Essays

In the past, vegetarianism was viewed as strange and l faddish. The appearance of countless books, cookbooks, and magazine articles promoting vegetarian diets has helped in appreciable', the benefits of appropriately planned vegetarian diets. In fad vegetarian lifestyle is now being recognized as being nutritionally adequate, and providing healthful benefits in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.  On the other hand, choosing a non-vegetarian lifestyle has a significant health and medical cost, as higher prevalence of hypertension heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity and Food home illness has been observed among omnivores compared with vegetarians.

Today, there is a large body of scientific literature which suggests   that the consumption of a diet of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and fruits.  with the avoidance of meat and high-fat animal products,  Along with a regular exercise program is consistently associated  with Lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, less obesity  and consequently less heart disease, stroke, diabetes, ethnic dishes. Mortality.

A vegetarian diet is distinguished from an omnivorous diet by its cointent of dry beans and lentils which can be served with rice, added to soups, stews, and salads or cooked into different ethnic dishes. These take the place of meat and fish as the major source of protein. The risk of cancer can be lowered by choosing predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods, and by limiting the intake of grilled, cured and smoked meats and fish.

People who do not eat meat, poultry, or fish are called vegetarians. They build their diets around a wide variety of plant foods, including grains (such as rice, barley, and oats), grain-based foods (such as bread, pasta, and cereals), legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. In addition, cheese and milk made from rice, almonds, and soybeans are prominent in some vegetarian diets. Lacto-ovo vegetarians consume dairy foods and eggs. Vegetarians who do not eat any animal products, including dairy products, eggs, and honey are called vegans.

Vegetarian diet is desirable for a variety of reasons. It decreases the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The growing concerns about world hunger and the environment has given a fillip to vegetarianism. It is because large-scale production of animal foods uses land that could otherwise be used to grow plant-based foods, and is a major cause of deforestation and soil erosion worldwide. While some people go vegetarian for ethical reasons, there are others who advocate that humans are not physiologically suited to meat eating as they have more in common with herbivorous animals than with carnivorous animals in terms of the structure and function of the digestive tract. In today's world of consumerism, some people choose vegetarianism in an attempt to live more simply and economically, and in closer harmony with the way most of the world's population eats.

Regular fruit and vegetable consumption reduces the risk of heart disease. It is believed that lifelong vegetarians have a 24 per cent lower incidence and lifelong vegans (those who eat no eggs or dairy products) have a 57 per cent lower incidence of coronary heart disease compared to meat eaters. It is because fruits and vegetables contain folic acid, dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, carotenoids, phytosterols, flavonoids, and other polyphenolic aniioxidaiits, which provide possible protection against cardiovascular disease. Typically, vegetarian diets are also somewhat lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. Plant diets rich in soluble fibre (such as found in dry beans, oats, carrots, squash, apples, and citrus) are useful for lowering serum cholesterol levels.

The many flavonoids in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, have extensive biological properties that reduce the risk of heart disease. Flavonoids are among the most potent antioxidants that protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, inhibit the formation of blood clots, and have hypolipidemic effects and anti-inflammatory action. Also, the yellow- Orange and red carotenoid pigments in fruits and vegetables are powerful Antioxidants that can quench free radicals and protect against cholesterol Oxidation.

A number of studies have shown that legumes lower blood  Cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar control, and lower triglyceride levels Since beans are good sources of soluble fibre, vegetable protein, saponins, phytosterols and polyunsaturated fat, consuming a diet rich  in legumes  will lower risk of heart disease.

Vegetarians consume two to three times as much fibre as do meat- Eaters, which help in reducing cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and protection against colon cancer. They consume more antioxidants, which are found in a wide variety of plant foods. Antioxidants protect cells from oxygen-induced damage and reduce the risk for heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and other diseases.

Vegetarians consume more photochemical which have a wide range of protective effects in the human body. They help to detoxify carcinogens, stimulate the immune system, regulate cell growth (which helps to fight cancer), and reduce some of the harmful effects of excessive exposure to hormones. Vegetarians also cat more is flavones   that may reduce the risk for prostate cancer and my improve bone health. They consume much less saturated fat and cholesterol than meat-eaters, which reduces the risk for heart disease and possibly for diabetes and cancer. They do not consume heme iron, a type of iron found in meat that may increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

However, vegetarians need to balance incomplete proteins to synthesize complete protein in the body. Proteins that come from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grain products do not provide .ill nine essential amino acids (protein building blocks) at a single meal. Hence, vegetarians (especially vegans) must be careful lo consume appropriate quantities of complementary proteins each day to ensure that they get Hough dietary protein. They can easily meet their protein needs by consuming a variety of plant foods and eating enough food to meet calorie needs.

Vitamin B12 is not found in sufficient quantities in vegetarian diets to meet the body's requirements. Vegetarians must therefore eat B12- Fortified foods or take vitamin supplements on a daily basis to prevent a deficiency.

Vegetarian, and particularly vegan, diets do not provide enough Calcium Dairy products are a good source of dietary calcium, but they are not the only source. Green leafy vegetables, usually eaten in large quantities by vegetarians, are also good sources. Vegans—who eat no animal products—are the most likely to suffer from calcium deficiency and they could benefit from taking a calcium supplement.

Vegetarians eat less iron than non-vegetarians, and the iron they e.il is somewhat less absorbable. As a result, vegetarians are more likely to have reduced iron stores. Although iron is found in a variety ol' different foods, its availability to the body (bioavailability) varies significantly. This is determined by whether it is found in the form ol' heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found only in meat, fish, and poultry. It is absorbed much more readily than non-heme iron found primarily in fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, and grain products, such as bread and iron-fortified breakfast cereals. Including a source ol' vitamin C at each meal improves absorption of vegetarian-source iron.

Strict vegans may become iodine deficient if they do not consume j enough iodine, readily available in iodized salt. Milk is fortified with vitamin D as very few foods are good sources of vitamin D. So, vegetarians who do not consume milk should be sure to get 20 to 30 minutes of sun exposure every day since this promotes the synthesis of vitamin D in the body.