What are the disadvantages and advantages of being a vegetarian?

Haha I mentioned that in the discription.

o sorry i didn’t see the discription, all i know is i like meat!

Well some vegetarians do not eat dairy as well but you can get protein from nuts and other things. I think it is all up to preference, like I try to limit my red meat intake, but I like fish and chicken as well, I limit the steaks to maybe once a month. Also I don’t eat pork, because the fat is swirled in the meat making it really hard to avoid.

and yeah vegitarians dont usually eat dairy products because it comes from an animal, and yes you can take protein supplements to get protein.

I think vegetarians keep weight off a lot better then those that eat meat, but it has a lot to do with their eating habits, they seem to eat better, staying away from processed foods.

“Advantages of Being Vegetarian

Vegetarian diet mainly includes grains, nuts, cereals, seeds, beans, vegetables and fruits. Hence, it is rich in fiber, folate and vitamin C. Vegetables and fruits provide vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy body. Beans, tofu, seeds are some good sources of proteins. Vegetables consist of phytochemicals, which prevent some chronic diseases. Green leafy vegetables are the rich source of antioxidants. Vegetables and fruits also provide natural sugars, beneficial enzymes and trace elements.

It contains low amount of fats, cholesterol and saturated fats. As a result, it minimizes the risk of weight gain. This, in turn, reduces the possibilities of developing the health problems caused by obesity. Vegetarian diet is also helpful for healthy weight loss. A vegetarian diet lowers the blood cholesterol levels and decreases the risk of various disorders such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney diseases, gallstones and cancer. Due to intake of high fiber diet, digestive health is improved. Vegetarianism protects you from certain food-borne diseases such as bird flu, mad cow disease, intestinal parasites, etc.

Disadvantages of Being Vegetarian

Although vegetarian diet provides all the essential nutrients, there are certain factors that we can get in more amounts from the meat or fish. Vegetarian diet is found to be low in proteins, calcium, vitamin B12, iron and zinc. Vitamin B12 is found in soy products, fortified cereals and animal products in abundant amount. Meat is considered as the major source of vitamin B12. Soymilk, milk and other dairy products are the rich sources of vitamin D. Meat, chicken, fish and poultry contain more quantities of iron and zinc. Milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium. These nutrients are not found in large quantities in the vegetarian diet. Meat is a rich source of proteins and contains all the essential amino acids required by the body. Phosphorus present in the meat is easily absorbed than that present in legumes and cereals.

Vegetarian diet is not recommended for bodybuilders, as they require a protein-rich diet. A diet lacking in sufficient carbohydrates and proteins can lead to anemia. Bowel irregularities can be commonly seen among the vegetarians. If your diet is totally free from fats, then it’s not good, because certain amounts of cholesterol and fat is necessary for the development of the nervous system and normal body functioning.

Although, there are certain disadvantages of vegetarian diet, it definitely offers a number of health benefits. If you properly plan your diet, you can overcome the problem of nutrient deficiencies and improve your physical fitness and overall health. After all, healthy eating is a key to healthy living.”

By Reshma Jirage on http://funadvice.com/r/bga4570cuds

I was too lazy to write all of that, so I just sited information. Hope it helps.

My mom usually gives me pills for iron, zinc and Vitamin C. Is that a good thing since I’m a vegetarian? Also, I eat a lot of tofu and beans which, as you said, are good sorces of protein. Thankyou for your answer! :D

okay here it is for me i get to avoid the guilt of killing a animal for my pleasure, disadvantage well ill tell you this after i try mean whihc means next lifetime where i forget im a veg

Most vegetarians are lacto-ovo (meaning they still consume dairy and eggs). While humans are omnivores physiologically we are much closer to herbivores than carnivores. Most of mankind for most of our evolutionary history ate mostly plants. It has been noted in the West that vegetarians and near-vegetarians have longer life expectancies than meat eaters but it is hard to reach conclusions here because it is hard to determine cause and effect. Is it that vegetarian diets make people healthier or is it that healthier people are more likely to adopt a vegetarian diet? The ability to eat meat certainly helped us survive and spread when plant foods aren’t plentiful but in areas where foods of all types are plentiful what is the best for humans to eat? The China Study is a book that compares different traditional diets. China is a large nation with different areas that consume different traditional diets; some largely plant based, some heavy in meat, some heavy in seafood, etc. What the study found was the less animal protein a population ate the healthier they were. The conclusion here would be that a vegetarian diet would be healthier than a meat heavy one. Vegetarians in particular have lower rates of death from our two largest killers, heart disease and cancer. Doctors who have successfully reversed heart disease through diet (Drs Pritican, McDougall, Furman, and Esseltsyn) have all used vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets. The advantages of a vegetarian diet is that it is better for you, better for the animals, and better for the environment. The disadvantages are that it is more work finding good stuff to eat when going to restaurants or visiting friends and relatives.

Protein supplements are generally unnecessary. Nearly any diet that provides sufficient calories also provides a surplus of protein. Unless you eat almost nothing but fruit protein isn’t a problem. Someone on an extreme reducing diet may require a higher percentage of protein but like I said, if you are getting enough calories you don’t have to worry about protein. The only place doctors see people with protein deficiency is in 3rd world countries that do not have enough food in general.

I wish that was true. I’ve been a vegetarian over 30 years but I still struggle with weight. A lot of people do loose weight when they switch to a vegetarian diet either because the lack of variety at first or because they start to eat healthier in general but it certainly is no panacea.

Vitamin C is generally more plentiful in vegetarian diets. Iron isn’t a bad idea, especially for women. Vegetarian women do tend to have lower iron levels than meat eaters but actual anemia is rare. The biggest drawback to iron supplements is that they can cause constipation. Cooking some of your foods in a cast iron skillet is an easy way to add iron to your diet. Calcium usually isn’t a problem because vegetarians do not require as much calcium as meat eaters and leafy vegetables are a good source. Zinc shouldn’t be a problem if you eat whole grains, fruit, and vegetables. If your idea of vegetarian is chips and soda than you may have trouble here though. After iron the biggest concern is vitamin D. If you don’t eat seafood and don’t spend much time outdoors chances are you don’t get enough vitamin D. Vegetarians who don’t get much sun should probably take a D3 supplement. Bowel irregularities? Vegetarians have fewer problems downstairs than meat eaters. Where did you hear this? Also, there are plenty of healthy fats in the vegetarian diet. There is no dietary need for cholesterol; our bodies make all the cholesterol we need The cult of high protein diets for bodybuilders mainly benefits supplement manufacturers who make a good living off of athletes desperate for any advantage they can find. There are lots of vegan athletes including bodybuilders I’m not aware of any objective study (read, not funded by supplement suppliers) that show any benefit to the extreme high protein diets that many bodybuilders consume.