Introduction:
If you’re trying to eat healthier, you may be thinking about totally eliminating meat from your diet. Several restaurants and supermarkets now offer protein alternatives to make your decision easier. But is a vegetarian diet healthier? Read on about the advantages and downsides of a diet for vegetarian or vegan vs. a meat-eater to inform you as you consider changing your lifestyle.
What is a Vegetarian Diet?
Firstly, we need to understand that what is a vegetarian diet? There are two basic kinds of vegetarian diet: lacto-ovo and strict (vegan). Most vegetarians fall into the lacto-ovo category, that is, that they eat only non-animal products which include fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, soy, etc., but also eat animal byproducts such as yogurt and eggs. Vegans, however, don’t eat any animal products whatsoever and as a result they must be very careful in their selection of foods so that they get all the nutrients they need.
Additionally, following a vegetarian diet can be nutritionally superior to any other way of eating. It can be one of the healthiest ways to eat because of the fact that plant foods are loaded with nutrients to protect our health.
Why is Vegetarian Diet Considered to be better?
A vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes than meat eaters. Vegetarians also tend to have a lower body mass index, lower overall cancer rates and lower risk of chronic disease in comparison to meat-eaters.
A vegetarian diet, however, doesn’t necessarily lead to weight loss especially if you eat out at restaurants often. A lot of times, the only vegetarian dishes on the menu are cheesy and fattening. Besides this, eating restaurant-size portions of pasta, rice, nuts and cheese could quickly add up to weight gain.
The most important thing for vegetarians of all kinds to remember is to make sure they are getting key nutrients, including protein, fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and vitamins D and B-12. Protein is essential for building muscle mass, amino function, fighting disease and healing.
People who eat at least some meat scored lowest on the Healthy Eating Index and the other groups scored somewhere in between. Meat eaters were also more likely than other groups to be overweight or obese1.
Fully plant-based eaters score higher on the Healthy Eating Index not because they forgo meat, but rather because they eat more minimally-processed whole plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds.
And meat-eaters score lower not because they eat meat, but because of a low intake of whole foods such as fish and seafood, fruit, beans, nuts, and seeds. They also have a higher intake of refined grains and sodium—two words that usually describe highly-processed foods.
Now, What about Meat-Eaters?
Meat is the best source of protein, which the body needs to function optimally. Red meat is also a good source of iron, vitamin B, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin.
Meat has high levels of saturated fat and can raise cholesterol. Due to its high-fat content, red meat has been linked to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Furthermore, processed meat is loaded with sodium, which can raise blood pressure. Although, it is often thought of as the healthier option, chicken and turkey have been found to be more strongly associated with weight gain than eating red or processed meat, according to a study.
Conclusion:
When making decisions about the way you eat, there are countless factors to consider including price, environmental impact, accessibility, etc. of which health is just one. But ultimately, understanding how your body responds to your diet at the blood level, is the only way to know if your eating habits are promoting good health. In addition to that, we must keep in mind that plants are the key to any healthy diet. No matter which diet you opt for, switching your focus to plants is the most important change to make. The fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants you get from plants work to help keep your body disease-free.
References:
- Clarys P, Deliens T, Huybrechts I, Deriemaeker P, Vanaelst B, De Keyzer W, et al. Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet. Nutrients. 2014 Mar 24;6(3):1318–32.
