Lot of people think that vegetarian and vegan are two terms defining the same thing. Both indeed are terms referring to people who do not eat meats and make plants their source of foods. But there are actually many things that make vegetarians different from vegans. Before claiming yourself a vegetarian or a vegan, let’s see how different they are.

Vegetarian

The term is already very popular among people in Indonesia. There are so many reasons why people choose to be a vegetarian, including those related to health and religion. Some people with strong sense of justice say they’re trying to reduce the number of animal cruelty and exploitation, while some others have environmental issues like greenhouse gas emissons.

Vegetarians depents a lot on veggies, fruits, nuts, and other plant-based food to meet their nutritional needs. While completely ruling out meat from their diet, some types of vegetarians can still tolerate some animal products. Those types of vegetarians include:

• Lacto-ovo vegetarians, who avoid meat, but can still consume eggs and dairy products like cow’s milk.
• Lacto vegetarians, who avoid meat and eggs, but can still consume cow’s milk.
• Ovo vegetarians, who avoid meat and dairy products, but can still consume eggs.
• Semi vegetarians, who avoid red meat, but can still consume white meat like poultry and fish.

Vegan

Meanwhile, vegans have a stricter diet than vegetarians. Not only do they avoid meat and all products made of animals, including milk and eggs, they also refuse to consume, use or take part in anything involving animals. And that means anything, from food, clothing, drugs, and even entertainment.

Believing that animals have their right to live and free of human’s exploitation, vegans will also completely eliminate products like honey and gelatin, as well as shoes, belts, coats, jackets and anything made of animal’s fur or skin. They won’t use cosmetics with animal-derived ingredients, or ones that are tested on animals. They will also avoid zoos, circuses, and other activities or places they deem are violating animal rights.

Which One Is Healthier?

Both diets have its own plus and minus points. Because they don’t get the nutritions normally present in meat, eggs and dairy milk, vegans and vegetarians will get less vitamin D, vitamin B12, omega 3 fatty acids and calciums. The deficiencies may affect their mental and physical health. So, it’s strongly recommended not to have growing children to adopt vegetarianism or veganism. For teens or adults, plan your diet with the help of nutritionists.

But if both diets are done the right way, then vegetarianism and veganism can be very beneficial for your health. Some studies show that compared to meat-eaters, vegan and vegetarians are less likely to develop heart diseases, cancers and type-2 diabetes. And compared to vegetarians, vegans have less risk to develop those diseases.

But those studies are observational, meaning there is no exact word on whether the low risks are really the result of the diets or if vegans and vegetarians naturally are more aware of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

So, are you a vegetarian or a vegan? Whichever term you use to define yourself, keep up the good work maintaining your healthy lifestyle. But if you’re a vegetarian looking for a different way of eating your fruits and veggies, go follow @FiberCreme_TV on Instagram to find out how you can turn them into more delicious and appetizing food or drink. Just follow the easy recipes which are all made with FiberCreme. The multi-purpose creamer is free of cholesterol, low in fat and calorie, and is high in fiber to help you keep your digestive system healthy.