Vegetarianism Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. - Albert Einstein 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 (although most of us here at Educate-Yourself do eat fish for protein). Those who include dairy products and eggs in their diets are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. Vegens (pure vegetarians) eat no meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy products. While there is a considerable advantage to a lacto-ovo vegetarian pattern, vegen diets are the healthiest of all, reducing risk of a broad range of health concerns. Vegetarians have much lower cholesterol levels than 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 such as meat, dairy, and eggs, vegens consume a cholesterol free diet. The type of protein in a vegetarian diet may 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. Those studies show that a low fat, vegetarian diet has a clear advantage over other diets. An impressive number of studies, dating back to the early 1920s, show that vegetarians have lower blood pressure than non vegetarians. In fact, some studies have shown that adding 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.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 17:13:56 +0000