Vegetarian diets are more popular now than ever before. Some do it for ethical reasons, some - because of taste preferences, and some - "because of health". Scientists still disagree about how good this second reason is, as the harmfulness of meat - as well as the unconditional benefits of vegetarianism - have not been scientifically proven. It is up to you to eat meat or not, and we will tell you how it will affect your body.
Let's start with the positive. Unlike animal food, plant food does not cause autointoxication, it does not poison the human body with decomposition products in the process of digestion. In general, when you eat meat, the load on the gastrointestinal tract is much higher than when you eat plant products, so after a plate of hot or juicy steak, you can feel the weight in your stomach. Consequently, when most of your diet is plant-based, your digestive system feels much better.
In addition, many studies show that vegetarians suffer less from hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Reduces the risk of obesity and coronary heart disease. Another plus is that plant products, unlike animals, do not contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, because they do not have atherogenic properties.
If the above advantages have led you to seriously consider switching to a plant-based diet, keep in mind that building a balanced diet without the use of animal products will be much more difficult.
The first problem faced by people who decide to give up meat is the lack of protein. The fact is that animal proteins are complete (they contain all 12 essential amino acids that our body cannot produce on its own), while plant proteins are not. That is, if you eat a portion of chicken fillet, you immediately get all 12 amino acids. To get the same set of amino acids from plant foods, you will need to combine several products at once.
An equally significant disadvantage of completely giving up meat is the increased risk of iron deficiency. The fact is that the products of animal origin contain iron, which is better absorbed than iron from plant products (15-35 percent versus 2-20 percent).
Other "side effects" of giving up meat include a lack of omega-3 fatty acids. But this is not scary at all, because with a competent approach to diet planning, the lack of these substances can be avoided. If you do not eat meat, but eat fish and seafood, there is no reason to worry. If these foods are not in your diet, try adding more nuts, seeds, flaxseed oil and avocado.