Check out the differences between types of vegetarianism

Because it is rich in fiber, grains, fruits and vegetables, vegetarian food has advantages such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and helping to control weight and intestinal transit, in addition to protecting the lives of animals.

However, as with any diet, when the diet is not well done or when it is very restricted in the variety of foods, the vegetarian lifestyle can bring disadvantages such as an increased risk of problems such as anemia, osteoporosis and constipation.

Below are all the differences and the advantages and disadvantages of each type of vegetarianism.

Ovolactovegetarians

In this type of diet, all types of meat, fish, seafood and their derivatives, such as hamburger, ham, sausage and sausage are excluded from the diet. However, eggs, milk and dairy products are allowed as foods of animal origin, increasing the variety of food, but there are also vegetarians who prefer to consume only milk or only eggs in the diet.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Decrease in cholesterol consumption;	Feed restriction;
Decreased environmental impact and pollution;	Decreased consumption of high-quality iron;
Increased consumption of antioxidants.	---

This is the easiest type of vegetarianism to follow, as it allows you to consume a greater variety of food preparations that use milk and eggs in the recipe. See example menu here.

Strict vegetarianism

In this type of food, no food of animal origin is consumed, such as honey, eggs, meat, fish, milk and its derivatives.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Elimination of cholesterol consumption from the diet;	Loss of milk as a source of calcium in food;
Protection and combating the exploitation of animals to produce food.	Loss of vitamin B complex sources;
---	Loss of high quality protein sources in the diet.

In this type of vegetarianism, cow's milk is replaced by vegetable milks, such as soy and almonds, and the egg is replaced by sources of vegetable protein, such as soy, lentils and beans. Learn how to make vegan chocolate at home.

Veganism

In addition to not consuming any food that is of animal origin, adherents of this lifestyle also do not use anything that comes directly from animals, such as wool, leather and silk, nor do they use cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Elimination of cholesterol consumption from the diet;	Loss of milk as a source of calcium in food;
Protection and combating the exploitation of animals to produce food, materials and consumer products.	Loss of vitamin B complex sources;
---	Loss of high quality protein sources in the diet.

To fulfill the vegan lifestyle, one must pay attention to the ingredients of all types of products, such as cosmetic creams, makeup, clothes, shoes and accessories.

To better understand, see an example of a vegetarian diet menu and find out which vegetable foods are high in protein.

Crudivores

They consume only raw foods, and only vegetables, fruits, nuts and raw sprouted grains are included in the diet.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Elimination of consumption of processed foods;	Reduction of food variety;
Decreased consumption of food additives and dyes;	Increased risk of constipation;
Increased fiber consumption.	Decreased absorption of vitamins and minerals in the intestine.

Its main disadvantage is the reduction in the amount of protein consumed, since legumes such as beans, soybeans, corn and peas, the main protein sources of plant origin, are also excluded from the diet. In addition, the food variety is very limited, which is also due to the difficulty of finding fresh food. See more details and sample menu of this diet here.

Fruit-eating

They feed exclusively on fruits, thus avoiding all animal foods, roots and shoots. Its main characteristic is that in addition to the refusal to contribute to the exploitation and animal death, they also refuse to participate in the death of the plants.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Environmental, animal and plant protection;	Maximum food restriction, being difficult to comply with;
Consumption only of natural foods, avoiding processed ones;	Loss of consumption of quality vegetable proteins;
Increased consumption of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.	Loss of vitamins and minerals present in vegetables;
---	Decreased consumption of iron and calcium.

Ideally, this type of vegetarian diet should be accompanied by a doctor and nutritionist, as there is usually a need to use dietary supplements of iron, calcium and vitamin B12. In addition, it is important to remember that the vitamin B12 supplement should be consumed by all types of vegetarians, as this vitamin is not found in foods of plant origin. Learn How to avoid the lack of nutrients in the Vegetarian Diet.