When it comes to food choices, there are generally two types of people: the vegetarians and the non-vegetarians. Vegetarians are the one who only limit their food intake to the non-meat class of food that may include vegetables, dairy products etc. Whereas the non-vegetarians are open to both vegetarian food and the non-veg food like chicken, meat etc. The choice of food does really depend on someone's own views and priorities. There are a large number of vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. However, some people do consider vegetarianism as the better way to go.

It may be because killing animals for your own taste doesn't sound very kind enough when you can still have something good to eat without hurting animals. But the non-vegetarians can be seen to highly disagree with this. They find non-vegetarianism healthier than the vegetarian food combined.

It doesn't quite add up to decide which one is better. But if we talk about vegetarianism, there could be both positive and negative effects of being one. Read below to know more about these effects on human body as well as the environment.

Positive effects of Vegetarianism:

The positive effects of Vegetarianism are mentioned as follows:

  • Since vegetarianism mostly refers to the plant foods, it can be said that these are highly efficient in various nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and protein. Apart from this, they are also efficient in phytochemicals which are not needed in human diet but can be used to combat and gain protection against diseases like the beta-carotene. The fruits and vegetables all qualify for many different nutrients they have to provide.
  • Being a vegetarian, a person may be succeeding in decreasing his chances of type 2 diabetes. This is because the vegetarians tend to consume lesser saturated fats and cholesterol. Instead, they load on higher amounts of complex carbohydrates, and dietary fiber, and some specific minerals or phytochemicals. Because of eating vegetarian food, they are able to keep bay from the non-veg food which is rich in Cholesterol, thus reducing their chances of type 2 diabetes.
  • Some people aim to benefit the nature and the earth as a whole. The vegetarian cause is one which is considered as a good way to go by many. You help preserve animals and other species by making a simple lifestyle change. This has your own positive effect on the earth which is definitely a good way to go.
  • Being a vegetarian is moral and ethical. As a caring human being, you do not depend on another living thing for your meal. You have certain morals and respect for all the living beings around you on your planet and that is a very ethical code to follow.
  • Vegetarians manage to stay away from toxic food. The meat that is being consumed by the non-vegetarians may be toxic. It may be infected by some unusual hormones or pesticides that they might have consumed earlier. Vegetarianism, in this sense, helps people stay away from such complexities.

Negative effects of Vegetarianism:

The negative effects of Vegetarianism are mentioned as follows:

  • Though vegetarianism has a lot of positive effects, it must be known that all the vegetarian food doesn't contain an equal amount of protein as the non-veg food does. By being a vegetarian, you may be losing out on essential amounts of protein that your body needs. We all know how important this mineral is for our body since it helps in maintaining and repairing muscle tissue, and is responsible for manufacturing blood cells and other antibodies, hormones, and enzymes.
  • Vegetarians tend to suffer through vitamin and mineral deficiencies more than the non-vegetarians. Owing to vegetarianism, many people can fall out on having a balanced diet since they tend to rule out the dairy products, meat, fish, and poultry. By doing this, they may fall short on the vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc which are all very important minerals for the well-being of the human body as a whole.
  • Vegetarians may lose out on many proteins providing meat products and as a result, most vegetarians have a lower bone mineral density. This is because they are not consuming enough calcium and protein as required to keep their bones healthy. Whereas, on the other hand, non-vegetarians do not seem to possess that problem.

Vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism, the choice is really yours. However, considering the positive and the negative effects of both, and your lifestyle in general, you can choose either side. As long as it is beneficial to you as well as the environment.