A seven-year study carried out by the New York State Power Line Project suggested that power lines may adversely affect adult learning, and several researchers are investigating a possible connection between power line exposure and cancer. He observed that vegetarians report less discomfort and less sleepiness following overeating than do meat eaters. He notes that there may be a relationship between meat eating and peptic ulcers, as both vegans and vegetarians have fewer ulcers than meat eaters. An electrologist reports that women who have excessive body hair will often notice a decrease in the amount of hair if they adopt a vegetarian diet. She observed that many of her patients developed this excessive hairiness while on contraceptive pills.
Gallstones are about half as frequent in vegetarians as in meat eaters.
Late onset diabetes occurs less frequently in vegetarians, as does renal calcium stone formation. An overweight patient with a chronic varicose ulcer had complete healing of his ulcer when he adopted a vegetarian diet. An elderly man who had breast tenderness over a five-year period noticed a clearing of symptoms within four days of adopting a near vegan diet. They point out that the growth pattern of breast-fed infants is different than those fed artificially, and the charts were compiled during an era when most infants were bottle fed. These charts may suggest a health problem when none exists because of the difference in growth patterns.