# Is the Kosher Diet Healthier?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 4, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119 "2011-02-04T04:18:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/1 "2011-02-04T04:18:41Z")
Is the Kosher Dietery Laws as practised by Jews healthier than the average American’s diet?
---
### Author:  [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/2 "2011-02-04T04:56:20Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#):
>
> Is the Kosher Dietery Laws as practised by Jews healthier than the average American’s diet?
Not really.
I suppose there might be some benefit because kosher meat is quite expensive, so there’s an economic incentive to eat less meat.
---
### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/3 "2011-02-04T05:17:45Z")
If so, it has more to do with how poor the average American’s diet is than any quality of kosher food.
---
### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/4 "2011-02-04T05:57:53Z")
Not eating shellfish is going to make it that much harder to get all those lovely fatty acids and nutrients. On the other hand, no cheeseburgers has to count for something!
---
### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/5 "2011-02-04T10:22:18Z")
Well, if you’re allergic to shellfish, then absolutely: kosher living can save your life without you even knowing it did.
There is a component of kashrut which is extremely important health-wise but which isn’t the diet as such: the physical cleanliness and anti-cross-contamination techniques.
---
### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/6 "2011-02-04T11:46:08Z")
Any diet without bacon is \*a priori \*healthier than any diet with bacon.
---
### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/7 "2011-02-04T13:31:41Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> Any diet without bacon is \*a priori \*healthier than any diet with bacon.
I’m assuming this is a joke (a smiley would have assured me). If it’s not, then it’s incorrect - both logically and factually.
---
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/8 "2011-02-04T13:41:29Z")
Depends on how you go about eating kosher.
There are dietary items that are entirely kosher which are either high in fat or very high in salt which can be bad eaten in excess. (I’m thinking koshering process itself, which involves lots of salt, and things like schmaltz, which is chicken fat used like gentiles use butter)
Many things that could be kosher - fruits, vegetables, bagels, donuts - are indistinguishable from non-kosher items of the same type.
If you avoid excess salt and fat a kosher diet can be extremely healthy - just as a non-kosher diet avoiding excess salt and fat can be extremely healthy.
Adherence to cleanliness rules might make a kosher diet healthier… except there’s no reason non-kosher food producers can maintain clean production as well.
So really, there’s nothing inherently healthier about it.
---
### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/9 "2011-02-04T23:46:10Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> (I’m thinking koshering process itself, which involves lots of salt,
For those unaware, to be fully kosher meat must have all possible blood removed. The process does involve an awful lot of salt (If you’re thinking _that_ is what kosher salt is for! give yourself a point) but very, very little of that salt is left on the meat. In fact, since it’s considered tainted by blood, as much of the kashering salt is removed as possible.
> [@](#):
>
> So really, there’s nothing inherently healthier about it.
Agreed. I eat a kosher diet. I can still eat plenty of fatty, salty meats. After a waiting period, I can then chow down on ice cream and other dairy fats. At any time, I can help myself to sugars and vegetable fats.
---
### Author:  [@AshenLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AshenLady)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/10 "2011-02-04T23:54:47Z")
> **[Why Eat Kosher? Mazor Guide to Kosher Living](http://www.kosher-directory.com/whykosher.htm)**
>
> The Mazor Guide to living KOSHER. Explore kosher, kosher etiquette, kosher eating, kosher directories all can be found in this elaborate guide to kosher
I don’t keep kosher, but I’d be better off if I did, I believe. Not eating scavengers of any kind can’t be bad for one. Also, the cuts of meat cannot contain sinew which is where prions hide out.
---
### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/11 "2011-02-05T00:00:27Z")
Wouldn’t be blood a good source of iron and possibly other important nutriments?
---
### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/12 "2011-02-05T00:05:38Z")
> [@clairobscur](#):
>
> Wouldn’t be blood a good source of iron and possibly other important nutriments?
Possibly. Provided you cook the stuff thoroughly (as I think is done in blood pudding and blood sausage) there’s no practical reason not to eat the stuff. However, I can’t think of a nutrient found in blood that can’t be found elsewhere.
---
### Author:  [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/13 "2011-02-05T00:06:42Z")
Bacon-double-cheeseburgers are good for mental health.
---
### Author:  [@AshenLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AshenLady)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/14 "2011-02-05T00:07:44Z")
[http://www.weightlossforall.com/iron-rich-food.htm](http://www.weightlossforall.com/iron-rich-food.htm)
Lots of non-meat sources for iron.
---
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/15 "2011-02-05T01:35:43Z")
Years ago, I read that kosher airline food was of better quality…than the standard stuff. I therefore changed my preferences (to kosher).
I didn’t notice much difference-except that everything (salt, pepper, utensils, etc.) were individually wrapped-PIA!
---
### Author:  [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kosher-diet-healthier/570119/16 "2011-02-05T15:24:24Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> Any diet without bacon is \*a priori \*healthier than any diet with bacon.
Life without bacon just wouldn’t be life worth living.