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Diets: Vegetarian
- jennieboppdale
- Apr 12
- 2 min read
We most recently reviewed the Graham diet, so I felt it appropriate to next discuss vegetarian diets (plant-forward or plant-based diets).
Vegetarian diets predate the Graham diet and American culture, but my focus is on diets in the U.S., so this is an appropriate time to discuss it!
Many versions of the vegetarian diet exist, including vegan, flexitarian, and nutritarian.* These diets have a foundation in plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes) and may or may not include animal-based foods (even to the exclusion of honey and beer for those following a strict vegan diet).
More Traditional Categories:
Lacto-vegetarians = OK with consuming dairy
Ovo-vegetarians = OK with consuming eggs
Pesca-vegetarians = OK with consuming fish
(You can do a variation of any of the above.)
Vegans do not consume animal products and may not even wear or use products made from animals.
Fruitarians = consume mostly raw fruit, nuts, and seeds (a very restrictive diet, which I would not recommend to any client)
Vegetarian diets are popular for various reasons, including health, religion, or ethics. In terms of health benefits, a healthy vegetarian diet is linked to a decreased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, as well as improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, and better immune function.
The caveat is that not all vegetarian diets or vegetarian foods are beneficial to health. An unhealthy vegetarian diet is linked to an increased risk of bone fractures, insulin resistance and diabetes, inflammation, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, gut dysbiosis, and death.
If you think vegetarian food is always healthier than animal products, consider the Impossible Whopper at Burger King, which has similar sodium, calories, and saturated fat content vs. a regular Whopper.
The positives: Vegetarian diets can be beneficial to health, the environment, and your wallet.
The negatives: Vegetarian diets may lead to B12 and vitamin D deficiencies, along with calcium, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies. These diets may be linked to adverse health outcomes, including an increased risk of death when relying on processed foods
Would I recommend a plant-based diet? Probably. My recommendation would be dependent on the type of diet and the individual's needs.
P.S. Here's a little random story about Benjamin Franklin: he ate a vegetarian diet as a young man, but he later returned to eating meat after seeing a smaller fish pulled out of a larger fish, and figured eating animals was part of nature.
Below are some website links for more information on plant-based and sustainable diets as recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
*References
The Diet Review. Special Health Report. Harvard Medical School.
Craig, W.J. (2010). Nutrition Concerns and Health Effects of Vegetarian Diets. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 25: 613-620. https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533610385707
Cratzer, Walter. (2006). Terrors of the Table: The Curious History of Nutrition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Wang T, Masedunskas A, Willett WC, Fontana L. (2023). Vegetarian and vegan diets: Benefits and drawbacks. Eur Heart, 44(36):3423-3439.
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