Vegetarian only, does your body agree?
【Beautiful and Healthier】
Braised rice with peach gum and rare mushrooms, beeswax persimmon cake, golden mushroom rolls with roasted sauce, cumin monkey mushroom skewers... These dazzling vegetarian dishes are becoming everyone's new favorites.
In recent years, with the high incidence of chronic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, "vegetarian food" has become more and more respected by some people, and "vegetarian restaurants" often appear on the popular lists of some lifestyle apps. However, cases of physical illnesses caused by blind admiration and extreme vegetarianism in life are not uncommon, and the most typical ones are various problems caused by malnutrition. How do you think about vegetarianism? What are the adverse effects of vegetarianism on the body? How to be nutritionally balanced?
Can vegetarianism be equated with health?
10 years ago, a documentary "A Bite of China" became popular all over the country.
In the second season of the film "Three Meals", it is mentioned that there are more than 50 million Chinese who choose vegetarian food.
In different countries and regions, the proportion and structure of vegetarians vary.
"Except India, the region with the most vegetarians is Europe, followed by the United States." Zheng Xixi, an attending physician in the Department of Nephrology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, told reporters that the vegetarian population in developed countries is more concentrated in young people, and there are more women than men. The vegetarian crowd is mainly concentrated in middle-aged and elderly women.”
A survey on the prevalence of vegetarian food in Shanghai by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine shows that vegetarians account for 0.77% of Shanghai residents, with an average age of 65 years and women accounting for 75%.
It can be seen that the proportion of vegetarians in my country is relatively low, but the absolute number is not small.
It is true that fresh vegetables and fruits contain many beneficial chemicals, most of which have antioxidant effects and are good for health.
However, for a long time, some members of the public have misunderstood, thinking that "vegetarian" is equal to health.
"Vegetarianism is just a dietary choice, and many people equate it with healthy eating," said Chen Wei, chief physician of the Department of Clinical Nutrition at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
"In the famous American Nurses Health Study, the top two foods that lead to weight gain are potato chips and fried potatoes, while the beverages are sugar-sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juice." Zheng Xixi reminded that when residents choose vegetarian food, they should also distinguish healthy vegetarian food And unhealthy vegetarian, vegetarian does not equal healthy.
Another misunderstanding is that vegetarians should be insulated from meat or meat products, otherwise they cannot be called vegetarians.
According to Wang Yu, a nutritionist in charge of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Peking University People's Hospital, vegetarians can be divided into full-vegetarians and half-vegetarians.
Vegan means that the main body of the diet is purely grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., without contact with various meats and meat products.
"Semi-vegetarians are also called flexitarians. Compared with vegans, their dietary patterns are not as strict, and there are many different foods included and excluded." Wang Yu said that those who eat dairy products are called lacto-vegetarians, and there are also egg-vegetarians, Pestin, egg lacto-vegetarian.
There are also some people who are vegetarian for a period of time and not eat for a period of time, which is a flexible vegetarian diet in terms of time.
"There are many kinds of vegetarian food, which are mainly distinguished according to the degree of 'vegetarian' in the diet." Zheng Xixi explained that vegetarian food includes pure vegetarian, that is, the most extreme vegetarian food. Animal-derived ingredients; vegan, no meat, eggs, milk, and seafood; ovo-vegetarian, no meat and seafood; pescatarian, you can eat fish, but no meat, eggs, and milk; recently, there is a flexible vegetarian diet that reduces animal sources Food intake is not completely prohibited.
In the survey on the prevalence of vegetarian food in Shanghai, only 15.58% of the vegetarians are vegan, and most of the rest are semi-vegetarian or flexitarian.
In addition, not everyone is adapted to the vegetarian-based dietary structure, and it is necessary to adapt to the conditions of the person and the time.
"Children need to eat an appropriate amount of meat, eggs, milk, fish and other foods during the developmental period, which is conducive to growth." Liu Wei, director of the Department of Pre-treatment, Changde No. 1 Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Hunan Province, said that pregnant women and lactating women, as well as surgery Later patients also need to eat a certain amount of meat, eggs, milk, and fish, which is conducive to recovery.
Chen Wei found in clinical practice that some cancer patients believed in the rumors of "starving the tumor", so they only ate vegetarian food instead of meat, resulting in severe malnutrition, "so much so that we had to supplement patients with higher-level drugs. Nutrition".
Eat only vegetarian, your body will be less nutrients
The Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021) pointed out that the basic foods needed by human beings can be divided into five categories, namely cereals and potatoes, vegetables and fruits, animal foods, soybeans and nuts, and oils and fats.
"Different dietary composition or structure, or too much or too little of certain foods for a long time, will cause an imbalance between the supplied energy or nutrients and the body's needs." Wang Yu said.
So, what nutritional deficiencies do vegans miss from a large group of foods in their diets?
"Vegetarian food itself is mainly composed of grains, vegetables, fruits and seeds, with high dietary fiber content, and the corresponding protein source and quantity will be insufficient." Chen Wei said, if a vegetarian barely meets his protein needs, once he gets sick, his protein needs will be reduced. If it becomes higher, then it is difficult for a vegetarian to meet the needs of the human body.
Through combing, the reporter found that vegans are prone to lack of nutrients such as iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and choline.
In this regard, one should be alert to the possible health problems caused by a vegan diet.
For example, a long-term lack of vitamin B12 will cause numbness of hands and feet and easy fatigue; zinc deficiency can lead to loss of appetite, dysgeusia, pica, and retarded growth and development; lack of vitamin D can affect calcium absorption, and bones and teeth are not very good. Normally, babies will have rickets, which increases the risk of tumors…
"Vegetarians are more likely to have deficiencies in key nutrients, especially iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12." Zheng Xixi added that the total amount of iron in the diet of vegetarians is not low, but the absorption rate of iron from plant sources is low. , only 10%, compared to 20% for iron from animal sources.
Wang Yu told reporters that she had seen a woman in her 50s with anemia before. She looked bad and was easily tired.
It was only after I asked that the patient had stopped eating meat for 30 years and insisted on a vegetarian diet.
"For iron deficiency anemia like this, it's better to eat meat, because meat contains heme iron, which is easy to combine with red blood cells." Wang Yu said that some malnourished patients encountered in clinical practice were all caused by improper vegetarian behavior. Caused.
"If the situation allows, it is not recommended to try a vegan diet." Yang Runqiang, an associate professor at the School of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, pointed out that if you want to eat a semi-vegetarian diet, it is recommended to eat more whole soy foods and whole grain foods, and eat more plant-based fermented foods. Such as tempeh, fermented soy milk, etc.
Chen Wei found in a long-term clinical study that "a vegan diet does not seem to significantly improve health, but the changes in lifestyle brought about by a vegetarian diet are more beneficial to the body, such as quitting smoking, drinking and other bad habits."
"It is recommended for vegetarians to find a professional nutrition doctor to help set up nutritional arrangements. Because vegetarian food has scientific principles for nutrition requirements and combinations." Chen Wei said, if you don't find a professional doctor, I hope everyone will not be partial. Believe, don’t blindly adopt a full vegetarian diet, unreasonable and unscientific vegetarian diet will increase the burden on the body, and will threaten life in severe cases.
Balanced diet is the first choice for health
In the interview, many experts said that if you want to maintain long-term health, a balanced diet is the first choice.
The Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021) pointed out that dietary imbalance is the main risk factor for chronic diseases.
The Global Burden of Disease Study shows that unreasonable diet is the most important factor in the occurrence and death of Chinese people. In 2017, 3.1 million deaths of Chinese residents can be attributed to unreasonable diet.
In fact, the basic principle of a balanced diet has been used as the guiding ideology of the Chinese nation's dietary structure since ancient times.
"The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine proposes the principle of dietary compatibility of 'five grains for nourishment, five fruits for help, five animals for benefit, five vegetables for supplementation, and the smell of which is compatible to nourish the essence and replenish qi'." Liu Wei said.
The five grains are the basic substances that the human body depends on for survival. The five animals nourish the five internal organs and the essence, the five vegetables have a synergistic filling effect, and the five fruits supplement the nutrition. The reasonable combination of various foods ensures the supply of heat energy and various nutrients necessary for the meal. .
In Liu Wei's view, "respectfully adjust the five flavors and harmonize the five internal organs" advocates a comprehensive combination of whole grains and miscellaneous grains to achieve mutual complementation of nutrients, enhance the nutritional value of food, and tonic for the five internal organs.
According to the Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021), the most influential healthy dietary patterns in the world are the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet.
The former is characterized by diverse, bland and simple foods, rich in nutrients, and high intake of monounsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber.
The latter emphasizes eating enough vegetables, fruits, and low-fat milk to maintain adequate intake of potassium, magnesium, calcium and other ions, and minimize the intake of salt and fat in the diet to effectively lower blood pressure.
When it comes to specific operations, Wang Yu believes that you can refer to the "Balanced Diet Pagoda for Chinese Residents".
For example, cereals are at the bottom, and each person should eat 250~400 grams per day; vegetables and fruits occupy the second level, and should eat 300~500 grams and 200~400 grams per day; fish, poultry, meat, eggs and other animal foods On the third floor, you should eat 125-225 grams per day; milk and soy foods occupy the fourth floor, and you should eat 300 grams of milk and dairy products and 50 grams of beans and soy products every day; cooking oil and salt are on the top layer, Cooking oil does not exceed 25g or 30g per day, and table salt does not exceed 6g.
On the basis of a balanced diet, we should try our best to "eat and drink in moderation".
"Section includes rhythm, which refers to fast and slow eating. Pay attention to chewing and swallowing slowly. Section also means restraint." Liu Wei said, "Eating and drinking will be doubled, and the stomach will be hurt." Half a day's qi declines, and a day's qi declines." He talks about the disadvantages of being too full and the harm of being too hungry.
The festival also refers to the solar term, which means that it is necessary to eat in accordance with the season, and to eat more fruits and vegetables produced locally and naturally in this season.
"When we live here, we get the earth's qi here; when the qi of heaven and earth reaches a certain season, we will live in it, and we will also get the weather at that time. The food that is naturally produced here at this time is the most suitable for our health. Yes, because these foods are born from the qi of the heaven and earth at this time." Liu Wei added.
(Our reporter Xiao Renfu, our correspondent Zhou Wenhui)