Health issues related to Vegetarianism
| Subject: | 🍏 Nutrition |
| Type: | Evaluation Essay |
| Pages: | 4 |
| Word count: | 937 |
| Topics: | Veganism, Universal Healthcare, 🍔 Food Insecurity |
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Table of Contents
Vegetarians are individuals whose diets exempt the consumption of some animal products. Vegetarianism is the act of exempting some animal products in their diet. Individuals do exempt some of animal products in their diet because of serious health issues that are related to such animal products such as, cancer and hypertension. Vegetables are known to be very essential or important as they contain countless bases of nutrients. This are connected to the care of a healthy standard of living. Individuals however need to maintain a healthy eating habit that will prevent them from attracting certain deadly diseases related to poor health eating habits. Nutritionists propose that the key for an individual to maintain a healthy eating habit is for him or her to include a variety of food in his or her diet. Healthy eating may entail food such as fruits and vegetables. The diet can therefore as well consist of some source of protein and irons for both the vegetarian and non-vegetarians. This essay will discuss whether there are any health issues and risks related to vegetarians.
Vegetarians have several diets that each one of them can adopt in relation to their choice. The sole reason for becoming a vegetarian is for an individual to cut down some product related to animals. These products may entail the avoidance of meat, milk and eggs. However, a healthy vegetarian can derive all the essentials from plants such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. For these reasons, vegetarians do differ in their attitudes towards some certain foods. The difference is as well associated with their diet choices. There are different types of vegetarians in relation to the content of their diet. There is the Vegan whose main diet consists of purely plant-based foods. They do not eat any animal products like meat, fish or any products from the animals. The Lacto-vegetarian is an individual who does not consume red meat, and animal products such as egg and milk plus other milk related products. The “Lacto-ovo-vegetarian” is an individual who does not eat red and white meet. They however eat animal related yields like cheese, cream and yogurt. Lastly, the Semi vegetarian diets are individuals who to for some reasons incorporate some small amount of white meat. White meat in this case includes fish and poultry. Vegetarianism has both health benefits and risks related to the health of the individuals who consumes them (Miller, 2010, p. 87).
Benefits of Vegetarianism
Vegetarians eat less meat and animal products in their diet. Their diets consists food that has less fat content, less cholesterol but contains higher levels of fiber content which is essential in their diets. Researchers propose that, minimal consumption of foods with high levels of fats and cholesterol makes individuals prone to chronic diseases. Therefore, consumption of foods with less fats and cholesterol by individuals lowers the risks of them suffering from such diseases (Miller, 2010, p. 69).
Vegetarians have low risk of contracting diseases such as high blood pressure. Studies show that Indi duals of the same age who are vegetarians have smaller content of blood pressure as compared to non-vegetarian individuals with same age irrespective of sex. Individuals who are said to be vegetarians are said to have lower or minimal risks of becoming obese. Vegetarians have lower serum cholesterol because they do not consume whole milk products and eggs that are associated to raising serum in the blood lipid content, which comes because of saturated fats, and cholesterol content in the body of an individual. Vegetarians are also associated with lower risks of colon cancer. Cancer of the colon comes by a high consumption of meat and animal fat that increases the concentration of various carcinogen cells in the colon. Individuals that eat great rate of nuts and whole grains have low rates of being attacked by diabetes (Resnik, 2012, p. 93).
Risks related to vegetarianism
Individuals ought to balance their diet to have a healthy diet. Studies have indicated that the vegetarians are at high risks of a number of nutritional problems such as deficiencies in Vitamin B-12, riboflavin, zinc, calcium and iron. They can as well have the deficiency in amino acids that are vital. These acids are lysine in combination of methionine. Children’s who are vegetarian are at the risks of having vitality shortage in terms of calories. Prolonged deficiency in vegetarians diet are said to bring several complications. For example, they can suffer Osteoporosis that attacks individuals who have deficiency of calcium (Resnik, 2012, p. 93). Deficiency in calcium can cause borne demineralization. Most of the vegetarians are likely to suffer from rickets. This is common in children who have deficiency of vitamin D. the infants and children who are vegetarians are seen to suffer from leanness or Slow Growth. Vegetarians are also observed to have a problem of low protein quality. This is based on relation to low protein digestibility and the composition of amino acids (Resnik, 2012, p. 102).
Conclusion
It is important for an individual to have a balanced diet to avoid some of the complications related to poor healthy eating. For instance, it is advisable to balanced plant and animal based products. This is because the risks associated with quality of the protein in plant foods are linked to lack of deficiency of several amino acids. These are found in mixtures of animal protein (Resnik, 2012, p. 93).
- Donatelle, R. J. (2009). Health: The basics. San Francisco, CA: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings.
- Miller, D. A. (2010). Vegetarianism. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
- Resnik, D. B. (2012). Environmental health ethics. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press.
Offered for reference purposes only.