Vegetarianism, pros and cons

The vegetarian diet is healthy, but you have to be careful of any nutrient deficiencies, especially in the age of growth and pregnancy.

In a rough way, those who do not eat meat can be called vegetarians. To be more precise, however, it is better to specify that there are various “nuances” of the vegetarian diet.

They range from a diet rich in vegetables, but that does not eliminate milk and eggs (lacto-ovo-vegetarian) to “narrow” vegetarian diets that do not include any animal trace and that reject everything that is produced by living beings, even honey (vegan).

Then there are also those who eat mainly vegetables and also fish, but not meat. Finally, there are also vegetarian diets based only on fruit (fruitarian diet).

Leaving all the space possible to the “vegetable imagination”, from the point of view of the real nutritional needs, what does it mean to adopt a vegetarian diet? Is it risky for health?

What’s there

Great emphasis has been given to the healthiness of vegetarian regimes, pointing the finger at the culprits of all time: saturated fats present above all in red meat and products derived from these (cold cuts, sausages, lard, lard).

In fact, their negative properties are well known, but sometimes they are unfairly denigrated.

It is now established, from the results of different studies, that the vegetarian diet represents a healthy diet, thanks to the fiber content (intestinal functions) and other phytoderivatives (plant derivatives).

These components are very important for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. People who consume good amounts, in fact, appear less exposed to the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart attack and certain types of cancer. And also overweight.

Another important advantage of vegetarian diets is the content of minerals (legumes) and vitamins with high antioxidant potential (C, A and E).

What’s missing

Abandoning animal foods altogether, however, means giving up iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids (fish) and vitamin B12 (meat).

And these renunciations have repercussions above all on the structure and functions of nervous tissue.

Vitamin D and calcium are also somewhat deficient: especially in the diets of vegans they are so much so as to affect bone mineral density.

And this, as has been shown, would result in the most serious damage in children and adolescents, in whom bone growth is in full activity. Not to mention young pregnant women.

Pros or cons?

As always, the best choice would be in the middle. We Mediterraneans are fortunate to have so much good fresh fruit and vegetables available, but on their own, at least at certain times of life, they risk being completely insufficient.

Remember to include legumes, for protein, and whole grains (but that they really are) for iron and, at least a couple of times a week, add cheese and eggs, to ensure adequate intake of vitamin B12.

And, in any case, before starting to follow any restricted diet it is always advisable to check if there are particular deficiencies, for example of iron or other minerals, or if you suffer from any intolerance or malabsorption.