The veg vs non-veg health debate
April 13, 2009
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The perpetual debate that is waged about the inadequacies of a vegetarian diet versus the hazards of a non-vegetarian diet is both accurate and wrong on a number of levels and if one really looks at both groups of people and their eating habits, there is room for healthy living in both.
Confused?
As human beings, we are creatures of comfort, habit and stubbornness. People take ill from time to time by consuming an inadequate diet, overeating or from leading sedentary lives.
Did you notice the missing key words in the sentence above? There is no mention of the ‘vegetarian’ or ‘non-vegetarian’ — it is a rule that applies to both categories.
It’s not the cultural or religious beliefs we hold, but the actual diet and the food we consume that is pulling the rug out from under our feet.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that death from diabetes and heart disease alone costs India about $210 billion every year, and it is expected to increase to $335 billion in the next decade.
So the average person is more likely to die from a lifestyle disease then from an automobile accident, or infectious disease such as pneumonia.
Now to the crux of the debate, the wholesomeness of both these categories. For the most part, we can be divided into two rough categories:
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The veggie lovers
The non-veggie lovers
A vegetarian diet (veggie-lovers) is one wherein a person consumes all types of plant products along with milk and dairy, but completely avoids consuming all meat and animal-derived foods and by-products. This includes avoiding contact with these products as well.
A non-vegetarian diet (non-veggie lovers) includes all plant foods as well as foods and by-products derived from animals like meat, poultry, fish etc.
Vegetarians and their diets
Nearly every significant study carried out on people who are vegetarians has shown the following:
Vegetarians are at an increased risk of:
Iron deficiency anemia
Zinc deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency
But, hey — before you non-vegetarians jump in here and say ‘See, I told you so!’ let’s get this straight. Vegetarians can and are able to get adequate nutrition from an exclusively vegetarian diet. If they consume a variety of foods along with the right quantities from each food group, a veg diet can meet the recommendations for all nutrients. Those who focus on including foods that are rich in calcium, zinc, and Vitamin B12 to counter a potential deficiency achieve optimal health.
Of course, the most important part of this equation is exercise. If you keep that element out, no amount of healthy vegetarian food will help you in the long term.
Non-vegetarians and their diets
Non-vegetarians are consuming more and more high fat-content pork, chicken, turkey, beef and seafood than they have ever eaten in the past.
A study carried out in 2003 showed that Americans ate more of each of these foods than they did a half-century earlier. Now you might jump up and down and say, ‘Oh! That study applies to Americans only, so why bring it into a general forum?’ But let me tell you that globally, everyone loves to emulate and follow all of America’s bad habits!
The biggest increase in consumption has been for poultry. Chicken and fish in themselves have not been shown to cause chronic diseases, but when they are deep-fried in partially hydrogenated oil, they become one of the most potent causes of heart disease, as they then contain trans fatty acids.
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Studies have also found that the following is true of non-vegetarians:
They have a shorter lifespan and are more prone to chronic diseases as compared to vegetarians.
On an average, they are more at risk from heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
Predominantly, they eat lesser amounts of fruit and vegetables than recommended.
So is it better to be a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian?
Today, both these categories are falling short. Looking at the current eating trends of a veggie lover and a non-veggie lover, they are both consuming more of refined cereals (white bread, white rice etc), as compared to whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice etc).
Refined grains are devoid of their vitamins and fibre, due to the polishing process.
Have you counted how many varieties of packaged and processed foods are available on the shelves today, for both non-veg and veg diets? Well! Don’t try to count as it will make your head spin. We are all emptying our pockets for convenience, at the cost of damaging our health. The only ones laughing all the way to the bank are the manufacturers of these products.
We are consuming more of processed and ready-to-eat foods that are baked and fried in place of wholesome foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Also let’s talk about salt. Huge amounts of salt are found in baked goods, packaged and processed foods and fatty meats. The combination of all the above, ie high intake of refined cereals, baked products, fried goods, salt and fatty meats promote obesity, heart disease, stroke and diabetes (please note, dear reader, that this applies to both veggie lovers and non-veggie lovers).
So it’s not the meat or lack of it that’s killing us — it’s the use of refined foods (that are devoid of natural and healthy nutrients) and foods containing saturated fats and cholesterol.
Therein lies our universal problem and solution: stop the debate on which category is better and understand the common problem.
The Essay on Saturated Fat Meat Food Vegetarians
Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat. Vegetarians regard the flesh of all animals, including that of fish and poultry, as meat. Most vegetarians avoid eating meat because of moral or religious beliefs. They believe it is wrong to kill animals for food. Many vegetarians also think that eating meat is unhealthy. Some vegetarians exclude milk and eggs, as well as meat, from their diet ...
We Indians have turned into a nation of foodies:
Fast foodies
Fried foodies
The fact is, both diets can help us achieve optimum health, prevent nutrient deficiencies and other chronic diseases if the focus is towards maintaining a healthy and adequate diet by choosing the right qualities and quantities of food.
Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians need to start consuming more servings of fresh vegetables and fruit daily, irrespective of their lifestyle choices and exercising adequately. More importantly, they need to change their attitude from ‘fast and fried tastes best’ to a ‘fresh is better’ approach.
Text: Kanupriya Khanna | Photographs: Shimon and Tammar and (bottom) Laszlo Balogh, Reuters
Kanupriya Khanna is a dietitian with www.NutritionVista.com; visit the website for more health-related features.
Also see: Consuming beverages majorly affects weightloss: Study
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