Saturated fat is a major dietary contributor to heart disease – the leading cause of death in the United States. This type of fat is predominately found in foods of animal origin. Because vegetarian diets have less or no animal foods compared with meat-based diets, people who follow them often have a lower risk of heart disease.

High cholesterol is also a marker for heart disease, and is also related to consuming too much saturated fat. Vegetarians have been shown to have 10 percent lower cholesterol than even health-conscious meat-eaters.

To help reduce your risk of heart disease and lower your cholesterol levels, try "eating vegetarian" more often.

In general, vegetarians have lower blood pressure than non-vegetarians, although it’s not clear why this is the case. Obesity and intake of salt are the most likely reasons. Vegetarians are usually of healthy weight and consume less salt than non-vegetarians. Increased potassium and calcium may also be a factor.

If you have high blood-pressure, try eating making more vegetarian choices in your diet to see if it helps.

Vegetarians are more likely to have a lower body weight than non-vegetarians as their diet is high in foods which are generally low in fat and calories. 

Vegetarian foods also tend to be high in fiber and are therefore more filling than animal-based foods, leading people to eat less.

If you're wanting to lose weight, try substituting some of your meat-centered dishes for vegetable- and grain-based vegetarian options.