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Health effects of a vegetarian diet
The effect of choosing a vegetarian diet
Pesticides and their harmful effects
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375 million people across the world are vegetarian, but vegetarian and vegan diets aren’t as great as you think they might be. Vegetarians are people that do not eat meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. Vegetarian diets have many down sides and are harming more than they are helping. They rely a lot on soy which can be harmful, vegetables do not have the same health benefits that meat and animal products do, and vegetable and fruit farming can be harmful for the environment.
Too Much Soy Especially For Boys One reason how becoming vegan or vegetarian can be negative because of how much soy is in vegan and vegetarian diets. Soy is protein
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Vitamin B12 is found in meat and other animal products like eggs and milk. Vitamin B12 is not found in vegetables and fruits however. Not getting enough vitamin B12 results in vitamin B12 deficiency also known as cobalamin deficiency. This leads to a reduction in healthy red blood cells. A benefit of vitamin B12 is that it helps prevent anemia which causes reduced flow of oxygen into the body organs. A study showed that nearly a quarter of the vegans tested were B12 deficient but only 9% of non vegetarians were B12 deficient. This is a great example of how Vegan and Vegetarian diets are not better than regular ones because you have low B12 levels which lead to many health problems that could be avoided by eating meats and animals …show more content…
Pesticides are substances that are used for killing insects or other organisms that are harmful to plants or animals. The US Environmental Protection Agency reported that 1 billion tons of pesticides are used in the United States each year. 80% of these pesticides are used for growing crops. Even though pesticides are sprayed on fruits, vegetables, and plants they can make their way into water sources like rivers, oceans, or ponds. If the water gets contaminated and animals drink from it and die, a whole ecosystem could be thrown off. Pesticides also affect groundwater. This is called leaching. Many people rely on groundwater for drinking so the pesticides that make their way in the groundwater can be harmful to people and potentially
What is a pesticide?A pesticide is a chemical substance used to kill pests, especially insects. A pesticide is also referred to as a biocide. Most pesticides are applied in spray form, but occasionally you will see pesticides that are in powder or pellet form. Pesticides are used on a variety of things, anything from crops like corn, barley, and wheat, to plants like petunias, marigolds, and rhodadendrons, which are usually found in small gardens, greenhouses, and even in your backyard. What is ground water?
In brief, a vegetarian diet is one that avoids all animal flesh. The vegetarian diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and other protein-rich foods. A vegetarian diet is also one laden with grains. There are four different categories of vegetarianism. These include the vegan, the lacto-vegetarian, the ovo-vegetarian and the lacto-ovo vegetarian. Vegans exclude all animal flesh, eggs, or dairy products including foods that contain these products. The vegan diet includes all beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits, grains and the infinite number of foods made by combining them. Many vegans do not eat processed foods using animal products, such as refined white sugar. A lacto-vegetarian diet allows dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter while excluding animal flesh and eggs. In the ovo-vegetarian diet, eggs are included but not dairy products. The last type of vegetarian is a lacto-ovo vegetarian. The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. Finally, because vegetarian diets exclude animal flesh and restrict eggs and dairy, it can be difficult to ensu...
...ortation of plants, fruits, vegetables, and animals. Indiscriminate pesticide use kills the good with the bad. Long term and wide spread pesticide use poisons underground water sources, which, in turn, poison plants, animals, and humans. And, finally, by our uninformed actions, new super races of pests continue to evolve and create even greater dangers than the original.
Diets high in plant protein, such as the vegetarian diet, are linked with many health benefits. Studies suggest vegetarians tend to have a lower body weight, lower cholesterol, lower risk of diabetes, lower blood pressure levels. (21) (18) They also have a lower risk of stroke, cancer and death from heart disease than non-vegetarians (15) (16).
Appropriately planned vegetarian diets can be essential to any one, in any stage of their life. Vegetarian diets are associated with lower risks of cancer, death from ischemic heart disease or any cardiovascular disease. Also lower body mass index (BMI), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, low blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension than those of which are non-vegetarians.
Vegan life is healthier for the nutritional benefits are better when compared to non-vegan eating. The majority of people in the world consume a diet, which contains food derived from animals. Those who have animal derived diets follow such a diet due to commonly known nutrition benefits and taste that come with the diet. Although, most people were told that such a diet was healthy, they wouldn’t follow such a diet if they knew the harm that came with it. Furthermore, several people know they require fruits, vegetables, and grains, according to the commonly known food nutrition chart. However, some people do not know that animal derived food is not necessary and that there are other healthier foods to replace them. Vegan diets follow the food chart needs without consuming food that come from animals by replacing the nutritional benefits that come from animals with plant-based foods that also have the same nutritional benefits.
I would not say that a vegan diet is necessarily more healthful than a regular old animal food diet. I would say that there are benefits to both types of diets. I actually don’t know much about vegan diets but I would say that I have a stereotype about the people that are on vegan diets which I know I need to work on changing. There are definitely some benefits to a vegan diet where no animal products are consumed. Our book discusses the probability that a vegan diet will reduced the amount of bad fats eaten and in turn help lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. It also helps that the majority of food a vegan consumes are vegetables and fruits so they are taking in more anti-oxidants and good fiber.
According to Bonnie Beezhold et.al found that vegans and vegetarians, “…report better mood than non-vegetarians, suggesting that even less animal food intake is associated with better mood” (293). Also, Beezhold et.al, “…have found that the risk of major chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes may be reduced by adopting a completely plant-based diet vs. an omnivore diet” (Beezhold et.al 289). Overall, the medical community has agreed that veganism is a healthy option to avoid disease, but their concerns are that vegans will be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals that the regular omnivores are not deficient in. If a vegan is deficit in a certain mineral or vitamin that person can take supplements to combat it. People can say that if I take supplements will that make me healthy even though I consume meat? No, because you are consuming meat and that can clog arteries and increase cholesterol. I think that veganism is probably one of the healthiest options available for everyone. I also think that it is the healthiest because you do not see people become fat off of eating vegetables and fruits. I also agree with Beezhold et.al findings which show that vegans have less stress and anxiety because of the food they ate. Beezhold et.al think this may be because omnivores consume meat and the food the animals were fed where “…higher in certain
Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One such way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle, is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets, whether they become a strict vegetarian who eats no animal byproducts, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy. As with any other lifestyle, research is always being done to see if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and so far, the results of vegetarian diets have been encouraging. Vegetarian diets have proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other health problems. With a little planning and dedication, a vegetarian diet will be healthier and more beneficial than a traditional diet that includes meat and animal products.
“According to the American Dietetic Association, a vegetarian diet can meet protein requirements, provide all the essential amino-acids (the building blocks of protein), and improve health” (Vegetarian). In another aspect, vegetarians show the sign of decreasing the kidney stones and gallstone in the human body. People who consume animal flesh will obtain animal protein, which is the main component of making kidney stones and gallstones. “A diet high in animal protein is responsible for the high rates (15% of men and 7% of women) of kidney stones in the United States” (Vegetarian). Furthermore, many studies had proven that meat consumption is linked to colon and rectal cancer. As people consume a small amount of animal product everyday they will obtain a higher amount of heme iron, which causes an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer. Heme iron in red meats is much more harmful to health than in vegetables. “Vegetarian sources of iron like leafy greens and beans contain non-heme iron” (Vegetarian). In addition, vegetarians usually live longer. “A study of 121,342 people found that eating red meat was associated with an increased risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease” (Vegetarian). Since red
such as Omega 3, vitamin B12,Proteins,Iron,Zinc,Vitamin B3,Selenium. Many people might argue about the fat and other m...
Critics of vegetarianism do not believe that going on a plant based diet is the healthier choice. According to Nancy Rodriguez , people need to have a balanced diet consisting of the basic food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Vegetarians are getting the important nutrients from vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy but are missing important vitamins that they would normally get from proteins, such as, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and calcium. These nutrients are available in other foods but vegetarians are not able to get it in large amounts as they would be in meat. This insufficient amount of nutrients could create health problems in the future, for example, not having enough vitamin D could lead to bad bone structure. It is true that becoming a vegetarian could lead to some nutritional problems in the body however; there are many more positive aspects in becoming a vegetarian than negatives.
Veganism is a philosophical lifestyle that more and more people are starting to embrace. Many people do not know the difference between veganism and vegetarianism and that is where the confusion begins. This particular lifestyle does have an intriguing history; however, it does not go back as far. There are numerous people becoming a vegan even for short periods and there are abundant “meat free” products for them to choose from. Though veganism is misinterpreted because of myths, yet it is surrounded by wonderful health benefits along with prevention of diseases. Animal rights and environmental factors are the two main reasons why people choose to become a vegan. Veganism is a lifestyle being adopted by many people because of its excellent health and environmental benefits.
The vegetarian diet is one that provides the body with many essential nutrients. These nutrients include fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. All of these nutrients aid in providing the body with the minerals that can help to prevent health diseases. As can be seen with the vegetarian diet there are many health benefits that can prevent, or be treatment for, health diseases. According to the American Dietetic Association the vegetarian diet is healthy and recommended for obtaining the nutrients needed for better health. A vegetarian diet is low in cholesterol and fatty acids and these are the factors that contribute to many health diseases. The nutrients that the vegetarian diet contains are beneficial and reduce the chances of becoming obese, getting heart disease, and being diagnosed with cancer.
In conclusion, vegetarianism benefits many part of our life. A healthier body, a better environment, and more fair treatment of animals are all requites of becoming vegetarians. It is hard to change eating habits, but it is not impossible. There are many kinds of food that vegetarians can choose today. The taste of the non-meat food is not all bad and some of them maybe much better than imagination. It is not wise to deny being a vegetarian before trying to be. With more and more people adopting the vegetarian diet, the world will be a better place in the future: animals will be treated better; global warming will be alleviated; fewer people will be starving, and ultimately, people will be healthier and be living longer. Therefore, people should start action before it is too late.