Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
Fruit and vegetables are key parts of a nutritious diet. To promote health, at least two serving of fruits and three servings of vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and other substances good for health. They are naturally low in fat and calories are filling. Some are high in fiber, and many are quick to prepare and easy to eat.
In choosing fruits and vegetables aim for variety. Try many
colors and kinds. Choose any form: fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juices. All
forms provide vitamins and minerals, and all provide fiber except for most
juices.
As a group, vegetarians have lower morbidity and mortality
rates from several chronic degenerative diseases than do non-vegetarians.
Typically, vegetarian diets are lower in fat and saturated fat and have higher
concentration of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals) associated
with health benefits.
Here are some of the benefits of a vegetarian’s diet over a non-vegetarian diet:
- Lower cholesterol level.
- Lower level of low-density lipoproteins
- Lower incidence of hypertension
- Fewer complications and lower mortality from type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- Reduced incidence of lung, colorectal, and breast cancer.
- Improved kidney function.
- Reduction of coronary artery disease.
Types of vegetarians.
| Type | What is excluded from diet | What is included in diet |
|---|---|---|
| Vegans | All animal products | Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds |
| Lactovegetarians | Eggs, fish, poultry, and meat | Milk products and fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds |
| Ovolactovegetarians | Fish, poultry, and meat | Eggs(ova), milk products(lacto), fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds |
| Pescovegetarians | Poultry and meat | Fish(pesco), eggs, milk products, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds |
| Pollovegetarians | Red meat | Poultry(pollo), fish, eggs, milk products, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds |
