Health benefits related to vegetarianism
Enhancing well-being through plant-Based eating
I am increasingly learning about two aspects of nutrition that are fasting and vegetarianism. This article is about the benefits of vegetarianism.
Because of health problems, in particular obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, blood cholesterol and coronary heart disease. Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular. Vegetarianism has been trending for the last couple of decades, particularly in western society. A growing number of people are embracing this change on a daily basis. This trend is increasingly changing due to health reasons and two important factors that cannot be ignored are the environment and compassion towards animals.
It is interesting to note that according to trends google com on you tube search vegetarian has risen from 19 (Jan 2008) to 53 (Jan 2023) almost 1.5-fold. Another interesting data finding worth mentioning a peak of 100 was observed in April 2020, around the COVID-19 pandemic.1
I tried to dig deeper to understand why vegetarianism is increasing in popularity. This is what I learned and figured out on vegetarianism.
The evolution of humans from ancient apes, to hominins (the group composed of modern humans). The fruit was the main diet of the apes and early hominins, and as it is scattered across space and time. From 15 to 6 million years, Homo sapiens were living on Fruit. Around 2.5 million years earlier species Homo introduced more animal products into their diet.2
The early reports of vegetarianism as a concept and practice in a large number of people come from ancient India, particularly among Jains.
There are some reports worthwhile mentioning, suggesting vegetarianism originated in 3200 BC when Egyptian civilizations began to adopt vegetarian diets based on the belief that not eating meat would facilitate reincarnation. The records also show that small groups in Greek also adopted vegetarian eating habits.
Some of the early Christian philosophers also contributed to the spread of vegetarianism. This was done for reasons of health, religion, ecology and philosophy. It was thought that killing another living being for food would have a brutal effect on his mind, adversely affecting his body and soul. The followers of vegetarianism included such great names as Plato, Prophyry, Diogenes, and Plutarch.3
After the Christianisation of the Roman Empire, vegetarianism virtually vanished from Europe. Vegetarianism reappeared during the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming more widespread in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1847, the first vegan society was founded in the UK.
In India Hinduism has the deepest connection to vegetarian lifestyle and the highest claim to encourage and support that. It is interesting to see India has around 20-39% of the populations as vegetarians with Russia with its smallest only 1% of the population.4
Vegetarianism is practised by most Indians, but Jains in particular follow vegetarianism profoundly and deeply living in India and abroad.
The available literature strongly suggests that a vegetarian diet is effective in promoting overall good health. Fruits and vegetables in particular are supporting our health because of presence carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, fibre and phytochemicals.
It is worth highlighting that the presence of fibre in fruits and vegetables has significant benefits. Fibre also known as roughage is a very important part of your food for weight management. Meat is generally lacking this potential ingredient. Red meat has been fingered as a potential culprit because of its high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can clog up arteries The diets with a high content of fibre have been reported to have a positive effect on health.
Fibre is found mostly in all types of foods like cereals, vegetables and fruits. Fibre takes a long time to chew thus giving enough time during eating, for the brain to recognise that you have eaten and fills your stomach for longer time. This gives the feeling of saturation, thus helps weight loss programme achieved in a sustainable way. Foods high in fibre are generally low in fat and have less kilojoules or calories compared to carbohydrates or proteins.
Fibre also slows down the absorption of glucose that helps your heart and blood sugar. When sugars are quickly absorbed into the blood, sugar levels increase. This also leads to a rapid increase in insulin from the pancreas. Over time, high insulin and glucose levels can contribute to diabetes and damage the blood vessels, leading to heart disease.
High fibre intake also encourages the growth of species that ferment fibre into metabolites as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, propionate, and butyrate.5 Short chain fatty acids play an important role when it comes to health and disease prevention.
Polyphenols type of micronutrient present in plants only. These are a class of compounds that occur naturally in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and tea leaves. More than 8,000 types of polyphenols have been identified. It is also believed that polyphenols reduce inflammation, which is responsible for many chronic diseases. They can act as antioxidants, which means they can neutralise harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage your cells and increase your risk of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
According to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Interest in and appreciation for plant-based diets continue to grow in the United States and other parts of the world as governmental agencies and various health and nutrition organisation promote the regular use of plant foods. Abundant choices in the marketplace facilitate following a plant-based diet. Well-designed vegetarian diets provide adequate nutrient intakes for all stages of the lifecycle and can also be useful in the therapeutic management of some chronic diseases. 6
This writing was an attempt to demonstrate the benefit of vegetarianism as a powerful tool for the healthy wellbeing of modern civilization.
1 https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all_2008&gprop=youtube&q=vegetarian
2 Andrews, P, Johnson, RJ (London University College, London, UK; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA). Evolutionary basis for the human diet: consequences for human health (Review-Symposium). J Intern Med 2020; 287: 226– 237
3 Hargreaves SM, Raposo A, Saraiva A, Zandonadi RP. Vegetarian Diet: An Overview through the Perspective of Quality of Life Domains. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 12;18(8):4067
4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country
5 Tomova A, Bukovsky I, Rembert E, Yonas W, Alwarith J, Barnard ND, Kahleova H. The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota. Front Nutr. 2019 Apr 17;6:47
6 Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Dec;116(12):1970-1980.
About the Creator
Vijay Koul
I worked in CSIRO, AU. After retiring I found great joy in embracing writing as a fulfilling hobby. With more time on my hands. This new pursuit allowed me to explore different genres and topics, drawing from my experiences and knowledge.
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