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Health benefits of being vegetarian
Benefits of vegetarian diet
Health benefits of being vegetarian
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Vegan Vitamins and Supplements: What you must know about
Vegans, for a variety of reasons, don’t eat animal products and their by-products. They focus on fresh vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and fruits. This type of diet is very beneficial, but likewise has its own disadvantages. The major pitfall is the likelihood to fall short on some key nutrients such as Vitamin B12 and D, proteins, calcium and zinc. This cannot be ignored if one is to lead a healthy life. Vegans are therefore advised to consider taking some supplements on top of their diet. Here are some of those supplements recommended for Vegans.
1. Vitamin B12
Research has shown that people differ greatly in their ability to absorb Vitamin B12. With a vegan diet, there is a high
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Calcium
Most of the calcium rich foods are animal products and byproducts, but vegans don’t consume these. Vegans derive calcium from foods such as kales, tofu, soya beans, white beans, Brazil nuts, almonds and almond milk. Failure to eat plenty of these may make you fall short of the recommended target of 1000 mg per day. Calcium supplements come in handy in this case.
The choice of Vegan calcium supplements can be tricky. Some of them are made from oyster shells, and thus are not vegan. Other brands contain lanolin-derived vitamin D. Some other brands come in gelatin capsules, or as tablets with non-vegan coatings. It is therefore advisable to particularly shop for a Vegan Calcium supplement, such as the Deva’s Vegan Calcium.
3. Protein Powders
The most obvious source of proteins is meat and eggs. Since vegans don’t consume these, they have to look for proteins in foods such as beans, wheat gluten. These may however be difficult to digest, especially for the young vegans. The need for proteins can therefore be adequately fulfilled using protein
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This is certainly a great alternative to the natural proteins. One of the most popular brands is the Orgain Protein Powder. It is delicious, non-GMO and free from soy and artificial ingredients.
4. Vitamin D
This nutrient together with Calcium is essential in bone development. It is mostly obtained through exposing your skin to direct light or drinking fortified milks. The body needs strong direct sun exposure on skin so as to produce Vitamin D, which may not be possible during the cold months. On the other hand, too much exposure to the sun may lead to premature ageing of the skin. Vitamin D supplements are therefore necessary for such individuals.
Vitamin D2 supplements have been there in the market for quite a long time. It is only until recently that supplements with the more potent Vitamin D3 have been
The term vegan, devised in 1944 via Donald Watson, is referred to as an individual that follows veganism, which is the exclusion of all animal products to be consumed, predominantly in their diet (Kahn, 2011). Veganism is primarily supported due to preventing animal cruelty, as well as its health benefits and environmental consequences (Craig, 2009). Adolescence is referred to as the transition from childhood to adulthood, due to biological changes that occur via the onset of puberty (Ellis, 2004). Essential nutrients that are vital to be consumed during adolescence are proteins, which are in the category of macronutrients as they are required in large amounts, as well as calcium and iron, which are categorised as micronutrients, thus being required in smaller amounts (Bialostosky, Wright, Kennedy-Stephenson, McDowell & Johnson, 2002). Protein, calcium and iron are claimed to be essential nutrients in an adolescent female following a vegan diet as they are at higher risk to be lacked via plant-based sources if the consumption of these nutrients are inadequate, which may implicate negative effects on the growth and development during the pubertal growth spurt (Craig, 2009; Ilich-Ernst et al., 1998). This essay will be regarding to a 14 year old female named Jenny Brown, whom is currently following a vegan diet and is not consuming any supplementation in order to obtain adequate nutrition. As Jenny Brown is at the age of adolescence, this essay will discuss the biological changes that occur during puberty, followed on by a discussion on each of the vital nutrients including the macronutrient protein, as well as the micronutrients calcium and iron that are essential to be adequately consumed in order to attain nutritional competence ...
... like tuna, mackerel, and salmon. some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and some cereals. The only mineral that was the least of the 100% recommended by my DRI was potassium, Which I plan to get from bananas like I stated before, avocados and cantaloupe.
Since ancient times vitamin D has been the predominant cause of bone deficiencies.1 However, it was not in till the seventeenth century when both Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson made the first scientific description of a vitamin D deficiency.2 During the mid-seventeenth century there was an increase amount of children that were diagnosed with the bone disease called rickets.2 The cause of the rickets was determined to be associated to the lack of sunlight. A German researcher Kurt Huldschinsky came to the conclusion that when infants were exposed to ultraviolet light rays they became cured of rickets2. He stated that a substance in the skin was the potential source of the cure.2 In 1922, American scientist Elmer McCollum proved that when cod liver oil was heated; the beneficial effects of vitamin A in the oil were reduced.2 However, the oil remained effective in curing rickets leading McCollum to reason that a nutrient different from vitamin A was present in the oil. As a result, he named this nutrient vitamin D, which became the fourth vitamin to be discovered and named.2 Additionally, shortly after 1918, vitamin D was also discovered by an accidental experiment that included a group of scientists curing dogs affected with rickets by feeding cod liver oil to them.1
The position statement makes an initial statement to point out that vegetarian athletes are at a higher risk of being vitamin D deficient 1. Dietary sources of vitamin D include wild-caught fatty fish, a food that would obviously be absent from a vegetarian’s diet. However, th...
Vegan life is healthier for the nutritional benefits are better when compared to non-vegan eating. The majority of people in the world consume a diet, which contains food derived from animals. Those who have animal derived diets follow such a diet due to commonly known nutrition benefits and taste that come with the diet. Although, most people were told that such a diet was healthy, they wouldn’t follow such a diet if they knew the harm that came with it. Furthermore, several people know they require fruits, vegetables, and grains, according to the commonly known food nutrition chart. However, some people do not know that animal derived food is not necessary and that there are other healthier foods to replace them. Vegan diets follow the food chart needs without consuming food that come from animals by replacing the nutritional benefits that come from animals with plant-based foods that also have the same nutritional benefits.
This is actually not true. A vegan diet is no worse or better than a meat diet, it all depends on how balanced your diet is (Anisman-Reiner). Like with any diet a person has to be sure they are eating enough and receiving enough nutrients that their body needs to run. In any diet a person can have too much bad and not enough good, if a person eats too many fats and processed food they could become at risk for many health issues; a person on either a meat or vegan diet can be affected by this. What many people don’t know is that on a vegan diet a person can get all the nutrients a person can get on the traditional meat diet. One thing that many people often wonder is “Where do you get calcium if you don’t eat dairy?” A misleading fact in today’s society is that you need dairy to get calcium but this isn’t true. Countless other foods have calcium and a person on a vegan diet will eat more of these foods than a non-vegan making it easy for them to get all the calcium they need. A person who consumes 2,000 calories a day should have the equivalent of
Let 's take a look at one common protein source for vegetarians. Beans and lentils are another common source of plant based protein, but they are more of a carbohydrate than a protein source, so they are included in the carbohydrate section.
A vegan diet, which excludes all animal products including dairy and fish, can provide benefits for brain health when it is balanced. However, a poorly planned vegan diet can have a negative impact on brain health, resulting in mental health problems and even neurological disorders. Vegans should be sure to meet the daily requirements for vitamins in order to ensure optimum brain health. Vitamin D is particularly important for vegans, since it isn 't found in many vegan foods. According to "Scientific American" magazine, a 2009 study by researchers at the University of Manchester demonstrated that adults with lower vitamin D levels processed information much slower than those who had adequate levels. Fortunately, food isn 't the only source of vitamin D. Your body makes vitamin D during sunlight exposure, so try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight on at least three or four days of the week. Vegan sources of vitamin D include fortified soy milk and fortified orange
In contemporary society, Vegan diets have become prolific, especially among youths and adolescent females. Unlike Vegetarians who do not eat meat (the flesh of animals), Vegans do not consume any food sources of animal origin e.g. milk, butter. Many vegans also refrain from using animal products such as wool and leather. The reasons for these nutritional preferences can include, environmental issues, ethical issues on the treatment of animals, the health benefits of a Vegan diet, and the fear of animal-borne diseases. Jenny Brown, a fair-skinned teenager initiated her Vegan diet two years ago. She does not take any nutrition supplements and is currently 14 years old. Jenny’s vegan diet can reduce her risk of chronic disease later in adulthood as studies show that adult vegans have lower rates of obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease than omnivorous persons. Although her current diet is abundant in plant-source nutrients such as vitamins E and C, magnesium, fibre, folic acid and unsaturated fat content, it is lacking in other important nutrients that include iron, iodine, Vitamins D and B-12, zinc, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and energy. Jenny has to regularly consume foods that contain these vital nutrients or else she will increase her own risk of developing certain nutritional deficiencies and various health problems. It is during these periods of growth that Jenny is susceptible to great risks associated with nutrient deficiency in her diet.
Vitamin D can often be obtained with two different methods. The main method is the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin into Vitamin D3 via sun exposure to absorb ultraviolet B radiation with a wavelength of 290-315nm (Holick 2007). The other method, is through consumption in diets through plants in the form of Vitamin D2; or fatty fishes, supplements or fortified vitamin D products in the form of Vitamin D3 (Lavie, Lee & Milani 2011). Vitamin D undergoes hydroxylation twice; first with the enzyme 25-hydroxylase to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (Calcidiol) (Al Mheid et al. 2013). Then, Calcidiol is converted to the most active form of Vitamin D, 1,25-dihidroxyvitamin D Hormone (Calcitriol) with the help of renal 1--hydroxylase in the kidney (Al Mheid et al. 2013). Vitamin D2 and D3 are relatively similar since share the same hydroxylation pathway to produce Calcitriol (Tripkovic 2013), however, D3 has shown to have a greater influence on Calcidiol levels and thus more effective in maintaining Vitamin D health (Heaney et al. 2011).
According to Bonnie Beezhold et.al found that vegans and vegetarians, “…report better mood than non-vegetarians, suggesting that even less animal food intake is associated with better mood” (293). Also, Beezhold et.al, “…have found that the risk of major chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes may be reduced by adopting a completely plant-based diet vs. an omnivore diet” (Beezhold et.al 289). Overall, the medical community has agreed that veganism is a healthy option to avoid disease, but their concerns are that vegans will be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals that the regular omnivores are not deficient in. If a vegan is deficit in a certain mineral or vitamin that person can take supplements to combat it. People can say that if I take supplements will that make me healthy even though I consume meat? No, because you are consuming meat and that can clog arteries and increase cholesterol. I think that veganism is probably one of the healthiest options available for everyone. I also think that it is the healthiest because you do not see people become fat off of eating vegetables and fruits. I also agree with Beezhold et.al findings which show that vegans have less stress and anxiety because of the food they ate. Beezhold et.al think this may be because omnivores consume meat and the food the animals were fed where “…higher in certain
An even more serious symptom of vegetarian diet is calcium deficiency: calcium deficiency inhibits bone growth, even causing proactive weakening of bone structures, and eventually osteoporosis and death. Again, many vegetarians take supplements or get their calcium from dairy products, which are produced b...
Critics of vegetarianism do not believe that going on a plant based diet is the healthier choice. According to Nancy Rodriguez , people need to have a balanced diet consisting of the basic food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Vegetarians are getting the important nutrients from vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy but are missing important vitamins that they would normally get from proteins, such as, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and calcium. These nutrients are available in other foods but vegetarians are not able to get it in large amounts as they would be in meat. This insufficient amount of nutrients could create health problems in the future, for example, not having enough vitamin D could lead to bad bone structure. It is true that becoming a vegetarian could lead to some nutritional problems in the body however; there are many more positive aspects in becoming a vegetarian than negatives.
Numerous people believe that a vegetarian diet is unhealthy for the reason that one is not consuming enough protein since there is a decrease in the consumption of meat. However, meat is not the only source of protein. Nuts and grains contain great amounts of protein, and by eating these in the place of meat, one not only gets protein, but avoids the harmful carbohydrates and fats that are in animal meats. Consuming supplements can also help gain nutrients if the diet is not providing enough. There are countless amounts of nutritional supplements that one can purchase, including fish oil and omega 3s. These can be fairly cheap if purchased at the right place, and easily give bodies the nutrients they crave to function.
By not consuming animal protein, there is not a buildup of it in one’s body. An innumerable amount of doctors have proposed animal fats can clog up the arteries of one and cause early death and heart disease. “A major study showed that men in early ages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of cancer or may have even reversed the illness.” (2)There are several means to remove these harmful cholesterols out of the body. Eating foods low in cholesterol can help the body move it out of the system. Eating foods high in fiber can help the passage of food throughout the body and help remove the meats. There have been several studies which link meat consumption to colon, kidney, breast, and prostate cancer. Vegetables and fruits help reduce the risk of cancer, and meats and other fatty foods increase risk. Plant foods are also low in fat and high in antioxidants and other anti-cancer