
Vegan diets have appeared a little more recently and have been gaining an increasing amount of popularity. Vegetarian diets have been around as early as 700 B.C.
While there are several types of diets that do exist, many individuals may practice and rely on them for many reasons, including ethics, health, religion, and more. There are differences amongst the two as well as similarities. They can both affect your health and the environment if you choose one over the other.
Vegetarian Diet
Maybe you have gained some inspiration from Gale Tobin. Or maybe you have just decided to take the leap on your own because of some health issues you are battling. A vegetarian diet is one that consists of various degrees of fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, seeds, and pulses. Depending on the type of diet you choose to follow, the inclusion of honey, eggs, and dairy may vary slightly.
The most common types of vegetarians are:
- Ovo vegetarians- vegetarians who avoid all animal products except eggs
- Vegans- vegetarians who avoid all animals and any products derived from animals
- Laco vegetarians- vegetarians who do not eat eggs nor animal flesh but do eat dairy products
- Lacto-ovo vegetarians- which are vegetarians who avoid eating all animal flesh but do eat egg and dairy products
Vegan Diet
A vegan diet is a strict form of vegetarianism. It is a way of living that does not include animal exploitation and cruelty.
A vegan diet not only excludes animal flesh but also eggs, and dairy, and any other ingredients derived from animals including:
- Honey
- Pepsin
- Carmine
- Gelatin
- Shellac
- Whey
- Casein
- Albumin
- Certain forms of vitamin D3
Vegans and vegetarians do not eat animal products for similar reasons. The biggest difference is to which degree they consider animal products to be acceptable. For example, both vegetarians and vegans may not include meat in their diets for environmental or health reasons.
Vegans also make the decision not to consume any animal by-products since they believe this is what mainly impacts their health. Vegetarians are against killing animals for food but consider it okay to eat animal by-products such as eggs and milk. This is, as long as the animals are kept in acceptable conditions.
Vegans, on the other hand, believe that animals should have the right to be free from human use whether it is for clothing, science, food, or entertainment purposes.
The Bottom Line
Both vegans and vegetarians may not consume animal products for some of the same reasons, but do so to certain extents. There are various forms of vegetarianism that do exist, with veganism being the strictest form of the vegetarian diet.
Both can be labeled as safe for various stages of life, but veganism offers the most health benefits. With both diets, individuals should plan them accordingly and well in order to avoid health complications in the future.