Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is a kind of food system that excludes or restricts the consumption of products of animal origin. Its origins go back to antiquity. Vegetarianism became widespread in Western Europe in the first half of the XIX century. In Russia it became fashionable at the end of the XIX century, mainly among the intelligentsia and various religious sects.
By the degree of restriction of animal food, vegetarians are divided into several groups.
Representatives of one of them, Old Vegetarians, prohibit the use of any products of animal husbandry - meat, fish, milk, animal fats.
Other, so-called mladovegetarians, exclude from the diet only meat products and allow the consumption of dairy products and eggs.
A separate group preaches raw food, including cereals and potatoes.
Common to all followers of vegetarianism is the exclusion from the diet of products obtained by slaughtering animals.
For many years there have been discussions about the benefits of plant and animal nutrition. Vegetarians argued that the consumption of animal products contradicts the structure and functions of the human digestive system, promotes the formation of toxic substances in the body that pollute and poison cells with toxic slags. In this they saw the origins of all diseases.
Supporters of animal food emphasized its extremely important importance as a source of amino acids-rich, easily digestible proteins.
Modern science recommends the use in the diet of mixed diets, including products of both vegetable and animal origin. Such a variety of food products, while observing the principles of a balanced diet, provides the body with all the nutrients it needs. The assertion of vegetarians that plant products can serve as a good source of protein is erroneous. Proteins of plant origin are less easily absorbed, since they are more difficult to digest enzymes. Most of these proteins are poorly balanced in amino acid composition, which reduces their nutritional value.
Proteins of animal origin contain especially valuable essential amino acids that can not be synthesized in the body, but must come from foods. Insufficiency of animal proteins adversely affects the work of the central nervous system, the function of endocrine glands, the liver. In addition, animal products are the main sources of fat-soluble vitamins A and D and water-soluble B vitamins. Such products include milk, eggs, fatty tissues and organs of fish, liver. Do not forget also that meat food gives the body and a longer sense of satiety.
Not taking vegetarianism as the main direction in human nutrition, modern science nevertheless notes a number of positive points in this teaching.
Vegetable products, especially fruits and vegetables, are indispensable suppliers of many vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements. It is difficult to overestimate the role of vegetables and fruits for people who are overweight or obese. With a low calorie, three-dimensional dishes from them make it possible to get a feeling of satiety. In this regard, with a sedentary lifestyle and a tendency to excess body weight, it is recommended to use vegetable or fruit unloading days.
Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the content of cholesterol in the blood and helps to remove it from the body, which is important for preventing atherosclerosis. In plant products contain substances that strengthen the walls of blood vessels and make them more resistant to unfavorable conditions. An important property of vegetables and fruits is their ability to stimulate the appetite and positively influence the secretory function of the digestive glands. This ability is more pronounced in fruits and vegetables containing essential oils, which gives them a pleasant aroma and specific taste( parsley, radish, garlic).Cucumbers, cabbage, vegetable juices, vegetable soups possess a strong secretory effect. In combination
with vegetables is better absorbed protein, fat and carbohydrate food. It is proved that diets that are well balanced by amino acid composition can be made without meat on the basis of a combination of plant foods with dairy products and eggs. Short-term appointment of such a vegetarian diet is recommended for certain diseases of the cardiovascular system( hypertension, atherosclerosis), with kidney diseases and a number of gastrointestinal diseases.
Among other things, the vegetable diet prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fats, normalizes the processes of blood coagulation and prevents various bleeding. In green vegetables, there are a lot of substances that contribute to blood formation and support the normal blood composition, which have an antisclerotic effect, stimulating the work of all the muscles of the body, including the heart. The effectiveness of a vegetable diet for the maximum possible removal of toxic products from the body is proved.
In the diet, the vegetable diet is used in the form of vegetable, fruit and unloading days on the background of a mixed balanced diet.