It is essential that those who choose a vegetarian diet, especially vegan, pay close attention to the combination of various foods to prevent possible nutrient deficiencies. It should be stressed that the same omnivorous diets can cause serious imbalances: in Italy, for example, we introduce an average of 1000 kcal is not necessary every day, with an excess of protein and fat. is important to note that in recent years the scientific world is watching with increasing interest in the benefits of diets based on plant foods to cure a variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis and heart disease: cholesterol is in fact only present in the animal kingdom, also rich in saturated fats, it is now certain, also, that a good supply of vegetable fibers aid in preventing constipation, diabetes senile and, especially, tumors of the colon.
»Possible deficiencies of nutrientsPossible deficiencies of nutrients
»Protein
»Minerals
»Vitamins
»Food Combinations
In a vegetarian diet should pay some attention to the balance of protein, and any lack of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
Proteins
Proteins are composed of amino acids, eight of which are essential for the organism, which is not able to build them alone; for a healthy diet should be inserted in daily diet such amino acids simultaneously and in the right proportions. The foods that contain the higher doses are the products of the animal world, while those belonging to the plant world have almost all a deficiency of one or more amino acids. An appropriate choice of foods allows to operate the necessary additions to the maintenance of the individual health; cereals, which have a low content of lysine, threonine, tryptophan and amino acids, can be combined with food characterized by good amount of these elements, such as the yeast beer, legumes, eggs and all soy products. For a correct nutritional balance is therefore necessary to introduce in the course of the day various foods, which will offset one another.
Minerals
Calcium, iron and zinc minerals are lacking in vegetarian diets, especially in the vegan. Calcium is found mainly in dairy products, but is also present in high doses in cruciferous (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc..), Water, lime, soy milk, and many leafy vegetables, the body is able to use the best that mineral is reduced when the introduction of salt. The iron is present both in the animal, and in that plant, even if in the first case is in a state much more assimilable. The plants in which the iron is present are legumes, cabbage, broccoli, artichokes, whole grains and nuts. Zinc, found mainly in dairy products and eggs, is also found in legumes (chickpeas in particular), brewer's yeast, whole grains and pumpkin seeds.
Vitamins
While a vegetarian diet sufficient to cover the requirements of all vitamins, vegan diet can cause deficiencies of vitamin D and vitamin B12. The first is present in high amounts in eggs and is synthesized by our body in the presence of sunlight, while the second is practically only present in the animal kingdom and in brewer's yeast.
Food combinations
ENLARGE
While the traditional approach of science divides foods into five groups (cereals, fruit and vegetables, dairy, protein, fat dressing), advising people to take at every meal foods from each of them, most of the diets vegetarian refers to the theory of food combinations Shelton (except macrobiotics, combining foods to maintain balance yin / yang). The basic concept of this theory is that the foods are digested in different ways:
the digestion of starchy foods begins in the mouth by the action of ptyalin in the stomach and continues until the environment becomes too acidic;
digestion of food protein begins in the stomach by the action of pepsin, which is active only in an acid environment;
fats should not be consumed along with protein foods, since their ingestion reduces the acid secretion of the stomach;
simple sugars reach the intestine, but also reduce the production of ptyalin in the saliva and gastric juices;
the fruit is digested quickly when it is eaten alone, as a full stomach tends to ferment developing toxic substances;
the vegetables do not interfere in any way with the digestion of other foods.
There are therefore food combinations that promote (or not hinder) the digestion and other interfering more or less deeply. The phenomenon is actually more complex than described: the variables in the field are different, the body has a high level of tolerance and food combinations can be found apparently not favorable. The best solution is not necessarily to follow with extreme rigidity such information: for example, a small amount of vegetables or cheese unquestionably increases the biological value of the proteins of cereals without any serious digestive problems. Everyone should observe some basic precautions, such as eating sweets and fruit between meals, and a strict observance of the correct combination is especially recommended for those with digestive difficulties.
