What is Vegetarianism? Interesting Facts About Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is a dietary lifestyle that excludes the consumption of meat, fish, and poultry. People who follow vegetarianism typically consume plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds. There are several variations of vegetarianism, with some including certain animal products like dairy and eggs.

Types of Vegetarianism

1. Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian:
   • This is the most common type of vegetarianism. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry but do consume dairy products and eggs.
2. Lacto Vegetarian:
   • Lacto vegetarians avoid meat, fish, poultry, and eggs but include dairy products in their diet.
3. Ovo Vegetarian:
   • Ovo vegetarians exclude meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products but consume eggs.
4. Vegan:
   • Vegans avoid all animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, and often honey. They rely entirely on plant-based foods.
5. Flexitarian:
   • Flexitarians primarily follow a vegetarian diet but occasionally eat meat or fish. This approach is more flexible and not as strict as other forms of vegetarianism.

Reasons for Vegetarianism

1. Health Benefits:
   • Many people choose vegetarianism for health reasons. A vegetarian diet is often lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers.
2. Ethical Concerns:
   • Ethical vegetarians avoid eating meat due to concerns about animal welfare and the treatment of animals in the food industry. They advocate for humane and ethical treatment of animals.

Interesting Facts About Vegetarianism

1. The strictest form of vegetarianism is veganism, which excludes all animal products, including milk and eggs.
2. Vegetarianism has been practiced successfully for thousands of years in countries where people follow Indian religions, including Buddhism and Hinduism.
3. Currently, about 30% of the population in India are vegetarians.
4. Did you know that October 1st is World Vegetarian Day?
5. The diet of raw food vegetarians includes only raw plant foods that have not undergone any form of processing (frying, fermenting, etc.).
6. Today, Italy ranks first in Europe for the number of vegetarians per capita. On average, every 10th Italian avoids meat.
7. Interestingly, vegetarians included followers of various philosophical schools, such as the Pythagoreans.
8. Have you ever heard of fruitarians? These are people who eat exclusively fruits, nuts, seeds, and other plant materials that can be harvested without harming the plants.
9. In modern India, the law requires mandatory labeling of vegetarian products with a green color.
10. It’s an interesting fact that Adolf Hitler adhered to vegetarianism.
11. Recent studies show that a vegetarian diet helps reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, cancer, many cardiovascular diseases, and certain gastrointestinal disorders.
12. Few people know that there is a vegetarian hamburger called a veggie burger.
13. Curiously, the great Leonardo da Vinci was a strict vegan.
14. Vegetarians have a 32% lower risk of developing and dying from ischemic heart disease compared to meat-eaters.
15. There are the following categories of vegetarianism: ovo-vegetarians consume eggs but avoid dairy products; lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products but avoid eggs; lacto-ovo-vegetarians consume both eggs and dairy products.
16. Strict vegetarians have lower blood pressure than meat-eaters.
17. Vegetarians generally do not suffer from protein deficiency, as many believe, because they get protein from various plant sources.
18. Did you know that vegetarians are less prone to cancer of all kinds, except for colon cancer?
19. Vegetarians have a 31% lower risk of developing kidney stones compared to meat-eaters.
20. Producing 1 kg of wheat requires 200 liters of water, while producing 1 kg of meat requires 20,000 liters.
21. Vegetarians are almost twice as likely to avoid type 2 diabetes.
22. Cataracts are 30% less common among vegetarians than among people who eat more than 100 grams of meat per day.
23. Those who have followed a vegetarian diet for more than 20 years live an average of 3.6 years longer than meat-eaters.
24. Interestingly, there is a form of vegetarianism called pescetarianism, which excludes the consumption of meat from warm-blooded animals.