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Pros and Cons of being a vegetarian

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Vegetarian diets are popular for a variety of reasons. Eating vegetarian is a way for some people being healthier or avoid hormones found in animal meals. Others eat this way because of religious beliefs, animal rights, or environmen­tal concerns.

If you’re thinking about going vegetarian, you should think about what kind of vegetarian you’ll be. Once you’ve selected which foods to avoid, you’ll need to devise a strategy to guarantee that you obtain all of the nutrients your body requires.

Pros

It is beneficial to the heart: Vegetarian­s may have a onethird lower risk of death or hospitaliz­ation due to heart disease. Of course, whether you’re a vegetarian or not, your food choices matter. Choose highfibre whole grains, legumes, nuts, vegetables, and fruits if you want to reap the benefits of a hearthealt­hy diet.

The idea is to eat soluble fibre and eat foods that will help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level. You may lower your cholestero­l and total risk of heart attack by doing so.

Type 2 diabetes can be avoided: Type 2 diabetes and its consequenc­es can be prevented and treated by eating a healthy vegetarian diet. It all comes down to eating low-glycaemic foods like whole grains, legumes, and nuts to maintain a constant blood sugar level. In one study, vegans were half as likely as nonvegetar­ians to acquire type 2 diabetes.

Cons

You may suffer from Nutrient deficienci­es: Many plantbased diets lack certain necessary minerals, such as vitamins B12 and D, calcium, and iron. Vegetarian diets may offer these nutrients if food intake is correctly managed, however, supplement­ation may be essential in some cases. Vegetarian­s can receive these nutrients from the following sources:

B12 is a vitamin found in

animal products such as eggs and milk (as well as meat, fish and poultry). Some fortified cereals, nutritiona­l yeast, meat replacemen­ts, and soymilk also contain it.

Vitamin D is found in fortified plant milks and mushrooms, in addition to eggs and fish. Sun exposure is also a source of vitamin D.

Source: www.healthline.com

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