The difference between vegetarians is that they not only adhere to a certain nutritional system, in which the daily diet completely or partially lacks animal protein and fat, dairy products and eggs, fish and seafood, but also welcome the idea of rejecting any items in the composition of materials and in the production of which fur, hides, bones or other parts of the carcasses of dead animals are used.
Historical background of vegetarianism
Often, vegans and vegetarians (their differences will be disclosed below) explain the benefits of their nutrition system by the fact that in the primitive world, the ancestors of modern humans could rarely afford protein and fat of animal origin, and their diet was based on roots, grass, foliage of trees and shrubs, berries, mushrooms, fruits, cereals and nuts for a long period of tens of thousands of years. Archeology, studying the remnants of everyday life, including the features of cooking, at the place of residence of an ancient man, proved the inconsistency of myths about the powerful primitive instincts of a human hunter. Although compulsory, the diet of primitive people was 65% filled with plant-based foods, as opposed to one-third of wild meat and other animal protein foods in the form of eggs, fish, etc.
It took thousands of years for animal proteins and fats to become available on a regular basis instead of regular hunger and widespread forced vegetarianism. The diet has become more diverse and satisfying, but there are also more diseases associated with gastrointestinal and vascular problems. The fact is that the genetic structure of the body has remained virtually unchanged, while eating habits and opportunities along with lifestyle have changed significantly. But this view is not shared by all scientists.
Their arguments are as follows: the food of our ancestors was unevenly plentiful due to the consumption of a large amount of extracted meat, which led to rapid physical development along with the function of puberty, while shortening the already short-lived due to infections and epidemics, accidents, feuds, attacks of wild animals, snakebites and poisonous insects of the human age.
History also decreed that for millennia practical vegetarianism as the root cause of religious preferences prevailed in the countries of the spread of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Adherents and distributors of vegetarianism among the masses were also adherents of various philosophical movements, such as the Pythagoreans, and later the scientific and creative layer of the intelligentsia. It is no coincidence that vegetarianism was not immediately called this popular food system, but at first it was called "Indian" or "Pythagorean." Modern Europe and America literally worship this food system - the list of vegetarians often includes the most famous and famous names. And in modern India, between 20% and 70% of the country's population adhere to the vegetarian system.
Vegans and Vegetarians: Differences
Veganism is one of the classifications of vegetarianism, which implies the rejection not only of meat, but also of fish and seafood obtained as a result of hunting, fishing, industrial breeding, slaughter, industrial fishing, etc. Eggs, milk and dairy products with veganism, they are also included in the category of prohibited products, since they are obtained by exploiting animals. However, you should know when considering who a vegan and vegetarian are: the difference here is not only in the degree of severity of the prohibitions on products in the grocery basket. It is also in compliance with a set of moral principles and taboos in relation to animals and other representatives of the fauna.
The difference between the concepts of “vegan” and “vegetarian” is also that vegans not only don’t wear clothes and shoes made of natural fur and leather, do not buy leather bags and belts, do not use leather furniture and cosmetics, the production of which, as they animals seem to have suffered, but they also defend the rights of animals, urging them to close and not visit zoos, dolphinariums, circuses and other similar places where animals are exploited and are often kept in poor conditions.
Other varieties of vegetarianism
A vegetarian is a person who consciously and voluntarily refused to consume any meat food from animals or fish killed during production or after special cultivation for slaughter. But at the same time, they may not refuse products of animal origin that were not obtained by force. For example, honey, dairy products and even eggs from poultry farms. People who adhere to such a diet are called lacto-vegetarians. These include most modern vegetarians who do not eat only meat and fish dishes. Some vegetarians do not eat or drink all dairy products, but sometimes they use eggs for food. They are ovo vegetarians. If, on the contrary, eggs are excluded, and dairy products remain in the diet, then adherents of such a nutrition system are called lacto-vegetarians.
Among strict vegetarians there are representatives of extreme vegetarianism - raw foodists (naturists), who completely exclude for themselves any heat treatment of food products, since they are convinced that high temperature destroys valuable nutritional properties, in contrast to products consumed in their natural form, without heat treatment.
By limiting the recipe by adding seeds of cereals and spices to vegetables, fruits and herbs, raw foodists refuse any culinary techniques, including pickling, and use only grain crushing.
A sand-vegetarian is one who enriches his own vegetarian diet with fish, caviar, crustaceans and all seafood, but completely rejects meat and its processed products.
The benefits of vegetarianism
Those vegetarian branches that allow the use of milk and dairy products, eggs and especially fish and seafood do not cause any concern to modern nutritionists and most doctors, since they recognize such a diet as almost complete and harmless to most adults, especially for people after forty years . For them, vegetarianism is even beneficial.
But when no animal proteins and fats enter the body for a long time, often for years, what is the risk of a vegan or vegan? Is it helpful or is there a long-term dangerous effect of such a diet?
One of the obvious advantages of this style of nutrition, which has been repeatedly proven by scientific research, is a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis, some types of cancer, coronary heart disease, arthritis, arthritis, gout, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and gallstone disease compared with traditional nutrition. .
Which vegetarian menu allows you to reduce and control weight or maintain normal body weight? Vegetarian nutritionists claim that 1,500 kcal per day is enough for an average adult. Vegetarianism combined with light fitness is one of the most effective and fastest ways to get fit.
Vegetarianism is also useful in that it cleanses the body of toxins, practically sanitizing the body.
Finally, plant foods, which, in addition to vegetables, fruits, legumes and greens, also cereals, contain a huge amount of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, biologically active substances, fiber and volatile. All this helps the body (especially urban residents) to withstand the stress and bad ecology of cities, as well as to maintain youth and lightness in the body.
Harm
There are plenty of disadvantages of vegetarianism, especially if the diet is ill-conceived and unbalanced. So, vegans and vegetarians often suffer from iron deficiency anemia. Iron is not present in plant form in plant foods; it is poorly absorbed.
One of the biggest problems a vegetarian diet has is a chronic lack of an essential element, vitamin B12. This vitamin of group B is absent in plants, and without it, a person develops irreversible and very serious diseases of the nervous system.
There are differences between animal and vegetable proteins. Animals are superior to vegetable (including soy). Proteins are an indispensable building material for cells and body tissues. Without protein, hormones and enzymes are not produced. Protein also affects immunity.
Often vegans are deficient in calcium, vitamin D, zinc and iodine. All these substances are necessary for the body in sufficient quantities.
Vegans who do not have fish or seafood in their diets lack important vitamins and minerals, especially omega-3 polyunsaturated acids, which cannot be replaced with plant-based ones.
Fiber is certainly beneficial to most of us, since it removes harmful cholesterol, toxins and excess glucose. But its excess (which can often be observed with vegetarianism) is harmful to health, interfering with the absorption of protein, despite the fact that getting and absorbing it is a problem in the case of a vegetarian diet.
Vegetarianism is contraindicated in people with asthenic syndrome, immunodeficiency, and also weakened or recovering from operations and injuries. Most doctors do not recommend pregnant and lactating vegetarian diets, and categorically do not recommend such a diet to children and adolescents for the entire period of formation of the body.
But most of these problems can be avoided if you approach the diet wisely.
Vegetarian Nutrition - A Protein-Rich Menu
In the food chosen by vegetarians, the main problem is not only the lack of the whole spectrum of useful substances that can be obtained from a complete animal protein, but also that even with a competent approach to nutrition, vegetable protein may not be enough, and even the one that comes in, it is much worse absorbed by the body. Full-fledged proteins are considered to be those that include essential amino acids that are similar to the "native" amino acids in the human protein, while in the same correct proportions. Soy protein can be considered closest to the animal, then - legume protein. To minimize the lack of protein, you need to ensure that in your daily diet there are products of plant origin, which contain a maximum of protein and amino acids. These are soy and soy products, legumes, nuts, brown rice and whole grains, also containing a small amount of protein. By the way, the leader among this group is quinoa.
A large percentage of protein contains seitan - a gluten-free product, as well as special vegan protein powders and bars. Lacto-vegetarians and those vegans who build their diet in accordance with all the rules, usually get a normal, and in some cases even higher than normal amount of protein.
Vitamin D
This vitamin exists in two forms - D2 and D3. Vegetarians focus on the form of D2 (ergocalciferol). Vegetarian nutritionists and other doctors in their research insist that for the most part people do not get enough sunlight to synthesize this vitamin. If at the same time there is a lack of vitamin D-fortified food, that is, vitamin D in the form of pharmacy supplements. Strictly following the dosage instructions, even a vegan can take them (this, by the way, is a fat-soluble vitamin that accumulates in the body).
Calcium
If vegetarians consume lactoproducts, then usually problems arising from a lack of calcium in food do not arise. Strict vegans and those who refuse milk and other dairy products should constantly plant foods, even rich in calcium, to accompany the intake of enriched soy milk and (or) orange juice. For the right amount of calcium per day, 3 servings of calcium-rich foods and drinks are required.
B12
The most important vitamin involved in the process of hematopoiesis and central nervous system activity. Vitamin B12 is needed for proper cell growth and reproduction of genetic information, as well as for participation in the secretion of the most important hormones.
Vegetarians must be aware of the following: there is not a single plant product that is not specially enriched in the production process in which vitamin B12 is naturally present sufficiently.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians can be calm, because with regular use they get B12 from dairy products and eggs.
But vegans get a certain amount of B12 only on condition of constant consumption of specially fortified products: drinks and products from soy and rice, breakfast cereals and cereal, and yeast. If there are few or no artificially enriched foods on the vegan table, then negative consequences cannot be avoided.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
In vegetarian diets, there are usually a lot of omega-6 fatty acids, but there are extremely insufficient polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids , which are very important for the proper functioning of the brain, cardiovascular system and other organs and systems. Omega-3 acids are present in fatty varieties of fish, eggs, which means that in the vegetarian and vegan diets they are absent or insufficient, especially if plant components that are also rich in omega-3 are not actively present in it. Yes, these fatty acids are also of plant origin - it is alpha-linoleic acid. It is contained, in addition to marine microalgae, in soybean, flaxseed, and walnuts.
But even if the herbal products from the list are regularly present, it is still better to take omega-3 fatty acids in the form of capsules or liquid fish oil. If strict veganism interferes with this, it is advisable to look for such deliveries that do not contradict these beliefs. Now, by the way, there is even iron in the form of additives that vegans can take without compromise.