Vegetarianism

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Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from meat consumption. Somebody who practices vegetarianism is referred to as a vegetarian.

Reasons for Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is a common theme among the Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. This stems from the belief that all higher animal life is sacred (in Jainism, all life is considered sacred), one of the core concepts of all of these religions. For more than 130 years Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) have practiced a vegetarian dietary lifestyle because of their belief in the wholistic nature of people.[1] Pythagoreanism also required its followers to abstain from meat, fish, and beans. It was also a central tenet of the Essene branch of Judaism.

Many people outside of these religions also choose to be vegetarians because of various other beliefs, such as abstinence from contributing to inhumane farming methods practiced by the meat production industry, or to lessen their environmental impact. Health is sometimes provided as another reason to adopt vegeterianism, though its health advantages are debatable. The section below provides more on the nutritional concerns.

Most non-religious vegetarians are college students or teenagers, for whom the vegeterianism is usually a short-lived fad or mode of rebellion from their parents and other adults. Once their idealism becomes tempered with maturity, they often return to eating meat. The major exception to this are teens who adopt vegetarianism as a personal form of animal activism. Lucy Watkins, editor of vegetarianteen.com, was interviewed on the matter:

“ Young people, especially girls, tend to be very loving and softhearted. [Lucy] Watkins says that, although sometimes teens become vegetarians because it's the latest fad, animal activism is often a spark for young people to become vegetarians. When it's done for "faddish" reasons, they usually don't stick with it. The animal rights kids tend to stay the course.[2] ”

The fad of vegetarianism among teenage girls has troubled many dietitians, because in their eagerness to adopt the fad, teenage girls often underestimate the responsibilities and consequences of a vegetarian lifestyle.[3][4] In contrast, teenage boys, who have many exertions from sports and other activities, need meat almost daily, so there are far fewer teenage boys than girls that have taken up the fad of vegetarianism. They also display rebellion in other ways and are not as soft-hearted towards animals.

Forms of Vegetarianism

  • Vegan - A vegan diet excludes all food and ingredients that comes from animals. This excludes animal meat, animal products such as milk, cheese, eggs or honey, and byproducts such as gelatin. Effort is needed to make a vegan diet healthy.[5] "Vegan" can refer both to the diet and the dieter.
  • Lactovegetarian - Someone who eats a plant-based diet but also eats animal produced foods (that do not result in the death of the animal) such as milk and cheese. Lacto vegetarians can relatively easily remain healthy.
  • Ovo-lactovegetarian (or lacto-ovo-vegetarian) - Similar to the Lactovegetarian but also consumes eggs.
  • Pescatarian - This form of vegetarianism includes the consumption of fish, but no other varieties of meat. Eggs and dairy may be part of this diet. Since fish are still living animals, stricter vegetarians (especially those who are vegetarians for moral reasons) are likely to feel that pescatarians are not true vegetarians.

Nutritional Issues

Some nutritionists have argued that vegetarianism is an unsustainable diet. It can be difficult to regularly get all of your daily required nutrients without eating animal products every day. Soy, nuts and beans are often used as a substitute for meat and protein, but nonetheless many vegetarians have to take vitamin supplements or eat enriched foods.[6] Nutrionist Dr. Ray Sahelian warns "Those who eat very little meat, fish and foul and ... may be missing, or getting very little, crucial nutrients for optimal health such as vitamin B12, iron, creatine, carnitine, and several other nutrients"[7] Vegetarians suffer from higher rates of certain diseases, such as osteoporosis, anemia, bulimia, and thyroid problems due to the lack of calcium and other nutrients in their diets. Recently, scientists discovered that a vegetable-heavy diet can actually cause brain shrinkage.[8]

In contrast, the American Dietetic Association and the Dietitians of Canada have taken the position that properly planned vegetarian diets can be nutritious, healthy, and provide benefits in helping prevent and treat some diseases, possibly with the help of nutritional supplements.[9] Also, in Daniel 1:4-15, Daniel and his companions declined to eat Babylonian royal food and instead requested fresh water and vegetables. At the end of ten days, they were healthier than those who ate the rich food.

Famous Vegetarians

H G Wells, science fiction writer and vegetarian

See also

External Links

References

  1. ↑ Andrews University Nutrition Department
  2. ↑ http://www.preteenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/vegetarian.htm
  3. ↑ [1] "Most dietitians I spoke with who have teenage vegetarian clients agree that teens avoiding meat is becoming a trend or fad and that the vegetarian teenagers (mostly girls aged 14 to 17) they counsel usually come from meat-eating families."
  4. ↑ [2] "Quite a few girls turn to vegetarian diets in their mid or late teens. As a way of eating, vegetarianism has a lot to recommend it. Trouble is, most teens don't realise that giving up meat makes it much more difficult to eat a healthy diet. The point is, meat is a very convenient source of important vitamins and minerals, especially iron. So if you stop eating meat, you need to eat a wide range of vegetarian foods to compensate for this deficiency. Unfortunately, vegetarian teenagers are not famous for doing this."
  5. ↑ http://www.vegan.org/going_vegan/eating_vegan/index.html Vegan regimen
  6. ↑ According to Olivant, the most useful supplements for the vegetarians contain nutrients that may be limited in their diet, such as omega-3. [3]
  7. ↑ Dr. Ray Sahelian
  8. ↑ Times of India Eating Veggie Shrinks the Brain
  9. ↑ Vegetarian Diets
  10. ↑ www.famousveggie.com[4]
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