Most of us have certainly already thought about giving up meat and going vegetarian from now on. Here are 5 reasons why it is worthwhile.
1. You lose weight
If you don’t want to do without meat just out of pure love for animals, this argument may convince you: A changeover to vegetarian or vegan food will result in significantly less pounds on the scales. As a study from the “Journal of General Internal Medicine” shows, people who do without meat lose weight faster. Of the 1000 test subjects, vegetarians lost about two kilos and vegans about 2.5 kilos more than meat eaters – measured over a period of 18 weeks.
2. Protection against heart disease
More and more studies are proving the link between certain diseases and eating habits. A serious condition, such as coronary heart disease, for example, is favoured by elevated blood lipid levels, severe overweight and an unhealthy diet. This means: a lot of fat, a lot of red and fatty meat, little fruit, vegetables and other fibres. Anyone who wants to counteract heart disease should therefore opt for a vegetarian diet.
3. More rest for your muscles
Proteins are essential for the formation, maintenance and repair of muscles. Although it is also possible to consume vegetable proteins, it takes much longer to build muscles. This also means that your muscles need more time to recover after the workout. Therefore, vegan and vegetarian athletes should consume their proteins in liquid form after the workout. A smoothie made from almond milk, coconut milk or rice milk is ideal.
4. Food supplements – a must?
The iron storage of vegetarians is usually lower than that of meat eaters – but this is not necessarily a disadvantage as long as the values of the vegetarian are in the lower normal range. Sufficient iron can be absorbed through nuts, seeds, legumes and cereals, making supplements obsolete. And calcium and vitamin B12 do not have to be taken in via food supplements either. If you are unsure or have a clear deficiency, you can of course take them anyway.
5. Loss of taste due to zinc deficiency
Zinc is an important factor for our taste – if you suffer from a deficiency, you also suffer from a loss of taste. Meat eaters can absorb the mineral through meat, fish and seafood – more precisely through beef, mussels, beef liver, veal and pork. Vegetarians, on the other hand, have the opportunity to provide plant-based alternatives: oat flakes, cheese, lentils, soybeans and nuts are great sources of zinc. As with iron, however, the body makes better use of zinc from animal sources than from plant foods.