Benefits of the Vegetarian Diet

By Dr. Roberto Uliano

Benefits for adults and children

An article published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association confirms the data of a study a few years ago by the authoritative European cancer research center EPIC of Oxford ( European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) : the people who follow a vegetarian food style they are less exposed to the risks of wellness diseases typical of the western world: low blood cholesterol levels, reduced risk of heart disease, reduced blood pressure levels, lower risk of type II diabetes and lower risk of contracting cancer, particularly in the intestine .

Furthermore, children who follow a vegetarian style have a lower body mass index and are therefore thinner in relation to children who follow a typical Western diet. More recently, an article in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry has highlighted how women who take more vegetables during pregnancy have higher levels of folic acid in the blood and give birth to children with a more developed, quieter brain. a lower incidence of hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder (ADH). Scientific studies on a vegetarian diet multiply day by day. It has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition the fact that a greater intake of animal proteins, in particular those present in cheeses and animal meat, determines an acidification of the blood, which the body tends to buffer by taking calcium and minerals from the bones with greater exposure to osteoporotic problems. In fact, the benefits brought by the vegetarian diet can be attributed to the greater intake of fiber present in vegetable products, of omega-3 fatty acids, and to the lower intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, which abound in animal meats instead.

Italy ranks first in Europe for number of vegetarians, with more than 6 million people, 10% of the population, divided into different types based on their food style. Those who embrace a vegetarian diet have different motivations: moral, health, philosophical, religious. In fact, less strict vegetarians do not eat meat or fish, but accept milk and eggs, while vegans also exclude the latter. Halfway there are ovo-vegetarians who exclude milk, but not eggs.

The strong increase in the vegetarian population is also due to scientific support, which indicates how this diet - if well balanced and varied - does not present any concrete danger of nutritional deficiencies and is appropriate for each life cycle.

How to deal with children?

Is it right and proper to subject them to this type of diet for their growth?

There is no doubt that vegan children are more exposed to calcium, iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies following the exclusion of all animal products; moreover, statistical studies indicate that vegan children, although in the norm, grow at a slower rate than omnivorous children, to then equate during adolescence.

In these cases it would be advisable to plan a diet with a nutritionist who indicates the ways to avoid precisely delays in growth or malnutrition generated at times even by poor food management! Without therefore taking sides in favor of or against vegetarian food, prioritize the correct intake of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements necessary for an optimal psycho-physical development of the child, who when he grows up will decide for himself what to put on the plate!