Vegetarian & Vegan diet
People choose a vegetarian or vegan diet for a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s an ethical choice for the way animals are treated or for the environment. But it’s also common to choose a plant-based diet because it’s considered healthier.
Research over many years has linked plant-based diets to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers (as compared with diets high in meat and other animal products). Dietary guidelines and recommendations from nutrition experts reflect this, encouraging the adoption of diets such as the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet.
Popular plant-based diets include
a vegetarian diet, which includes no meat
a vegan diet, a type of vegetarian diet that excludes not just meat but also animal products, such as milk or eggs
a pescatarian diet, which is largely vegetarian but also includes seafood.
Plant-based diets carry some risk of inadequate protein, vitamin, and mineral intake. But these risks are readily overcome by being supported by a nutritionist and, when necessary, supplements
A vegan diet may be low in specific nutrients such as:
· vitamin B-12
SOURCE: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/plant-based-diets-are-best-or-are-they-2019103118122