Millions of people around the world follow different diets in order to improve their health, including the vegetarian diet. Most believe that this diet only consists of consuming only plant foods and avoiding those of animal origin, but what they do not know is that there are different types of vegetarian diets , including the ovo-vegetarian diet that include some foods such as eggs.
Learn all about this type of diet with this guide to the ovo-vegetarian diet, where you can find out how it has to be followed and the foods you should include in it.
What is the ovo-vegetarian diet?
The ovo-vegetarian diet consists of eating only foods of plant origin, excluding the consumption of foods of animal origin, except the consumption of eggs.
In this diet, foods such as meat, poultry and fish are eliminated; and dairy products like yogurt and cheese. However, unlike other vegetarian diets, you can consume egg and foods that include this ingredient, such as mayonnaise, egg noodles, and certain baked goods.
This diet is less popular than vegan diets, which exclude all foods and by-products derived from animals, as well as the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet , which includes dairy products and eggs, but not meat, chicken, or fish.
The reasons one person may choose an ovo-vegetarian diet over others is that whole eggs are affordable and nutritious, making them an excellent addition to almost any diet. In fact, some people choose to include eggs in an animal-free diet if they have difficulty meeting their nutrient needs on a strictly vegan diet.
3 benefits of an ovo-vegetarian diet
1. They help improve the quality of the diet
Research indicates that people who eat vegetarian diets tend to eat more nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruits compared to non-vegetarians (Parker & Vadiveloo, 2019).
At the same time, they also tend to consume fewer calories from added sugars and saturated fat. Many experts think that this may be the reason why vegetarians tend to have better health outcomes than non-vegetarians, but more research is needed to establish a relationship.
2. Improves cardiovascular health
The ovo-vegetarian diet is perfect for improving heart health .
Different studies indicate that vegetarians may have a 30-40% reduced risk of heart disease, compared to non-vegetarians. In addition, when this diet is combined with regular exercise and stress management practice together, it helps to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as to decrease the accumulation of plaque in the blood vessels (Kahleova, Levin and Barnard, 2017 ).
3. Stabilizes blood sugar levels
Well-planned vegetarian diets reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes by improving blood sugar control.
A review of 14 studies has shown that vegetarians are approximately 25% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, compared to people who do not (Lee & Park, 2017). Also, people who already have the condition may experience increased insulin sensitivity and better blood sugar control on a vegetarian diet.
High consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in a vegetarian diet plays an important role in preventing diabetes. More specifically, foods such as vegetables and tubers that are high in fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium have stronger preventive effects.
Other benefits of the ovo-vegetarian diet
This type of diet is linked to other health benefits, such as the following:
- Weight loss: Vegetarian diets are often lower in calories and can promote weight loss more effectively than omnivorous diets (Huang et al., 2016).
- Improves gut health: Vegetarian diets are rich in fiber and plant compounds that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, leading to better digestive function and improved immunity (Zhang et al., 2018).
- Some studies carried out indicate that vegetarian diets help reduce the risk of cancer by up to 12% (Lanou and Svenson, 2010).
- High-quality dairy and animal products can come at a high cost. Therefore, vegetarian diets can be more affordable .
Disadvantages of the ovo-vegetarian diet
1. Low protein intake
Moderate protein intake is essential for maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and skin and hair. In this sense, most non-vegetarian diets depend on the consumption of foods of animal origin and dairy products to obtain a good amount of protein. As we already know, the ovo-vegetarian diet does not contain a large amount of protein, therefore you must obtain it in other ways.
Eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds are excellent protein options for people who eat an ovo-vegetarian diet .
2. It can cause nutritional deficiencies
The most common nutritional deficiencies in vegetarian diets include iron, calcium, zinc, omega-3 fats, and vitamins D and B12 (Craig, 2010).
Foods of animal origin and dairy are an important source of these nutrients in conventional diets; therefore, eliminating these foods creates major deficiencies if you are not careful when replacing them on a vegetarian diet.
Vegetarian junk food
Importantly, all plant-based foods are not really healthy. An example is dairy-free pastries, fried foods, and processed vegetarian meat substitutes , as well as different types of drinks sweetened with added sugar, cereals, and most sweets.
In short, these foods are easily adapted during an ovo-vegetarian diet, but continuous eating is not recommended as they can cause health problems.
A healthy vegetarian diet is based on eating nutrient-dense whole foods and limiting consumption of refined grains, added sugars, refined oils, and processed junk foods that claim to be substitutes for animal protein.
Foods allowed in an ovo-vegetarian diet
- Fruits: apples, oranges, pears, berries, bananas, pineapple, mango, grapes, avocado …
- Vegetables: Leafy greens, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, and summer and winter squash.
- Grains: rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, bulgur, barley, oats, pasta, crackers, popcorn, cereals, and bread (made without milk or butter)
- Legumes: soybeans, tempeh, tofu, miso, lentils, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, peas, peanuts, pinto beans, navy beans.
- Nuts and seeds: regular and macadamia nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, nut butters, flax seeds.
- Whole eggs and egg whites.
- Dairy substitutes: soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, hemp and / or cashew milk, dairy-free yogurt, dairy-free cheeses.
- Oils: olive, avocado, walnut, flaxseed and coconut oils.
- Drinks: coffee, tea, water, mineral water, non-dairy drinks.
Foods forbidden in an ovo-vegetarian diet
- Red meat: beef, lamb, pork.
- Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck.
- Fish and shellfish.
- Dairy: milk, yogurt, cheese, butter.
- Baked goods: breads and cakes made with milk or butter.
- Food additives derived from meat and dairy: gelatin, lard, carmine, casein, whey.
- Other items such as animal broths, pâté, fish sauce, certain omega-3 supplements, non-dairy creamer, and Caesar dressing.
You can find vegetarian alternatives for many of these foods. Still, it is important to note that these substitutes may not always be nutritionally equivalent to these foods. For example, most milk alternatives do not provide the same amounts of protein and minerals as regular cow’s milk. This doesn’t make them a bad option, but it’s worth considering if your goal is to develop a nutritionally complete vegetarian diet.
References
- Craig, W. (2010). Nutrition concerns and health effects of vegetarian diets. Nutrition in Clinical Practice. doi: 10.1177 / 0884533610385707
- Huang, R., Huang, C., Hu, F. and Chavarro, J. (2016). Vegetarian Diets and Weight Reduction: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of General Internal Medicine . doi: 10.1007 / s11606-015-3390-7
- Kahleova, H., Levin, S. and Barnard, N. (2017). Cardio-Metabolic Benefits of Plant-Based Diets. Nutrients . doi: 10.3390 / nu9080848
- Lanou, A. and Svenson, B. (2010). Reduced cancer risk in vegetarians: an analysis of recent reports. Cancer Management and Research. doi: 10.2147 / CMR.S6910
- Lee, Y. and Park, K. (2017). Adherence to a Vegetarian Diet and Diabetes Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients . doi: 10.3390 / nu9060603
- Parker H. and Vadiveloo, M. (2019). Diet quality of vegetarian diets compared with nonvegetarian diets: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews. doi: 10.1093 / nutrit / nuy067
- Zhang, C., Björkman, A., Cai, K., Liu, G., Wang, C., Li, Y., Xia, H… Sun, L. (2018). Impact of a 3-Months Vegetarian Diet on the Gut Microbiota and Immune Repertoire. Frontierns in Immunology . doi: 10.3389 / fimmu.2018.00908
