Not all the vegetarians follow the same dietary restrictions:lacto-vegetarians include dairy but no flesh,such as meat,chichen or fish.
Ovo-vegetarians include eggs in their diet,but avoid all other animal foods.
Lacto- and ovo-vegetarians include both dairy and/or eggs,while vegans don't eat any animal products at all.
Because of the limitations of vegetarians dietts,careful planning is needed to avoid the nutritional defeciencies that can otherwise occur.Becoming a vegetarian.however, is not difficult and there is no question that well-designed vegetarian diets are healthy for more people,including pregnant women and children.
Benefits of vegetarianism
The diets of people who eat less animal protein and more plant based protein tend also to contain less fat and cholesterol and more dietary fibre.
This may explain why vegetarians have lower total and LDL-cholesterol level and lower rates of cardiovascular disorders,such as high blood pressure and heart attack,obesity,diabetes and colon cancer than those who eat meat.
It is not clear however,wheter these health benefits are do solely to the diet or are linked to factors such as regular exercise,lack of smoke or low alcohol intake.
While vegetarian diets that include cheese and eggs will be easier to balance nutritionally than those that include all animal products ,vegetarians must still plan their diets carefully to obtain all the nutritients they need.
For example,iron,which helps red blood cells to carry oxygen to the tissues,is present in both plant and animal foods,but haem iron (which is obtain from animal products) is more readily absorbd by the body than the iron that is obtain from plants.
Vitamin B12 is found only in animals foods and fortified soya products.Because this vitamin is required for the functioning of the nervous system,vegans may require in order to avoid deficiency.
How to combine plant proteins
Plant based foods are described as incomplete sources of protein as (with the exeption of soya) they contain insufficient amounts of one or more essential amino acids.They can be combined to form good quality protein,because different amino-acids are missing from each food source.
Pulses (including soya beans products) should form the basis of your main meal.Simply add a grain and/or a seed or nut and the meal will provide good quality protein.
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