Vegetarian and Vegan Diet Types, Benefits, Disadvantages and Nutrition Information on MedicineNet.com

Font Size

Vegetarian and Vegan Diet

View Foods that Lower Your Risk of Osteoporosis Slideshow

Super Foods for Your Bones Slideshow Slideshow

Foods Your Cat Should Never Eat Slideshow

Dangerous Foods for Your Dog Slideshow

Author: Betty Kovacs, MS, RD
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Introduction to vegetarian diets

To eat meat, or not to eat meat...This is the question on many people's mind. The negative impact of animal foods on health, the damage associated with animal foods and the environment, religious beliefs, and the desire to protect and respect animals are some of the reasons for the increase in vegetarian diets. Many people express an interest in consuming a vegetarian diet but don't do so because they are unsure of how to do it or are not ready to give up meat. Fortunately, there are options and lots of great resources available to help. The key to making this diet work for you is to understand what nutrients you are missing from the foods that you are not consuming and to learn how to balance your meals without these foods.

What types of vegetarian diets are there?

Type of vegetarian diet	Foods that you do consume	Foods that are not consumed
Vegan	Only plant-based foods	Meat Poultry Fish Milk Eggs Cheese Honey *Also avoid: leather, fur, silk, wool, soaps and cosmetics derived from animal product
Lacto-vegetarian	Plant-based foods Milk Milk products Cheese Yogurt	Meat Poultry Fish Eggs
Lacto-ovo vegetarian	Plant-based foods Milk Milk products Cheese Yogurt Eggs	Meat Poultry Fish
Flexitarian (semi-vegetarian)	Plant-based foods Occasionally consume or consume in limited quantity any or all of the following: Meat Poultry Fish	Animals foods consumed in limited quantity and/or frequency

Next: What are the potential problems from consuming a vegetarian and vegan diet? »

Important Safety Information

KAPIDEX may not be right for everyone. You should not take KAPIDEX if you are allergic to KAPIDEX or any of its ingredients. Severe allergic reactions have been reported.

Symptom relief does not rule out other serious stomach conditions.

The most common side effects of KAPIDEX were diarrhea (4.8%), stomach pain (4.0%), nausea (2.9%), common cold (1.9%), vomiting (1.6%), and gas (1.6%). KAPIDEX and certain other medicines can affect each other. Before taking KAPIDEX, tell your doctor if you are taking ampicillin, atazanavir, digoxin, iron, ketoconazole, or tacrolimus. If you are taking KAPIDEX with warfarin, you may need to be monitored because serious risks could occur.

Uses of KAPIDEX

Persistent heartburn two or more days a week, despite treatment and diet changes, could be acid reflux disease (ARD). Prescription KAPIDEX capsules are used in adults to treat heartburn related to ARD, to heal acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus (called erosive esophagitis or EE), and to stop EE from coming back. Individual results may vary. Most damage (erosions) heals in 4�8 weeks.

Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. Please see full Prescribing Information for KAPIDEX.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

KAPIDEX™ is a trademark of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., and is used under license by Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.

LPD-00767

Vegetarian and Vegan Diet

Introduction to vegetarian diets

What types of vegetarian diets are there?

One Pill a Day: Up to 24 Hours of Heartburn Relief in Many Adults with ARD

Important Safety Information

Uses of KAPIDEX

Weight Loss Wisdom

From WebMD

Nutrition and Healthy Eating Resources

Featured Centers

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Also on MedicineNet

Latest Diet & Weight Management News