Who are ovo lacto vegetarians?

Who are OVO Lacto Vegetarians?

Most vegetarians are ovo lacto vegetarians which means they eat no meat, but do eat dairy products and eggs. Ovo lacto vegetarians can get some complete protein and vitamin B12 from eating eggs and dairy products. But, depending on your gender and age, you probably need 45-55 grams of protein every day. One egg gives you about 6 grams. As a comparison, 3 oz of lean beef gives you about 27 grams (plus heme iron and zinc).

Protein is tough because it's not a simple nutrient. It's made up of about 20 different amino acids. Your body makes some of those amino acids; the rest must come from the food you eat. Meat, eggs and dairy products contain all the amino acids your body needs to to make the complete protein it needs to grow and function. Most veggies only contain some of those amino acids. A vegetarian needs to eat a wide variety of veggies and grains every day (not necessarily every meal) so your body can combine the different amino acids each one contains to make complete protein. There are internet sites that will tell you which veggie/grain contains which amino acid and how to combine them. Beans and rice, for example, make up complete protein. As do peanut butter and whole wheat bread.

The heme iron in meat, eggs, dairy products is much easier for your body to absorb and use than the non heme iron in veggies. In fact, some veggies (soy and spinach are two) actually contain oxalates which inhibit your body's ability to absorb iron and calcium. Low iron can lead to anemia.

Zinc is tough to get on a vegetarian diet....as are the omega3s, so important for heart health.

Vitamin B12 is not found in any plant source, though if you eat eggs and dairy products you should be able to get it there.

Soy is one of the few veggies that give you high quality protein. But it is a high oxalate food and also contains estrogen like compounds that have been shown to damage the thyroid, affect women's menstrual cycle and men's sperm count. This guy grew man boobs and developed serious sexual/emotional problems when he drank a lot of soy milk.

Content Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120204151255AANktJP