Vegetarianism In America

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Over the last three years there has been a skyrocket in the number of people who follow a vegetarian based diet in the United States. Surveys of Americans found about 3.6 percent or 10.4 million Americans subscribe to a vegetarian diet. Another 22.8 million follow a “Vegetarian-Inclined Diet”. These are diets that include a heavily reduced impact from meat, but meat is not eliminated from the diet entirely. This can range from very small portions of meat to only having meat a few times during the week. A vegetarian diet, in its simplest form, eliminates meat. Many different branches and variations exist including but not limited to, Lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV), Lacto-vegetarian (LV), and Ovo-vegetarian (OV). Veganism, another branch of vegetarianism, not only eliminates meat but all other animal products as well. Veganism has played a major role in this recent rapid growth. The breakdown of vegetarians in America …show more content…

206-210). However, “Improperly applied vegetarian diets can lead to lowered levels of vitamin B12, producing an increase in blood levels of homocysteine, which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity, a reduction in the blood levels of sex hormones and disruption of the menstrual cycle.”(Kumar Kaushik et al. 206-210). When new people start vegetarian diets they often are uneducated, and malnutrition becomes a major issue. Malnutrition can be avoided if vegetarians make specific efforts to eat foods specifically for those nutrients they miss out on. This includes protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. They also have the option of supplements. As long as new vegetarians are educated and know what they need malnutrition will not be an

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