Is it healthier to be vegetarian? This is one of the controversies generated around this lifestyle. The reality is that this dietary practice regularly entails a whole change in consumption habits and therefore, in life.
The reasons why people are inclined towards a vegetarian diet are varied. From health reasons related to eating toxin-free food to increased social, environmental and animal awareness. However, vegetarianism raises some questions about its health benefits, vegetarianism raises some questions about its health benefits..
Is it healthier to be vegetarian than omnivorous?
We understand by traditional diet the one that includes foods of animal origin. Vegetarians are those who base their diet on all types of vegetables and exclude animal meat..
However, non-meat products of animal origin are consumed by vegetarians, such as milk and its derivatives, eggs and honey. Those who do not consume these products are known as vegans.
So, the biggest difference between vegetarian and omnivorous diets is in the meat consumed by the latter. For this reason it is often common to raise doubts about whether it is healthier to be vegetarian. In this article we analyze the question.
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Vegetarian food lacks “something”.
A vegetarian diet must be properly planned. While the main premise is that this diet should consist exclusively of vegetables, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, cereals and animal products, the amounts and frequencies of consumption should be planned to prevent nutrient deficiencies that could affect health.
Where special attention must be paid is in obtaining iron, Omega 3, zinc, iodine and vitamin B (especially vitamin B12).. All of these nutrients can be obtained in a vegetarian diet, but the right foods must be included in the right amounts so as not to run the risk of nutritional decompensation.
The focus should be on Vitamin B12. A person eating a vegetarian or vegan diet must be aware of the food sources that provide vitamin B12 or supplement their intake with pills or injections, in order to maintain an optimal level of requirements and not put health at risk.
For these reasons, it is often said that a vegetarian diet is lacking in nutrients, and the question of whether it is healthier to be a vegetarian is constantly being asked. However, a vegetarian diet that is carefully monitored, balanced and adapted to individual needs is completely safe for all ages.
With the advice of a nutritionist specializing in vegetarian nutrition, or with the right knowledge about the properties of vegetables, fruits and grains, this nutritional situation can be maintained safely for all ages, this nutritional situation can be maintained in a controlled manner and continued without any risk whatsoever..
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Omnivorous food is not better than vegetarian food
Excessive meat consumption can be detrimental to health. A problem of the current omnivorous diet is the abuse of meat and the minimal or null intake of vegetables, fruits, cereals and general sources of plant nutrients.and in general sources of vegetable nutrients. In addition to the increase in recent years of ultra-processed foods.
In recent decades, interest in reducing meat consumption has been on the rise. More and more people consider vegetarian, vegan or vegan-derived foods as a viable option for a better, healthier diet. to have a better, healthier and, above all, more environmentally friendly diet.
In other words, the reasons for abandoning an omnivorous diet respond to ethical, health and even religious beliefs. As this trend has grown, scientific research has determined that this was a healthy option and that, on the contrary, excess meat could be more detrimental to the health of those who consume it.
However, these same investigations have not been able to research has not been able to demonstrate conclusively that life expectancy is significantly longer for a vegetarian than for an omnivore.. Although there are passionate advocates of one or the other diet, the truth is that for the moment studies have shown that it does not affect greater longevity.
In this sense, what can be affirmed is that a diet that simply excludes or significantly reduces the consumption of other foods of animal origin, in addition to meat, can be detrimental to health. On the other hand, a diet that completely eliminates the consumption of meat but complements the obtaining of nutrients such as Vitamin B12 with supplements, does not cause problems to the health..
So… is it healthier to be a vegetarian?
Vegetarianism can be healthy depending on the balance of foods. However, the comparison between a well-balanced omnivorous diet and a vegetarian diet that takes care of the nutrient intake results in the following neither is healthier than the other.
In fact, the specific recommendation is to increase the intake of vegetables in general, as well as fruits, seeds and legumes. The World Health Organization estimates that the minimum necessary intake of vegetables in general should be 400 grams per day.. In addition, we need to generally decrease or eliminate foods with trans fats, saturated fats and too much sugar.
This suggestion, in addition to bringing health to those who follow it, also serves as a call to improve food production practices worldwide. If there were a greater demand for vegetables and a decrease in the demand for meat, it would result in a more sustainable and efficient management of food resources on a large scale.
This could contribute to reducing the accelerated production of meat through industrial animal husbandry, which resorts to unfriendly and even cruel practices to meet market demands. A reduction in the quantity required could also contribute to a change in livestock raising systems.