Can only eat vegetarian food reduce three highs? The harm of long-term vegetarian diet must be understood

Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are becoming more and more common among the elderly, and most of the elderly today suffer from chronic diseases.

In addition to taking medicine to control chronic diseases, lifestyle adjustments such as diet and exercise are also essential.

Elders often understand what doctors call "a light diet, less oil and less salt" as "only vegetarian".

But long-term vegetarianism does more harm than good. Strict vegetarian diet has adverse effects on cardiovascular disease, long-term excessive vegetarianism and dietary imbalance, may lead to endogenous lipid metabolism disorders, body size may not necessarily be obese, but the incidence of cardiovascular disease is not reduced.

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Nutritional problems that are prone to long-term vegetarian diet

Staple food intake is on the high side

Strict vegetarians due to the restriction of animal protein and fat, stomach emptying increased and hunger increased, have to increase the intake of staple foods (especially some refined white rice noodles) to meet the feeling of fullness, coupled with many vegetarians sedentary, these refined starches in the human body will be stored in the form of fat, resulting in obesity.

Quality protein deficiency

The protein in milk, eggs, fish and shrimp, and lean meat is called high-quality protein because the amino acid composition is closer to the needs of the human body and the absorption rate is high. Vegetarians, especially those who do not consume enough soy products, are prone to high-quality protein deficiencies.

Excessive cooking oil

Due to the low degree of enrichment in the food chain, plant foods have fewer flavor substances and bland taste.

In order to increase appetite, vegetarian dishes have to add more fat, and the fiber of green leafy vegetables is particularly easy to absorb oil, so the fat intake is only a lot more.

Low mineral absorption

Minerals are also nutrients that vegetarians tend to lack. Usually, calcium can be ingested through dairy products, zinc and iron are derived from meat, and if it is omelette, it is relatively troublesome to be completely vegetarian.

Beans, nuts, whole grains also contain a certain amount of minerals, but due to some inhibiting factors such as phytic acid and oxalic acid, the utilization rate of these minerals is relatively low.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency manifests as damage to the nervous system, and people will feel tired, depressed, and poor memory.

Due to the presence of vitamin B12 reserves and reabsorption mechanisms, symptoms of deficiency will not manifest until 2 to 3 years after a complete vegetarian diet. Therefore, many vegetarians will not feel vitamin B12 deficiency in the early stages, but once symptoms appear, it is too late to supplement.

Source: MEDINFO-AU