Vegetarianism - an invisible double-edged sword

body tired

Around noon, Moc chay restaurant was bustling with customers. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong in residential area 5, Tan Binh ward (Hai Duong city) said that she likes vegetarian food so she sometimes comes here to satisfy her cravings. There was a time when she switched from eating meat to being a vegetarian, but after eating, she often had stomach pain and felt uncomfortable. She thought the food was not suitable, her body had not adapted to the lack of nutrients from meat and fish, so she adjusted and changed her vegetarian dishes to be more diverse and rich. However, this situation did not change so she went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor said that some vegetables contain glutel (a type of protein) which makes it difficult for people with stomach problems to absorb nutrients and cause stomach pain due to the amount of fiber eaten that the body cannot digest in time.

For some people, switching from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet will cause the body to lack significant amounts of nutrients. Ms. Luu Ha in Bach Dang apartment complex (Hai Duong city) said that when she first became a vegetarian, she felt hungry quickly and had to eat many meals, which was both inconvenient and time-consuming. After a while, her body felt tired, felt like she was lacking blood to the brain, was reluctant to exercise or could not move quickly and flexibly. Ms. Ha changed her eating habits to be more reasonable and scientific. “Instead of being a vegetarian, I switched to intermittent vegetarianism. I eat vegetarian for about a week a month and add the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. Since then, I have felt healthy, no longer tired and out of breath like before,” Ms. Ha said.

Should not be vegetarian

That is the recommendation of Ms. Le Thi Xue, Head of the Department of Nutrition (Hai Duong Provincial General Hospital). “Being vegetarian for a short time will help the body lose weight, reduce blood fat, reduce obesity, and contribute to purifying the body. However, if you eat it for a long time, especially being a vegetarian, it is very dangerous because it causes the body to lack many nutrients. There have been cases of people coming to the Provincial General Hospital for treatment due to stroke or chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, anemia, metabolic disorders, etc. caused by being a vegetarian,” Ms. Xue said.

According to Ms. Xue, being a vegetarian is not good for the body, especially for children in their growing age, pregnant women, and people who need to recover after illness or surgery. Each type of food provides a different type of nutrition, nutrition from plants is different from nutrition from animals. You have to combine both types to compensate for each other. Being a vegetarian for a long time will cause a lack of nutrients, protein, vitamins, minerals... Meat, animal fat, fish contain substances that help children's brains develop or create muscles, create blood... A lack of these substances will cause weak muscles, laxity, slow development in children, slow recovery in sick people, malnutrition, anemia in pregnant women. Vegetarians, if they eat a lot of vegetables but drink little water, will lead to metabolic disorders, causing constipation...

There are cases where the body does not adapt to a vegetarian diet and will immediately respond so that the person can adjust right away, but there are cases where there are no symptoms. Long-term nutrient deficiencies will cause dangerous diseases that take a lot of time and effort to treat.

According to Ms. Le Thi Xue's recommendation, you should eat vegetarian food intermittently, maybe 1 week or 10 days a month, or eat vegetarian food on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month. During meals, you should eat a variety of foods, from vegetables, fruits, nuts, rice, cereals, etc. Only then can you ensure your health and be vegetarian for a long time.