Fruitarian | Fruitarian Diet

Some people turn towards a seafood diet when they have enough of the meat, whether of red or white, variety. However, even seafoods have both benefits and risks attached to them. The benefits are well known. You would hear about them in food ads, naturally. However, your nutritionists will also back up the information from those ads. Fish, for example, offer smaller amounts of fat especially when compared to red meat and other cholesterol-laden foods. So, you could eat more of fish with a lower possibility of gaining weight. In short, fish can be more filling. When you are satisfied, you have not yet consumed a lot of calories. Some fish, such as salmon and sardines, also contain Omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the brain. Seafoods, in general, are great sources of protein. They usually contain small amounts of cholesterol and help prevent heart attacks and stroke.

Cons of a seafood diet

Seafoods, however, are not always low in fat. Take for example crab meat. It can contain very high cholesterol and fat content. There is also the matter of safety. You have to know exactly how to clean your seafood staple to make sure that it is free of all unappetizing smells and of any dangerous component. Some fish contain high levels of mercury that cannot be washed off. Pregnant women especially are warned against such fish. Seafoods are also prone to contamination brought about by pollutants in the water. So, there is some risk to just picking up any fish, especially if you actually commit yourself to a seafood diet instead of just eating seafoods from time to time.

Pros of fruitarianism

Fruitarianism is an alternative to a seafood diet. Though criticized for focusing too much on fruits, which could completely remove protein from the diet and could provide a lot of sugars, there are a lot of benefits provided by fruitarianism. According to a study, people who have decided to turn to fruitarianism experienced fewer health concerns. There was also a decrease in serious conditions, such as hypertension. When eating fruits, you will not use oils unless you wish to cook or bake the fruits with other ingredients. Taken purely, fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in fat. You get the optimum amount of energy as plants, and therefore fruits, are at the bottom of the food pyramid. Plants do not have to consume organisms to survive. Instead, plants get their energy directly from the sun.

A seafood diet, how healthy it may sound, has its own weaknesses. Are you willing to take on the benefits offered by the protein and the Omega-3 fatty acids if there is a risk of mercury? Not all seafoods are dangerous though, but some seafoods are very fatty. Of course, all kinds of food have their benefits and risks. You may think of turning to fruitarianism but even this pure, healthy diet style is subject to health risks. However, compared to a seafood-based diet, fruitarianism offers more health benefits in the long run.

Related Questions:

1. What are the pros and cons of a pure seafood diet?
2. What are the pros and cons of being purely fruitarian?
3. How do you ensure your seafood meal is perfectly safe?

Seafood is a great alternative to meat, especially the red type. You get to eat protein-rich but not fatty foods such as fish. Fish is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids, instead of causing illnesses, actually help you lower your cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids also prevent heart diseases. Eating seafoods can, therefore, offer a lot of health benefits. However, not everything is perfect healthwise. It is never good to have imbalance in your diet. This means that eating too much seafoods can also have negative effects on your body.

Presence of mercury especially in commercial fisheries

Mercury is another reason for cutting back on your seafood diet. Though you can definitely eat plenty of fish, try to limit on those with high levels of mercury. Yes, some fish may contain high levels of mercury. In fact, most fish and shellfish contain some mercury. This mercury could be naturally occuring or could have been induced by commercial fishing, or both. Either way, mercury poses some health risks to those who consume it.

Health risks posed by eating mercury-laden seafood dishes

There are certain types of fish, such as sardines and shark, which contain high levels of mercury. Not everybody is warned against eating too much of those fish, however. Some studies have even shown that mercury is not as dangerous to the human body as first reported. Still, pregnant, lactating, and fertile women are discouraged from taking huge amounts of mercury-laden seafood dishes. The unborn child’s development and the breastfed baby’s health can be harmed by the mercury. Mercury also stays in the system for long, especially if huge amounts were ingested. So, women who could get pregnant should shy away from ingesting too much seafood. The mercury could still be in their system when they do become pregnant. As for the others, mercury may later play an active role in the development of cancer.

While a seafood diet is rich in flavor and health benefits, too much of this good thing is also dangerous. If mercury-laden seafood dishes are involved in the diet, then the consumer should be extra careful.

Related Questions:

1. Are grown men completely safe from mercury-laden seafood dishes?
2. What could be a safe alternative to a purely seafood diet?
3. What can mercury do to harm the body?

It is a common belief that getting rid of the red meats and poultry from a person’s diet is enough to live a vegetarian lifestyle.  While this is a good start, a person must also know that there are also dangers to eating fish and other animals from the water.  Because the humans were not able to take care of the bodies of water, fish and other seafoods pose some health risks.

Eating fish has several health benefits

Fish and other seafoods have nutrients that are essential to a person’s health.  Omega-3 fatty acids and high-quality proteins, which are present in fish, can aid in a person’s growth and development.  The small amount of saturated fat in fish makes it an ideal food for people with health problems.  Because of the many health benefits from fish, women and children can benefit from including fish in their diets.

Eating fish poses risks of mercury intake

Because of the current environmental conditions, it is possible that fish and shellfish contain mercury.  While some people might consider that a small amount of mercury is not a big problem, there are fishes that contain amounts of mercury that are beyond the tolerable levels.  The presence of mercury in the diet can harm a child in the mother’s womb and newborn babies.  Because of this risk, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released advisories to pregnant women and nursing mothers against eating certain types of seafood.  Women and young children should limit themselves to eating fish and shellfish that have low mercury content.

Eating is supposed to nourish us with nutrients that are vital to our existence.  However, it is difficult to continue fish consumption without worrying about the risks that it poses to mothers and young children.  If a vegetarian has already started eliminating red meat from his or her diet, he or she should also consider taking out fish and seafood from the diet to limit the exposure to mercury in the diet.

Photo Credit : Lucas Jans