How healthy is a vegetarian or vegan diet?

Man is seen as an omnivore

An omnivore is an omnivore that can eat both plant and animal food. In recent years, however, more and more people are choosing to reduce the consumption of meat and/or fish (flexitarians), avoid it altogether (vegetarians) or even renounce all animal products (vegans).

The digestive tract of man

Our earliest ancestors fed exclusively on fruits, seeds and pods, but Homo erectus, which lived until 140,000 years ago, ate fish and meat in addition to plant food. Anatomically, the human digestive tract is between herbivores (herbivores) and carnivores (carnivores). Carnivores have a short digestive tract so that meat can digest quickly. Humans have a longer digestive tract than most carnivores, but it is a lot shorter than that of herbivores. This allows us to digest both plant and animal food. But just because we can eat all kinds of foods doesn’t mean we have to eat them to stay alive.

Motives

In our prosperous society, all foods are available in abundance. The conscious moderation or avoidance of the consumption of animal products is then mainly motivated by aversion to the animal suffering that seems inextricably linked to the ‘production’ of these foods. Concerns about the environment and sustainability are also a frequently mentioned motive. The ‘production’ of animal protein is extremely inefficient. A lot of vegetable protein is needed to produce animal protein. In addition, intensive livestock farming makes a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Incidentally, vegan food is not the most sustainable diet. Consumption of less animal and more plant-based protein makes the diet more sustainable, but consumption of some dairy and fish seems to be the key to a minimal_CO2 footprint.

Health benefits and harms

A third important motive for consuming less or no animal products is health. According to a European study, halving meat and dairy consumption would reduce saturated fat intake to the recommended maximum. In addition, consumption of red and processed meat in particular is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer. However, animal products are also a source of important nutrients that are difficult or impossible to obtain from plant-based foods. Think of vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, heme iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, carnitine, taurine and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. No matter how varied vegans eat, without the use of fortified foods and/or nutritional supplements, it is practically impossible to achieve a complete diet. This also applies, albeit to a lesser extent, to a vegetarian diet.
Vegetarians and vegans eat a relatively large amount of vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and grains. These foods provide a relatively high amount of carbohydrates, fiber, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, folic acid, potassium, magnesium and plant substances, but little protein, saturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and_B12 and zinc. Vegans also have a low intake of calcium, vitamin D and a negligible intake of vitamin_B12. Incidentally, omnivores do not get all nutrients in sufficient quantities either. Because fish consumption among meat eaters is often low, the supply of omega-3 fatty acids also leaves much to be desired. In a Swiss study, omnivores had the lowest intake of magnesium, vitamin_B3, vitamin C, and vitamin E. In addition, 58% of omnivorous participants were deficient in folate.

Supplement with supplements

Do you have a vegetarian or vegan diet? Then it is important to add certain dietary supplements to the menu. VitOrtho has developed a multivitamin, especially for vegans. The More in 1 Vegan contains substances that hardly occur in a menu without animal products and is therefore a perfect addition. For tailor-made advice, you can contact a health professional. For example, have your nutrient balance examined to see what your nutrient balance looks like.