Veg pledge

MORE than three million people will be raising their forks - and perhaps the odd glass of vino - this week to celebrate not eating meat. It is National Vegetarian Week and as part of its ongoing awareness-raising campaign the Vegetarian Society is promoting the health benefits of a meat-free diet.

Research shows that vegetarians suffer less from obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, certain diet-related cancers, appendicitis, constipation and gall stones.

But is it good news all the way? Well, according to nutritionist John Darrell, who runs a clinic at Kirkbymoorside Natural Health Centre, the positives certainly far outweigh the negatives.

"I always advise my clients to work towards a vegetarian-style diet," he said. "I am not a rigid proponent of vegetarianism but a largely plant-based diet, perhaps with the addition of fish, makes a lot of sense.

"We are omnivores, which means we can eat anything, but we are just not built to deal with large amounts of meat. It putrefies in our intestines, leading to problems such as colitis, and leaves us feeling literally laden down."

Cutting down or cutting out meat altogether should make you feel lighter and less bloated, and should mean the end of intestinal-related complaints such as constipation.

"It can also help in the fight against more serious conditions," said Mr Darrell. "If you don't over-burden your system you are less at risk of all manner of degenerative diseases."

But there are potential downsides to vegetarianism. Some people simply remove meat from their diet without replacing it with a nutritional alternative and others opt for an extreme, and often harmful, dieting regime.

"These really are the two major pitfalls," said Mr Darrell. "It's not sensible to simply eat around the gap on your plate where the meat used to be. You really need to consider the way you eat as a whole.

"And, more importantly, you should steer clear of any extreme diet - eating nothing but wheatgerm and walnuts is not going to keep you healthy."

Mr Darrell, who began studying nutrition after a change in diet helped him through a serious illness, is not a strict vegetarian but follows what he describes as a vegetarian-style diet.

"I don't eat meat on a day-to-day basis but I am not a fanatical vegetarian," he said. "I'm happy to eat a bit of meat in a social situation."

Thornton Dale cookery writer Sarah Beattie also doesn't describe herself as a fanatical vegetarian but the former Masterchef of the north, Radio Times Mastercook and Cheese Challenge champion, is certainly enthusiastic.

"It is a lot easier to be a vegetarian now because ingredients are more readily available, even in supermarkets," said the mother-of-three, who has been a vegetarian for 25 years.

"Health scares like BSE and foot and mouth have certainly played a part in making people think about what they eat. People might not be strictly vegetarian but they are certainly eating less meat, and very few are sitting down to a traditional meat and two veg meal every evening."

Although she believes a well-balanced vegetarian diet is healthier than a well-balanced meat diet, she doesn't believe vegetarians are always healthier than their meat-eating counterparts.

"Some vegetarians are healthier because they are fussy about their food and will only eat things that they know are good for them," she said. "But not all vegetarians eat well.

"In the same way, recent studies have found that vegetarian diets help combat certain cancers, but it doesn't necessarily follow that vegetarians don't get cancer. It just doesn't work that way."

Sarah raised her children as vegetarians before letting them decide for themselves when they were older. Her daughters are both still vegetarian, but her son decided it wasn't for him in his mid-teens.

"It all comes down to individual choice," she said. "All you can do is lay out the facts and let people decide for themselves.

"There will never be a time when everyone stops eating meat - it will never happen. But what organisations such as the Vegetarian Society can do is tell people how their food is produced and highlight the alternatives.

"It's a matter of informed choice. I don't want to sound like Tony Blair, but I'm a firm believer in education, education, education when it comes to food. You give people information and let them decide."

Where to find nutrients:

Iron is found in leafy green vegetables, pulses, wholemeal bread, dried fruit and pumpkin seeds. Drinking a glass of orange juice with a meal can increase the amount of iron absorbed three-fold. Tea can reduce absorption

Vitamin B12 should not be a problem for vegetarians eating dairy products and eggs, but vegans should look out for fortified foods like breakfast cereals and soya drinks because B12 is not naturally found in plant foods.

Calcium is obviously available in abundance in dairy produce but vegans should make up their shortfall with leafy green vegetables, almonds, sesame seeds, dried fruit, pulses and fortified soya drinks.

Protein isn't a problem with a well-balanced vegetarian diet including beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, grains, soya products, dairy and eggs.

Fatty acids are found in oily fish, are also found in rapeseed oil, flax seeds and walnuts.

John Darrell's book Eat Less Plastic, Drink More Rocks is due out at the end of July, and Sarah Beattie's website, www.thevegetarianconsultancy.com, will be online by August.