Citing health concerns as the number one reason why people adopt a vegetarian diet, this collection makes important scientific connections between good health and vegetarianism. The Complete Vegetarian examines the diet’s impact on chronic diseases and serves as a nutritional guide and meal-planning resource. Leading vegetarian nutritionists and medical doctors devote entire chapters to nutritional aspects that include fats, protein, and fiber; to diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure; and to vegetarian meal planning, including specialized diets for children, pregnant women, and athletes. The contributors' cutting-edge research finds that it is not only an absence of meat that accounts for the health effects of a vegetarian diet; other contributing factors include less saturated fat and more fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fats than other diets. The Complete Vegetarian promises to be an essential resource for health professionals and the growing number of people who have adopted or are thinking about adopting a vegetarian lifestyle.

Introduction / Peggy Carlson -- Protein / Virginia Messina -- Fats / Brenda Davis -- Fiber / Peggy Carlson -- Iron / Dina Aronson -- Calcium and vitamin D / Suzanne Havala Hobbs, John J.B. Anderson -- Vitamin B12 / Michael A. Klaper -- Zinc / Virginia Messina, Reed Mangels -- Other vitamins and minerals / Reed Mangels -- Heart disease / Peggy Carlson -- Cancer / Peggy Carlson -- Hypertension / James Craner -- Stroke / Peggy Carlson -- Obesity and a vegetarian diet / Sudha Raj -- Diabetes and vegetarian diets / Peggy Carlson -- Osteoporosis / John J.B. Anderson, Suzanne Havala Hobbs -- Gallbladder disease, diverticulitis, appendicitis, kidney stones, and kidney failure / Valerie Kurtzhalls, Peggy Carlson -- Vegetarian diets and children / Jeanene Fogli, Carol M. Meerschaert -- Pregnancy and lactation / Reed Mangels -- Optimal nutrition for active vegetarians and vegetarian athletes / D. Enette Larson-Meyer, Mary Helen Niemeyer -- Environmental and food safety aspects of vegetarian diets / Carl V. Phillips, Simon K. Emms, Erin L. Kraker -- Planning nutritious vegetarian diets / Cheryl Sullivan -- Conclusion: summary of protective factors / Virginia Messina, Peggy Carlson.