On the premise of a balanced vegetarian diet (including regular sun exposure), even if eggs and milk are not included, the only essential nutrient that people usually need to supplement is vitamin B 12. Reliable sources include fortified foods and supplements. Herbivores can synthesize vitamin B 12 by themselves, and people need to take it from food. Even non-vegetarians over 50 need vitamin B 12. Developed countries usually have a large number of nutritionally fortified foods specially developed for vegetarians.
Three principles of balanced vegetarian diet
1, food diversity: The daily diet should include whole grains/miscellaneous beans/potato taro, soybeans and their products, dark vegetables, fresh fruits and nuts, and mushrooms and laver are often eaten. Keeping milk and eggs makes it easier to ensure a balanced nutrition.
2. Pay attention to the intake of key nutrients: vitamin B 12, vitamin D, n-3 fatty acids, etc. Choose foods with high nutritional density (especially iron, zinc and calcium). Choose fortified foods and supplements when necessary.
3. Reasonable collocation, preparation and cooking: thickness collocation of staple food; Paired with foods rich in vitamin C; Pre-cooking vegetables rich in oxalic acid; Soaking/germinating/fermenting whole grains, beans and seeds rich in phytic acid; Restrict oil, salt and sugar; Try to use cooking methods such as steaming, boiling and quick frying.
Compared with omnivores, vegetarianism has many health advantages. Vegetarians often have lower body mass index (BMI), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), blood pressure, oxidative stress level and better blood sugar control, which can reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. Mainly because vegetarians tend to consume more phytochemicals such as dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and E, folic acid, carotenoids, flavonoids and so on, and less saturated fat and cholesterol. Secondly, due to biomagnification, the residual amount of environmental pollutants in plant food is much lower than that in animal food.
However, protein, n-3 fatty acids, vitamin B 12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium and other nutrients are often higher or more easily absorbed in animal foods. Only under the premise of ensuring balanced nutrition can the health advantages of vegetarianism be fully reflected, otherwise it will increase the risk of malnutrition. Vegetarians are mainly divided into two types: vegan and whey protein, and the latter is easier to ensure a balanced nutrition.
Many well-known nutrition professional institutions in developed countries in Europe AND America, such as American Society of Nutrition and Nutrition (AND) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&; MRC) shows that a properly planned vegan diet is healthy and nutritious, suitable for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, infants, adolescents, adults and athletes, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. A plant-based diet is more environmentally sustainable than a diet rich in animal products, because it uses less natural resources and has less relationship with environmental damage. [ 1-2]
China pop singer Fang Datong and Andy Lau's daughter Liu Xianghui are born vegetarian babies. Many foreign athletes are also vegetarians, such as Scott jurek of ultramarathon and Frank Medrano, an extreme fitness madman.
2016,6543810 On October 7th, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (20 15-2020 Edition) jointly issued by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended three healthy eating modes, including vegetarian diet and the other two. [3] This guide is updated every five years and is applicable to all American residents aged 2 and over. Its purpose is to promote the health of residents and reduce the risk of chronic diseases through healthy eating patterns and regular physical activities. This version of the dietary guidelines is organized by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, including experts from all walks of life such as nutrition, medicine and public health, and is formulated on the basis of comprehensive evaluation of existing scientific evidence.
Dietary Guidelines for China Residents (20 16) issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission on May/6 also added dietary guidelines for vegetarians. However, because vegetarians in Chinese mainland generally lack the necessary nutrition knowledge and nutritious fortified foods specially developed for vegetarians, for those who choose freely, the guide does not advocate that infants, children and pregnant women choose vegan foods, but regularly monitors children and pregnant women who choose vegan foods based on their beliefs, so as to find their potential nutritional problems as soon as possible and adjust their diet structure in time.
References:
[1]Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. The standpoint of the Nutrition and Nutrition Society: vegetarianism. Academic nutrition diet. 20 16; 1 16: 1970- 1980.
[2] National Health and Medical Research Council. Eat for health. Australian Dietary Guide. National Health and Medical Research Council of Canberra (20 13)
[3] United States Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Health and Human Services. 20 15-2020 dietary guidelines for americans. The eighth edition. Washington, DC: US government printing? ce； 20 15.