NUTRITION

Medical myths: Vegetarian and vegan diets
A Myth-Busting Guide to Vegetarian and Vegan Diets


Joe Brown

Editor, doctormagazine.com

April 17, 2021

4 min read

According to many recent surveys, the trend of eating a plant-based diet is rapidly growing in popularity. Although this is generally accepted as a healthy option, there are many myths associated with it. Vegetarianism, particularly veganism, was considered a fringe lifestyle choice in the United States. Anything on the surface in civilization has a role to play in promoting myths and beliefs unintentionally.

Also, some people get enraged as they decide not to consume animal products.

Vegetarianism and veganism are often confused in general, but in reality, these two are distinct terms used for a different group of people. So, before debunking some of the more popular vegetarian and vegan myths mentioned in the doctor magazine, first, let’s have a look at what is the difference between veganism and vegetarianism.

Comparison between Veganism & Vegetarianism

That's the most common misconception about the health news we've encountered, especially in India, where there is a large vegetarian population. Vegans avoid eating beef, eggs, milk, or any other dairy product originating from or containing animal products. On the other hand, vegetarians do not eat beef and other categories of meat, but they do drink dairy products in vast amounts in most circumstances.

We can simply say that vegetarians only avoid eating meat, whereas, vegans don’t consume any type of animal-sourced products including eggs, dairy, and honey.

Fact or Fiction?

o  Is a plant-based diet truly better than a meat-based one?

o  Should vegetarians have a higher quality of life than meat-eaters?

o Do vegetarian diets deliver on their health claims?

You might be surprised to know that over 7 million Americans are vegetarians, but some myths still exist about vegetarianism. Without any further ado, let's separate the truth from the fantasy for a moment.

Myth1 - Vegetarian is the Healthiest Diet

You might be surprised to know that over 7 million Americans are vegetarians, but some myths still exist about vegetarianism. Without any further ado, let's separate the truth from the fantasy for a moment.

You might be surprised to know that over 7 million Americans are vegetarians, but some myths still exist about vegetarianism. Without any further ado, let's separate the truth from the fantasy for a moment.

Myth2 - Vegetarian, Can't Go Back!

Many say that long-term vegetarians lose their capacity to consume meat; however, this is just not the case. According to biologists, the body maintains the capacity to chew meat even though it has been years since a steak has been consumed. Of course, a vegetarian may feel slow after a large meat meal, but this is due to the body's unfamiliarity with large, muscle mass meals, not that the body cannot digest meat.

Myth3 - Vegetarians Live Longer Than Meat Eaters

There have been mixed results of scientific experiments comparing the survival of vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Vegetarians were 12% less likely than meat-eaters to die during the research period in at least one study. On the other hand, other research works haven't observed a major difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians lifespans. Furthermore, no one has demonstrated that following a vegetarian diet leads to a longer lifetime by lowering the likelihood of death.

Myth4 - Vegetarians & vegans didn't eat proper protein

Protein is not only found in animal products but also abundant in many fruits and vegetables, as written in the latest health news. Dairy and eggs are also rich in protein, referring to one of the most asked health questions. Tofu, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, oats, wild rice, beans, and several beans and nuts are advised by the doctors to vegans in order to fulfill their protein requirements.

Myth5 - Guarantees Weight Loss

As both vegetarian and vegan diets cannot be created identical, you can refer to doctormagazine.com to plan your diet as per your requirements. When it comes to losing weight, thousands of calories are consumed per day without any of them being associated with animals. Therefore, it is nothing more than a myth that you can lose weight just by cutting meat from your diet.

Moreover, a healthy diet and daily exercise achieve weight reduction, none of which necessitates the absence of animal products, according to the experts at doctor magazine.

The Final Verdict

If you are thinking about going vegetarian, it's a smart idea, but talk to a doctor to make sure the diet is nutritionally balanced. For this, we recommend you to head over to the “doctors near me” section of the doctor magazine, and book an appointment or consult online with the top specialist doctors across the country.

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