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Does a vegetarian diet provide all the nutrients needed by the human body?

I'll start by saying that there are several kinds of vegetarian diets; first, the strict vegetarians who only eat legumes, fruits, vegetables, seeds, grains and nuts; also there are semi vegetarians who combine vegetables with fish, chicken and dairy products and finally, those who eat vegetables along with milk derivatives and eggs.

Personally, I think that to achieve a better nutrition it is recommendable to eat a variety of products in reasonable amounts, in that way the nutrients present in one food supplement those that are not present in other foods. In this same way, strict vegetarians can have a complete nutrition.

There are many advantages in a vegetarian diet; first of all it is low in those dangerous components like saturated and trans fats. These are largely proved to be related to heart disease and some cancers. Veggies have more mono and polyunsaturated fats that are known to reduce the "bad cholesterol" and increase the "good" one. Cholesterol is the responsible for the obstruction of blood vessels and in consequence, the cause of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

We can find more vitamins and minerals in plant foods and fruits, especially those known as antioxidants that protect our body from dangerous metabolic sub products which are thought to be responsible for some types of cancers.

Now, how to prevent malnutrition when following a vegetarian diet? One of the concerns will be the proteins because animal proteins are more complete than plants ones, but it is possible to reach a balance by combining different kinds of vegetables in a single meal, like black beans and rice. Soy is an excellent source of protein; it could be the only source of protein in a diet, according to American Heart Association.

Iron and vitamin B12, which deficiency could lead to anemia and neurological problems, could be incorporated to this diet by, in the case of iron, eating beans, spinach, dried fruits and enriched foods and , in the case of vit B12, having fortified cereals and supplements.

Calcium and vit D, important both for healthy bones and more abundant in dairy products, could be found in broccoli, soy and spinach that contain calcium and in the case of vit D, a brief exposure of 15 min to sun light every day will be enough or a vitamin supplement could be helpful.

I'd resume my opinion in this sentence: The key of a good nutrition is to be well informed about the nutrients needed by our body and to eat a variety of products in reasonable amounts.

Learn more about this author, Grettel V..
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