Thursday, February 8, 2018

The Differences between Vegan and Vegetarian

For some, a vegan diet and a vegetarian diet are difficult to differentiate. Neither diet includes beef, but what about brownies, pizza, and yogurt? So what's the difference? In short, Vegetarians don't eat animals but eat many products which come from them, such as eggs and milk. Vegans, on the other hand, avoid poultry, meat, seafood, and all animal products. A vegan diet eliminates foods produced using animals or animal products in any way. Many vegans also avoid clothing, household products, or other items tested on animals or made from animal products.

What are the different types of vegans and vegetarians?:
-Ovo vegetarian: Eats eggs but not dairy products.

-Nutritional vegetarian: Doesn't eat meat for health reasons.

-Lacto Ovo vegetarian: Eats both dairy products and eggs. However, many Lacto-Ovo vegetarians will only eat free-range eggs because of welfare objections to the intensive farming of hens.

-Ethical vegetarians: Doesn't eat meat in deference to animals or the environment.

-Lacto vegetarian: Eats dairy products but not eggs.

-Vegan: Doesn't eat eggs, dairy products, or any other animal product.

-Raw vegan: Doesn't eat any animal by-products, including anything cooked above 46 degrees Celsius.

Health considerations:
One suggested downside of choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is developing a deficiency in calcium, zinc, protein, and iron. However, both groups can choose specific foods to ensure their nutritional requirements are met. Popular food choices include grains, kale, nuts, and legumes. Vegetarians and vegans can also get additional sources of protein from soy products (tempeh, tofu, edamame, soy milk, and miso), beans, grains (bulgur wheat, quinoa), seeds, and sprouts. Spices such as dill, fennel, poppy, and celery seeds are also excellent sources of calcium. Other calcium supplements include figs, peanuts, sun-dried tomato, soybeans, almonds, peanut butter, and tofu.

What are the health benefits?:
Plant-based diets are well known for being rich in protein, calcium, potassium, iron and other essential vitamins. These vitamins and minerals are typically low in saturated fat and sodium, packed with antioxidants and high in fiber. It is suggested that vegetarian and vegan diets could reduce the likelihoods of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Researchers have also found that vegetarians typically have lower blood pressure than non-vegetarians. It is proven that that following a vegan diet reduces the risk of diabetes by 78 percent compared to individuals that eat meat on a daily basis.

Would you try a vegan or vegetarian diet?

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