Vegetarianism has benefits that are both global and health-related. But those who think vegetarianism is an easy, worry-free way to achieve better health would do well to consider some of the long-term implications of not eating meat, or, for vegans, any animal products. The challenges include getting enough protein and B vitamins in your diet, as well as ensuring that you don’t go overboard on soy, processed foods, unhealthy sugars and carbs. A vegetarian diet can be full of unexpected pitfalls if you’re not prepared to work on getting balanced nutrition.
Finding a good source of protein for each meal can be a challenge, at first, for vegetarians. Most North Americans are accustomed to having some form of meat at each meal, even when another high-protein food is present, yet for vegetarians it is these other sources of essential amino acids that are vital for a balanced diet. Without adequate amounts of each of the 9 essential amino acids, some vegetarians experience “brain fog,” memory loss, tiredness, moodiness due to blood sugar highs and lows, lack of motivation, and poor performance at work or during exercise. Westerners living in enough relative wealth to contemplate vegetarianism as a lifestyle choice will almost never experience the kind of protein starvation that results in serious illnesses - but even slight protein deficiency can have a real impact on mental and physical health.
Similarly, vitamin B, iron, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals are a concern for vegans and vegetarians. Meat, eggs, and dairy are generally considered the best sources for these nutrients, some of which - such as B12 - cannot be readily absorbed or processed in the human body from plant sources (B12 is the most common nutritional deficiency in the developing world and possibly in the U.S., reports the Harvard Health Letter). For this reason, most vegetarians and particularly vegans must supplement their B vitamins, calcium, and iron or eat fortified foods like protein bars/powders, soy or rice milk, and cereals (which are, to varying degree, processed in ways that may be unhealthy - see below).
Iron and calcium are especially a concern for vegetarian women, who have to make up the iron lost monthly as blood hemoglobin during their period, and are more at risk than men of developing osteoporosis if their body’s calcium needs are not sufficiently met.
If you are vegetarian and your body’s need for protein, key vitamins, or minerals is not being met, one of the first warning signals may be a lack of energy - but a deficiency that makes one person feel listless and fatigued may have no effect on another. The amount of protein and vitamins needed can be highly individual. For this reason, it can be helpful to do some of your own research and discuss these issues with an expert nutritionist on vegan and vegetarian diets.
One of the reasons that many health professionals consider a vegetarian diet unhealthy is the routine dependence on carbohydrates to fill the gap left by meat and other animal-based foods. Younger vegetarians are especially likely to lean on bread, cereal grains, sugary fruits, and desserts to fill them up while the rest of their family is eating meat or poultry, but adult vegetarians can fall prey to carbohydrate dependency and addiction as well. Foods rich in protein take longer for the body to digest and will fill you up, so a meal without enough protein will naturally leave a person hungry and can lead to overeating - usually of carbs. Excessive carbs and sugars becomes a vicious cycle, since eating sugar tends to make you crave more sweets. An unbalanced vegetarian diet without sufficient protein can lead to sugar addiction, blood sugar highs and lows, and in the long term even diabetes.
Other unhealthy vegetarian foods to watch out for include margarine (made of highly processed hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats; even “soft” non-hydrogenated margarine often contains toxic additives) and soy - which can be healthy in moderation, but dubious in large quantities since it can create hormone imbalances in both men and women. Heavily processed veg protein foods like textured soy protein, seitan, and fake meats (veggie dogs, veggie “chicken,” “tofurkey,” veggie slices) are good in extreme moderation but are very difficult for most people to digest because of their additives and the degree of processing they undergo.
Fortified rice/soy drinks and other foods that vegetarians are often directed towards can also be a mixed blessing. The sources of the vitamins and minerals in these foods are rarely listed and may be from natural or, more usually, from cheap manufactured sources that are difficult for the body to absorb and make use of - so you receive hardly any useable nutrition from them.
A vegetarian diet is, by definition, neither healthy nor unhealthy – like any diet, it depends on the extent of your knowledge and how much care you take to eat foods in balance, get the right nutrition for your body, and avoid overly processed foods and sugars. The website for VIVA, Vegetarians International Voice for Animals, summarizes nicely: “The truth is, most people who eat meat don’t give a second thought to diet and nutrition and that’s one of the reasons that diet-related illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and many cancers are on the increase.” Vegetarianism comes with its own set of associated risks, but if you care enough to be a vegetarian, it’s in your interest to give a second thought to your diet, take the time to get it right and do what’s best for your health.
For information on the positives of eating vegetarian, see Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet.
Victoria Anisman-Reiner - Victoria Anisman-Reiner is a freelance writer with extensive experience in holistic health care and animal training.
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