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Is vegetarian food healthier than eating meat?

Is a vegetarian diet healthier than eating meat? And what should vegetarian women eat when they are pregnant? Read more about vegetarians and the vitamins they need.

The simplest definition of vegetarianism is the consumption of vegetarian food is nutrition without meat, fish, and poultry.

How is a vegetarian diet different from others?

Vegetarians abstain from eating animal meat but eat eggs and milk products, while vegans abstain from all food of animal origin, including eggs, milk products, and honey, and their diet includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, roots, tofu products, and nuts.

Those who decide to switch to vegan nutrition, usually based on ethical, environmental, or health considerations. Health considerations depend on the fact that a vegetarian diet contains a small amount of fat, especially saturated fat, and does not completely contain cholesterol.

Benefits of a plant-based diet

Eating a plant-based diet is associated with health benefits such as lowering cholesterol levels, lowering death rates from heart disease, and lowering rates of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and diabetes. Here are the details:

1. Lower Mass Index: Vegetarians tend to have a lower BMI and therefore have a lower risk of developing cancer.
2. Lowering blood pressure: The blood pressure of vegetarians is lower because the vegetarian diet contains less salt. Potassium - found in fruits and vegetables such as bananas, eggplant, avocado, oranges, broccoli, and spinach, helps lower blood pressure.
3. Fewer stomach problems: They have fewer stomach problems because meat and fish are the hardest foods for the body to digest and they need more energy to do so.
4. Elimination of waste: Eating fruits and vegetables helps the body in the process of eliminating waste.
5. Less prone to cataracts: Vegetarians are 30-40 percent less likely to develop cataracts than people who eat meat regularly.

Vegetarians and diabetics

Many doctors advise diabetics to consume vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to balance the glycemic index. Studies have shown that a vegetarian diet can improve the health of people with type 2 diabetes.

A 2004 and 2005 study showed that diabetics who followed a low-fat, vegetarian diet needed less diabetes medication, lost insulin sensitivity, lost weight, and improved both their glycemic index and lipid levels.

Vegetarianism and the risk of cancer

Studies show that people who eat meat have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer and gastrointestinal cancer, for the following reasons:

A diet rich in fiber, carotenoids (found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach), vitamins, minerals, and isoflavones (found in soy and legumes) protects against several, including cancer.
There is a close relationship found between daily consumption of fruits and a decrease of more than 20% in deaths from heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, stomach, lung, pancreatic, colon, and rectal cancer.

A plant-based diet contains less fat, especially saturated fat.

Another advantage of veganism

Vegans don't eat dairy, which may be an advantage. Milk and dairy products are known to cause phlegm, difficulty to digest, bloating, and abdominal pain, and are associated with an increased risk of cancer. Also, despite the association, milk consumption does not prevent osteoporosis due to the high amount of phosphorous in milk which prevents better calcium absorption.

The element that the vegetarian and vegan system lacks

A vegetarian diet is a healthy diet, but vegetarians, in particular, have to make sure they get enough vitamin B12, calcium, and iron. A vegetarian diet, in particular, may increase the risk of deficiencies of vitamin B12, vitamin B2, calcium, iron, and zinc. Therefore, a vegetarian diet should include B12 supplements or fortified cereals and vegan burgers to get enough vitamins.

Is a vegetarian diet safe during pregnancy?

Planned vegetarian diets are suitable for all phases of the life cycle, including pregnancy and infancy, childhood, adolescence, and also for athletes. The concern with the vegetarian menu is actually the restriction on the type of foods. The warnings for pregnant and lactating vegetarian women are of particular importance, as it has been shown that the neurological development of infants is impaired in women suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency.

To prevent a deficiency, a blood test should be done, not only for hemoglobin level but also for iron (ferritin) stores. In case the values ​​are low - the solution is nutritional supplements. Usually, it is impossible to improve values ​​only by the food itself. By the way, other minerals such as zinc and calcium are important for bone health.

Nutrition tips for vegetarians and vegans

Vegetarians need to get enough protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12 through a plant-based diet. They also need riboflavin, linoleic acid, and vitamin D. Here are some good food sources to incorporate vitamins into the diets of vegetarians and vegans:

1. Protein: tofu, vegetable dumplings, beans, nuts, and eggs.
2. Iron: eggs, fortified cereals, foods including soybeans, prunes, dried apricots, beans, nuts, legumes, whole grains, bread, and baked potatoes rich in iron.
3. Calcium: A bone-building blocker, is abundant in soy products, legumes, almonds, sesame seeds, tahini, orange juice, leafy green vegetables like cabbage, and more.
4. Zinc: which strengthens the immune system, is found in soybeans, soy milk, fortified cereals, nuts, bread, mushrooms, and peas.
5. Vitamin B12: Found in soy drinks, some breakfast cereals, and some meat substitutes.
6. Riboflavin: Almonds, fortified cereals, mushrooms, and soy milk are foods rich in riboflavin.
7. Linolenic acid (omega-6): Canola oil, flaxseed, and flaxseed oil contain linolenic acid, along with soy, tofu, walnut, and walnut oils.
8. Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3s are good sources of soy, flaxseed, walnut, and canola oil.

• Dietary supplements are also recommended. It is recommended to consult a doctor or nutritionist before deciding to take them.