To turn vegetarian or not is an eternal health, and perhaps social debate. Turns out, there are no easy answers
Every now and then we read about some celebrity or the other turning vegetarian for spiritual or other reasons and many of them report weight loss too. So is a vegetarian diet really better? Does it really lead to weight loss?
Let us explore both sides of the debate for an answer.
VEGETARIANISM: PROS AND CONS
A vegetarian diet is a diet in which a person consumes all types of plant foods along with milk and dairy, but completely avoids consuming all meat and animal derived foods and by-products.
Every study that has examined the nutritional  status of vegetarians has reported inadequate availability of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, protein and minerals, such as iron and zinc due to reduced bio-availability in plant sources.
Benefits of Vegetarian diets:
- Reduces the risk of ischemic heart disease
- Lower cholesterol level
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower rates of diabetes
- Lower rates of hypertension
However for a vegetarian, the most important thing is getting a balanced diet. A balanced diet is a diet which provides adequate amounts of all  key nutrients  such as protein ,fatty acids , minerals  iodine, calcium and vitamin D and vitamin B-12.
Vegans must eat soy protein (the only vegetable protein which is as complete as animal protein), or they should mix beans with grains to get balanced protein intake.
Vegetarian diets in India pan a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, spices, seasonings and cooking practices and hence can have different levels of bio-availability and absorption for many nutrients.
If vegetarians consume different types of foods along with the right amounts of foods from each food group, then the vegetarian diet can meet the recommended amount of all nutrients. Those vegetarians, who focus on foods that are rich in calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12, achieve good health. And of course the most important part is exercise. Without that, no amount of vegetarian foods will let you achieve your health goals.
NON-VEGETARIANS & THEIR DIETS
A non-vegetarian diet usually has more high fat content pork, chicken, beef and seafood. Over the last few years, the biggest increase in consumption has been seen in poultry. Chicken and fish on their own have not been shown to cause chronic diseases, but when either is deep fried in partially hydrogenated oil, they become one of the main causes of heart disease as they contain trans fatty acids.
Non-Vegetarians:
- Have shorter lifespan and are more prone to chronic diseases as compared to vegetarians.
- They have more heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
- They eat lesser amounts of fruits and vegetables than recommended. This often decreases the fibre intake in their diet
So, coming back to where we started, which one is better? Modern living has pushed both these categories of people on similar pedestals.
Currently both vegetarians and non-vegetarians consume more of refined cereals (white bread, white rice, etc), as compared to whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice). Refined grains have lost their vitamins and fibre due to the polishing process. Thus the issue of lower fibre intake is present in both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
That is why regardless of whether the diet is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the most important thing to remember is that the key to good health is a balanced diet. The diet should contain adequate nutrients and together with proportionate amounts of exercise should overall be part of a healthy lifestyle.
