Veganism And Vegetarianism: What's The Difference

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Vegans versus vegetarians: are there any differences?

Disputes between meat eaters and defenders of living beings from eating have been going on for more than one year. And yet not everyone knows that advocates of avoiding food of animal origin are also divided into many groups. And the most numerous and popular of them are vegans and vegetarians.

How vegetarians differ from vegans

Among the common points between these representatives of similar food cultures is the refusal to eat meat products obtained as a result of the violent death of the animal. Moreover, such food includes not only mammalian meat, but also fish and seafood. In addition, foods with gelatin obtained from ground bones, cartilage and animal skin are excluded from the diet. Also banned are cheeses based on rennet produced from the stomachs of ruminant mammals.

Followers of meat-free diets include lacto-ovo vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, and lacto-vegetarians. Representatives of the first group eat, in addition to plant foods, eggs from poultry farms that do not contain embryos, honey and dairy products. Ovo-vegetarians, in addition to vegetables and fruits, add only eggs to the diet. Lacto vegetarians include plant foods and dairy products on their table.

Vegetarian diets, unlike vegan diets, may contain animal products such as dairy

The groups listed above refer to vegetarians, but those who eat exclusively plant foods, only occasionally adding honey to it, are vegans. By the way, the difference between them is not only in nutrition. Quite often, vegans not only refuse to eat animals, but also oppose:

• wearing clothes even made of wool, while vegetarians do not accept things only from leather and fur;
• testing drugs on animals;
• keeping pets in apartments and houses, because it is an unnatural habitat;
• keeping animals in zoos and showing them in the circus.

Once at a reunion, I met my former classmate with her husband. To be honest, I was struck by their extremely gaunt appearance - both of them seemed very fragile and almost transparent. Gradually, in the course of communication, I learned that for about five years they have been vegans. By the way, they are trying to conceive a child for the same amount of time, although, perhaps, there is no relationship here.

In general, it is clear that you can become vegans or vegetarians for many reasons - following a healthy lifestyle, the desire to return to its former harmony, love for animals, etc. But regardless of your motivation, remember that the diet must be balanced and include the substances the body needs so that your health is not undermined.