In general, vegetarians are people who avoid foods containing animal products.
Vegetarians are people with a lifestyle that does not eat animal products. However, this lifestyle is divided into several types, so not all of them avoid animal products. Every 1st of October, vegetarians celebrate World Vegetarian Day to show appreciation for their way of life that positively impacts the environment, health, and humanity.
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Understanding the Definition of Vegetarian
Vegetarianism is a lifestyle where you refuse to eat animal-based foods and only eat plant-based foods. People who adopt this lifestyle are called vegetarians, and there are seven types of them.
1. Semi-Vegetarian
This type is quite flexible because the diet is based on plant products. However, they do not entirely avoid animal products. Occasionally they consume animal products at certain times.
2. Pescatarian
Pescatarians use plants as food bases, but they add nutrients through marine animals to meet their protein needs. Sometimes, this type also consumes milk and eggs but avoids red meat.
3. Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian
Lacto-Ovo vegetarians are popular because they avoid meat, poultry, fish but consume derivative products such as milk and eggs. This type is quite popular. Generally, a person who wants to be a vegetarian but does not become entirely vegan chooses this type.
4. Lacto Vegetarian
Lacto vegetarians eat plant-based products and dairy but avoid meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. So, this type can still enjoy milk, cheese, butter, and ice cream.
5. Ovo Vegetarian
This type does not eat meat, marine animals, or dairy products but still eats eggs. Generally, this type eats organic eggs to avoid the risk of chemicals in food.
6. Pollo Vegetarian
‘Pollo’ comes from Spanish, which means chicken. So, this type can eat poultry such as chicken. However, this type sticks to the main menu, plants.
7. Vegan
This type is the most eminent because all the essential ingredients of food must come from plants. This type does not consume animal products, such as meat, fish, poultry, milk, or eggs.
Wrong Myths about Vegetarians
People in various countries have begun to recognize and be interested in the vegetarian diet, including Indonesia. Vegetarians have gotten more popular because the diet has a good impact on health. However, many myths are wrong about vegetarianism.
1. Plant-Based is The Only Healthy Diet
Many studies reveal a link between red meat consumption and poor health. The consumption of red meat is commonly associated with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. This assumption is like stating that eating meat is wrong. The consumption of meat is not always bad for health because red meat also contains nutrients necessary for the human body.
Even if you only eat plant foods, you must meet the needs of all daily nutrients to keep your body healthy without eating animal foods.
2. Vegetarians Have Difficulty Fulfilling Protein Needs
Many people think animal foods are the only source of protein. However, this is not true. Vegetarians can obtain protein through tofu, nuts, oats, or seeds. Not only that, vegetables such as spinach, potatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and asparagus also contain protein. So, even if you don’t eat meat, your protein needs can be met by eating plant-based foods.
3. Essential Milk for Bones
Many people think milk is the only source for bone growth. In fact, calcium plays a role in bone growth. Calcium can also be helpful for other things, such as maintaining blood pressure, muscle contraction, sending signals along nerves, and blood clotting. Vegetarians can obtain this calcium through the essential ingredients of soybeans, spinach, nuts, sesame to seaweed.
Also Read: Why be a Vegetarian? Consider Your Health
Consuming only plants is indeed a healthy lifestyle. Even though they only eat plants, vegetarians can still get the needs of protein, iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. Read more about health tips and medicine here. You can find a list of medicines that we distribute based on our partner medicine production companies on our principals page. If you are a medicine manufacturer or medicine retailer who needs cooperation and more information about Mandira as a pharmaceutical distributor, please contact us here.