Eradicating meat from your diet could add nearly fours years to your life, experts have suggested.

Going vegetarian for at least 17 years, extends a person's life expectancy by 3.6 years, a study has shown.

Eating red and particularly processed meats on a daily basis was linked to rising mortality rates.

Investigations of more than 1.5 million people found death from all causes was higher for those who regularly eat meat.

Vegetarians live for around four years longer than people who eat meat, a new study has revealed

Physicians from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona analysed six studies that showed the effects of meat and vegetarian diets on mortality.

Primary care physicians were then given evidence-based guidance about whether they should discourage patients from eating meat.

Their recommendation was that physicians should advise patients to limit animal products when possible and consume more plants than meat.

Professor Brookshield Laurent, from the department of family medicine and clinical sciences at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, said: 'This data reinforces what we have known for so long - your diet has great potential to harm or heal.

'This clinical-based evidence can assist physicians in counseling patients about the important role diet plays, leading to improved preventive care, a key consideration in the osteopathic philosophy of medicine.'

Also, while findings for US and European populations differed to an extent, the data found steep rises in mortality - even during the smallest increases in red meat consumption.

Eating red and particularly processed meats on a daily basis was linked to rising mortality rates. Investigations of more than 1.5 million people found death from all causes was higher for those who regularly eat meat

As part of the same 2014 study, more than one million people were followed over a number of different yearly time spans - ranging from five and a half years to 28 years.

Researchers considered the link between eating processed meat like bacon, sausage, salami, hot dogs and ham on their diet as well as unprocessed red meat like pork, lamb and unsalted beef.

It was discovered that processed meat significantly increased the risk of all cause mortality - with possible links to cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease.

A further review of more than 500,000 participants also found that those with a very low meat intake had a decreased risk of 25 per cent to nearly 50 per cent of all-cause mortality compared with those with a high meat intake.

Professor Laurent added: 'This clinical-based evidence can assist physicians in counselling patients about the important role diet plays, leading to improved preventive care, a key consideration in the osteopathic philosophy of medicine.'