Vegetarian Diets

A vegetarian diet relies heavily on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. There are significant health benefits to vegetarian diets, including reduced risk of many diseases. If you follow a vegetarian diet, however, you have to be prepared to put a little extra effort into planning and preparing meals to make sure you meet your daily nutritional needs.

Vegetarian Diet Features

Vegetarian diets are divided into four types. A vegan diet is the strictest and requires abstaining from meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. Lacto-vegetarians abstain from meat and eggs, but can eat dairy, and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets permit both dairy products and eggs. Flexitarians--also called semi-vegetarians--have the most leeway; in addition to dairy products and eggs, flexitarians eat occasional small amounts of meat, poultry or fish. Deciding which vegetarian diet you want to adopt depends on your lifestyle, commitments and beliefs.

Benefits of Vegetarian Diets

If you decide a vegetarian diet is for you, you'll enjoy substantial health benefits. Eating smaller amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol--while consuming more complex carbohydrates, fiber and phytochemicals--reduces the risks for a laundry list of dangerous diseases. According to Medicine Net.com, people who follow a vegetarian diet are at lower risk for obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, diverticulosis, gallstones, and kidney disease. They also have less chance of developing some cancers.

Avoiding Deficiencies

Because it is more restrictive than a conventional diet, a vegetarian diet can be deficient in nutrients. But with the proper combinations of foods and supplements, you can avoid this pitfall. Eat lots of lentils, nuts, beans and soy to ensure that you're getting enough protein; adults need .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. If you are a lacto-vegetarian or ovo-lacto vegetarian, you can get much of your protein from dairy products. Incorporate plenty of dark green vegetables into your diet; these supply calcium and iron. To help iron absorption, eat citrus fruits and strawberries, and eat plenty of wheat germ; it supplies needed zinc. Unless you eat specially-fortified soy products, you need to take a B12 supplement to get enough of this essential vitamin. Vegetarians also have to make sure to get enough omega-3 fatty acids, which have important health benefits, including slowing atherosclerosis and reducing triglycerides; microalgae oil is a good source of these for vegetarians.

A vegetarian diet takes a little more preparation and thought than a conventional diet, but it pays off in better health. If you enjoy eating whole, natural foods, if you're troubled by the treatment of farm animals and the ethical considerations of eating meat and if you want to enjoy the benefits of a diet higher in fiber and lower in animal fat, you might be ready to venture into vegetarianism.

Precautions

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia and nerve damage; you should have your levels checked by a doctor if you are on a vegetarian diet. To avoid deficiencies, enlist the help of a dietitian to help you plan balanced meals.