The practice of eating a diet devoid of meat. People who follow a diet containing dairy products and eggs are known as ovo-lacto-vegetarians. Those who shun all animal foods are known as vegans. People become vegetarians for a variety of ethical, ecological, and religious reasons, as well as simply not liking the taste of meat. The vegetarian diet may be healthier than that of the omnivore, since it is likely to contain less fat, more fibre, and more antioxidant micronutrients. There are few nutritional disadvantages in being vegetarian, the only possible problem being in the low levels and low availability of iron in vegetable foods. Veganism may, however, pose problems, with low dietary intakes of available calcium, iron, and zinc, and little or no dietary intake of vitamin B12, which is not found in higher plants. Vegans overcome the latter problem by taking vitamin B12 tablets, or by eating fermented foods where the bacteria provide the B12.
Vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming meat, with or without the use of other animal derivatives, such as dairy products or eggs. Veganism, sometimes called "strict vegetarianism", excludes all animal products from diet and attire, whether or not this involves the actual death of an animal (dairy, eggs, honey, wool and down feathers).
Terminology and varieties of vegetarianism
There are many different practices of vegetarianism. The following table lists the diet's name along with the food that the diet permits.
Main varieties
Foods allowed in the main vegetarian diets| Diet Name | Meat | Eggs | Dairy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lacto-ovo vegetarianism | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lacto vegetarianism | No | No | Yes |
| Ovo vegetarianism | No | Yes | No |
| Veganism | No | No | No |
Other dietary practices commonly associated with vegetarianism
Fruitarianism is a diet of only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant. Macrobiotic diet is a diet of mostly whole grains and beans.Semi-vegetarian varieties
The following similarly named diets are not considered true vegetarianism:
Pesco/pollo vegetarianism (semi-vegetarianism, poultratarianism) — These people will only eat certain meats depending on the particular diet (pesco-fish, pollo-fowl). They sometimes will eat meat and other non-dairy animal products. For example, some Freegans may eat a meat product if it has been thrown away or is about to be thrown away (provided it is still good to eat), but not one that they have bought or which was bought for them.Vegetarian cuisine
In terms of lacto-ovo vegetarianism, this generally means food which excludes ingredients under which an animal must have died, such as meat, meat broth, cheeses that use animal rennet, gelatin (from animal skin and connective tissue), and for the strictest, even some sugars that are whitened with bone char (e.g. Hinduism preaches that it is the ideal diet for spiritual progress and Jainism enjoins all its followers to be vegetarian.
Vegetarians in Europe used to be called "Pythagoreans", after the philosopher Pythagoras and his followers, who abstained from meat in the 6th century BC. These people followed a vegetarian diet for nutritional and ethical reasons. Many Hindu scriptures advocate vegetarian diet. In 1847, the first Vegetarian Society invented the term "vegetarian" — from the Latin vegetus "lively", and suggestive of the English word "vegetable" — was a person who refuses to consume flesh of any kind. Vegetarian societies (apart from India) were first formed in majority meat eating European countries both as a means to promote the diet and to gather together vegetarians for mutual support. Surveys in the U.S. have found that roughly 1% to 2.8% of adults eat neither meat, poultry, nor fish. His primary reason for following a vegetarian diet appears to have been health.Motivations and benefits
People choose vegetarianism for various reasons. A 2002 poll of American adults found the following reasons:
| Most important reason for becoming a vegetarian | |
|---|---|
| Health | 32% |
| Because of chemicals and hormones in meat products | 15% |
| Don't like the taste of meat | 13% |
| Love of animals | 11% |
| Animal rights | 10% |
| Religious reasons | 6% |
| Concern for the planet | 4% |
| To lose weight | 3% |
| To reduce hunger and famine worldwide | 1% |
Health
Many people who choose a vegetarian diet do so because they believe it is a health benefit. They may believe that the vegetarian diet has a better nutritional balance, is better suited for the human body, and/or avoids contact with harful bacteria, hormones, and chemicals.
Nutritional
The American Dietetic Association, the largest organization of nutrition professionals, states on its website "Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals."
As an example, American vegetarians tend to have lower body mass indices, lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less incidence of heart disease, hypertension, some forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, osteoporosis, dementias such as Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders that may be diet-related. The health of a cohort of 27,000 vegetarians is currently being followed at a UK centre of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), the largest study of the long-term effects of vegetarian diet.
Physiological
There is considerable debate over whether humans are physiologically better suited to a herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore diet.
Some, such as Albert Einstein, regard an evolution to a vegetarian diet as part of our human evolution, with each new generation moving slowly away from feeling a necessity of eating meat. The existence of parasites such as Taenia saginata and Taenia solium, which rely on humans as their unique end host and can only be transmitted through eating meat indicates that human beings and their ancestors have consumed meat through important lengths of their evolution (i.e.
Others study statistical information, such as comparing life expectancy with regional areas and local diets. For instance, life expectancy is considerably greater in southern France where a semi-vegetarian Mediterranean diet is common (fresh fruit, vegetables, olive oil, goats cheese and fish), than northern France where an omnivore diet is more common (also including pork, beef, butter, cows cheese and cream) .
Some vegetarian beliefs (such as Hare Krishna) suggest that human beings have evolved to consume vegetable matter rather than meat. Predators (such as dogs, cats, or raptors) usually have sharp teeth or claws to tear fresh meat, while plant-eating animals (such as horse and deer) have no sharp teeth or claws to tear meat. they have no claws and mostly blunt teeth (molars) but also a pair of sharp canine teeth designed for tearing, which some feel is proof of a naturally omnivorous diet (gorillas are herbivorous and have very large canines, though these are at least partly for defensive purposes, while other primates with sharp canines are not strictly herbivorous and will occasionally kill and eat other animals). Since meat is more easily digested than plant matter, the elaborate digestive system found in plant eaters in unnecessary.
Medical
Sometimes patients of alternative medicine are advised to adhere to a vegetarian diet as prescribed by the practitioners of such unconventional medical treatments. coli infections, and proponents point to the link between E.coli contaminations in food and industrial scale meat and dairy farms. In that same journal article, a quick fix was pointed out: Cows that are switched from a grain diet to a forage diet saw, within 5 days, a 1,000 fold decrease in the abundance of strain O157. coli outbreaks will continue to be high-yield meat and dairy farms.
Advocates such as Howard Lyman and groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have promoted vegetarianism in response to cases of E.coli infection.
Other food scares
Various animal food safety scares over recent years have led people towards semi-vegetarianism or vegetarianism.
Religious and spiritual
The majority of the world's vegetarians, statistics wise, are Hindu. Buddhism in general does not prohibit meat eating while Chinese Mahayana Buddhism encourages vegetarianism. Minor denominations that advocate a fully vegetarian diet include the Seventh-day Adventists, the Rastafari movement and the Hare Krishnas.
Some adherents of Eastern religions, such as Mahatma Gandhi, claim that spiritual awareness and experiences are greatly enhanced on a vegetarian diet.
Hinduism
Most major paths of Hinduism hold vegetarianism as the ideal, this is for a variety of reasons based on different beliefs. For many Hindus, it is a textually-advocated belief in ahinsa (nonviolence), to avoid indulgences (as meat was considered an indulgence), and to reduce bad karmic influences. Meat is said to promote sloth and ignorance and a mental state known as tamas while a vegetarian diet is considered to promote satvic qualities, calm the mind, and be essential for spiritual progress. Nevertheless, many Hindus agree that since an animal has to be killed to obtain the meat, eating something which has been killed by someone makes them a filthy person.
Judaism
In the Jewish religion people are allowed to consume meat, with some restrictions. Jewish law, or halakha, forbids the eating of meat and dairy products together. There are some in the Jewish community that believe it to be a religious obligation to eat meat on the Sabbath and on holidays based on a statement in the Talmud; however, it is generally accepted that it is okay not to eat meat on those days, if one does not enjoy it. Jewish law technically requires everyone to eat meat once a year for the Passover offering, but that only applied when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. Today, some Jews choose not to eat meat simply due to the difficulty of finding kosher meat or poultry in areas far from established Jewish communities. There are also those who do not eat mean because they believe that while Jewish law permits meat, doing so is not ideal. This is based on the story of Genesis, where Noah and his family were allowed to eat meat after the Flood, whereas it had been forbidden previously. Others do not eat meat because Jewish law forbids causing needless pain to animals.
Jainism
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Followers of Jainism hold vegetarianism as the ideal diet in a similar fashion to the Hindu traditions but with a greater emphasis on the principle of all-round non-violence (ahimsa). A strict Jain is not supposed to consume onions, potatoes, garlic, and honey as well as abstaining from any meat products.
Buddhism
Chinese Mahayana Buddhists oppose meat eating for their followers but not necessarily for those who do not practice Chinese Buddhism. The Mahayana schools of Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism do not consider a vegetarian diet to be essential, nor do Theravadin Buddhists, although Theravadin Buddhists will refuse meat if the animal has been killed specifically for them.
Christianity
While vegetarianism is not common in Christian thought (although the Book of Daniel Chapter 1 v 8-16 specifically promotes it as beneficial the Bible frequently advocates the eating of meat) some Christian leaders, such as the Reverend Andrew Linzey, have supported the view that Jesus was a vegetarian. A text not included in the Christian Bible known as the Gospel of the Ebionites, emphasises that Jesus advocated vegetarianism, abolished the Jewish meat sacrifice system, and never ate meat.
Islam
Islam allows some consumption of meat; this meat is known as "halal", and this meat is slaughtered by the Islamic standards, and disallowed meat is haram, which is non permitted meat or meat not slaughtered according to Islam's standards. (Hebrew)" Islam also excludes the consumption of pork (pig meat). Muslim vegetarians are very rare as the consumption of meat is intertwined with religious sacrificing of animals (namely caprids, bovines and camels) in Eid ul-Adha. When travelling to locations where it is difficult to get halal meat, Muslims eat fish instead or eat only vegetables.
Sikhism
Followers of the Sikh religion are divided in their opinion on whether their religion opposes meat consumption for Sikhs. Although many Sikhs eat meat and drink alcohol, orthodox Sikhs (or those who have chosen to be baptized) generally abstain from the consumption of meat and eggs, and certainly alcohol.
In the case of meat, the Sikh Gurus have indicated their preference for a simple diet and depending on what one sees as a simple diet could be meat or vegetarian. There are passages, however denouncing the consumption of meat in the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of Sikhs, also known as the Adi Granth). The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, prohibited for the khalsa (the order of baptized Sikhs) the consumption of halal or Kutha meat. Some interpret this as only referring to meat prepared in the Muslim ritualistic way, but most believe that the term and the context in which it was used pertains to all meat regardless of the manner in which it was prepared. It should be noted that meat and eggs are never served in the Guru Ka Langar (Free Kitchen) that runs at all Gurudwaras (Sikh Temples).
Ethical
Many vegetarians consider the production, subsequent slaughtering and consumption of meat or animal products as unethical. Many believe that the treatment which animals undergo in the production of meat and animal products obliges them to never eat meat or use animal products.
Even in the West, numerous social justice leaders, such as Cesar Chavez, have adopted a vegan/vegetarian diet in order to communicate an agenda of social harmony and fellowship.
Environmental
Environmental vegetarianism is the belief that the production of meat and animal products at current and likely future levels is environmentally unsustainable. According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) "Most of the world's population today subsists on vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets for reasons that are economic, philosophical, religious, cultural, or ecological." of meat per year, the world's highest rate.
Animals fed on grain, and also those which rely on grazing, need far more water than grain crops. In tracking food animal production from the feed trough to the dinner table, the inefficiencies of meat, milk and egg production range from 4:1 energy input to protein output ratio up to 54:1.
Economical
Similar to environmental vegetarianism is the concept of economic vegetarianism. An economic vegetarian is someone who practises vegetarianism from either the philosophical viewpoint concerning issues such as public health and curbing world starvation, the belief that the consumption of meat is economically unsound, part of a conscious simple living strategy or just out of necessity. According to the WorldWatch Institute "Massive reductions in meat consumption in industrial nations will ease the health care burden while improving public health; As populations grow, lowering meat consumption worldwide will allow more efficient use of declining per capita land and water resources, while at the same time making grain more affordable to the world's chronically hungry." Economic vegetarians can also include the poor people might not be averse to eating meat, but regularly eat vegetarian food, out of economic compulsions, since meat can often be a luxury. This is especially true in countries like India where a vegetarian diet is far cheaper and more economical than a diet that includes meat.
Psychological
Many vegetarians choose to be so in part because they find meat and meat products aesthetically unappetizing. Proponents assert that human beings are not instinctively attracted to eating live or dead meat in nature.
Moreover, research on the psychology of meat consumption suggests that consumers of meat may need to use defense mechanisms such as psychological numbing to distance themselves from the notion that they are eating animals.
Social
Some people are vegetarian because they were raised in a vegetarian household. Some people live in a predominantly vegetarian society (such as India), and so adopt this practice to be social, to avoid ostracism, or for the difficulty of buying meat in such a society.
Health effects
The health benefits and/or detriments of vegetarianism are continually debated. It is clear that some people can live healthy lives as vegetarians (vegetarian Olympic athletes are often cited) but there are also some studies that show possible ill effects of vegetarianism. The study found that the mortality ratio was the lowest in fish eaters (0.82) followed by vegetarians (0.84) and occasional meat eaters (0.84) and which was then followed by regular meat eaters (1.0) and vegans (1.0). Their death rates are similar to those of comparable non-vegetarians, suggesting that much of this benefit may be attributed to non-dietary lifestyle factors such as a low prevalence of smoking and a generally high socio-economic status, or to aspects of the diet other than the avoidance of meat and fish."
Among these meta studies, the Adventist Health Study is an ongoing study of life expectancy in Seventh-day Adventists following different behaviour patterns. Among the lifestyle choices investigated, a vegetarian diet was estimated to confer an extra 1½ to 2 years of life. However, this study of Adventist health study is again incorporated into meta studies titled "Does low meat consumption increase life expectancy in humans?" published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which, again made the similar conclusion that occasional/low meat eating and other life style choices significantly increase the life expectancy. The study also concluded that "Some of the variation in the survival advantage in vegetarians may have been due to marked differences between studies in adjustment for confounders, the definition of vegetarian, measurement error, age distribution, the healthy volunteer effect, and intake of specific plant foods by the vegetarians." It further states that "This raises the possibility that a low-meat, high plant-food dietary pattern may be the true causal protective factor rather than simply elimination of meat from the diet." In a recent review of studies relating low-meat diet patterns to all-cause mortality, Singh noted that "5 out of 5 studies indicated that adults who followed a low meat, high plant-food diet pattern experienced significant or marginally significant decreases in mortality risk relative to other patterns of intake." However, scientific studies so far fail to show that the decision to forgo meat contributes independently to people's life expectancy. (See above section)
Another claim repeatedly made by vegetarian advocacy groups is that vegetarians suffer less from heart problems. Since there is no evidence that a vegetarian diet causes longer overall life expectancy, one cannot equate decreased mortality rate from ischemic heart disease to overall decrease in mortality or overall health. Moreover, occasional meat eaters also achieve statistically similar mortality rates indicating that this does not relate to the decision to exclude meat completely. Yet, both vegetarian and vegan advocacy groups invariably promote their diet as healthy while claiming that the diet which includes meat and/or fish is inherently unhealthy.
Some point to research demonstrating a vegetarian diet, or higher phytoestrogen intake from soybeans which can mimic estrogen and could cause allergies, may be linked to genital defects, although stating "The role of maternal nutrition has received little investigation". Meanwhile I believe that it is important that mothers ensure that there is variety in their diet whether they are vegetarian or not.”
An argument is made that some vegetarians do not have a balanced diet, which has led to nutritional deficiencies and immunity-linked disorders. This criticism is somewhat unfair, since the main cause of problems in any diet is an unbalanced or restricted food intake - and a balanced vegetarian diet can be obtained by eating a variety of different food types. Conversely, some vegetarian or vegan advocacy groups attribute poor health solely to meat eating.
Nutritional deficiencies
Some vegetable protein sources lack in one or more essential amino acids. If ideal nutrition is possible, intake of such foods must be larger since the protein percentages in these foods are comparatively lower than in a similar serving of meat.
A vegetarian diet does not include fish - a major source of Omega 3, though some plant-based sources of it exist such as soy, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and, especially, hempseed and flaxseed.
Some suggest that vegetarians have higher rates of deficiencies in those nutrients which are found in high concentrations in meat. Vitamin B12 and zinc from vegetarian sources other than dairy products and eggs are not readily absorbed by the body and a vegan diet usually needs supplements. Nonetheless, these nutrients are now commonly supplemented in milks and cereals in the western world, and are not necessarily a problem in a vegetarian diet.
Demographics
Vegetarianism and gender
Some studies show that vegetarian women are much more likely to have female babies.
Country specific information
Around the world vegetarianism is viewed in different lights.
In India, not only is there food labelling, but many restaurants are marketed and signed as being either "Vegetarian" or "Non-Vegetarian". People who are vegetarian in India are usually Lacto vegetarians, and therefore to cater for this market, the majority of restaurants in India that say they are vegetarian do not serve food made from eggs, while most Western vegetarian restaurants do.
In other countries with less of a vegetarian culture, a request for a vegetarian meal may result in one being served fish or a vegetable soup made with meat stock.
Vegetarian clothing
Some vegetarians will choose not to wear leather.
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