The problem of obesity has become a prime concern of many people especially the Americans. Sedentary life and fast food meals are pointed culprits to this dilemma; however, there are still other causes of obesity such as heredity and lack of discipline or self-control. Then vegan fad has mushroomed rapidly because of people’s need for fitness; but is it effective?
Vegetarian means a person who refrains from eating animal flesh, meat, poultry and seafood. The vegan, on the other hand, is a vegetarian who goes to the extent of not eating anything produced by animals like dairy products and food produced from eggs. This practice was originally done by some religious groups in the past and has spread out to the present as a kind of diet to prevent cancer and related diseases.
Despite claims of many vegans that they are successful in weight loss and in eliminating deadly diseases, there are still some doubts about it. Does being a vegan really pay?
Questions on Protein
Meat is known to be the major source of protein, so people are asking about how the body can get enough protein from vegetables. The answer of the vegans is that the human body does not really need large doses of protein. The beans and other vegetables can give sufficient amounts of protein that the human body requires so there should really be no need to worry.
Doubts about Toxicity
The second point is the issue of toxicity especially for a vegan who eats raw foods. Since the vegans did not specify that the vegetables and fruits they are eating are organic or are raised in the natural way, there is the question of the possibility of the presence of toxics from chemicals such as fertilizer and pesticides. There is still a downside on the issue. If vegans want to really live healthy and toxic-free, then they should take organic foods.
Long Term Effects
Furthermore, there is the issue of long term effects. Since this practice has blossomed only recently, there are not enough studies to prove that vegetarianism is effective, and that it can do wonders to the lives of many people especially the obese. There are still processes to be done, experiments to be conducted and a lot of study to be accomplished in order to make a conclusive statement that vegetarianism is an effective way to stay physically fit.
However, caution is really needed whenever you are tempted to try new things. They may be appealing and convincing but you should be aware of its possible side effects. Vegetarians or would-be vegetarians should always see to it that the vegetables, fruits and cereals they eat are free from contamination and toxins from chemicals. In addition, processed and packaged foods should be taken with care because they may not be truly organic.
Finally, organic foods are more expensive than the others which are raised with synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, thus one must be willing to pay the cost or must think about raising their own organic plants in order to be very sure that they are eating food that are toxic-free.