The meat-free diet has been associated with a number of health benefits, according to a charity.

A spokesperson for the Vegetarian Society explained in recent days that studies have shown that those who do not eat meat are at a lower risk of developing heart disease and obesity, as well as tending to have lower rates of diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Due to a multitude of minerals and vitamins being present in fresh fruit and vegetables, vegetarians are more likely to be getting "what they need" with regard to their diet, the spokesperson continued.

However, they concluded that adopting a meat-free diet is not a sure-fire way to avoid illnesses and that everyone should have a balanced diet.

"Vegetarians do still get sick; it's not a panacea but it does tick a lot of the right boxes," the spokesperson said.

According to research by the organisation, a typical vegetarian diet closely matches expert dietary recommendations for eating healthily.