5 Things You Need to Know About Lacto Vegetarianism

1. Where it Comes From

A lacto-vegetarian is a vegetarian who does not eat eggs but consumes milk products. The term "lacto" comes from the Latin "lac," meaning milk. It also refers to lactose, the sugar found in milk. Lacto-vegetarianism was popularized in the 1960s by the Hare Krishna movement brought to the United States by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Hare Krishna devotees abstain from eating meat, fish and eggs. Lacto-vegetarianism is a part of many eastern religions, including Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism.

2. Thou Shalt Not Kill

Practitioners base the ethical reasoning behind a lacto-vegetarian diet on the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." Taking an egg before fertilization deprives that egg of being allowed to create a life. Using milk products doesn't harm the animal because it gives and produces milk naturally. Lacto-vegetarians view the consumption of potential animals and the slaughter of male chicks as more cruel than the methods used in milk production.

3. Thou Shalt Use Logic

There are many logical reasons for vegetarianism. Meat is often expensive, whereas alternative protein sources are cheaper and just as nutritious. Meat products can also be high in saturated fat. As long as you don't compensate for the lack of meat with a large increase in consumption of dairy products, cutting meat from the diet decreases the risk of consuming excessive saturated fat. (It should account for less than 10 percent of total daily fat intake.) Removing eggs from the diet reduces the risk of high cholesterol. Though cholesterol is essential in the diet, it is easy to get too much. Sometimes people follow lacto-vegetarianism solely for the reduction in cholesterol intake.

4. Thou Shalt Watch Thy Health

Vegetarians are generally healthier than people who consume meat regularly. But without knowledge of basic nutrition, vegetarianism can endanger your health. All animal products are a source of complete protein. Each amino acid is present at a level sufficient for protein synthesis to occur. Lacto-vegetarians can consume milk products and get all the amino acids that they need. But dairy products have a higher saturated fat content than almost any other food, even red meat. Choosing fat-free versions of milk, yogurt and cheese is a smart move. But removing the fat also removes some important nutrients. Make sure these are being replaced through other foods in your diet.

5. Thou Shalt Listen to Both Sides

While lacto-vegetarians choose to consume milk products but not eggs, there are also people who avoid dairy and meat but consume eggs; these are ovo-vegetarians. They argue that the animal cruelty conducted by the dairy industry is less humane than eating an unfertilized egg which has no potential for life. Free-range eggs come from hens that are treated more humanely than animals in traditional settings. Vegans argue that any use of animal products for food is unethical, so anything other than a complete renunciation of such products is nothing more than a strange food preference.