All The Benefits Of A Vegetarian Diet

There are a growing number of people who follow a vegetarian diet. Those who follow this diet refrain from eating animal proteins, either for health or for moral conviction. Plant protein sources are consumed in order to get the proper daily nutrition that your body needs.

The benefits of going vegetarian include weight loss, healthier nutrition, and therefore lower health risks. Discover all its virtues below.

Benefits of a vegetarian diet

Lose weight

In the vegetarian diet there is a wide variety of foods that have a high number of calories. For example, ice cream, cookies, breads and chips. However, most vegetarians are able to lose weight because their diet focuses on plant-based products.

As a post in Diabetes Care points out , vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than omnivores.

Thus, certain studies have shown the effectiveness of vegetarian diets in reducing the risk of obesity, so we can say that it gives better results in weight loss compared to low calorie diets.

However, for it to be a healthy diet and even to lose weight, we must ensure the necessary caloric intake. To do this, we will turn to very nutritious foods, such as nuts, coconut or avocado . 

These types of foods are rich in healthy fats, such as Omega 3, which can  reduce the accumulation of fats throughout the body, according to a study published in the Lipids Magazine . These accelerate the metabolism and, therefore, facilitate weight loss.

Healthy nutrition

A vegetarian diet allows more room for healthy foods, which are part of a balanced diet. For example, fruits, vegetables, whole grains , legumes, nuts, and seeds.

These foods provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids and vegetable proteins. In addition, they provide healthier nutrition, since they are free of fat and cholesterol.

Lower risk of getting sick

Excluding meat from the daily diet significantly reduces the amount of saturated and trans fats consumed. Instead, plant proteins have healthy fats. This makes vegetarians have lower blood pressure and acceptable cholesterol levels.

In addition, by not eating animal products high in fat and cholesterol, it also benefits us in other ways. According to a study carried out by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA) of the University of Chile, it reduces the risk of suffering from heart disease and diabetes, among other pathologies.

The benefits of a vegetarian diet for children are based on the contribution of  vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and fiber. This makes the child have a good functioning of the digestive system. However, it must be complete and balanced.

Common deficiencies in the vegetarian diet

Iron

Iron is present in meat. As this food is excluded in the vegetarian diet, you must ensure the intake of foods rich in this mineral. For example, crucifers and green leafy vegetables, which contain high amounts of iron.

Vitamin C is also essential, since it increases the absorption of iron. The recommended daily intake of iron for an adult is 14 milligrams.

Vitamin D and B12

Finally, these are important vitamins that you should also look for, since they are found in foods of animal origin.

• Vitamin D can be found in the sun for 15-20 minutes a day. It is also in avocado and fortified cereals.
• To get vitamin B12, you can eat fortified cereals, seaweed, and brewer’s yeast. However, if you have a deficiency of this vitamin or follow a very restrictive diet, you can take a group B vitamin supplement to avoid deficiencies.

It is always recommended to consult a professional nutritionist so that the vegetarian diet is complete and balanced. Otherwise, it is a healthy option.