Vegetarian mainly refers to those who avoid eating fowl, fish, meat and their derivatives. Due to the absence of meat or meat products, vegetarian diets (ovo-lacto- vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian) are considered healthier substitutes to standard diets.
Though, the health advantages of vegetarianism may differ depending on the total diet quality, which may be varied, as their impact on nutritional status and health.
Given the surge in vegetarianism in recent years, the food sector has revealed new business potential.
Earlier, vegetarian cuisine was restricted to specific or local businesses, however, some restaurants and companies have improved their goods to suit their target demographic.
Presently researchers presented the dietary quality of vegetarian diets compared to non-vegetarian diets based on manuscripts highlighting nutrition, diet patterns, dietary quality and/or wellness in experimental and observational studies, including individuals of all ages.
The health advantage of vegetarianism is not the only reason for its rise worldwide. Other aspects include personal identity, moral ideologies, eating disorders, cultural customs, social connections, religious views and environmental concerns.
Given the variety and plethora of basic factors, it is apparent that vegetarian-type diets are varied and must not be characterized by eating meat.
The ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet consumes eggs and milk but avoids meat, fish and their byproducts. In contrast, the vegan diet avoids all animal products, including eggs, milk, and any food products tested on animals.
Studies have indicated that, vegetarians have a lower likelihood of being obese or suffering from chronic medical disorders such as malignancy, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension and all-cause deaths than those following traditional diets and non-vegetarians.
There are many benefits in vegetarian diets, such as lowering body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, homocysteine, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammatory biomarkers.
In the United Kingdom (UK) a prospective cohort study showed a 32%- lower coronary artery disease risk among vegetarian individuals, lower body mass index values and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) levels.
However, the findings suggest that properly controlled and well- planned plant-based vegetarian diets may provide substantial overall health advantages.
Since vegetarian diets may not always be the same with healthy diets, caution must be exercised while selecting the type of vegetarian diet. To properly classify vegetarianism, research is required considering their use of other food items, including ultra-processed foods.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230821/Vegetarianism-what-are-the-health-benefits.aspx
