Investigating the Truth of the Vegetarian Diet
Vegetarian diets have been steadily growing in the Western world due to animal welfare and environmental concerns. Yet, is it just a trend, or are there evident health benefits?
The article “The contribution of vegetarian diets to health and disease: A paradigm shift” [1] evaluated data on the health benefits and risks of a vegetarian diet and a non-vegetarian diet, and whether there has been any shift in perspective.
For this paper, a vegetarian diet excludes meat and emphasises plant-based foods [1]. An animal-based diet refers to a diet that allows for a generous intake of meat and other animal products [1] (such as eggs and milk).
A Lack of Nutrients.
Data shows that vegetarian diets are more likely to lead to nutrient deficiencies (such as iron and vitamin D) than meat-based diets [1]. The likelihood of deficiencies seems to differ between poorer and wealthier countries due to differences in the standard of living, access to food, medicine, and substitutes to deal with deficiencies [1].
Furthermore, restrictive vegetarian diets, such as a fruit-only diet, pose the risk of deficiencies that could affect growing children, women in their reproductive years, and lactation and development for pregnant women [1]. Vegetarians are advised to add generous amounts of animal products to aid in acquiring these substances and mitigate these effects [1].
The Positive Effects.
Despite these negative associations, the vegetarian diet has exhibited significant benefits in reducing the risk of chronic degenerative disorders and increasing longevity [1]. A potential reason why developed countries have lower rates of obesity, coronary diseases, diabetes, and many cancers compared to developing countries could be the growing absence of meat in their diets due to the greater availability of plant foods [1].
Meanwhile, high consumption of meat has been linked with an increased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and some cancers [1]. However, the specific types of meats (e.g., processed vs unprocessed) were not addressed.
It is important to note that scientists are more confident of the positive effects of a vegetarian diet than the risks of an animal product-based diet [1].
Is One Diet Better Than the Other?
Moreover, there is a framework that suggests that there is always a trade-off between the diets [1]. This means that if people switched from one diet to the other, there would always be a trade-off in adverse effects, highlighting the importance of a balanced diet.
However, research revealed that if a vegetarian exchanged a small number of vegetables for a small amount of dairy and other animal products, it would significantly reduce their vitamin B deficiency without increasing the risk of diseases like coronary disease [1].
Contrastingly, adding small amounts of veggies into a high meat-based diet would not significantly mitigate the associated risks [1]. Thus, there would need to be more drastic changes to limit the chances of these risks.
Another comparison between the two diets is that in societies with high food accessibility, it is easier for meat-based diets to exceed energy (calorie) intake than for vegetarians to not meet their nutrient needs [1]. This is due to the large number of foods vegetarians can get these nutrients from; however, this may take a lot of planning [1].
Fruit and Veg Preventing Disease!!
Further research suggests that antioxidants and anticarcinogenic properties in plants could aid in preventing cardiovascular disease and certain cancers [1]. In addition, fruits, nuts, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) also provide substances on which the human metabolism relies [1]. However, the paper does not mention how the metabolism is dependent, nor what substances in these foods contribute to this.
We do know that fruits and vegetables are rich in a variety of substances, including [1]:
· Carotenoids,
· Ascorbic acid,
· Tocopherols,
· Folic acid,
· Fibre,
· Indoles,
· Thiocyanates,
· Coumarins,
· Phenols,
· Flavonoids,
· Terpenes,
· Protease inhibitors,
· Plant sterols,
· Other unknown and unnamed phytochemicals and substances that could aid in preventing cancer and other diseases [1].
Therefore, the increase in certain diseases and cancers in people who consume an animal-based diet could be due to a lack of these substances abundant in plants [1].
The paper does not list the benefits of all these substances. Further research is also necessary to solidify the claims of their preventive benefits.
How Far Have We Come in Understanding Diet?
We must acknowledge that before the popularity of the vegetarian diet, there was a bias against vegetarianism, which led to scientists intentionally limiting our understanding [1]. It is saddening to think how biases once influenced the information provided to us, and it is likely that this trend still plagues the truth of science in various fields. However, in the present day, we now have a greater understanding of both the risks and benefits of the vegetarian diet, providing us with the knowledge to make informed dietary decisions.
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References
Reference paper “The contribution of vegetarian diets to health and disease: A paradigm shift?”