HFA4U : Vegetarian Diet For Better Health

According to the article by Katz and Meller (2014), the vegetarian diet can be defined as the low-fat diet as well, as it is mainly focused on different plant food items. It has to be mentioned in this context that the origin of the vegetarianism as a dietary habit can be dated back to the 6^th century BC in ancient India and in ancient Greece. And soon the idea of the vegetarian diet was linked to the religious and/or philosophical beliefs of not harming animals. Considering the constituents of the vegetarian diet, keeping all the different types of the vegetarians in the context, the broadest list of the vegetarian food items will include the wide variety of the plant food items, eggs, honey, milk and other related dairy products. However, there have been many debates regarding whether or not all the mentioned items can be considered truly vegetarian or not as different groups of vegetarians have been reported to consume different categories as mentioned above. On a more elaborative note, as mentioned by Clarys et al. (2014), a vegetarian diet is not mandated to follow the strict rule of not including any animal derived product. In support, many authors have stated that the original philosophy of vegetarianism had been associated with the intention of not harming the animals. Hence considering this philosophy, the Ovo-Lacto vegetarianism can be considered nothing different with the core concept of the vegetarianism. Although, Pawlak et al. (2013) have argued that as the Ovo and Lacto Vegetarian diet consists of the animal-derived products, only the vegan diet can be considered the original concept of vegetarianism.

Benefits of the vegetarian diet:

There is a variety of different benefits provided by the vegetarian diet. According to Saunders et al. (2013), the vegetarian diets, especially with whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, cereals and the leafy vegetables, provide a substantial amount of iron to the consumer, and hence, it has been argued that adhering to the vegetarian diet can reduce the possibility of acquiring iron deficiency significantly. However, the vegetarian children have been found to be having a reduced percentage of iron and hemoglobin due to not consuming the animal iron sources that have high utilizability. In support, another study had discovered that the mothers that are on a strictly vegetarian diet have been found to be at higher risk of developing anemia than the ones on a non-vegetarian diet (Gorczyca et al., 2013).

A few components of the vegetarian diets have been found to be rich in the micronutrient such as Zinc as well. These food items include cooked dried beans, sea vegetables, fortified cereals, soyfoods, nuts, peas, and seeds. Hence, it can be argued that sticking to a vegetarian diet can help in reducing the possibility of zinc deficiency and related disorders. Along with that, it cannot be ignored that a vegetarian diet is filled with leafy vegetables and whole grains, and hence, the individuals with a vegetarian diet are not at risk of developing deficiencies of fiber or carbohydrate. A vegetarian diet is highly dependent on the soy food products which are significantly high in protein, fulfilling more than the day’s requirement of proteins of an individual. Along with that, it has been also argued by Saunders et al. (2013) that the combination of soy protein, mushrooms, and legumes in a diet plan can very well replace the protein constituents of a nonvegetarian diet.

Considering more disease-oriented benefits, many authors have stated that the vegetarian diets have been reported to be very useful in avoiding key noncommunicable diseases. As mentioned by McEvoy, Temple, and Woodside, (2011), the vegetarian dietary habits have been linked with reduced risk of congenital heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. As both of these diseases are associated with triglyceride and other related fatty acid deposition, which is mostly found from the animal food resources, omitting the animal food items automatically reduces the probability of developing these diseases. Similarly, the impact of the vegetarian diet is considerably high on the obesity prevention and management due to the reduced possibility of fatty acid deposition. Although, it can be argued, that the vegan diet has been proved to be more beneficial in weight reduction than the other forms of vegetarian diets. Along with that, the vegetarian diet has also been argued to have blood pressure lowering impact as well. As illustrated by the study of Pilis et al. (2014), the vegetarian diets result in low saturated fat consumption, a high polyunsaturated/saturated fat ratio, and high consumption of fruit, vegetables and fiber-containing foods. Hence, this diet plan has a significant impact on the reducing the rate of arterial blockages and vasoconstriction and improves the blood pressure levels, preventing arteriosclerosis (Pills et al., 2014).

Disadvantages of a vegetarian diet: the argument:

Although there are many research studies that have focused on the different health benefits of sticking to a strict vegetarian diet, there have been some arguments as well emphasizing on the nutrient deficiencies that can result from following a vegetarian diet, especially vegan (Clarys et al., 2014). The most important nutrient that is missing from the diet of the vegetarians is the vitamin B₁₂, although the ovo-Lacto vegetarians get some vitamin B₁₂, the vegan lifestyle has been reported to be highly linked to potential vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. The argument provided by Pawlak et al. (2013) against the health benefits of a strict vegetarian diet has illustrated that the strictly vegetarian diets enhance the risk of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency facilitated by the suboptimal intake. The study has further stated the fact that the vegetarians develop B₁₂ depletion in their lifetime demographic characteristics, residential characteristics, age, or kind of vegetarian diet. Hence, there is a need for all kinds of vegetarians to take additional vitamin B₁₂ supplements to ensure avoiding diseases such as pernicious anemia, unsteady gait, or cognitive loss.

 Another argument denying the vegetarian diet to be an optimally healthy food choice is based on the omega-3 fatty acid deficiency in the vegetarians. As mentioned by Saunders, Davis, and Garg (2013), the vegetarians have been found to be extremely low in the concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two very important elements for human growth and development, especially cognitive health. Hence, sticking to a strictly vegan diet can have the risk of EPA and DHA deficiency. Moreover, the authors have further stated that EPA and DHA constituents are virtually absent in strict vegans. In argument, Piccoli et al. (2015), have stated that plant food sources including soybean, soy milk, tofu, and ground nuts provide ALA or ?-linolenic acid. However, it has to be mentioned that the rate of endogenous conversion of the ALA to EPA and DHA is very slow, and hence, the required concentration cannot be met by following a strict vegetarian diets. And hence, it has been recommended to double the intake of plant ALA sources for vegetarians and especially the vegans to avoid deficiency and related disorders. Hence, it can be argued that although there are various benefits of sticking to a vegetarian diet, there are potential disadvantages as well which can oppose the general idea of optimally benefitting healthy living by a completely cruelty free dietary habit.

Conclusion:

On a concluding note, it can be stated that there are different types of vegetarianism in the present day scenario and as a result, the concept of vegetarianism has gained a considerably higher demand, especially in the young generation. And there are undoubtedly numerous benefits of a vegetarian diet. This report had been successful in outlining all the potential health benefits of a vegetarian diet, along with any possible argument that questions the optimal usability of this dietary habit. From the data assessed, it can be deduced that vegetarian diet can replace the animal food sources in many nutritional requirements including iron, zinc, protein, carbohydrate, and fibers with a few exceptions. Along with that, the literature also revealed that the vegetarian diet can also avoid the consumption of polyunsaturated and saturated fat leading to various noncommunicable diseases such as coronary arterial diseases, obesity, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. Although, only vegetarian diet is not sufficient enough for a healthy living due to the deficiency of vitamin B₁₂ and omega three fatty acid. And many authors have argued the need for additional supplement consumption of vitamin B₁₂ and doubling the plant-based intake of ALA to avoid the consequences of both of the deficiencies. Hence, it can be stated that although the vegetarian diet can be the best choice for the present day situation, it is not enough for optimal health of an individual without additional supplementation.

Introduction:

Vegetarianism can be defined as the voluntary abstinence from the practice of consuming meat or most of the animal product (Pawlak et al. 2013). However, it has to be mentioned that there are four main types of vegetarian diets, ovolacto vegetarian (including eggs, dairy products honey and plant foods), the lacto vegetarian (including dairy products, honey and plant foods), the ovo vegetarian (including eggs, honey and plant foods) and the vegan vegetarians (including just plant food items). Many research studies have focused on the benefits provided by going the vegetarian way in life, not just for the benefit of the personal health but also for the environment; and along with that, it has to be mentioned that many studies have focused on the negative impact of the vegetarian diet on the health as well (Clarys et al., 2014). This assignment will attempt to present an argumentative take on the vegetarian diet and its benefits, including constituents of a vegetarian diet, its various benefits, possible disadvantages, and arguments.

References:

Clarys, P., Deliens, T., Huybrechts, I., Deriemaeker, P., Vanaelst, B., De Keyzer, W., ... & Mullie, P. (2014). Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet. Nutrients, 6(3), 1318-1332.

Gorczyca, D., Prescha, A., Szeremeta, K., & Jankowski, A. (2013). Iron status and dietary iron intake of vegetarian children from Poland. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 62(4), 291-297.

Katz, D. L., & Meller, S. (2014). Can we say what diet is best for health?. Annual review of public health, 35, 83-103.

Marsh, K., Zeuschner, C., & Saunders, A. (2012). Health implications of a vegetarian diet: a review. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 6(3), 250-267.

McEvoy, C. T., Temple, N., & Woodside, J. V. (2012). Vegetarian diets, low-meat diets and health: a review. Public health nutrition, 15(12), 2287-2294.

Pawlak, R., Parrott, S. J., Raj, S., Cullum-Dugan, D., & Lucus, D. (2013). How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians?. Nutrition reviews, 71(2), 110-117.

Piccoli, G. B., Clari, R., Vigotti, F. N., Leone, F., Attini, R., Cabiddu, G., ... & Pani, A. (2015). Vegan–vegetarian diets in pregnancy: danger or panacea? A systematic narrative review. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 122(5), 623-633.

Pilis, W., Stec, K., Zych, M., & Pilis, A. (2014). Health benefits and risk associated with adopting a vegetarian diet. Roczniki Pa?stwowego Zak?adu Higieny, 65(1).

Saunders, A. V., Craig, W. J., Baines, S. K., & Posen, J. S. (2013). Iron and vegetarian diets. The Medical Journal of Australia, 199(4), 11-16.

Saunders, A. V., Davis, B. C., & Garg, M. L. (2013). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vegetarian diets. The Medical Journal of Australia, 199(4), 22-26.