Lacto Vegetarianism
A lacto vegetarian diet is a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, and kefir. Unlike a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, eggs are excluded.
"Lacto" comes from the Latin word for milk. Pronunciation: /lack' toe/.
Some vegetarians will consume dairy, but abstain from consuming eggs. They might believe consuming eggs is the same as consuming an animal (particularly an unborn/unhatched animal). Consuming dairy does not kill an animal; when done properly, the child is not denied its mother's milk, and the human can still consume milk for needed nutrients and vitamins.
This diet is popular with many followers of Eastern religious traditions, such as Sikhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It has also been popularised internationally since the 1960s by the Hare Krishna movement.
The greatest proportion of vegetarians such as those in India or those in the classical Mediterranean lands such as the Pythagoreans are or were lacto vegetarian.
Lacto Vegetarianism