6 Things That Could Happen When You Go Vegetarian

1. You may lose a few pounds. 

A group was founded to promote a plant-based diet for disease prevention. Their findings, reveal that going green tends to lead to a lighter you—even if shedding pounds isn't the original goal for going vegetarian.

2. You may gain some healthy bacteria in your gut—and some bloat, at least at first. 

"Your body has digestive enzymes that handle the proteins in both meat and plants, and that doesn't change when you stop eating meat,"

3. You may protect yourself from heart disease. 

"Plant-based diets have been proven time and again to be anti-inflammatory,"

4. You may lose your taste. And not just for red meat.

Zinc is a biochemical heavy lifter, performing loads of functions within the body, including giving the immune system a boost. But the mineral, plentiful in oysters and red meat, is also crucial for taste and hearing.

5. Your muscles may need more time to recover. 

Protein is essential for building muscle, maintaining it, and repairing it post-workout. That part's non-negotiable, but the source of your protein is. Animal or plant protein works—the latter just takes a little longer to get the job done.

6. You're Short On Vitamin D

You may need to supplement. But not a lot.