is it healthier to be vegetarian?
clafairy1984
Posts: 253 Member
Read many arguments for both sides. Wondering what peoples stance is ?
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No
It's healthier to meet your nutritional requirements ..if you do so as an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan or whatever no matter0 -
Some vegetarians are healthier than non-vegetarians. Some non-vegetarians are healthier than vegetarians.
Some studies indicate better health outcomes for vegetarians, but I think it's possible that those benefits can be achieved without going full vegetarian -- I don't know if we can learn much by just comparing those eating the SAD to those not eating it. What if a non-vegetarian is meeting all their nutritional needs, eating sufficient fruits and vegetables, getting enough fiber, and maintaining a healthy weight? Would comparing people in this population against vegetarians still have the same result? I don't think a study of this type has been done.
Here is what is important to me: it is possible to be healthy and energetic without animal products and, since I have ethical reasons to avoid them, that's all I need to know. I don't need to know that vegetarianism is the *best* way to eat. I only need to know that is is at least one of the healthy ways to eat that we've identified.
I do hope the issue continues to be researched because I think all of us can benefit from knowing more about how to maintain health.0 -
no.
if anything, it may be harder to reach the right number of nutrients you need. Experienced vegetarians, and well educated ones have an easier time of this, but new ones who have not done solid research often have deficiencies. I've also known many vegetarians who had the most unhealthy diets ive ever seen.
if you want to be a vegetarian, do so for your ethical beliefs, and educate yourself properly so you can maintain the level of nutrition you need. doing so simply to lose weight is not needed at all, and may make it harder for some people.0 -
It depends on how you do it. I have a good friend who is a vegetarian who I would guess is healthier than 99% of all people. On the other and my MIL and her SO are fat and unhealthy vegetarians who subsist largely on bread and pasta with many sweets thrown in. Both are vegetarian.
My guess is it is like any diet: it can be done in a healthy manner or not.0 -
No! If you want to be a skinny fat person, go for it! We are omnivores - period! You need to eat SOME meat.
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I've read more studies that say "yes". You say you've heard both arguments, so why are you asking us here? We know less than doctors (no matter how much some of us will tell you otherwise), so a certain answer is just a quick google search away. Being vegetarian is SO easy to still meet all dietary needs, whichever one said that up there. Even for inexperienced vegetarians.0
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As a former vegetarian/vegan, it's really more subjective than your question suggests. There were times that I subsisted on nothing but fries and bread, and other times that I ate more kale than a celebrity cutting for a movie.
When I made an effort to eat healthy, it was easy because all of the foods available to me inside the scope of "clean" were pretty much super nutrient dense. When I wasn't making an effort, the vegetarian part ruled out the protein I would at least be getting from a cheeseburger, but left pretty much every kind of junk food fair game.
It's really like asking "is the apple behind my back more yellow than the banana behind my back?" Not enough info.0 -
Yes. Our digestive systems are more suited to a plant based diet. Also no cholesterol/low sat fat. I think you can be unhealthy and veggie/vegan but as long as you replace meat protein with plant based protein you are probably going to be healthier. That being said I am mostly advocating veganism which seems more likely to provide a healthy diet as a lot of vegetarians still rely heavily on convenience food (as this is actually available for them as opposed to vegans) and so seem to just replace meat with lots of dairy and eggs, which could be arguably worse. But a diet full of fruit, veg, beans etc is the way to go!0
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Yes. Our digestive systems are more suited to a plant based diet. Also no cholesterol/low sat fat. I think you can be unhealthy and veggie/vegan but as long as you replace meat protein with plant based protein you are probably going to be healthier. That being said I am mostly advocating veganism which seems more likely to provide a healthy diet as a lot of vegetarians still rely heavily on convenience food (as this is actually available for them as opposed to vegans) and so seem to just replace meat with lots of dairy and eggs, which could be arguably worse. But a diet full of fruit, veg, beans etc is the way to go!
Can I get some reliable, scientific sources on this?0 -
Overall, either type of diet can be nutritious. Vegetarian and vegan diets, by virtue of being very restrictive, can be harder to make nutritious, and some level of vitamin supplements are typically necessary (B12 being the obvious one). But any diet that meets your macro and micro nutrient needs can be healthy.
The easiest way to be healthy is to eat a widely varied diet with appropriate macro counts, since by eating a lot of different things, you really won't have to pay much attention to vitamins and minerals since something you eat will be giving them to you. Being very restrictive, whether because of a choice like veganism or because of simply always eating fast food, makes you more likely to lack something.
But meat can certainly be a very healthy part of your diet - it's a fantastic source of complete protein, iron, and vitamins A, B12, D, and K. B12 in particular is a concern for vegans, since apart from a few fermented products and artificial supplements, it's wholly absent in the plant world, while it's very common in meat and dairy.0 -
It seems like everyone's a little different. I've tried going vegetarian a couple of times in my life- once I ended up anemic and the second time I ended up sick from protein deficiency. I'm just one of those people who needs animal protein in my diet to be healthy.
It's also noteworthy to me that almost all of the vegetarians I've known over the years have ended up having to go back to eating some form of animal protein, (several are now piscetarian) because eventually the plant nutrients weren't enough. (And I'm talking 20 years of vegetarianism in some of these people, not 'tried to be vegetarian for a year). On the other hand, I also know a few people who can't eat meat, eggs or dairy at all without getting sick.
If you're really curious, I say try it for awhile, see if it works for you, and it may be good, or it may be bad. If you you find yourself not doing well, don't beat yourself up if your body needs something that strict vegan or veggie diet doesn't provide.0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »Yes. Our digestive systems are more suited to a plant based diet. Also no cholesterol/low sat fat. I think you can be unhealthy and veggie/vegan but as long as you replace meat protein with plant based protein you are probably going to be healthier. That being said I am mostly advocating veganism which seems more likely to provide a healthy diet as a lot of vegetarians still rely heavily on convenience food (as this is actually available for them as opposed to vegans) and so seem to just replace meat with lots of dairy and eggs, which could be arguably worse. But a diet full of fruit, veg, beans etc is the way to go!
Can I get some reliable, scientific sources on this?
If anything, the opposite is true - our digestive systems are poorly suited to a plant-based diet, largely because unlike real herbivores, we lack the digestive structures and commensal bacteria needed to break down cellulose and synthesize vitamin B12. The lack of digestion of cellulose means we get far less nutrition out of many fibrous plants than an herbivore would, and B12 is a vitamin required for animal life.0 -
rankinsect wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »Yes. Our digestive systems are more suited to a plant based diet. Also no cholesterol/low sat fat. I think you can be unhealthy and veggie/vegan but as long as you replace meat protein with plant based protein you are probably going to be healthier. That being said I am mostly advocating veganism which seems more likely to provide a healthy diet as a lot of vegetarians still rely heavily on convenience food (as this is actually available for them as opposed to vegans) and so seem to just replace meat with lots of dairy and eggs, which could be arguably worse. But a diet full of fruit, veg, beans etc is the way to go!
Can I get some reliable, scientific sources on this?
If anything, the opposite is true - our digestive systems are poorly suited to a plant-based diet, largely because unlike real herbivores, we lack the digestive structures and commensal bacteria needed to break down cellulose and synthesize vitamin B12. The lack of digestion of cellulose means we get far less nutrition out of many fibrous plants than an herbivore would, and B12 is a vitamin required for animal life.
That's what I thought. I'm currently dealing with a probable B12 deficiency that's wreaking havoc on so many aspects of my health, and everything I've read has said it is very common in vegetarians and vegans (which I'm not).0 -
No, why would it be? I work with a vegetarian who hates vegetables. 90% of her diet from what I can tell is chocolate. Doesn't seem healthier than the food I eat.0
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Neither is healthier. As a vegetarian, I wish I could make myself eat meat since I'm anemic. I keep trying meat here and there but it tastes soooo bad to me
such a good source of protein too 0 -
Short answer: no.
Long answer: Well I was a vegetarian for 9+ years. I went to the doctor, because my hair was falling out. I was lacking iron, biotin, zinc and I don't remember the rest. Result: I had to take a lot of pills for a few months (they wanted to give me iron intravenously but I am afraid of needles). I am no longer a vegetarian. But I only eat meat 1-2 times a week.
As a species, we are omnivores not herbivores. We are meant to eat meat.
However as a general rule I think people eat way too much meat.0 -
Yes. Our digestive systems are more suited to a plant based diet. Also no cholesterol/low sat fat. I think you can be unhealthy and veggie/vegan but as long as you replace meat protein with plant based protein you are probably going to be healthier. That being said I am mostly advocating veganism which seems more likely to provide a healthy diet as a lot of vegetarians still rely heavily on convenience food (as this is actually available for them as opposed to vegans) and so seem to just replace meat with lots of dairy and eggs, which could be arguably worse. But a diet full of fruit, veg, beans etc is the way to go!
I strongly disagree with this. How long have you been a vegan/vegetarian and do you take any supplements?
Replacing meat with beans and tofu doesn't work for everyone! (didn't work for me) For example, the human body has way more trouble absorbing iron that comes from beans than iron that comes from meat.
When you say that "our digestive systems are more suited to a plant based diet" you are ignoring thousands of years of evolution no?0 -
thiosulfate wrote: »Neither is healthier. As a vegetarian, I wish I could make myself eat meat since I'm anemic. I keep trying meat here and there but it tastes soooo bad to me such a good source of protein too
I think a lot of it depends on the kinds of meat and how it's prepared. There are so many possible ways to prepare meat that you can probably find one you like. Chicken in particular has a fairly mild flavor; most of the flavor of a chicken dish is going to come from the seasoning and accompanying food. I wouldn't eat it unseasoned, though, or it will taste extremely bland. It lends itself well to sauces, soups, and marinades.
I can't really say much, though, as I'm kind of the opposite - I wish there were more veggies I liked, but meat in general is easily palatable to me (although fish I'm kind of eh on, don't hate it, probably won't be my favorite thing on the menu though).0 -
I say whatever gives you balance.
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I was vegetarian in my teens, it was the only time I was every underweight, and I was also anaemic. I was also completely clueless about nutrition and lactose intolerant, at a time where there were few dairy alternatives on the market that didn't taste like punishment and sadness.
It occurs to be that being a healthy vegetarian might take a lot more education and planning than being a healthy omnivore, because you will miss out on certain vitamins and nutrients which an omnivore would be getting just by eating a standard diet.0 -
ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »It seems like everyone's a little different. I've tried going vegetarian a couple of times in my life- once I ended up anemic and the second time I ended up sick from protein deficiency. I'm just one of those people who needs animal protein in my diet to be healthy.
It's also noteworthy to me that almost all of the vegetarians I've known over the years have ended up having to go back to eating some form of animal protein, (several are now piscetarian) because eventually the plant nutrients weren't enough. (And I'm talking 20 years of vegetarianism in some of these people, not 'tried to be vegetarian for a year). On the other hand, I also know a few people who can't eat meat, eggs or dairy at all without getting sick.
If you're really curious, I say try it for awhile, see if it works for you, and it may be good, or it may be bad. If you you find yourself not doing well, don't beat yourself up if your body needs something that strict vegan or veggie diet doesn't provide.
Yep this is so true. It took me 9 years but the deficiencies were severe! I would have had to take supplements if I wanted to continue being a vegetarian. It is just more sensible to eat some meat (in my case).0 -
I've been a vegetarian for 18 years now, and can truthfully say that it makes no difference whether you are veg, vegan, or omnivore - eating healthy is all about educating yourself and making good choices. I have no trouble meeting my nutritional requirements, but I had to learn how to do it. I am happy, healthy, and comfortable with the moral and ethical consequences of my diet. https://courses.edx.org has several excellent free college level classes on nutrition, food science, and the ethics of eating. Check it out!0
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Often vegetarians will take a daily multi vitamin.0
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I'm healthier as a vegetarian than I was as an omnivore, mostly because I eat more fruits and vegetables and also track my food to make sure I'm getting enough nutrients. I haven't had a cold in over a year, which is a nice side benefit. Echoing people that have said any diet can be healthy. I just prefer not eating animals because I know I wouldn't be able to kill one myself for food so why pay others to?0
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I vote "no".
And I say this as someone who's been vegetarian for 41 years, with no plans to change that.
Either diet can be healthy. Either can be unhealthy.
My vote: If you really want to be vegetarian or vegan because of moral concerns about factory farming, or cute fuzzy animals, or some other reason, go for it. It's doable, and can be done healthfully. But it's harder to get adequate protein (especially varied adequate protein); and socially, it can be a pain (choosing restaurants in groups, going to people's houses for dinner, holiday dinners with the fam, etc. - all of this is workable, but it isn't as easy as it is when you eat like everyone else).
If you have no particular reason to become vegetarian, why bother?
Most omnivores seem not to eat even nearly enough vegetables, so you might want to make sure you're getting 2-3 cups daily, or 5-9 servings, or somesuch, of fruits and vegetables - seems to be what most experts/authorities recommend. It would be healthy. And they're tasty, besides.0
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