Myths about vegetarian diet

Much has been written about the vegetarian diet, it is enough to search in a browser for information about it, to find hundreds of articles with recommendations and warnings. The problem that we detect in this situation is that in many cases behind the nutrition blogs there are no professionals, so a lot of information circulates that is not scientifically supported, speculative and false.

In this way, myths arise, where certain data are taken for granted, which have a negative or positive impact, distorting reality. About the vegetarian diet there are many, and in this lesson we will compile the most popular ones, in order to disprove them and provide truthful information on the matter in question.

Myths about the diet:

• It is allowed to eat tuna: This is clearly false, tuna is a fish, and as you may know both meat and fish are forbidden in the vegetarian food plan. In Europe many gastronomic establishments include meals with tuna in vegan and vegetarian menus, hence the confusion around this food.

• Lack of protein in the vegetarian diet: Proteins are classified into vegetable and animal, so, by excluding meat and fish from these, we greatly reduce the amount of animal protein we consume; however, we must remember that in this diet we can consume eggs, a food with animal protein. On the other hand we have vegetable protein, and there are numerous foods included in the vegetarian diet that have it; this statement is therefore not true.

• The need to consume supplements: Supplements, as their name suggests, serve to make up for deficits of a certain nature, however, a balanced diet with a variety of nutrients can provide you with everything you need without resorting to supplements.

• Constant feeling of hunger: Nothing could be further from the truth. The vegetarian diet includes a variety of appetizing and satiating foods: rice, vegetables, eggs, fruits, pasta, among many others.

• It is impossible to have a vegetarian diet low in carbohydrates: False, as we explained in the previous point, there are infinite possibilities of meals that we can prepare in this diet to depend only on carbohydrates.

• The human being needs to eat meat: The studies that support the vegetarian diet demonstrate that the human being can dispense with the ingestion of meats and stay healthy; in fact many of the cardiovascular diseases are caused by the abusive consumption of meats.

Myths about health: Loss of intellectual capacity. A study by the University of Southampton proves quite the opposite vegetarians tend to develop higher IQs:

• More frequent illnesses: A person can get sick for dissimilar reasons, not all subject to food, however if we stick to this aspect, studies reveal the opposite, since the vegetarian diet reduces the risks of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• Impossibility of developing muscle mass: False, it is certainly made a little more complex by the non-meat intake, but it is perfectly possible; it is so many prominent figures of fitness follow a vegetarian diet.

• Vegetarian diet is not suitable for children or pregnant women: In the case of the latter, it is only recommended to control the levels of vitamin B12 in the body, but otherwise, pregnancy and vegetarianism are compatible. As for children, the statement is equally false; to ensure proper growth and development of these you should only take into account providing them with a nutrient-rich and balanced diet, which is possible with the vegetarian lifestyle.

Myths that influence social life:

• Vegetarian meals with expensive: Nothing could be further from reality: if we go to the basis of the vegetarian meal plan, we will notice that it is composed of very basic and affordable foods such as vegetables, rice, fruits, eggs, among others.

• There are few establishments that offer vegetarian food: This could be a true statement years ago; however, today the reality is different. There are more and more bars and restaurants that not only include vegetarian dishes, but also specialize in them. In Spain, for example, it is estimated that there are more than 2000 vegetarian restaurants.

• Vegetarian diet is a fad: False, many people believe that this diet dates from a few years ago, however it is not so. Since ancient times philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plutarch had written works dedicated to this lifestyle, and over the centuries it has become popular; so enjoying the variety of options and diets we have today should not be seen as a fad that will pass quickly, but as an alternative food that hopefully will be maintained for many years.