According to statistics, more than a billion people on planet Earth do not eat meat. There can be many reasons here - from physical, moral, social and ethical to spiritual and mystical. According to the established stereotype, such people are often called vegetarians. But is this correct? Many have heard the word vegans - who are these people? How do they differ from raw foodists? Which of them can consume dairy products and eggs, and which is categorically against it?
Vegetarian Classification
As already mentioned, there can be many reasons for choosing such a lifestyle - faith, individual preferences, and personal health issues. Many refuse meat products due to concern about the state of the environment and wildlife. For some people, the transition to vegetarianism is associated with savings, since rice or buckwheat are cheaper than meat products. There are several types of this food direction:
- Lacto-veganism, in which it is possible to eat eggs and dairy products, but you can’t eat fish, meat and poultry;
- Vegetarianism, where you can eat eggs, but milk, sour cream, cottage cheese can not;
- Lacto-vegetarianism, in which you can eat dairy products, but eggs can not;
- Sand-vegetarianism, where it is considered possible to eat seafood and fish.
It remains to learn about such a category as vegans - who are these people? This is the most extreme form and type of vegetarianism. What do vegans eat? It’s easier to say that they can’t eat: eggs, dairy products, honey, gelatin, refined foods, processed foods, preservatives, alcohol, caffeine, any stimulants, all animal products.
Differences between vegan and vegetarian
Since these are the two most common trends among people who have refused meat food, you should understand the differences between them. Moreover, as you know, the average person does not see any difference between these concepts. How is a vegan different from a vegetarian? The main difference can be called taste preferences.
The vegetarian does not eat animal meat, as well as fish and poultry. However, in the diet of such people there is no ban on dairy products and eggs, as well as on all derivative products. Attitude to honey is rather ambiguous, but often loyal.
Vegans - who are these people? Here the beliefs are much tougher and stricter. You can’t eat meat, fish, poultry. It is forbidden even to wear things that are made from animal raw materials. Do not eat eggs, honey, gelatin, dairy products. Vegans are often fanatical animal rights activists. Around the world, they advocate the abolition of bullfighting and even the ban on the circus, as they believe that animals are exploited by force in this entertainment institution. It’s easy to imagine what kind of attitude vegans show to poultry farms, meat processing plants, fish harvesting plants and even ordinary hunters and fishermen.
Vegan diet - an illusion or reality?
Interestingly, a person who refused to eat meat still uses animal protein. Then what is the nutrition of vegans and its features? A vegetarian differs from a meat-eater in only one way - in refusing to eat meat. Therefore, he will not be able to get some amino acids, which are simply absent in plant products. But how do such people live? It turned out that everything is simple. The body of a vegetarian over time adapts to such a diet. Saprotrophic bacteria appear in the stomach and intestines, which begin to process fiber that comes with food and supply the necessary amino acids. It turns out that the vegan is completely dependent on its own microflora, and the meat-eater receives the necessary substances from meat products. But is everything so simple?
Pros and cons of rejecting meat
Vegans - who are these people? And why do many nutritionists speak negatively about the practice of such nutrition? The main disadvantage is that the intestinal microflora is destroyed by the action of certain products, such as garlic, onions, etc. and there are a lot of them. Therefore, if you are thinking about how to become a vegan, then before you make a final decision, you still need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.
After all, as it turns out, in the intestines and stomach, it is processed not only food that came from outside, but also proteins that are secreted by the internal environment of the body into the digestive tract. There were a lot of such proteins! What does it mean? A person who has stopped eating meat continues to receive animal protein "from himself."
Naturally, so many people would not be adherents of veganism if it were so harmful. There are also positive points. For example, according to statistics, vegetarians are generally healthier and slimmer than meat eaters. This is due to increased attention to their own energy balance and the use of low-calorie foods.
