Vegetarianism: pros, cons and harm

Every year new diets appear, which after some time become a way of life for many people. One of these areas is vegetarianism. This is a complete exclusion from the diet of products from absolutely any animal, poultry, fish and seafood, or partial. How vegetarianism affects the human body, who benefits from it and who does not, you will learn from this article.

The pros and cons of vegetarianism

There is a lot of debate about vegetarianism. Of course, this direction has its disadvantages and its undoubted advantages. But no one can say for sure what is more beneficial or harmful in this. And before you begin the transition to vegetarianism, you must first consult with a specialist so that he can confirm that you can do it.

There are quite a lot of positive qualities from this direction; some doctors prescribe a vegetarian diet for:

• atherosclerosis;
• obesity;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• diabetes mellitus;
• hemorrhoids;
• hypertension;
• overweight;
• gout;
• intestinal dysfunction;
• arthritis;
• some forms cancer;
• kidney and vascular diseases.

Vegetarian for many people diet helped cure various ailments. True, for older people, children and people with certain chronic diseases, this option is strictly contraindicated.

It has been proven that vegetarianism increases energy and mood. Most often, vegetarians are people without bad habits, who play sports and lead a healthy lifestyle. An undoubted advantage is losing extra pounds from the sides, cleansing the body of toxins and waste.

The disadvantages of this direction include:

• huge lack of protein;
• deficiency of important microelements, iron, zinc and calcium;
• when consuming garlic, antibiotics, onions and some medications kill the intestinal microflora, which is very important for vegetarians;
• hormonal imbalances, endocrine system disruption;
• small variety of dishes;
• women's problems - menstruation disorders, work disorders thyroid glands, the possibility of infertility;
• poor metabolism, swelling, constipation, dry epidermis.

The harm of vegetarianism

As mentioned above, the harm of this direction lies in many aspects. Lack of vitamins, protein, microelements, saturated fatty acids. If you are a vegetarian, you cannot ignore vitamin complexes; they are strictly recommended in such cases.

If you vegetarian man inactive life, he will be more likely to be susceptible anger, rage, hysterics, depression. This happens due to a lack of vitamin B12. Vegetarianism stops the body's growth and development.

If you refuse sea inhabitants and fish, it is quite possible to develop cardiovascular diseases, cataracts and clouding of the lens of the eye.

Types of vegetarianism

Experts divide vegetarianism into several subtypes:

• raw food diet– consumption of raw foods without heat treatment, most often vegetables and fruits;
• veganism– the most severe type, consuming only plant foods, most often they do not even wear or use things that are in any way related to animal origin;
• lactovegetarianism– consumption of plant products, honey and milk;
• lacto-ovo-vegetarianism– plant foods, dairy products, eggs, honey;
• pesco-vegetarianism– possibility of eating fish;
• ovo-vegetarianism– eggs and plant products.

Vegetarianism and veganism: what are the differences

Many people are confused veganism and vegetarianism. In fact, these are completely different terms and directions. Initially, there was only one option, where only plant foods were consumed, no dairy products, eggs, honey, or fish. But many people were not happy with this.

The result was a new trend called vegetarianism. But vegans support stricter views on diets. They do not accept milk, kefir, cottage cheese, or cheeses. But vegetarians sometimes they can afford one of the listed products.

If we consider life positions, then not a single one vegan you will never see clothes or accessories made from genuine animal skin, fur products, or woolen items. They do not visit zoos or circuses, they are against any abuse of animals. And vegetarians can afford woolen clothes and go to zoos and circuses. For them, the main thing is that animals are not killed.

What do vegetarians eat?

You have already learned who vegetarians are and their subspecies. Now let's figure out what vegetarians eat. As is already clear, this is plant food.

• legumes – beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils;
• nuts, seeds;
• soy products – sofu cheese;
• buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, millet cereals;
• any vegetables;
• fresh herbs, onions, garlic, spices;
• fruit;
• potatoes;
• berries acai, goji, algae, seeds chia;
• freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, smoothie;
• berries;
• mushrooms;
• dried fruits, prunes, raisins, dried apricots;
• whole grain bread.

Some types of vegetarianism allow the consumption of dairy products, fish and seafood, cheese, honey, and eggs.

You can solve the problem of iron deficiency with blueberries, porcini mushrooms, figs, apples, dates, nuts.

For protein - cereals, legumes, nuts, sprouted grains.

Switching to vegetarianism

Some meat eaters, when deciding to become vegetarians, abruptly stop consuming meat and animal products. Under no circumstances should this be done. It is necessary to switch to such a diet smoothly so as not to incur various health problems.

In this situation, you need to carefully keep track of calories, eaten per day and for your condition. You need to get used to something new gradually. For example, in the first couple of weeks you should replace two meat dishes with legumes or soy. In the next two weeks, you need to increase the number of “non-meat” days, switching to plant foods.

But, of course, before indulging in the vegetarian trend, you should definitely consult with a specialist. And be under his supervision throughout the transition. Some doctors recommend undergoing a biochemical blood test and a blood test for vitamin content before starting. This is necessary in order to create the correct diet, and also in order to have something to compare with some time after the start, most often this is 6 months. And, of course, taking vitamin complexes is strictly necessary.

Children and vegetarianism

A lot of parents, whether they're vegetarian or not, believe that if their kids become pure vegetarians from an early age, they'll be super huge, super smart, and... the very best. Well, this can be refuted.

As you may have already learned above, this direction slows down the processes of development and growth of the human body, which means that children should under no circumstances switch to the vegetarian direction. After all, they will be more frail, weaker, and mental development will fade into the background. For growth and development, little people need proteins, vitamins, and fats, which are found in large quantities in animal products and meat.

Some believe that all animal products can be replaced with plant products, and if there is no harm to adults from vegetarianism, then children will not be harmed either. Let's start with the fact that the complete safety of this trend for adults has not been proven, so what harmlessness is there for children?

Yes, many animal products can be replaced with plant foods, but many plant foods do not contain iron, protein, calcium, zinc, vitamins B12, B2, A. And the future health of anyone depends on this baby. A deficiency of these vitamins and elements worsens the functioning of all organs, the external condition of nails, skin, hair, vision and other problems. Therefore, on the question of vegetarianism and children, the answer is categorical - under no circumstances.

Vegetarianism during pregnancy

But experts differ in their opinions about pregnant vegetarians. Some argue that vegetarianism during pregnancy is good and necessary. In this case, strict medical supervision and taking vitamins are necessary. In fact, if a woman was a vegetarian before pregnancy, then there is nothing wrong with that. In this case, as soon as you contact the doctor with a message about your situation, you must immediately say that you have been following this direction for a long time.

Other experts oppose vegetarianism during pregnancy, and even more so during lactation. The reasons are all the same missing vitamins, microelements and protein that the unborn baby needs for development.

In general, if you are a long-time vegetarian, then there is strict medical supervision, nutritionist and strict compliance with all instructions. Especially if you don't vegan, and sometimes you can afford to eat animal products. If you are not a fan of this trend, then it is better not to start during pregnancy.

Reviews about vegetarianism

Studying reviews on the Internet about vegetarianism, we can conclude that this direction in most cases produces positive and effective results. Many people, young and old, note an improvement in their health and the loss of excess fat deposits and kilograms. At the same time, there is a charge of positive and necessary energy, a wonderful mood.

With such diets prescribed by doctors, many sick people got rid of their ailments, which undoubtedly makes them happy. Some people like this trend because it allows them to lose weight without any physical activity.

But there are also negative reviews in which people who tried to enter this direction were frustrated. They couldn't get enough of animal products and began to dream about them, which eventually led to an aversion to vegetarianism. Others note a deterioration in their health, dullness of hair, brittleness and layering of nails, dryness and peeling of the skin. Some women note sudden mood swings, frequent depression or, conversely, unmotivated attacks of aggression and anger, menstrual irregularities.

Based on all this, we can conclude that before starting something new for yourself, you need to listen to a specialist and your inner voice and feelings, and only then make a decision about the feasibility of the undertaking.