Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian or plant based diets have been around since the beginning of human kind. This information handout is designed to provide some up-to-date information on health benefits, risks and special considerations for those following, or embarking upon a vegetarian diet. It does not replace the advice and individual guidance of your healthcare practitioner.

There are several categories of vegetarians and vegans

Semi-vegetarian Dairy foods, eggs, chicken, and fish, but no other meat

Pesco-vegetarian Dairy foods, eggs, and fish, but no other animal flesh

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian Dairy foods, but no animal flesh or eggs

Ovo-vegtarian Eggs, but no dairy foods or animal flesh

Vegan No eggs, dairy, fish or meat

Health benefits of a vegetarian-based diet

• Lower in saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein
• Higher in carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamin C and E and phytochemicals.
• Lower body mass indices and lesser risk for obesity.
• Lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease and lover risk for coronary artery disease
• Lower incidence of high blood cholesterol levels, hypertension, type II diabetes, constipation, gallstones, prostate and colon cancer

Potential risks of a vegetarian diet

• Vegetarian, and in particular vegan diets, increase the risk of deficiencies of vitamin B12 which is found exclusively in animal foods, in addition to vitamin B2, vitamin A, vitamin D, n-3 fatty acids and several minerals, such as copper, calcium, iron, zinc, and iodine.
• The need for vitamin B12 increases during pregnancy, breast-feeding, and periods of growth. A chronic deficiency can lead to irreversible nerve deterioration.
• A lack of vitamin D may causes ricket in children, while inadequate calcium can contribute to the risk of osteoporosis in later years.
• Iron and zinc are the most common mineral deficiencies occurring on vegetarian diets.
• Vegetarians are susceptible to iron deficiency anaemia because of a lack of readily absorbed iron from meat, but also from eating foods with constituents that inhibits iron absorption such as bran, soy protein and cereal fibre.
• Vegans must guard against inadequate calorie intake and chronic deficiencies as mentioned in point one. They may need to reconsider their restricted diet for pregnancy or other conditions of increased nutritional demand. They should supplement their diet daily with at least a multivitamin/mineral and vitamin B12.
• Protein deficiency is a common problem amongst vegetarians and vegans, which in children can impair growth and in adults can cause loss of hair, muscle mass, immune function and energy.
• The elderly should be especially cautious with restricted diets as nutritional deficiencies increase with age (eg. anaemia), as does the body's ability to absorb nutrients.