Vegetarian Diet

Introduction:

A vegetarian diet focuses on plant foods which may include fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, grains, seeds and nuts. There is no single type of vegetarian diet. Instead, vegetarian eating patterns usually fall into the vegan diet (excludes all meat and animal products), the lacto-vegetarian diet (includes plant foods plus dairy products), or the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, which includes both dairy products and eggs. There are overwhelming health benefits to a vegetarian diet over a mixed diet with meats and vegetables documented in research. These benefits include a lower risk or developing cancers, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. People who follow vegetarian diets can get all the nutrients they need, however, they must be careful to eat a wide variety of foods to meet all nutritional needs. Nutrients which vegetarians may need to ensure adequate intake of include protein, iron, calcium, iodine, zinc and vitamin B12.