Today we will talk about vegetarian diet. According to the statistics of the American Vegetarian Association, the vegetarians in the United States account for 2% to 8% of the country’s population; the vegetarians in Germany are 7.4 million people, accounting for 8.4% of the country’s population; and the vegetarians in some areas of Italy reach 10% to 18%. India due to religious reasons, vegetarians should be the world’s largest vegetarian population around the home, the country has about 40% of the population that there are 400 million people vegetarian. Our vegetarians account for 4% to 5%, with more than 50 million people. North American Vegetarian Association since 1977, October 1 of each year as “World Vegetarian Day”. According to the modern definition, vegetarianism is a way of eating without meat, poultry, seafood and other animal products, sometimes also abstaining from eating dairy products and honey. Some strict vegetarians reject animal products in the extreme, do not use those products that come from animals, and do not engage in occupations related to killing animals. In a strict sense, vegetarianism refers to monastic and Taoist cuisine that prohibits animal ingredients and the “five pungent” or “five non-vegetarian” dishes. “Five meat” also known as “five pungent”, refers to five kinds of vegetables with a pungent taste, namely onions, garlic, buckwheat, leeks, onions. Vegetarian classification 1, completely vegetarian or absolute vegetarian diet avoid any animal food, absolutely no animal food, no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and other dairy products, but also do not eat processed products made from animal food, such as food made with lard, butter, egg whites. Only a small percentage of vegetarians completely reject animal food. 2, lacto-ovo vegetarian diet contains dairy products and eggs, two types of animal food. Among them, there are egg vegetarians, whose diet contains eggs but avoids dairy products, and lacto-vegetarians, whose diet contains dairy products but avoids eggs. Egg-lacto-vegetarians are the most numerous among all vegetarians. 3, semi-vegetarian, “new vegetarianism” only avoid animal food in the red meat (animal meat), that is, the diet can contain eggs, milk, fish and poultry and other animal foods. It favors vegetarianism while ensuring the normal work of the organism in order to achieve a balanced diet. This kind of vegetarianism is also the most respected by nutrition experts. The history of vegetarianism Buddhism, which has been popular in Asia for thousands of years, advocates the practice of body and mind, in which meat and fish are absolutely abstained from the diet. Buddhist monks often live longer than 100 years. In China, as early as the Xia and Shang dynasties, it was the custom to eat vegetarian food on the first and fifteenth days of the year. The vegetarianism of the ancients represents the reverence of the ancestors for nature and the respect of the people for the concept of health. In ancient times, Taoists advocated the “fasting” practice, which has been verified by generations that after a few days of fasting, the intestinal tract can be cleansed and is indeed beneficial to health. Today, “fasting” detoxification is considered a therapy, fasting people only drink vegetable juice and fruit juice every day, not into the main food, after a few days of adjustment, the body and mental appearance of a new look. This is actually another proof of the benefits of a vegetarian diet. In 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine published the famous “DASH” study, the world’s first randomized controlled clinical study of dietary patterns and blood pressure levels. The results of this study showed that a diet pattern of vegetables, fruits, and low salt and cholesterol reduced systolic blood pressure by 5.0 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 3.0 mmHg. Based on this study, the National Center for Heart, Lung, and Blood Research of the National Institutes of Health proposed a “DASH diet” in 1997 to control hypertension. This diet is low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and emphasizes a combination of foods high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, protein, and fiber. Subsequent meta-analyses of many studies have shown that a vegetarian dietary pattern allows you to maintain moderate blood pressure levels; it is an alternative non-pharmacological approach to lowering blood pressure, and may also reduce all-cause mortality. It is important to note that the “vegetarian” diet mentioned here is probably more of a “lacto-vegetarian” or “lacto-ovo-vegetarian” diet, i.e., not an absolute vegetarian diet. There is evidence that a strict vegetarian diet may have adverse effects on cardiovascular health. Is a vegetarian diet necessarily healthy? The nutritional status of protein, B-vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin D in the diet of absolute vegetarians is of concern. In terms of protein nutrition, because plant proteins are mostly incomplete proteins, vegetarians must meet their protein nutrition needs by complementing different sources of proteins, so vegetarian diets require a wider variety of foods. High dietary fiber may also increase the excretion of B vitamins, and inadequate intake of B vitamins can lead to persistent neurological damage. Because B vitamins come primarily from animal foods, absolute vegetarians must take B vitamin-fortified foods or supplements to meet their needs. Vegetarians are susceptible to iron deficiency anemia due to inadequate intake of available iron. The absorption of iron in foods varies widely, with heme iron in red meat being the most easily absorbed and less affected by dietary factors. In developing countries due to economic reasons, vegetables, grains and legumes are the main food items, leading to iron deficiency anemia more commonly. Adolescence is the period of maximum growth, with a great increase in nutrient needs and a great sensitivity to nutrient deficiencies. Adolescents who adopt a vegetarian diet with improperly designed types and amounts of food can be exposed to a range of dangers associated with nutrient deficiencies. It can also lead to energy or nutrient deficiencies in women during special physiological periods, the sick, and the elderly who have limited food intake. Nutritionists believe that these claimed effects of vegetarian diets can be achieved with carefully structured mixed meat and vegetable diets and a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it is the structure of food that is important, rather than the emphasis on the particular health benefits of certain foods. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine advocates “eating and drinking in moderation”, as stated in the Suwen – Zang Qi Fa Shi Lun: “The five grains are nourishing, the five fruits are helpful, the five animals are beneficial, the five dishes are filling, and the smells are combined to nourish the essence and benefit the qi”. The best way to explain this is to say. “There is no bad food, only bad dietary structure.” Different kinds of food have their own nutritional value, the key is to learn to personalize a reasonable mix for the specific environment and the nutritional needs of different people. A balanced diet with a variety of foods is the healthy way to eat.