Vegetarian
nutrition
and other types
of alternative
nutrition
Vegetarian nutrition
Atkins diet
Raw diet
Blood type diet
macrobiotic diet
Mayo clinic diet
Beverly Hills diet
Cabbage soup diet
Paleo diet
Apple cider diet
Vegetarian nutrition
Atkins diet
Raw diet
Blood type diet
macrobiotic diet
Mayo clinic diet
Beverly Hills diet
Cabbage soup diet
Paleo diet
Apple cider diet
• followers of alternative diets do not fully agree
with the conventional healthy diet
recommendations and do not consider them
optimal for health.
• they suggest alternative forms of nutrition (often
reffered to as „diets“), that they consider to be
healthier (paleo diet, raw diet, etc.)
I switched to
vegetarian
nutrition. Isn´t
it great,
doctor?
Healthy diet
- supplies all nutrients in adequate quantity of nutrients
required for
- growth and maintenance of the body
- body functions
- eating a variety of foods – the best way how
to get all nutrients in sufficient amounts
- any limitation in diet increases the risk of
insufficient intake of nutrients
Vegetarian diet
• vegetarians exclude foods of animal origin from their diet:
• their diet is based on foods of plant origin
- about 5% of population in developed countries (Europe, USA) are vegetarians
Do not eat - avoid
Meat and meat products
Inner organs (liver)
Milk and milk products
Eggs
Fish - some
Gelatine
Lard
Bee honey
Do eat
Cereals
Legumes
Vegetables
Fruit
Algae - seaweed
Plant oils
Nuts
Types of vegetarian
diet
Do not consume Consume
semi-vegetarians red meat white meat, fish, eggs, milk and
dairy products, cheese
lacto – ovo –
vegetarians
all types of meat milk, dairy products, cheese, eggs
lacto – vegetarians meat and eggs milk, dairy products, cheese
ovo – vegetarians meat, milk, dairy products,
cheese
eggs
vegans all foods of animal origin only foods of plant origin
vitarians all foods of animal origin,
cooked food
only plant foods, raw
- about 5% of population in developed countries (Europe, USA) are vegetarians
health concerns - disease prevention
- statistical data show that vegetarians are at lower risk of
- obesity - elevated blood cholesterol level
- diabetes - hypertension
- cancer - cardiovascular diseases
they consider animal foods to be harmful, e.g.
- milk causes adverse reaction to the body
- meat contains harmful substances, etc.
this is not supported by scientific evidence and serious studies
moral and ethical beliefs
- to protect the animals and environment
religious reasons
- e.g. the seventh day adventists church, buddhists
Why do the people become vegetarians?
Good reason
An example of a vegetarian menu:
breakfastnothing
mid-morning snack: coca-cola 0,5l
lunch: instant soup, chips with mayonnaise, tea + 4 spoons of sugar, chocolate100 g
afternoon snack: chips + 7 UP 0,5l
dinner: pasta, catchup, Sprite 0,5 l, crackers+ croissant with chocolate
• is it healthy ? - no breakfast- no fruit and vegetables- white cereals- a lot of sweets- a lot of salt- a lot of soft and sweetened drinks
• diet without animal foods is not necessarily healthy
• in vegetarian nutrition is also necessary to keep the rules of „healthy
vegetarian nutrition“ and to eat foods with high nutritional value
...what are the positives of animal foods?
• animal foods – are rich in some nutrients
• meat – iron, proteins, vitamins (B12)
• milk – calcium, protein, vitamins (B12, D)
• eggs – proteins, vitamins, minerals
• plant foods – do not contain some nutrients at all (vitamin D, B12)
• absorption of minerals from plant foods is lower than from animal foods
– organic acids present in plant food bind minerals tightly and decrease absorption
– higer intake of dietary fibre – faster motility – lower absorption
• plant protein - lower nutritional value
- lower content of essential amino acids
• not all plant foods are rich in nutrients and healthy (croissants, soft drinks)
!!! avoidance of animal foods – increases the risk of nutrient deficiency
If somebody has decided for a vegetarian diet, he/she should
step A/ to exclude/reduce animal foods
step B/ include adequate amounts of plant sources of the nutrients that
may be deficient
- a healthy vegetarian diet must be well planned – the vegetarian needs to
know which foods provide the potentially deficient nutrients
Nutrients that may be deficient in a (imbalanced) vegetarian diet:
⚫ iron ⚫ calcium
⚫ protein ⚫ zinc
⚫ vitamin D ⚫ vitamin B12
+ vegetarian diets are usually lower in energy
e.g. calcium – soy, vegetables, legumes
iron – soy+products, vegetables, legumes
protein – soy+products, cereals, legumes
vitamin B12 – supplements, fortified foods, etc.
Imbalanced vegetarian diet can cause of health disorders:
• anaemia – deficiency of Fe, vitamin B12 a protein
• children – growth retardation
• babies of vegetarian mothers – serious neurological disorders
• menstrual cycle disorders, reproduction problems
• infectious diseases (e.g. infectious hepatitis) – pathogenic microorganisms may be present in raw foods (e.g. sprouts)
• risk of osteoporosis
My .... child..... wants to be a vegetarian.
.....
- Teenager
- Granpa/grandma
- Pregnant woman
- Lactating mother
- Cancer patient
.........
Is it a good idea?
The risk of inadequate nutrient intake is higher in
– strict vegetarians, who do not consume any animal food
(vegans, vitarians)
– in population groups with higher nutritional requirements
• children and adolescents
• pregnant and lactating females
• the elderly
• patients
– for these people vegetarian diet (especially strict forms)
is not recommended
– if they decide for vegetarian type of diet, their diet must
be planned very carefully, so that it contains sufficient
quantity of all nutrients and meets the dietary
requirements
A well balanced vegetarian diet
• has a better nutrient composition and thus also positive health effects
• les nutrition-related diseases has been observed in vegetarians :
- obesity - high blood cholesterol levels
- diabetes - hypertension
- cancer - cardiovascular diseases
The same positive health effect can be achieved also by a well-balanced non – vegetarian nutrition.
Vegetarians have also generally healthier lifestyle
- regular physical activity
- lower consumption of alcoholic beverages
- less smokers
Keep in mind: Vegetarian diet has also its rules
Other types of alternative nutrition – „fad diets“
- fad diets = dietary plans, that are mostly in conflict with current scientific
evidence
- become popular because often promise dramatic, unrealistic effects (weight
loss, good health)
- promoted by celebrities or promoters
Some examples of fad diets:
The blood type diet
• recommends to select/avoid foods according to blood type
– type 0: protein diet (specifically a lot of meat!!!), limited carbohydrates
– type A: vegetarian diet
The Atkins diet („diet of Hollywood celebs“)
• high fat+ protein / low carbohydrate diet
Food separation diet
Followers of this
diet state:
„the human body
cannot digest
proteins and
carbs at the
same time“ (???)
- Can this be
true? Think of
principles of
physiology
The paleo diet
Risks and benefits of fad diets
• their common feature: mostly low /very low calorie diets
• limit the food variety
• risk of nutrient deficiencies and health disorders (anaemia, high blood
cholesterol, osteoporosis, death etc.)
• inefficient from a long term prospective of weight loss – yoyo effect
• not supported by scientific evidence !!!
• some of the recommendations may be sound
• to follow a diet plan may be a benefit for people
with bad dietary habits
• may be effective from a short term prospective
Most physicians/ experts disagree with the fad diets
and generally do not recommend them
Ketogenic diet
Raw food diet
• based upon uncooked, unprocessed plant-derived foods
• staples of the diet include
organic fruits and vegetables sprouts
unprocessed grains, nuts,
beans seaweed.
• in some cases mildly heated foods are permitted
Main Message:
• Raw-food diet results in weight loss on average.
• About 30% of the women under 45 years of age had partial to
complete amenorrhea, corresponding to the amount of raw-food
they ate
Raw diet
• Purposeful (nonrandom) sample of 17 U.S. raw foods leaders
• On average, subjects met or exceeded recommended intakes of
vegetables, fruits, and fats and did not meet recommendations for
calcium-rich foods, protein-rich foods, and grains.
• Those counseling raw foodists must understand the rationale and
practices that characterize this eating style.
• Further research is needed .........
Questions
• Which nutrients may be contained in insufficient amounts in the vegan
(vegetarian) diets.
• Health risks of imbalanced vegetarian diets.
• Risks and benefits of vegetarian/vegan diet
• Nutritional benefits of animal foods
• „Important“ vegetarian foods – sources of „at risk nutrients“
• Why the vegetarian diet is not always the best option for children, the
elederly, pregnant and lactating women?
• What are the fad diets ?
• What are the fad diets ?
• General risks of fad diets
• Pros and Cons of ketogenic diet
• Pros and cons of raw food
• Pros and cons of paleo diets
