Vegetarian Food
Powerful for Health
A vegetarian menu is a powerful and pleasurable way to achieve good health. The vegetarian eating pattern is based on a wide variety of foods that are satisfying, delicious and healthful. Vegetarians avoid meat, fish and poultry. Those who include dairy products and eggs in their diet are called ovo-lacto-vegetarians. Vegans (pure vegetarians) eat no meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy products. Although there is a considerable advantage in the model ovo-lacto-vegetarian, vegan diets are the healthiest of all, reducing the risk of a wide range of health problems.
A Healthy Heart
Vegetarians have much lower cholesterol levels in meat-eaters, and heart disease is uncommon in vegetarians. The reasons are not hard to find. Vegetarian meals are typically low in saturated fat and usually contain little or no cholesterol. Since cholesterol is found only in animal products like meat, dairy and eggs, vegans consume a cholesterol-free diet.
The type of protein in a vegetarian diet can be another important advantage. Many studies show that replacing animal protein with plant protein lowers blood cholesterol levels – even if the amount and type of fat in the diet stays the same. Such studies show that a low-fat vegetarian diet has a clear advantage over other diets.
Lower Blood Pressure
An impressive number of studies, dating back years since the early 1920s, show that vegetarians have lower blood pressure than non-vegetarians. In fact, some studies have shown that aadir meat to a vegetarian diet raises blood pressure levels rapidly and significantly. The effects of a vegetarian diet occur in addition to the benefits of reducing the sodium content of the diet. When patients with high blood pressure begin a vegetarian diet, many are able to eliminate their need for medication.
Diabetes Control
The latest studies on diabetes show that a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (found only in plant foods) and low in fat is the best dietary prescription for controlling diabetes. Since diabetics are at high risk for heart disease, avoiding fat and cholesterol is the most important objective of the diabetic diet and a vegetarian diet is ideal. Although all insulin-dependent diabetics need to take insulin, plant-based diets can help reduce insulin requirements.
The Calcium Connection
Vegetarians are less likely to form kidney stones or gallstones. In addition, vegetarians may have a lower risk for osteoporosis because they eat little or no animal protein. A high intake of animal protein encourages the loss of calcium from bones. Replacing animal products with plant foods reduces the amount of calcium lost. This may help explain why people living in countries where diets are typically plant-based have little osteoporosis even when calcium intake is low.
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Tags: vegan diets, Vegetarian, vegetarian eating pattern, Vegetarian Food, vegetarian menu, Vegetarians
June 18th, 2010 at 9:53 am
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