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The health benefits of vegetarianism
The health benefits of vegetarianism
The disadvantages of vegetarian
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Food, an extremely important factor in the health of all living organisms. It gives our bodies nutrients and energy which allow us to continue on the journey of life. However, with the increase in population more and more food is needed to feed the human race, or is it? The weekday vegetarian diet is a relatively new idea that would help reduce land and resources needed for agriculture, reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increasing the overall health of those participating. The research appears to be sound yet some are still skeptical with the idea. Throughout this reading, we’ll go through the environmental impacts, how to implement this practice, and the pros and cons. Weekday vegetarian is as simple as it sounds,
Let’s start with some good news first such as the health benefits of this adaptation. A diet consisting of mostly red meat has been known to lead to high rates in diabetes and heart disease and a simple diet change could help reduce the chance of diabetes by 50% and heart disease by up to 30% by a better-quality meat by raising livestock in better living conditions such as free range and grass fed meats. By eating a better-quality meat and ingesting less of it, it helps lead to a higher quality of life, weight loss, a cheaper grocery bill, and reducing your carbon footprint (Green). Ironically one of the main interests associated with the positive impact of switching to the weekday vegetarian is also one of its greatest downfalls for the same cause, health benefits. The largest con to this change is the lack of information and convenience associated with a vegetable based meal plan. Some of the most important nutrients that are easily found in the meats that most of us consume but don’t come by as easy with vegetables. Proteins are one of the core building blocks of the human body and usually aren’t present or in very low amounts when found in vegetables. Meats are also our primarily source of essential fats and oils that are crucial to the human diet. We also lose the vitamins generally involved in our meat
I will first show the lack of validity and soundness to Howard’s claim that A) a vegan lifestyle is a healthier choice and B) his claim that one must switch to that lifestyle to enjoy these said benefits. To the claim made in A, Howard uses his own health problems he endured on his meat diet, and uses it as a constant variable comparing it to his now relative healthy lifestyle as a vegan. On first glance anyone who eats a calorie-laden, unbalanced diet and ends up weighing 300 pounds, as Lyman himself admitted, will have health problems regardless of his orientation to meat or vegetables. With this said his comparing analogy is inertly flawed and must be disregarded from the argument he presents. On march 8 before the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Mary K Young, MS.,R.D,NCBA Director of Nutrition Research and Information, presented the benefits of eating meat. Using Data from the 1995 USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSI) she confirms that red meat enhances one overall diet quality. Young goes on to point out that red meat is the number one source for protein, B12, and zinc, number 2 source for B6 and third greatest source for iron, niacin and potassium. She also pointed out that red meat alone has the greatest concentrates of iron and zinc together. Also included cited in Young’s report was the research recently published in the Journal of the American...
The term vegan, devised in 1944 via Donald Watson, is referred to as an individual that follows veganism, which is the exclusion of all animal products to be consumed, predominantly in their diet (Kahn, 2011). Veganism is primarily supported due to preventing animal cruelty, as well as its health benefits and environmental consequences (Craig, 2009). Adolescence is referred to as the transition from childhood to adulthood, due to biological changes that occur via the onset of puberty (Ellis, 2004). Essential nutrients that are vital to be consumed during adolescence are proteins, which are in the category of macronutrients as they are required in large amounts, as well as calcium and iron, which are categorised as micronutrients, thus being required in smaller amounts (Bialostosky, Wright, Kennedy-Stephenson, McDowell & Johnson, 2002). Protein, calcium and iron are claimed to be essential nutrients in an adolescent female following a vegan diet as they are at higher risk to be lacked via plant-based sources if the consumption of these nutrients are inadequate, which may implicate negative effects on the growth and development during the pubertal growth spurt (Craig, 2009; Ilich-Ernst et al., 1998). This essay will be regarding to a 14 year old female named Jenny Brown, whom is currently following a vegan diet and is not consuming any supplementation in order to obtain adequate nutrition. As Jenny Brown is at the age of adolescence, this essay will discuss the biological changes that occur during puberty, followed on by a discussion on each of the vital nutrients including the macronutrient protein, as well as the micronutrients calcium and iron that are essential to be adequately consumed in order to attain nutritional competence ...
Vanessa Ha and Russell de Souza published a study they did over the health benefits of vegetarianism in the Journal of the American Heart Association. They found that switching to a vegetarian diet can cause healthy weight loss, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure. They also found that vegetarians eat lower amounts of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. If the United States’ population could start to lose weight, there would be a multitude of benefits. People would have more energy, they would sleep better, and the nation would get back on track. Weight loss can also help to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. Many people would be able to get off their medication and be able to function without being dependent on their medicine. They would also save time because they would not have to go to doctor’s appointments so often. If the American people were all vegetarians, the obesity problem in the United States could practically be eradicated, as Ha and Souza proved that the vegetarian diet could cause weight loss. People could live normal, healthy
The new hubbub of the world is starting to revolve around meatless Mondays. Not only are people starting to give this new spin a try, but are continually adding up the benefits. Meatless Monday is just as it sounds; a Monday without eating any type of meat, but instead going the healthier, vegetarian route with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. According to the magazine article, Meatless Monday, published by Sharon Palmer in Today’s Dietitian, “By cutting out meat once per week, you can improve your health and reduce your carbon footprint.” Many people are already taking her advice and jumping on the bandwagon including famous celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, and Ellen DeGeneres (2013). Yet, these celebrities are
Over two years ago, both of my sister, upon viewing a documentary depicting how the meat on our plate gets there, decided to give up meat. To accommodate for my sisters since they have become vegetarians my family have made more meals that contain no meat. Finally a year ago, after some persuading, my sister convinced my parents and me to get up red meat. However, I am not sure if I should stop there. Should I become a full blown vegetarian? From what I have heard being a vegetarian has multiple pros including personal health and environment benefits, but I have also heard some negative things about giving up meat. So I wanted to decide for myself if being a vegetarian would be a good decision for me and the rest of my family. I believe that it is a great option for my family, but before making a huge decision like this I wanted to do my research.
Unless the intention is to shorten one’s lifespan, the Western diet, respectively, has it all wrong. On any given day, Americans are found consuming excessive amounts of meat and dairy products. While that may not seem like such a crime—it’s treason to their bodies. What people fail to realize is that they are allowing unnecessary trans fats, numerous carcinogens, and harmful bacteria into their bloodstream. This can lead to countless complications later in life. Whereas, if people avoided meat and dairy for fruits and vegetables, the health benefits from this type of eating habit would be astonishing. Although vitamin B-12, found in many meat products, is essential to make blood for the nervous system, there can be supplements that vegans take to ensure they are getting what they need. Vegan lifestyle is proven to be healthier as opposed to a meat and dairy lifestyle, because vegans are less prone to diseases, have a leaner and more energetic body, and their lifestyle mitigates the ecological destruction of the planet.
Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont says, “[Your risk of heart disease reduces] because of the fatty red meats and many processed meats that are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol which increases risk of coronary heart disease.” Being vegetarian doesn’t just help women with heart disease, but it helps with so much more. For one it helps lower your blood pressure, in a research that was done on a group of people it was found that only vegetarians were found with the lowest blood pressure (Alexandra p.1). Secondly it helps lower the risk of death. A 2013 study showed that more than 70,000 people found that vegetarians had a twelve percent lower risk of death compared with non-vegetarians (Alexandra p.2) With the absence of the saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs arteries, vegetarians are at a lower risk for chronic disease overall. Thirdly, when being a vegetarian you are also in a better mood. “ A 2012 study randomly split participants into three diets: all-meat allowed, fish-only and vegetarian no-meat. The researchers found that after two weeks, the people on the vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those on the other two diets.”(Alexandra p.3). Being a vegetarian also gives you a less risk of being over weight, which we all know has been one of the biggest problems here in America. Too many people are overweight and are not doing
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 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
Making the change to a vegan diet for just one day, an average human would be saving one animals life, 45 pounds of grain, 1100 gallons of water and 30 square feet of forested land (Turnbull). Not only is being vegan better environmentally and ethically, this diet has many health benefits as well. For years, the standard way of living has been to rely on animal products to obtain adequate nutrients. For example, many people believe that milk is needed to grow and maintain strong bones or that eating meat is the only way to get enough protein. After years of research the vegan diet proves to be a healthier option than the
...ming I will be willing to contribute in any way that I can, and becoming a vegetarian will help the environment a great deal. Becoming a vegetarian can also lead to becoming a healthier person and living a healthy lifestyle. And lastly, the way animals are killed and treated in factory farms are unethical and they should not be treated the way they are just to create a meal for the next person.Consider that the animal you are eating was a vegetarian and the meat contains all the minerals and vitamins of the plant foods it ate when you eat it. Along with fats yourbody needs in substantial amounts to stay healthy.....more on the fats later. Meat is as close to a complete meal as you can get because of this.
Every person has the ability to make their own choice of whether to eat meat or not. However, eating meat is directly tied to negative health effects, pollution leading to a depletion of ozone, and the depletion of hundreds of thousands of acres of land “wasted” on animal production when they could be used to solve the hunger crisis or lower emission levels. What humans eat is no longer a matter of choice; it has become a matter of life and death. Literally, the future of the whole planet rests on the decision of whether or not to eat meat. If humans chose to eat less meat the world that wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences (outlined above.) Vegetarianism is one possibility, as is Veganism; however the world would be
The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are hard to ignore. Vegetarians have a lower chance of developing many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Women who eat meat daily are more likely to develop breast cancer. According to an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “consumption of well-done meats and, thus, exposures to heterocyclic amines (or other compounds) formed during high-temperature cooking may play an important role in the risk of breast cancer.” Men are also more than almost more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who do not include meat in their everyday diets. “Up to 80 percent of prostate cancer is attributed to dietary practices, and international comparisons show strong positive associations with meat consumption” (Alexander, 2010). Vegetarians have also shown to have lower blood pressure, better digestion, and more energy than humans with a meat based diet. The effects of a vegetarian life style ...
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.
Vegetarians tend to be healthier than those who consume meat. This is due to the prevalent unnatural chemicals used in the processing of meats, and eating these are unsuitable for the body. Meats already contain harmful amounts of cholesterol, and over-consumption of red meat can lead to early heart disease. Animals that are raised on farms for their meat are not treated well, and this mistreatment can lead to harm in the meat they are producing. Although one life choice cannot change one’s environmental
The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits are associated with the vegetarian diet. This dietary method has been linked to reducing the causes of obesity, heart disease, and cancer. With the vegetarian diet, the chances of becoming obese are lowered. Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases.