It's a Matter of Choice
For most Australians growing up, it is taught that to maintain optimal health and nutrition, a balanced diet consisting of ingredients from the five main food groups is essential.
These overarching groups are vegetables, fruit, grain foods, reduced-fat dairy products and protein.
Nutritious Food Groups. National Health and Medical Research Council – Department of Health and Ageing.
In sourcing their protein, most Australians typically turn to meat, be it red or white. Eating meat is embedded in their culture and way of life.
For most Aussies, to have the Big Sunday Breaky is enjoying eggs with a side of sausages and bacon. Lunch wouldn’t be the same without a ham and cheese toastie; and dinner is most enjoyable when it includes prawns and a large T-bone steak sizzling on the barbeque. As of 2015, Australia was one of the biggest meat-consuming countries in the world.
However, with veganism on the rise in today’s age, and more than 2 million people surviving on plant-based diets, many are turning to the likes of beans, nuts, legumes and soya for their protein.
Rebecca Phillips, Qualified Australian Dietician and Manager of Nutritional Health Clinic.
Photo sourced from Botanic Nutrition with authorization.
Irrelevant of the type of diet someone chooses to follow, understanding the pros and cons of each and how to best maintain nutritional health is vital.
Rebecca Phillips is a Service Manager of Dietetics at Campbelltown and Camden Hospitals as well as being the owner and operator of Botanic Nutrition, a nutritional health clinic based in Wollongong.
Phillips became a nutritionist 18 years ago to feed her passion for health, wellbeing and the ability to help people.
“I want people to understand the different ways they can have an unhealthy diet and then direct them on the right path where the person is in control of their diet and they are getting the nutrition they need,” she said.
Phillips explains the benefits of a meat diet are in the products’ high vitamin and mineral value.
“Meat is a rich source of vitamins like Iron and Zinc which are difficult to obtain if a person does not eat meat. By eating red meat specifically, a person will get sufficient levels of those nutrients,” she said.
However, whilst meat guarantees a person is getting these particular vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy diet, it doesn’t come without its established risks.
“The biggest set back which has been proven in recent years is that processed meat will contribute to colon cancer. It has been confirmed as a carcinogen. Even as little as 50 grams of processed meat will increase a person’s risk of the disease.”
“What makes this worse is general issue that people tend to eat too much meat. The medically recommended serving size of meat is approximately 100 grams (about a palm size serving) per day,” Ms Phillips said.
The qualified dietician has been a vegan for 13 years. The three factors which led Ms Phillips to change her lifestyle were animal welfare, the environment and health.
She says that having her specialized knowledge in nutrition and dietetics showed her that being vegan wouldn’t prohibit her from having a healthy diet.
“In eating a vegan diet, someone will have increased nutrient intake generally. They will have higher intakes of fibre and antioxidants and lower saturated fat intake. The vitamin and mineral composition is not significantly different to a meat diet and they don’t seem to have excess nutrient intake issues which means chances of obesity and heart disease is much lower as well as the obvious relevant cancers,” she said.
However, as with meat-based diets, specific risks and responses must be considered by someone living on the plant-based diet. Winston J Craig investigated the consequences of the lifestyle choice in his academic article, Health Effects of Vegan Diets.
As was written, ‘eliminating all animal products from the diet increases the risk of certain nutritional deficiencies. Micronutrients of special concern for a vegan include vitamins B-12 and D, calcium and Omega-3 fatty acids. Unless vegans regularly consume foods that are fortified with these nutrients, appropriate supplements should be consumed.’
Ms Phillips explained that there are certain vitamins which are only available in meat and others which are vital for particular people.
“Someone on a vegan diet will always need to take a Vitamin B-12 supplement. It is a vitamin only found in animal foods so you can’t get that through a vegan diet. Omega-3 fat intake seems to be lower which isn’t an issue for most, however is important to be supplemented for pregnant women. Omega-3 fatty acids is proven highly important for brain and eye development in babies and is a recommended supplement,” she said.
For someone who is a vegan, it does not mean that they are free from any health risks associated with processed foods. Plant-based processed products such as Facon (fake bacon), vegetarian sausages and soy ice-cream are available and approved by professionals, within reason.
“I find these to be great treats, but again, people need to note their saturated fat intake which is still found in these products alike the meat-based processed foods,” Ms Phillips said.
With this understanding, individuals can conclude that a healthy diet can come in many forms. Information is power and being well educated on how a diet will impact on one’s body will guide them to identify a suitable choice for their needs.