Information on Human Diet (Q/A)

As defined by World Health Organization (WHO).

Health is a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.”

No. Because they are high in fats (especially saturated fats), high in cholesterol, and animal proteins. Furthermore, animals are overmedicated (with antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides), and have many diseases that can be transmitted to people (for more details please read the section “Effects of Diet on Human Health (Q/A)”).

Not really. Because, if they are farm raised they are overmedicated very much like the land animals are, and if they are wild caught, they could be badly contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals and heavy metals that our oceans, lakes, and rivers are saturated with (for more details please read the section on “Effects of Diet on HEALTH (Q/A)”).

Yes, they are. They’re low in fat, saturated fat and contain no cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart diseases (heart attacks and stroke), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer.

Keep in mind that pesticides are used in plants too, but they are used at a lower level than they are used for animals/fish, and can be much easier monitored. It is worth mentioning here that organic plants contain a rather minimum level of drugs, and should be preferred.

Numerous studies reported that Vegetarian diets are healthier and nutritionally great, if they’re carefully planned and include the necessary essential nutrients and vitamins.

In the case of Vegan diets, one should be more careful, and take the necessary supplements.

Note that statistical studies report that

vegetarians and vegans

live at least ten years longer

However, a vegetarian/vegan diet can be unhealthy if it contains too many calories, salt, sugar, carbohydrates, and not the important nutrients, and vitamins.

The following discussion is provided for information purpose only and should not be used in any case as a guideline for your diet. For that reason, we advise you to consult the experts (your Medical Doctor and your Nutritionist).

1. Protein: You don’t need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids needed, as long as the sources of dietary protein are proper and the caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs. Soy protein has been shown to be equivalent to proteins of animal origin and it can be your sole protein source.
2. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino-acids.
3. Iron: Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency than non-vegetarians, since the richest sources of iron are red meat, liver and egg yolk (vegetarians eat egg yolk, vegans do not) which are all high in cholesterol and saturated fat. However, dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer’s yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.
4. Vitamin B-12: This comes naturally only from animal sources. Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B-12. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, some brands of nutritional (brewer’s) yeast and other foods (check the labels), as well as vitamin supplements. It can be also found in milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs.
5. Vitamin D: Vegetarians/Vegans exposed to sunlight for at least 20 minutes/day get enough Vitamin D. If they don’t get much sunlight, they need vitamin D supplement.
6. Calcium: Studies show that vegetarians/vegans absorb and retain more calcium from foods than non-vegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.
7. Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes. Shellfish are also an excellent source of zinc. Zinc supplements may lower HDL (“good cholesterol”) in some people.

Again, be aware that what we describe here is provided for information only. The only responsible recommendations can come only from a licensed dietician and an expert physician.

They are the basic building blocks of proteins.
There are 20 amino acids that constitute the building blocks of proteins.
There are two categories of amino acids: The non-essentials, and the essential amino acids.

Non-essential^*:

These are: Alanine, Asparagine, Aspartic acid, Cysteine, Cystine, Glutamine, Glutathione, Glycine, Histidine, Proline, Sarine, and Taurine. These amino acids can be synthesized by the human body. However, they can also be found in foods like: beans, nuts, seeds, soy, whey, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, bran, corn, whole grains, fruits vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, and eggs, or can be obtained from supplements, as needed.
^* Although the term may give the wrong impression, these amino acid and are very important.

Essential:

These amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body, but they can be obtained from food such as vegetables and grains, and are needed in a balanced diet. More details about Essential amino acids.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, by attaching them into a long chains. As you know, proteins are essential for our normal growth. But, let’s be careful.

WARNING: For what you need, please consult a qualified nutricionist.

Be careful, when consuming too much protein.
In U.S.A. alone^*, it is estimated that the amount of protein consumed is 2½ times higher than the amount required. This overconsumption is the potential source of the health problems listed below, and may result in physical, emotional and economic suffering.

List of potential problems when too much protein is consumed:

1. Kidney damage,
2. weight gain,
3. blah mood,
4. heart disease,
5. chronic bad breath, and
6. digestive upset.

An interesting case to mention about the case of osteoporosis. It has been observed that in the process of metabolizing excess calcium, calcium is drawn from the bones causing osteoporosis.
^* They eat much meat. The same problem exists I every industrialized nation as well.

Vitamins are substances that your body also needs to grow and develop normally. They are found in food or can be obtained in the form of pills. . Your body can make vitamins D (from sun exposure) and K. Note that people who eat a vegetarian/vegan diet may need to take vitamin B12 supplement or/and eat diary products.

Each vitamin has specific job(s). If you take low or high levels of certain vitamins, you may get health problems. You must take the right vitamins and the right amount and this could be different for specific problems (ask your Medical practitioner and Dietician).

For example:

1. If you don’t get enough vitamin C, you could become anemic.
2. Vitamin A prevents night blindness.
3. Vitamins E and B12* it has been reported that it may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, if it is taken at the right amount.
4.  Vitamin D may be also related to cognitive problems.

The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to take vitamin supplements. It’s a good idea to ask your health care provider about the amount you should take. High doses of some vitamins can also cause problems. For details see Vitamins.

^* Vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid are involved in the breakdown of homocysteine which may increase the risk of Azheimer’s disease. B12 may also boost brain health by controlling inflammation.

They must have a balanced diet, and balanced diet consists of a good protein and nutrient supply.

What that means? Let me give you an example.

Corn, is considered a good protein source, but it doesn’t have enough lysine, so we can’t eat corn alone.

Beans, likewise, are also protein-rich, but they lack methionine.

Now, if we have a diet that consists of corn and beans, then we can say that our died is more balanced, because it contains lysine and methionine at the same time.

They are two amino acids. For proper growth, a balanced diet must include the right combination of these amino acids.

Information about where to get these two amino acids, please refer to Essential amino acids.

No, because the anatomical, and physiological characteristics of humans match (one-for-one) those of animals, that do not eat meat (see Comparison of Anatomical and Physiological Characteristics of Animals and Humans).

Based on these observations, humans are naturally made to be herbivores, and any deviation from that isn’t natural, and most probably will cause serious health problems. “You can’t fool nature”.

Scientists estimated that the earth’s age is about 4.55 billion years, and that humanlike species existed on earth for about 4.4 million years. During this period, these humanlike species evolved into homo-sapiens (the species to which we belong). Furthermore, it is speculated that during the first 2 million years of their evolution, the homo-sapiens were vegetarians, and that since 2.5 million years ago they started eating meat. Scientists came to this conclusion because they found animal bone cut marks as old as 2.5 million years, a time which coincides with the period of the development of stone tools. It is believed that humans started eating meat for survival during times of severe ecological changes (Ice age period, when there was shortage of plant food), and this trend continued uninterrupted thereafter and at an increasing rate.

A contributing factor for this trend was the development of better hunting and cutting tools and the industrial revolution which took place during the last 200 years. Humans, with their characteristic opportunistic creativity, had foreseen a golden opportunity to use animals for profit, and they did it very effectively. This resulted into the creation of the animal food and associated byproduct businesses as we know them today.