Vegetarian Diet Facts-Types, Benefits, and Negative Impacts
One thing is clear that fresh foods including fruits and vegetables boost your health. The term “vegetarian diet” is very common and most people think that it has no meet but this is not so. Vegetarian diets fall into different groups depending on the foods.
Vegetables help cope with certain diseases, including cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, etc. However, you also need fruits, grains, healthy fats, and nuts to get essential nutrients.
It is wrong that a vegetarian diet does not include animal-related foods like eggs, meat milk, and butter. Here, we will explain vegetarian diet types to enhance your knowledge on this subject,
Types of Vegetarian Diets
Vegan Diet Group: this vegetarian diet group includes foods with vegetables only without any meat, dairy, and poultry stuff. It does not allow processed foods having butter, milk, or eggs.
Lacto Diet Group: It comes with vegetables and dairy items like butter, milk, cheese, and yogurt. However, you won’t see chicken, turkey, and red meat in this vegetarian diet.
Ovo Diet group: It consists of vegetables and eggs, excluding other dairy foods. It does not include meat, seafood, or poultry.
Lacto-Ovo group: It comes with vegetables, eggs, and other dairy products. But, it has no fish or white and red meat.
Pescatarian Diet Group: It only allows fish excluding other meats. Besides, dairy products and poultry is also missing.
Flexitarian Diet Group: This vegetarian diet group allows plant-based food along with meat, dairy, and poultry but in small amounts.
What Do You Get From A Vegetarian Diet?
Health experts say that a vegetarian diet gives you nutrients that meat cannot provide, like fiber, vitamin C, E, as well as minerals and magnesium. Let’s explore together, the vegetarian diet benefits.
You Have Healthy Weight
A vegetarian diet helps in weight loss, and you can maintain your weight by taking it consistently. Experts studied some vegetarians who lost 2kg in 18 months than non-vegetarians.
The studies on diabetes patients show a decrease in weight that was faster than low-calorie foods. Some other studies on 61000 people showed that the BMI (Body Mass Index) of vegetarians is less than the non-vegetarians.
You Can Prevent Cancer
You can prevent cancer by adopting good eating habits and through a vegetarian diet. Each year, many people die with cancer in the US, and experts studied that a vegetarian diet can prevent certain cancers like breast or colon cancer. However, this research depends on observations than facts. So, more research is necessary to see the impact of vegetables on cancer.
You Can Control Blood Insulin
A vegetarian diet helps manage blood sugar; eventually, you will stay healthy. The diet can also prevent type-2 diabetes if you stick to it for longer. But, it also depends on the vegetarian group you belong to.
Your Heart Becomes Healthy
You can prevent heart issues by having vegetarian diets with all essentials. Unhealthy fats or excess meat increase bad cholesterol and blood pressure which are the main factors behind heart disease. So, you can stay healthy by taking a diet full of minerals and nutrients.
When A Vegetarian Diet Becomes Harmful?
Some people don’t plan a vegetarian diet wisely and lack healthy nutrients that affect their health. You need a balanced diet, including proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, as well as selenium. Both red and white have these elements, so you can’t skip them altogether. However, if you don’t prefer meat, you should have supplements to cover the deficiencies.
Likewise, eggs and dairy products are rich in calcium and vitamins like D and B. Make sure to include them in your diet because their deficiency may result in fatigue, thyroid problems, weak bones, and anemia. Doctors and dieticians recommend fruits, proteins, fortified foods, whole grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, and healthy fats. So, you can avoid the vegetarian diet side effects by including essential nutrients in your meal plans.