Want to live long? Try vegetarian diet!

Baked vegetable meal

Before now, vegetarianism was usually found among those who had eating disorders, especially in adolescents. Not so again, as people adopt vegetarian diets for various reasons, ranging from religious to medical.

Nutritionists say being a vegetarian means your diet is restricted to foods of vegetable origin, excluding all meats of animal origin. Experts note that, generally, most vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products (milk products).

In extreme cases, there are those who don’t eat any animal protein at all – not even eggs, dairy, or honey. Such people are known as vegans. Our focus, however, is on vegetarians; and the idea is to help you make informed choices about your dietary needs.

Benefits of vegetarian diet

A scientist at the Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Giessen, Germany, Mr. Claus Leitzmann, in a study reveals that there are many accruable health benefits one can derive from eating wholly vegetarian diet.

The Leitzmann research notes that “A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that wholesome vegetarian diets offer distinct advantages, compared to diets containing meat and other foods of animal origin.”

He goes further to say that with a vegetarian diet, you take low quantity of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein; while it also exposes you to higher intakes of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, carotenoids and other phytochemicals.

“All these impact positively on health on the long run,” says the Nutrition Specialist at MART-Life Detox Clinic, Lagos, Mrs. Idowu Ashiru.

Ashiru explains that well-balanced vegetarian diets are appropriate for all age groups, including children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and even athletes.

She says, “As part of the modern Mayr medicine, for instance, in most cases, vegetarian diets are beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, renal disease and dementia; as well as diverticular disease, gallstones and rheumatoid arthritis.”

She discloses that the antioxidant effects of eating more vegetables and fruit are commendable, as they help the body to combat harmful naturally-occurring chemicals in the body.

A recent work by researchers at the Loma Linda University in California, and published in the JAMA Internal Medicine, even claims that vegetarian diet can confer longevity.

Study leader, Dr. Michael Orlich, enthuses that in a study of more than 70,000 people, researchers found a cut in death rates for people eating vegetarian diets, compared with non-vegetarians.

Orlich says, “Over a six-year period, vegetarians were 12 per cent less likely to die from any cause, compared with non-vegetarians.”

The scientists also note that the benefits come from lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels in people eating low-fat diets based on vegetables, whole grains and fruit; and partly through avoidance of red meat.

Indeed, another scientific study of 45,000 British subjects earlier in the year found that vegetarians have healthier hearts than people who eat meat or fish.

Avoiding pitfall

Despite the medical benefits of vegetarian diet, though, experts say poor meal planning can lead to deficiency in several nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12 and A, omega-3 fatty acids and iodine.

Scientists at Brown University warn that even a vegetarian diet can be high in fat if it includes excessive amounts of fatty snack foods, fried foods, whole milk dairy products, and eggs.

“Therefore, a vegetarian diet, like any healthy diet, must be well planned in order to help prevent and treat certain diseases,” the scientists counsel.

Nutritional needs

Dieticians fear that it is possible for vegetarians to miss out on what they call “nutrients of concern,” hence the need for them to eat foods that contain the following nutritional values:

Vitamin D. Scientists say vegetarians may not eat enough D vitamin foods except they are aware that they could get the recommended quantity through dairy products (milk) and eggs, breakfast cereals, fruit juices and margarine.

Vitamin B-12. Nutritionists say since Vitamin B-12 is found almost exclusively in animal-based foods, it is a nutrient of potential concern for those following a vegetarian diet. They warn that anyone who significantly limits intake of animal-based foods requires vitamin B-12-fortified foods or supplements, in order to prevent the consequences of B-12 deficiency.

To get enough of this vitamin, nutritionists advise vegetarians to eat mushrooms, eggs, cheese, yogurt and fortified foods, like cereals.

Calcium. The online portal, care2.com, says you can get calcium from all sorts of plant-based sources, and that they’re often better for your bones than dairy products. “Unlike milk, plant-based calcium sources contain vitamins C and K and the minerals potassium and magnesium, which are all important for bone health,” the portal claims.

Calcium-rich vegetarian foods include fortified orange juice, soya-based foods, broccoli, oranges, dark green vegetables, etc.

Meat-free protein

Studies have shown that vegetarians can easily meet their protein requirements by simply eating a variety of vegetables, especially leafy greens. Plant-based protein sources include beans (cooked or made into soup), nuts and seeds (though high in fat and calorie, they’re also an excellent protein source and full of vitamins and minerals).

Other sources of meat-free protein are peas, raw milk, cheese and yogurt, and whole grain, which is also full of healthy fibre. When combined with nuts or beans, it provides a protein-heavy dish every time.

Non-animal iron sources

Ordinarily, eating red meat and organ meat is the most efficient way to get iron; but for vegetarians, obviously, that’s not going to happen. Here are some plant-based foods with some of the highest iron levels: cooked soya beans, tofu (cheese-like food from soya), tempeh (fermented soya bean cake), lentils, home-made tomato paste, white beans, cooked spinach, dark chocolates, etc.

Nutritionists advise eating iron-rich foods along with foods that contain vitamin C, which helps the body to absorb the iron. Again, they say, since calcium hinders the absorption of iron, avoid high-calcium foods for a half hour before or after eating iron-rich foods.

Potassium

Experts note that potassium is essential for normal body functioning, for the prevention of excess fluid retention and for the metabolism of carbohydrate and protein. “Too much potassium or less potassium is harmful to the body,” scientists say. For a vegetarian, get your potassium need from raw or cooked plantain, guava, avocado, banana, white beans, soya beans, carrot juice, melon, fresh orange, baked potato, sweet potato, yam, cooked spinach, tomato juice, pineapple juice, tangerine, mashed potatoes with margarine, yoghurt and skimmed milk.

Essential fatty acids

Experts say the body needs quality fats to help it absorb the ‘fat soluble’ vitamins A, D, E and K, to regulate cholesterol, provide energy, and to maintain heart health, among others. They recommend using extra virgin olive oil, raw butter, and coconut oil.