Vegetarianism

[DarquePinkPaper]

I am not a vegetarian and I do not have any issues with any vegetarians. As long as they don't get in my face about my choices to eat meat I won't get in their faces for their choice not to eat meat. 3nodding

Most individuals who have switched to a vegetarian lifestyle at some point in their lives (who weren't
born into it), have done so following some form of perceived enlightenment, or after the realization that
consuming animal products is either anti-religious, anti-earth (to save the planet), against animal rights,
or that it is simply unhealthy.

Contrary to vegan-based reviews or commentaries, people following a strict vegetarian diet are not healthier than their omnivorous counterparts. In fact, on average, they suffer from as many, or more medical complaints as compared to non-vegetarian individuals, who include meat or eggs in their diet.
-Nutritional Pros and Cons of Vegan, Vegetarian and Vegetarianism



WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF A VEGETARIAN DIET?

Since vegetarianism includes such a wide variety of dietary habits, it is difficult to generalize about the benefits and risks of the vegetarian diet. But here's what studies have shown about vegetarianism and health:

Vegetarians in the U.S. have a lower incidence of heart disease than the general U.S. population. This may be because most vegetarian diets are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

Vegetarians generally have a lower incidence of high blood pressure and a lower rate of Type 2 diabetes than do nonvegetarians.

Vegetarians, especially vegans, have less incidence of obesity.

There's some evidence that vegetarians have lower rates of osteoporosis, kidney stones, gallstones, and diverticular disease. However, studies relating a vegetarian diet with these benefits are still inconclusive.

-Vegetarianism



The negative aspects of vegetarianism are the possible deficiencies that may develop if a balanced eating plan is not consumed. If dairy, meat, fish, and poultry are excluded, one may become deficient in vitamin B12(important for nerve transmission and necessary for life), calcium (for strong bones, among other functions), iron (for blood), and zinc (for immunity and healing), just to name a few.

-GoAskAlice! : Pros and Cons of Vegetarianism

Discuss: Vegetarianism, Are you a vegetarian?, Does vegetarianism appeal to you? Did you ever try vegetarianism and then give it up?  

[Nostrumus]

A doctor gave my grandmother a vegetarian diet and she stuck with it for three years, but it almost killed her. She even needed special vitamins to keep her skin, hair, and nails healthy. sweatdrop  

[DarquePinkPaper]

Nostrumus

A doctor gave my grandmother a vegetarian diet and she stuck with it for three years, but it almost killed her. She even needed special vitamins to keep her skin, hair, and nails healthy. sweatdrop

Damn. =(  

[Pixilated]

My family is vegetarian, and not because of animal rights. We believe that it's just healthier. It is improtant to get a balanced nutrient intake, but that goes for everyone no matter what they eat. Most "vegetarians" who have diet related issues get them because that are, well, silly, you can't just eat lettuce and carrots and expect to be healthy. You could just eat lentils, brown rice, spinach, and some soy and be healthy, but you'd get bored rather fast.
A tiny rank on milk...
1) The type of calcuim in milk is harder for a human to absorbe than the type of calcuim in dark green vegatables
2) In order to digest the protien in milk, the body uses calcuim, slightly more than is gain from the milk.
Now, I like a bit of peppermint ice cream now and then, and tapioca simply cannot be made with rice milk. I'm not saying that milk is anything especially horrible (kind of gross when you think about it maybe), but the way it has been forced fed to the public as the best source of calcium is sad. A human is not even designed to drink milk after they're 3-4 years old anyway (and they are never designed to drink cow's milk, there are differences between the nutrition needs of a calf and an infant, believe it or not mrgreen )
Meh, I'm not even sure why I'm writing this, everyone seems to think "a different point of view = stupid", and if it wasn't taught in school or didn't appear in a consumer magazine then it can't be true.  

[`Rai]

Meh, I couldn't live without meat.

 

[Lamki]

.::I'm a....half vegaterian. I eat meat but not that much of it gonk ::.

 

[Adenille]

I'm a vegetarian mrgreen  

[Hotaru230]

veggies meals are cool

i really like soy corn dogs heart  

[I_R_Supper_Nub123]

I don't think I could be a vegitarian. I eat more veggies than I do meat, and I don't like eating meat a lot of the time, but...I like chicken so...yea.

 

[Saryuma]

I am. Not because I'm all "POOR ANIMAL!" but because eating meat upsets my stomach. Of course I usually slip up and have sushi..but then I'm sick for a few days. I can't help it! It's just so good!  

[Dandean]

Pixilated

A human is not even designed to drink milk after they're 3-4 years old anyway (and they are never designed to drink cow's milk, there are differences between the nutrition needs of a calf and an infant, believe it or not mrgreen )

and humans WERE designed to eat meat...

my mom doesn't eat any meat, and hasn't since she was around 10 years old.
she doesn't eat it because she just doesn't like the taste of most types of meat. she's not a crusader or anything like. she never tried to 'make me' not eat it though, and boy, can she ever roast a turkey, and she makes the best hamburgers.

anyway, my mom does eat eggs and drinks milk and she will eat fish like halibut and haddock, but thats it.

i think its funny when people try and explain to me how we shouldn't eat meat how its cruel to eat animals and all that garbage. but none ever sticks up for all the poor plants that get killed everytime they need their lentil fix, and all that poor soya, who is fighting for the soya???