The Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
As everyone already knows, a vegetarian/vegan diet is obviously healthier than one that involves meat and other animal products [BEGGING THE QUESTION]. There are several different kinds of vegetarians out there with several different types of strict diets. There are of course vegetarians, people who consume some animal products but not any meat, and then there are vegans, who do not consume ANY animal products. Though there are some, like myself, who will eat certain kinds of meat like chicken and fish but not anything else especially red meats like beef as well as pork. These people are known as pescetarian, who are not vegetarians but will only consume fish, as well as other “-terian” …show more content…
There are a lot of health benefits to refusing to eat meat like reduced fats, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, weight loss and reduced risks for things like heart disease, diabetes and cancer and many people who have weight problems that choose to go on vegetarian diets …show more content…
There are 6 kinds of nutrients we need to survive: cholesterol, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. While many of these are found in meats and other animal products as well as present in fruits and vegetables as well. The biggest concern for people converting to veganism/vegetarianism is how they are going to get their protein. For the essential kinds of protein one can eat things like potatoes, soy products (which contains all essential amino acids), wheat, rice, beans, and nuts. These foods are also great sources for carbohydrates, especially wheat and soy products. Contrary to meats and other animal products though, finding fats in fruits and vegetables is a bit more difficult. Only certain plants’ oils are good sources of saturated and hydrogenated fats like olive oil, nut oil, seed oils and coconut oil, but this is only a problem for vegans, who do not consume any animal products. For minerals, which according to Merriam-Webster [APPEAL TO AUTHORITY], is a substance (such as quartz, coal, petroleum, salt, etc.) that is naturally formed under the ground, they are also found in abundance in mostly vegetables like beans and leafy greens but also in some fruits as well.