VEGETARIAN DIETS

Free choice
Intentional decision to become a vegetarian,
not a result of poor conditions – poverty,
limited food accessibility
People who choose to exclude meat and
other animal-derived foods from their diets
today do so for many of the same reasons
the Greek philosopher Pythagoras cited in
the sixth century b.c.: physical health,
ecological responsibility and philosophical
concerns.They might also cite world
hunger issues, economic reasons, ethical
concerns or religious beliefs as motivation.
Vegetarians generally are categorized, not
by their motivations, but by the foods they
choose to exclude. Some exclude red
meat only; some also exclude chicken or
fish; other also exclude eggs; and still
others exclude milk and milk products as
well. The foods a person excludes are not
nearly as important as the foods a person
includes in the diet.
Vegetarian diets that include a variety of
whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and
fruits offer abundant complex
carbohydrates and fibres, an assortment
of vitamins and minerals, and little fat –
characteristic that reflect current dietary
recommendations aimed at promoting
health and reducing obesity.
 Semivegetarians
• Lactovegetarians: diet includes milk and
milk products, but no other animal
products
• Lacto-ovo-vegetarians: diet includes milk,
milk products, and eggs, but no other
animal products
• Pisco-vegetarians (Pisces=fish)
• Pollo-vegetarians ( Pollo =poultry)
 Vegans, pure, strict, total
vegetarians
• Diet excludes all animal products,
including honey, but sometimes also
mother milk
• Omnivores: diet includes both, animal and
plant origin food
 Health benefits
Comparison of the health of vegetarians and
non vegetarians is difficult, because many
vegetarians have adopted lifestyle that
differentiate them them from others.
Seventh-Day-Adventists, a religious group
on lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet also maintain
a healthy weight, use no tobacco or illicit
drugs, use little (if any) alcohol, and are
physically active.
• Well-planned vegetarian diets offer sound
nutrition and health benefits to adults
• Weight control: in general, vegetarians
maintain a healthier body weight than
nonvegetarians. Lower body weight
correlate with their high intakes of fiber
and low intakes of animal fat
• Blood pressure: appropriate body weight
helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure
(diet low in total fat and saturated fat and
high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables)
• Coronary artery disease: Fewer
vegetarians than meat eaters suffer from
disease of the heart and arteries.(diet low
in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol)
• Cancer: vegetarian diets are associated
not only with lower cancer mortality in
general, but with lower incidence of cancer
mortality in general, but with lower
incidence of cancer at specific sites as
well, most notably, colon cancer.
In general, adults who eat vegetarian diets
can reduce their risk of mortality and
several chronic disease, including obesity,
high blood pressure, heart disease, and
cancers. But there is nothing mysterious or
magical about the vegetarian diet; it simply
includes ample fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, and legumes-foods that are higher
in fiber, richer in antioxidant vitamins, and
lower in fats than meat-based diets.
• Both plant-based and meat-based diets
can be detrimental to health when
overloaded with fat. Vegetarians who dine
on cheddar cheese, butter sauces, sour
cream, and deep-fried vegetables invite
the same health hazards as omnivores
who overeat high fat meats. And both
diets, if not properly balanced, can lack
nutrients.
• Poorly planned vegetarian diets typically
lack iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12, and
vitamin D.
• Without planning, the meat eater´s diet
may lack vitamin A, C, folate, and fiber.