As of: March 29, 2024, 2:00 p.m
By: Jasmina Deshmeh
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Classic Easter dishes are not exactly healthy. Anyone who generally pays attention to a balanced diet can make an exception at Easter.
Lent ends at Easter and in most households there are plenty of animal products on the table with colorful Easter eggs, lamb or sweet Easter lamb. The
German Society for Nutrition (DGE
) has
just changed its nutritional recommendations. The experts recommend eating no more than 300 grams of meat and one egg per week. The
German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)
also recommends
mostly
plant-based foods. Red meat in particular, such as lamb, beef and pork, can promote the development of cancer. In addition, twin studies show that a balanced vegan diet has many health benefits compared to a mixed diet with animal foods.
German Nutrition Society recommends one egg per week
For many people, a sweet Easter lamb and colorful eggs are part of Easter (symbolic image). © Panthermedia/Imago
If you want to eat several eggs per day on Easter, you don't have to worry, as the
DGE
informs in a statement. Although the famous Easter lamb is also rich in butter and eggs. This does not immediately increase cholesterol levels, as many fear. Because the body produces cholesterol itself in the liver. If a lot of cholesterol is consumed briefly through food, it is able to reduce production. Rather, the DGE recommendation is based on the amount of nutrients that is sufficient for the body and that does not pollute the environment more than necessary. Exceptions are of course allowed. What is more important is to pay attention to a balanced diet.
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Diet can promote the development of diseases
Because a healthy diet contributes to well-being and helps prevent illness. “Numerous illnesses that gastroenterologists encounter in their everyday work can partly be caused by nutritional influences and can often be improved through a consistent change in diet,” says PD Dr. med. Birgit Terjung, medical director of the GFO Kliniken Bonn and media spokesperson for the
DGVS
. For example, the
World Health Organization (WHO)
classifies red and processed meat as potentially carcinogenic. And a large British study also shows that people who avoid meat or follow a vegan diet have a lower risk of colon cancer than people who frequently eat animal foods.
Plant-based foods, on the other hand, can reduce the risk of cancer: “A plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of obesity and diet-related complications such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases and can at the same time reduce the risk of colon cancer,” says PD Dr. med. Monika Rau, senior physician at the Medical Clinic II at the Würzburg University Hospital. Because animal fats have a high proportion of saturated fatty acids. Together with sugar, they are responsible for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. “Fortunately, the liver in particular can recover after changing your diet to include more plant-based ingredients,” says the expert.
Twin study shows benefits of vegan diet
A randomized twin study shows, among other things, that a plant-based diet has an impact on health after a very short period of time. In particular, the effects on cardiometabolic values were examined after some of the test subjects followed a vegan diet for eight weeks. It turned out that the “vegan diet group” had significantly better values than the respective twin who ate animal products during the same period. Including:
LDL cholesterol concentration
Fasting insulin levels
body weight
"The results of this short intervention study support the current recommendations: Healthy adults need significantly lower amounts of animal products than are consumed on average in Germany - with a predominantly plant-based diet you protect yourself against a wide range of diseases and reduce your risk of developing colon cancer, for example." , summarizes Rau. The so-called Mediterranean diet with lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grain products, legumes, nuts, seeds and unsaturated oils such as olive oil offers good guidance. Fish, dairy products and poultry can complement these foods in moderation.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.