The Three Types Of Vegetarianism

People seem to think that vegetarian’s and/or vegan’s miss the important nutrients that their body’s need because they don't eat me, but that’s not the case. Vegetarianism has become popular over the past few years. A vegetarian diet is broken up into three categories bases on the types of foods that are eaten. Vegans do not eat any foods that come from an animal, this includes eggs and dairy; lacto-vegetarians do not eat meat and eggs but will consume dairy and dairy products; lacto-ovo-vegetarians do not meat and will include both eggs and dairy in their diet. Most vegetarian and vegan diets consist of grains—such as bread, pasta, rice, wheat, and oats; protein-rich foods—such as beans, legumes, nuts and soy; and the most common consumed …show more content…
“Animal protein makes your blood slightly acidic, and acidic blood cause calcium to be pulled out of the bones” (“Harvard Health Letter," 2004, p.1). For people who eat meat their blood becomes very acidic over time and their bone’s require more calcium. As we know calcium is an essential part in building healthy bones. For the non-vegetarians who don't supply their self with calcium, acidic blood can result in weak bones. Vegetarians don't get their protein as easily as people who eat meat. Vegetarians eat protein-rich food and it turns out protein from plant sources are less acidic. “Some vegetarians choose to eat a raw foods diet consisting of foods that have not been cooked or processed. Typically, people eating a raw foods diet have a low Body Mass Index (BMI) and are quite lean. This has potential implications for bone health” (Mangels, 2015, p.16). This is a set back for vegetarians who eat a raw foods diet. Estrogen like effects from soy products—such as soy milk, tofu, and soy-nuts—may also prevent bone loss. The foods vegetarians eat, benefits bone health and makes the blood less …show more content…
There are different studies that find vegetarians averagely thinner that non-vegetarians. “On average vegetarians in each cohort have a BMI about 1 kg/m2 lower than that of non-vegetarians” (Key, Davey, & Appleby, 1999, p.271). In this Oxford vegetarian study they suggest that the lower BMI of vegetarians vs. non-vegetarians is due to the higher intake of fibre and the lower intake of animal fat. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, for a person to have a BMI less than 18.5 that is considered to be underweight. When planning a vegetarian diet, it is very important to consider what you will be eating. If your BMI is high, slightly decrease the amount of calories you eat a day and if you BMI is low slightly increase the amount of calories you eat per day. Exercising is also very important in maintaining good BMI