OBJECTIVE The diet is a key environmental factor implicated in health and disease. Oxidative stress, antioxidant status and their relation to diet is a subject of interest in recent years. The objective of the study was to compare lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in healthy vegetarians and non-vegetarians. METHODS The present study comprises 100 healthy individuals (50 vegetarians and 50 non-vegetarians) residing in Belgaum urban area. All the participants were in the age group of 40-60 years of both sexes. This cross-sectional study was done in one year period from April 2007 to March 2008. Malondialdehyde (MDA) (lipid peroxidation product) was estimated by thiobarbituric acid method, glutathione peroxidase by Beutler's method, Vitamin A and Vitamin E by Bessay et al and Quife et al methods respectively. RESULTS Our study revealed that the blood MDA level was significantly increased (p value < 0.001) in non-vegetarians compared to lactovegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians. There was significant decrease in the level of enzymatic antioxidant glutathione peroxidase and non-enzymatic antioxidants Vitamin A and Vitamin E in non-vegetarians compared to lactovegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians (p value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Results of this investigation present study indicate that there was an increased lipid peroxidation and a low antioxidant status in non-vegetarians compared to vegetarians. Vegetarian nutrition provides adequate antioxidants which effectively prevent free radicals generation.