In Spain, the most reliable and closest information available is provided by the Encuesta Nacional de Ingesta Diet\u00e9tica Espa\u00f1ola<\/i> (national survey of dietary intake of Spain). It indicates that the number of vegetarians in our country (approximately 700,000 people) is rising and will continue to do so in the coming years. The reasons that lead to choosing this type of diet are varied: for health, ethical, or ecological reasons, animal rights, religion… They say \u201cwe are what we eat\u201d, but should we stop eating animal protein?<\/p>\n
Tania Mesa – Director of Neolife Nutrition and Nursing Unit<\/em><\/p>\n Alejandro Monz\u00f3 – Neolife Nutrition and Nursing Unit<\/em><\/p>\n The Western diet has been linked to several chronic illnesses<\/strong><\/p>\n Before answering the above question, we want to explain the differences between a vegetarian diet, veganism, and other variants.<\/p>\n Vegetarianism<\/strong> is, by definition, a type of diet that eliminates all or part of the consumption of foods of animal<\/strong> origin: meat, fish, but also milk, eggs, and honey. There are many varying degrees within this practice, as there are people who don\u2019t eat meat, but consume milk and eggs; others who don\u2019t consume meat or milk, but eat eggs, and so on. This results in different types of vegetarianism:<\/p>\n There are those who choose to become vegetarian<\/strong> and continue to consume certain types of meat. This is called semi-vegetarianism<\/strong>. And so we have:<\/p>\n Balanced plant-based<\/strong> diets<\/strong> that include reduced amounts of animal proteins<\/strong>, such as fish and poultry, can be beneficial in preventing nutritional deficiencies or some chronic diseases. However, very restrictive diets or unbalanced vegetarian diets, such as frugivorism or raw veganism may cause health<\/strong> risks.<\/p>\n The Benefits of a vegetarian diet<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2016, the latest scientific evidence on vegetarian diets<\/strong> was presented by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/em>. Their position is clear and the evidence at the moment shows that adequately planned vegetarian diets (Figure 1.), including veganism, are healthy, nutritionally appropriate, and may provide health benefits in terms of prevention<\/strong> and treatment of certain diseases<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The results of their literature review show that vegetarians and vegans have a lower risk of certain diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, obesity, and chronic illnesses in general<\/strong> (3).<\/p>\n It is worth noting that plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable, as fewer natural resources<\/strong> are necessary for food production (5). To produce one kilogram of edible protein from legumes, you need about 18 times less soil, 10 times less water, 9 times less fuel, 12 times less fertilizer, and 10 times less pesticides than producing a kilogram of protein from beef. Moreover, producing one kilogram of protein from beef generates 5 to 6 times more waste (manure). Therefore, reducing the consumption of food of animal origin<\/strong> can be a useful tool to fight climate change and improve public health.<\/p>\n On the other hand, a recent study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews<\/em> shows that animal protein has better biological value than vegetable protein, but in turn contains more fat<\/strong> and cholesterol<\/strong> (6). Protein-rich plant-based foods provide very little fat and a lot of fiber, with all the health benefits that come with it. Additionally, its consumption has been shown to have a reverse effect, with lower body weight<\/strong>, smaller waist circumference (both involved in cardiovascular risk), and lower cholesterol, as well as inflammatory biomarkers<\/strong> in the blood.<\/p>\n In conclusion, a well-planned vegetarian diet<\/strong>, in any of its forms, may be considered perfectly suitable for anyone who wants to adopt one (7). In fact, some of the characteristics of vegetarian diets, such as lower intake of saturated fat and cholesterol<\/strong>, greater quantity of vegetables and fruits, fiber, etc. (Figure 2.), may be considered to be positive factors for the prevention<\/strong> and treatment of chronic illnesses, like diabetes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The limitations of a vegetarian diet<\/strong><\/p>\n Although there is a wide consensus on the safety of vegetarian diets, it is necessary to keep in mind a number of considerations, which people are often unaware of and which may affect their health<\/strong> (3,7,9):<\/p>\n Pro-vegan movements: a reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n There has been an increase in plant-based diets in recent decades due in part to the increase of information available in the media, in documentaries, in social media, on the internet…<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to not make the mistake of thinking that \u201ca vegetarian or vegan diet is healthier than an omnivorous diet<\/strong>\u201d. Why\u2019s that?<\/p>\n The first rule of a healthy diet<\/strong> is to eat real food, and this also applies to vegans. Unfortunately, nowadays in the supermarket, in the vegan section, you will find all kinds of meat substitutes, vegan products, sugary vegetable drinks… they’re anything but food. If this type of product represents an important part of your daily diet, it poses a health risk. This is why it is absolutely essential to provide the correct information and encourage nutrition education<\/strong> in the consumer.<\/p>\n Poorly balanced vegetarian diets<\/strong>, as we mentioned above, may present significant energy deficiencies, missing macronutrients (proteins) and micronutrients (vitamin B12 and vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium, iodine, omega 3), leading to potential negative consequences for health and the optimization of athletic performance, according to a major review published in the prestigious Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition<\/em> (10).<\/p>\n Recently, there have been documentaries (such as What the Health, The Game Changers<\/em>, among others), pro-vegan advertising, associations and studies with particular interests, which ignore science and base their beliefs on ideology, known as \u201cvegan dogma\u201d.<\/p>\n The studies that present the benefits of these diets have limitations:<\/p>\n This makes it impossible to claim that a vegan diet<\/strong> is better than an omnivorous diet, since, after all, there are numerous health<\/strong> factors involved (rest, lifestyle, toxic habits, stress, environment, etc.) to consider. Moreover, we can\u2019t ignore the existence of studies, which are lesser known, that claim that vegetarian diets don\u2019t lead to a decrease in mortality, and even attribute greater health problems to it (11,12).<\/p>\n Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n Well-planned and properly supplemented<\/strong> vegetarian diets<\/strong> are not harmful to overall health, but some of the benefits of such diets may not only come from eliminating animal products, but from adding more plant sources, such as vegetables, legumes, fruits… as well as the adoption of healthy lifestyles (being physically more active, eliminating toxic habits, less stress…).<\/p>\n Therefore, we cannot say that a vegan or vegetarian diet will be \u201cbetter or worse\u201d than an omnivorous diet without considering what constitutes a healthy and balanced diet<\/strong>, based on high quality foods and raw materials. Both must be well designed to be able to guarantee health and quality of life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Therefore, it is important, if you are going to adopt a vegetarian diet, to follow up regularly with your nutritionist, and to make sure there are no deficiencies of any vitamin or any nutrient, which may be harmful.<\/p>\n BIBLIOGRAPHY<\/p>\n (1) (2019). \u201cTendencias de consumo\u201d [Consumption trends]. International Vegetarian Union. URL: https:\/\/ivu.org\/history-legacy-pages\/world-veganism-past-present-and-future.html<\/a><\/p>\n (2) (2017). \u201cEstad\u00edsticas: n\u00famero de vegetarianos en Espa\u00f1a\u201d [Statistics: number of vegetarians in Spain]. Uni\u00f3n Vegetariana Espa\u00f1ola. URL: https:\/\/unionvegetariana.org\/estadisticas-numero-de-vegetarianos-en-espana\/<\/a><\/p>\n (3) Melina, V. et al. (2016). \u201cPosition of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets\u201d. J Acad Nutr Diet. Vol. 116(12): 1970-1980. URL: https:\/\/jandonline.org\/article\/S2212-2672(16)31192-3\/fulltext<\/a><\/p>\n (4) UVE (2018). \u201cPir\u00e1mide de la alimentaci\u00f3n vegana\u201d [The vegan food pyramid]. URL: https:\/\/unionvegetariana.org\/piramide-de-la-alimentacion-vegana\/<\/a><\/p>\n (5) Sabat\u00e9, J. et al. (2015). \u201cThe environmental cost of protein food choices\u201d. Public Health Nutr. Vol. 18(11): 2067-73. URL: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25374332<\/p>\n (6) Ahnen, R.T. et al. (2019). \u201cRole of plant protein in nutrition, wellness and health\u201d. Nutr Rev. pii: nuz028. URL: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/31322670<\/p>\n (7) De Luis Rom\u00e1n, D.A. et al. (2017). \u201cDietoterapia, nutrici\u00f3n cl\u00ednica y metabolismo\u201d [Diet therapy, clinical nutrition, and metabolism]. Third edition. Vegenat, Healthcare. Sociedad Espa\u00f1ola de Endocrinolog\u00eda y Nutrici\u00f3n (SEEN) and Grupo Aula M\u00e9dica, S.L.<\/p>\n (8) ACLM (2013). \u201cPlant protein vs. animal protein\u201d. American College of Lifestyle Medicine. URL: https:\/\/drhillelharris.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/ACLM-PvsA-Protein-FNL.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n (9) Vegan Health. (2019). \u201cEvidence-based nutrient recommendations\u201d. A project of vegan outreach. URL: https:\/\/veganhealth.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n (10) Rogerson, D. (2017). \u201cVegan diets: practical advice for the athletes and exercisers\u201d. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Vol. 14:36. URL: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5598028\/<\/a><\/p>\n (11) Mihrshahi, S. et al. (2017). \u201cVegetarian diet and all-cause mortality: evidence from a large population -based Australian cohort- the 45 and Up Study\u201d. Preventive Medicine, 97,1-7. URL: https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0091743516304479?via%3Dihub<\/a><\/p>\n
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