The vegetarian diet has long been recognised as a healthy and safe source of nutrients. However, many individuals still worry that, by switching to a meat-free eating plan, they will not be getting their required intake of vitamins, minerals and protein.
Many new vegetarians, those considering becoming vegetarian, or parents of young vegetarians, may worry about the health risks of being a vegetarian and about whether they are supplying their bodies with the nutrition they need. However, many of the concerns that are most frequently expressed concerning vegetarianism are actually unfounded.
Although it is possible to make bad nutritional choices as a vegetarian – just as it is within any sort of diet – by paying a bit of attention to what one’s body needs and to what it is being supplied with, it is actually very easy to modify one’s diet to cut out meat without compromising health. In fact, there are indeed some great health benefits of being vegetarian.
Maintaining a High Protein Diet as a Vegetarian
There are two big mistakes that new vegetarians can make when cutting meat from their diets; the first is not replacing meat with vegetarian sources of protein, the second is only using dairy products to make up their protein intake.
The first route is not a good idea as, although most foods actually contain some protein, this sort of diet may not be enough to supply the body with the essential amino acids (the components which make up proteins) it needs for growth and repair. The second approach is equally unwise, however, as dairy is high in saturated fat and cholesterol and, while it will provide the body with high levels of protein, too much of it can be bad for health, as well as for the waistline.
It is best, instead, to mix and match various sources of vegetarian protein, good sources of which include nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, grains, quinoa (a good alternative to pasta, rice or couscous, which contains all eight essential amino acids) and many of the excellent “meat alternatives” that are available today, such as Quorn products.
If individuals are particularly worried about their intake of protein they could consider high protein vegan supplements such as spirulina, bee pollen or hemp protein, however vegetarians generally find that their diet alone provides sufficient protein. According to The Vegetarian Society, “in fact it would be very difficult to design a vegetarian diet that is short on protein. Excess dietary protein may lead to health problems. It is now thought that one of the benefits of a vegetarian diet is that it contains adequate but not excessive protein.”
Getting Enough Minerals and Vitamins as a Vegetarian
Many vegetarians are concerned that their diet will not give them enough vitamins or minerals. However, as long as one is following a healthy, varied diet and ensuring they are eating at least five portions of fruit and/or vegetables a day, they should be OK as far as vitamins go.
In terms of minerals, the main one that vegetarians need to be careful with is iron as, according to The Vegetarian Society, “Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional problem both in Britain and worldwide”. This is particularly a problem for vegetarians as, according to the UK’s Food Standards Agency, meat is the best source of iron.
Vegetarians can easily increase their intake of iron, however, through good vegan sources such as pulses, green vegetables and dried fruit, as well as through eggs. Those concerned about their levels of any minerals or vitamins can again also choose to supplement their diet with superfoods such as bee pollen, which contains all of the known vitamins (including B12, which vegetarian diets can be short of) and twenty seven minerals, or raw cacao, which is believed to contain 314% of the RDA of iron in just 1 ounce.
Benefits of Becoming Vegetarian
Although one may feel that they need to keep a closer eye on their diet as a vegetarian, it is believed by many that the health benefits of being vegetarian far outweigh the risks.
Here are just a few benefits vegetarians may experience:
- According to The Vegetarian Society, “The Oxford Vegetarian Study found cancer mortality to be 39% lower among vegetarians compared with meat-eaters (Thorogood, 1994).”
- There are a lot fewer cases of food posioning within a vegetarian diet.
- According to Vegan Health, “A 1999 report of the results of the original Adventist Health Study showed vegetarians to have about half the risk of diabetes as non-vegetarians.” The American Diabetes Association corroborates the theory that adopting a vegetarian diet could help diabetes in their book 101 Nutrition Tips for People with Diabetes.
- According to Dr. Deborah Wilson, on GoVeg.com, “meat-eaters have three times the obesity rate of vegetarians and nine times the obesity rate of vegans.”
- Vegetarians consume a lot less cholesterol than meat eaters, while vegans consume a cholesterol-free diet, as cholesterol is only found in animal products.
- Consequently, according to the American Heart Association, many studies have indicated that vegetarians have lower risk of coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
Becoming a Vegetarian Can Lead to Good Health and Nutrition
While many worry about the health risks of becoming vegetarian, vegetarianism is actually a healthy, nutritional choice. As long as vegetarians follow general healthy eating rules, make sure they follow a varied diet and keep up their intake of iron, they should experience no problems at all. When following a nutritionally balanced meat free diet, the only side effects vegetarians may in fact experience are positive changes in their weight and health.
For more information on following a healthy vegetarian diet please refer to:
The Vegetarian Society website
The Food Standards Agency website
