ARE VEGETARIAN DIETS REALLY BETTER FOR HEALTH? (Dr Emma Derbyshire)

It’s perfectly possible to eat healthily on a vegetarian or vegan diet, followed by 2-4% of the population, but this requires good planning and cooking skills as well as access to alternative sources of animal-based nutrients.

Studies show that vegetarian diets can be low in zinc, calcium, iron, manganese, selenium, and copper [1]  while vegetarians and vegans often have lower intakes of vitamin D [2, 3], and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids [4]. Vitamin B12, which is required for healthy nerves and red blood cells, can be a major issue for vegans as this nutrient is only present in foods of animal or microbiological origin [5].

Vegetarians tend to be healthier than the rest of the population thanks to the combined effect of lower body mass index, more exercise, lower smoking prevalence and higher intakes of fruit, vegetables and fibre. Meat eaters can also achieve optimal health by choosing lean cuts of red meat and aiming for at least 5-a-day fruit and vegetables, as well as whole grain foods, low fat dairy products, and oily fish once a week.

As studies show that lean red meat performs just as well as carbohydrate or other protein sources in terms of blood pressure [6], body fat [7,8], glucose levels [9], and blood lipids [10],  you can still enjoy red meat during your health kick.











References

[1] Freeland-Grave-J (1988) Mineral adequacy of vegetarian diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  48:859-62

[2] Calvo Ms, Whiting SJ, Barton CN (2005) Vitamin D intake: a global perspective of current status. Journal of Nutrition 135 310-6
[3] Laskowska-Kilta T, Chelchowska M, Ambroszkiewicz J, Gajewska J, Klemarczyk W (2011) The effect of vegetarian diet on selected essential nutrients in children 15:318-25
[4] Welch AA, Shakya-Shrestha S, Lentjes MA, Wareham NJ, Khaw KT (2010) Dietary intake and status of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and the product-precursor ratio [corrected] of a-linolenic acid to long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2:1040-51
[5] Ambroszkiewicz J, Klemarczyk W, Chelchowska M, Gajewska J, Laskowska-Klita T (2006) Serum homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12 and total antioxidant status in vegetarian children. Advances in medical science 51:265-8
[6] Hodgson JM et al. (2006) Partial substitution of carbohydrate intake with protein intake from lean red meat lowers blood pressure in hypertensive persons. Am J Clin Nutr 83: 780-7.
[7] Noakes M et al. (2005) Effect of an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on weight loss, body composition, nutritional status, and markers of cardiovascular health in obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 81: 1298-306.
[8] Noakes M et al. (2005) Effect of an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on weight loss, body composition, nutritional status, and markers of cardiovascular health in obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 81: 1298-306.
[9] Turner KM et al. (2015) Red meat, dairy, and insulin sensitivity: a randomized crossover intervention study. Am J Clin Nutr 101: 1173-9.
[10] Davidson MH et al. (1999) Comparison of the effects of lean red meat vs lean white meat on serum lipid levels among free-living persons with hypercholesterolemia: a long-term, randomized clinical trial. Arch Intern Med 159: 1331-8.