Being vegetarian was originally a religious dietary practice. However, with the rise of modern urban diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, and as people discovered the link between these illnesses and diet, vegetarianism has become a popular trend with many people adopting it. While vegetarianism has many benefits—for instance, it is rich in fiber, which can reduce the risk of constipation, colorectal cancer, gallstones, and and hemorrhoids—it can be detrimental to health or even cause certain diseases when practiced incorrectly or with unscientific cooking methods.
From a nutritional perspective, both vegetarian and animal-based foods can provide rich nutrients, but vegetarian food has some nutritional deficiencies. For example, the protein in plant foods is incomplete protein, which cannot provide all the essential amino acids the human body needs, thus making its nutritional value lower.
To avoid this deficiency, vegetarians should pay attention to food pairing. If you are a complete vegetarian, you can enhance the nutritional value of your diet by consuming more legume products, especially soybean products like tofu and soy milk. If you are not a complete vegetarian, you can supplement your nutrition by combining legumes with milk and lean meat.
At the same time, vegetarians should also pay special attention to supplementing with Vitamin B12, iron, and calcium. A deficiency in Vitamin B12 can lead to anemia, a lack of iron can easily cause iron-deficiency anemia, and a calcium deficiency can affect bone and dental health.
Pure vegetarian diets are often very light and can affect appetite over time. Therefore, many vegetarians try to enhance flavor and stimulate their appetite by increasing the use of plant oils, deep-frying, and adding seasonings. However, this results in a less healthy diet. Now, while it is widely recognized that excessive animal fat is unhealthy, it's important to note that plant oils are also high in calories. Consuming too much plant oil can also lead to obesity. In particular, palm oil and coconut oil contain high levels of saturated fat and should be consumed in moderation.
Improper cooking methods can also affect the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. Foods that are typically deep-fried, pickled, or contain artificial colors and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are not ideal healthy foods. Therefore, certain vegetarian items such as pickled vegetables, fermented bean curd, stinky tofu, fried dough twists, and french fries should be eaten sparingly or avoided altogether.