly question-and-answer format that anticipates readers' needs and concerns.Prevalent myths and misconceptions are identified and dispelled, and a collection of case studies illustrates key concepts and issues through relatable stories and insightful recommendations.Each book in the series also includes a section on health literacy, equipping teens and young adults with practical tools and strategies for finding, evaluating, and using credible sources of health information both on and off the internet – important skills that contribute to a lifetime of healthy decision-making.