Essay Example on Vegetarian Diets: Exploring the Benefits of an All-Vegetable Diet

Introduction

Humans have a wide range of foods they can include in their diets. They are widely categorized as omnivorous, consuming both meat and vegetables. In real sense, humans consume almost all types of foods according to differences in culture, tastes, and preferences. Among the popular foods consumed by a large percentage of people include fish, poultry, red and white meat, dairies, and animal products such as eggs. However, there is a group of people who have decided to include only vegetables in their diets; these people may not eat red or white meat, fish, and poultry (Arora et al., 2017). People who eat vegetables only without including meat or animal products in their diets are called vegetarians. Adopting a vegetarian diet can have health benefits by enabling a person to avoid risks related to the consumption of meat and animal products. This paper explores the concept of vegetarianism, types of vegetarianism, and health effects associated with vegetarianism.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Hypothesis

Including vegetables alone in the diet has a lot of health benefits.

Method

The research to explore the vegetarianism concept was done through a meta-analysis of existing research articles. The process involved doing a literature search of articles on the internet to select relevant ones on vegetarianism. The sources that were targeted included primary research articles, peer-reviewed articles, and legitimate websites addressing the subject of human diets, especially the vegetarianism. All the relevant articles were sorted together for proper analysis of the required information. After analyzing the articles, results were summarized in a clear, simple, and direct manner for easier understanding.

Results

Vegetarianism refers to the practice of including vegetables only in the diet. Multiple research studies have reported that excess consumption of meat, especially red meat, can have harmful effects on the life of humans (Cofnas, 2019; Petti et al., 2017; Costa-Rodrigues et al., 2018). Research has found that red meat is associated with the increased risks of contracting various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. The excessive consumption of red meat can also increase the risk of mortality. Dieticians recommend that one should limit the consumption of meat significantly to avoid developing complications associated with such foods (Arora et al., 2017). Many people have responded to health awareness in various ways. Some people have taken drastic measures to limit the consumption of red meat, some even eliminating meat and animal products from their diets.

The practice abstention from meat and animal products and choosing to replace them with purely vegetables and vegetable products is known as vegetarianism (Cofnas, 2019). The people who practice vegetarianism are called vegetarians. The following are some types of vegetarianism by what foods a person chooses not to involve in the diet.

Types of Vegetarians

Vegans

Vegans are the strictest vegetarians. They never consume any animal products or by-products. Their diet comprises vegetables only. For that reason, vegans do not eat both red and white meat, fowl, or fish (Borude, 2019). They do not eat any animal products, including dairies, eggs, beeswax, honey, or gelatin. Vegans also abstain from using wool, leather, and silk. Therefore, people whose interests fall into this category do not budget for meat at all.

Lacto Vegetarians

People falling into this category do not consume both red and white meat, eggs, fowl, and fish. However, they can eat dairy products, including yogurt, milk, and cheese (Petti et al., 2017).

Ovo Vegetarians

People who are categorized as Ovo-vegetarians do not consume fish, white meat, red meat, fowl, and dairy products. However, they can eat egg products.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians

People in this category do not eat fowl, fish, white meat, or red meat. However, they can eat egg products and dairy products (Costa-Rodrigues et al., 2018).

Pescetarians/Pescatarians

People in this category can be referred to as semi-vegetarians because they eat some kinds of meat while avoiding others. Pescetarians can eat only fish and other seafoods. However, they do not eat fowl, white meat, and red meat (Borude, 2019). They can also be called flexitarians.

Pollotarians

People in this category are semi-vegetarians because they consume only selective meat dishes. Pollotarians eat fowl and poultry alone (Arora et al., 2017). In other words, pollotarians can only eat white meat and abstain from eating red meat, fish, dairy products, and egg products.

Flexitarians

People who fall into this category are those who try to limit the consumption of meat as much as possible. However, they can consume meat on special occasions.

Health Effects of Vegetarianism

The consumption of vegetables only can boost the condition of health in the following ways.

Boost Longevity

Vegetarianism is among the many factors that lead to an increased lifetime for humans. Vegetables do not have toxins that threaten human life. Eating a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet helps reduce the concentration of toxins in the body tissues, thereby facilitating healthy living and longer lifespan. Residents of Okinawa, Japan, have been found to have the most extended lifespan than anywhere else on the planet. Studies conducted in this area suggest that the vegetarian culture of those people might be the reason why they live long (Borude, 2019). The cultural foods for people living in Okinawa, Japan, consist of soy, fiber-rich vegetables, and fruits, as well as low-calorie diets, consist of unrefined complex carbohydrates. The vegetarian diet of these people enriches their bodies with nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and roughages that bring good health (Costa-Rodrigues et al., 2018). Fruits and vegetables do not contain toxins that can harm the body. Instead, the vegetarian foods supply the necessary nutrients while eliminating toxins that might exist in the body, thereby giving way for healthy growth and replacement of body tissues and regeneration of cells.

Reduces the level of cholesterol in the body

Human bodies require cholesterol to make digestive fluids, vitamin D, and hormones. Cholesterol also enables organs in the body to function properly. However, when cholesterol exists in excess amounts, it can cause a great problem. High levels of cholesterol can cause damages to blood arteries, increase the risk for stroke, and contribute to the development of heart disease (Cofnas, 2019). Therefore, the amount of cholesterol in the body must be maintained at its optimum levels to avoid complications. Animal fat contains a lot of cholesterol. Since cholesterol comes only from animal fats, vegetarian diets are free from cholesterol. Even though it is a vital component in human tissues yet absent in fruits and vegetable diets, vegetarians should have nothing to worry about because human cells are capable of manufacturing enough cholesterol from vegan foods. Research studies have found that the amount of cholesterol is lower in the body of vegetarians than omnivores (Rosenfeld, 2018). Therefore, vegetarianism significantly reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood, helping people to avoid unnecessary complications such as stroke, heart disease, and damages to blood arteries.

Low risk of obesity and stroke

A vegetarian diet contains healthy nutrients that build up the body and eliminate toxins. Vegan foods do not produce excess blood sugar in the body that may increase the risk of obesity. Research studies reveal that non-vegetarians experience a surge of blood sugar, especially after eating. The increased concentration of blood sugar in the body increases the chances of developing stroke and diabetes (Cofnas, 2019). Vegan foods can be the solution to these two problems by providing proportionate amounts of nutrients that are necessary for healthy living.

Boost healthy skin

Research studies show that minerals and vitamins with plenty of water are responsible for maintaining the good health of human skin. Fruits and vegetables are rich in minerals and vitamins that nourish skin and maintain their luster (Arora et al., 2017). Apart from that, most of the fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants that eliminate toxins in the body and maintain the good health of the skin.

Improve digestion

Fruits and vegetables contain roughages that are responsible for the proper digestion of food in the body. The high content of fiber in the body boosts metabolism and helps eliminate harmful chemicals in the body (Rosenfeld, 2018). Vegan foods also contain a high content of water making them good for maintaining a good water balance in the body. Moreover, fruits and vegetables are easy to digest, thereby keeping metabolism in a good state. Research studies also show that vegetarians have a higher resting metabolic rate (RMR) than non-vegetarians. The RMR is directly proportionate to metabolism, meaning that the higher the RMR, the faster the body would burn fats. Therefore, a vegan diet is very beneficial to healthy living, growth, and development of the body.

Boost vision

Research studies show that fruits and vegetables improve eyesight. Leafy greens such as collard greens, kale, and spinach contain zeaxanthin and lutein that prevent cataracts and macular degeneration (Borude, 2019). Avocado, peas, and broccoli are also good sources of these nutrients. Therefore, vegetarians have the advantage of maintaining good eyesight by consuming vegan foods.

Build strong bones

Dark green vegetables such as turnip greens, collards, kale, and broccoli have high calcium contents. Apart from that, other vegan foods such as soymilk, tofu, and dry beans also enrich the body with large amounts of calcium that is required for growth and development of human bones (Arora et al., 2017). Therefore, consuming vegan foods boosts the strength of bones and helps achieve healthy bone development.

Conclusion

Vegan foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that provide unlimited health benefits to the growth and development of the body. Vegetarianism involves abstention from the consumption of meat and animal products and choosing to eat vegetables only. The common types of vegetarians include vegans, lacto vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pescetarians, pollotarians, and flexitarians. The health benefits of vegetarianism include boosting human longevity, reducing the levels of cholesterol in the body, reduce risks of obesity and stroke, improve healthy skin, improve digestion, boost vision, and build strong bones. With these and other benefits in place, vegetarianism can be deduced as a good practice with unlimited health benefits. Therefore, people should be encouraged to embrace vegetarianism and practice it for healthy living and proper growth and development of body cells, tissues, and organs.

References

Arora, A. S., Bradford, S., Arora, A., & Gavino, R. (2017). Promoting vegetarianism through moralization and knowledge calibration. Journal of Promotion Management, 23(6), 889-912. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10496491.2017.1323263

Borude, S. (2019). Which Is a Good Diet—Veg or Non-veg? Faith-Based Vegetarianism for Protection From Obesity—a Myth or Actuality?. Obesity surgery, 29(4), 1276-1280. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11695-018-03658-7

Cofnas, N. (2019). Is vegetarianism healthy for children?. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 59(13), 2052-2060. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2018.1437024

Costa-Rodrigues, J., Sá-Azevedo, R., Balinha, J., & Ferro, G. (2018). Vegetarianism during pregnancy: Risks and benefits.