Why Do People Choose To Be A Pescatarian?
There are many reasons why people choose to become a pescatarin and follow a pescatrain diet. Some of the main reasons include:
1. For proteins
According to a study, healthy adults require around 60 g of protein a day, and 50 per cent of the amount could be supplied from 150 g of fish. Seafood and fish are a great source of high quality proteins. Vegans or people who only eat plant-based foods need to consume a slightly higher amount of proteins from plant sources like beans, chickpeas, tofu and lentils if they want to meet the daily recommended amount.
This is why vegetarians prefer adding fish and seafood in their diet as they are a good source of protein, and are also less in saturated fats (unlike meats) that may disturb the cholesterol levels, glucose and body weight [2]
2. For omega-3 fatty acids
Seafood and fish, especially oily fish are a great source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids like DHA and EPA, two of the three good fats which play an essential role in promoting health and preventing a range of diseases.
Meats also contain a small amount of omega 3, but along with that, they also contain high amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fats which tend to increase cholesterol and risk of heart diseases, diabetes and obesity. As fish and seafood are rich in good quality fats, their consumption is prioritised by pesco-vegetarians. [3]
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3. Weight management
In a study, it was found that vegans are underweight compared to vegetarians and pescatraians, whileomnivores are overweight and obese compared to vegetarians and pescatarains again. Therefore, pesco-vegetarians come under a category of people with average weight due to their dietary habits, compared to people who eat only plant-based diets and mainly meat products. [4] Pescatarian diet helps in weight management by excluding the unhealthy fats from meats and providing the vital nutrients from fish and seafood.
4. Low risk of diabetes
A study has shown that prevalence of type 2 diabetes is the least in vegans (3.1%) and highest in non-vegetarians (8.2%), with pesco-vegetarians being in the intermediate. Also, after adjusting age, sex, physical activity, sleep habits, alcohol use, body weight and other factors, vegans, along with pescatarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians and semi-vegetarians are at a lower risk of diabetes compared to nonvegetarians.[5]
This could be because pescatraians are less likely to be obese or overweight, which is a major risk factor for obstruction in the insulin production and glucose metabolism, that results in diabetes.
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5. Low risk of heart disease
The relation between prescatarian diet and heart disease is controversial. Studies say that vegan diet, through associated with lower BMI, cholesterol, inflammation and blood pressure, can increase risk of heart diseases due to nutritional deficiencies like omega-3, selenium, zinc and vitamin B12. [6] Also, excess meat consumption in omnivores diet can increase the same risk due to cholesterol build up and narrowing of arteries. [7]
Pescatarian diet does not allow deficiency of nutrients such as omega- 3 which is needed for the proper functioning of the heart, and the low unhealthy fats in the diet also prevents the risk of heart diseases such as ischaemic heart disease. [8]
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6. Environmental reason
Providing a nutritious diet along with less environmental damage can be challenging. Raising different livestocks has different environmental costs. For example, animal-sourced products require the highest greenhouse gas, freshwater and nitrogen footprint, compared to other food products like vegetables, fruits and seafood.
Fish and seafood though require more freshwater footprint, have a lower greenhouse, carbon and nitrogen footprint. This shows that consumption of seafood or its production do not cause much harm to the environment, compared to meat products. [9]
7. Concerns related to ethics
Some of the ethical reasons why people choose to be vegetarians is because they are:
- Opposition of animal slaughter.
- Refusal to support farms that raise livestock such as chicken and pork in inhumane conditions.
- Their religion does not allow consumption of other living beings.
Pescatarians also consider these as major reasons for rejecting meat products. Though they eliminate land animals from their diet, they consider seafood and fish, which are caught and farmed in ethical ways, as an appropriate and healthy food.
To note: The reasons for eliminating meat products and including fish and seafood in diet may differ from person to person depending on their concerns related to ethics, environmental and health.
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