Since the concept of "Illness enters by the mouth" is y rooted in people's hearts, many people have started the "vegetarian" mode.

Of course, this is not a sudden emergence of dietary patterns, for vegetarianism, too, has a long history.

Whether it's for religious reasons, health reasons, or environmental considerations, vegetarianism has long been a part of the diet and a part of the food culture.

What kind of vegetarian are you

Vegetarian diets vary greatly depending on the degree of dietary restriction, and are categorized as strict vegetarian, egg-lacto-vegetarian, fish-vegetarian, and so on.

Strict Vegetarian: is a diet completely free of animal foods and their products, including but not limited to meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and other dairy products.

Lacto-ovo vegetarianism: a diet based on a vegetarian diet that still includes eggs and milk and their associated products;

Fish-ovo vegetarianism: a diet that does not include red meat, but includes seafood (mainly fish).

What benefits do you get from a vegetarian diet

Eating a vegetarian diet does have some special benefits.

Some studies have linked a vegetarian diet to a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

This is because a well-balanced vegetarian diet, which is low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, and high in dietary fiber, can have a positive impact on health.

In particular, vegetarian diets are free of animal fats, low in cholesterol, and rich in dietary fiber, which helps to discharge cholesterol from bile, reduce fat and cholesterol absorption, and improve lipid disorders.

In addition, high dietary fiber can also slow down the process of digestion and absorption of sugar in the small intestine, slowing down the rate of rise of blood glucose, improve insulin sensitivity, conducive to blood glucose control, and for the prevention and treatment of diabetes has a positive effect.

What are the dangers of a vegetarian diet?

As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad food only bad meals!

Although vegetarian diets have certain advantages, especially for strict vegetarians, they can be hazardous to your health if you don't pay attention to nutrition.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, as early as in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, there are words: "five grains for nutrition, five fruits to help, five animals for the benefit of the five dishes for the full", expressed the importance of a balanced diet for human health.

Vegetarians, on the other hand, are lacking in nutrients because they are not eating the "five animals".

In terms of food flavor, meat is relatively neutral and warm, while vegetarian food is relatively neutral and cool.

Ordinary people have a balanced diet and are less prone to hot and cold problems, while vegetarians may eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, resulting in excessive cold, lack of yang qi and cause problems in the spleen and stomach.

Medical doctors have a cloud: "ten stomach long cold," meaning that ten people with gastrointestinal diseases have nine spleen and stomach cold, the body itself is weak people and then often eat a vegetarian diet, will make the spleen and stomach become more vulnerable.

From a modern nutritional point of view, for our body, most of the high-quality protein tends to exist in animal food, and it is difficult to rely solely on legumes to obtain sufficient food.

Minerals such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 are even more difficult to obtain from plant foods.

In the long run, this will lead to nutritional deficiencies in the body, low immunity, and easily lead to insomnia, forgetfulness, osteoporosis, poor appetite, fatigue, slow wound healing, and other problems.

And long-term strict vegetarianism, children and adolescents who are growing and developing will be more harmful.

How to determine whether you are suitable for a vegetarian diet

Vegetarianism is not suitable for all people, the following groups of people are not suitable for a vegetarian diet:

In a special physiological stage, such as infants and young children, children, adolescents in the period of growth and development, pregnant women, lactating mothers and so on, the increase in the nutritional needs.

People with malnutrition, anemia, and poor immune function.

For the elderly also do not advocate a complete vegetarian diet.

Who is better suited to adopt vegetarianism as a dietary habit?

A vegetarian diet is an option for people with chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

Stick to the vegetarian diet, pay attention to these points

Pay attention to iron

When the human body lacks of trace elements of iron, easy to lead to iron-deficiency anemia, skin pale and weak, easy to fatigue, dizziness and blurred eyes, the corners of the mouth red blisters, the tongue nipple atrophy and so on.

Therefore, vegetarians should consume more seaweed, black beans, pumpkin seeds and other iron-rich foods to supplement iron in their daily lives.

Pay attention to zinc

Plant foods contain relatively low levels of zinc, plus the influence of phytic acid and oxalic acid, which can inhibit the intestinal absorption of zinc. When the body is deficient in zinc, there can be a decrease in the sense of taste, anorexia, paranoia and even heterophagia.

Vegetarians need to consume more foods rich in zinc and low in oxalate and phytic acid such as cauliflower, cabbage, apples, bananas, and lemons.

Eat more beans

The main sources of protein in the human body are animal proteins and plant proteins, which have different characteristics and different nutritional values.

Relatively speaking, animal protein has a higher rate of digestion and absorption, and can better meet the nutritional needs.

If you are a vegetarian, it is best to supplement your protein in a more holistic way by consuming a variety of food groups such as different beans and legumes, walnuts, melon seeds, wheat germ, etc.

Animal proteins have a higher digestibility and absorption rate than vegetable proteins.