대학신문방송국

Is Vegetarianism a Hot Trend?

 Fact-Checking Vegetarianism's Pluses and Minuses

By Gi Myeong-seok Cub Reporter, senior of Japanese

If you look around these days, you can easily find companies and restaurants are releasing products and menus for vegetarian customers to access their dishes. You can even buy vegan ramyun, vegan kimbap, and bean-based hamburgers at convenience stores. This speaks to the increasing number of consumers who now have a vegetarian diet in modern society. The number of vegetarians in Korea, estimated by the Korea Vegetarian Union, reached about 1.5 million as of last year. Compared to 10 years ago, the figure has doubled. Many celebrities, like Kim Je-dong, Jeong Ryeo-won, Liam Hemsworth, Ellen DeGeneres, and Anne Hathaway are also vegetarians. Vegetarianism is increasing, not only in Korea but also around the world. Gradually, many people in Korea are shifting to a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons, such as improving the health and constitution of the body through a vegetarian diet and protecting the environment by reducing meat consumption.

   Vegetarianism is becoming a hot trend, and many people are trying to eat this way. But, is it really okay for us to eat only vegetables? What will be the change to our bodies?  In this article, we would like to learn more about the vegetarian diet.

What is a vegetarian?

   The vegetarian diet refers to avoiding meat and making a diet centered on vegetables. Vegetarians eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, and beans, rather than eating meat. But, vegetarians can also be categorized into seven major categories depending on what animal food they may include in their diet. Here are the seven types of vegetarian diets.

Raw Food Vegan: this is a person who excludes all food and products of animal origin, as well as food cooked at a temperature above 40.5 °C. This diet includes raw fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains, legume sprouts, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms.

Vegan: a person who does not eat or use animal products. Vegans eat cooked products from the above list.

Lacto Vegetarian: a person who abstains from eating meat and eggs, but eats dairy products.

Ovo Vegetarian: a person who abstains from eating meat and dairy, but consumes eggs.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: a person who abstains from eating meat, but eats eggs and dairy products.

Pescatarian: a person who does not eat meat but does eat fish.

Flexitarian: one who consumes a plant-based diet with the occasional inclusion of meat, eggs, or dairy products.

Why Do People Become Vegetarian?

   In the past, due to the influence of religion or poverty, there were many vegetarian meals. However, nowadays the reasons that people have chosen to become vegetarian have changed. In countries like New Zealand where meat is not as expensive, people often choose to be vegetarians for reasons other than cost. Parental preferences, religious or other beliefs, and health issues are now among the most common reasons for choosing to be a vegetarian. Many people choose a vegetarian diet out of concern for animal rights or the environment. And, lots of people have more than one reason for choosing vegetarianism.

  Advantages of Vegetarianism

There are also many benefits to our body through a vegetarian diet. Since meat consumption has increased in modern times, vegetarian food is also recommended to many people for the prevention of adult diseases, by controlling excessive protein and fat consumption. Excessive meat consumption increases blood sugar and increases weight. Fat in meat blocks blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attack. Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians tend to consume more vitamins C, E, and magnesium. As a result, they're likely to have lower total cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower Body Mass Index (BMI), all of which are associated with longevity and a reduced risk for many chronic diseases.

Also, eating a vegetarian diet can help you increase the intake of fiber, achieve weight loss, and prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease. It can also reduce cancers caused by meat and processed foods and provide a natural antioxidant effect from fruit and vegetables.

There's some evidence that vegetarians have a lower risk for cardiac events, such as a heart attack or death from heart disease. In one of the largest studies, vegetarians were, on average, 25% less likely to die of heart disease. 

Is the vegetarian diet the best for the body?

   There is something good about eating a plant based meal. However, the body must have all five nutrients evenly to keep healthy. That's why a vegetarian diet that you start for your health may sometimes be harmful to your health. The reason is that there may be nutrients that are not included in your vegetarian diet. Vegetarians have to be careful to include the following key nutrients: protein, calcium, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12. If you don’t eat red meat, you lack protein that lowers immunity and reduces body energy. Hair is also made up of protein, so there is a possibility of hair loss. The other problem is lack of iron. Consuming low iron can make your skin pale and cause severe headaches. If you're choosing a vegetarian diet, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself. If meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs are not going to be part of your diet, you'll need to know how to get enough of these nutrients, or you may need to take a daily multiple vitamin and mineral supplements.

So, if you're considering going vegetarian, keep these tips in mind.

• There are numerous research-proven health benefits to following a vegetarian diet, but only if you’re doing it properly and not substituting meat with processed or high-fat vegetarian products.

• Both lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans need to make sure they are getting adequate nutrition. It’s a good idea to purchase a book on how to follow a vegetarian diet, or to meet with a nutritionist to outline what a few days of meals looks like.

• Be aware of how much of your diet is made up of nuts as a source of protein, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. An ounce of nuts is about 180 calories and 5 grams of protein. You should be getting between 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. You’d have to eat thousands of calories worth of something like nuts in order to get the amount of protein you need to be healthy. Nuts are a healthy food, but they are also high in fat and calories, so be sure to round out your diet with a variety of vegetarian proteins.

   Modern society has become rich in food. You can get meat at a cheap price and enjoy BBQ parties on weekends with your family and neighbors. But, rich food isn't the only good thing. Excessive consumption of meat can also harm our bodies. Reckless eating habits eventually make us sick. Whether you are an omnivore or choose a vegetarian way of life, the most important thing is to keep “appropriately planned meals”. We have to be smart about the consumption of every ingredient. Regardless, it is most important to think about what you eat and what kind of ingredients and foods are healthy for you. Well-balanced meals make our bodies healthy and healthy thoughts and ideas come from healthy bodies.