Becoming Vegetarian, Essay Example

The concept of being a vegetarian is a new trend in the American lifestyle. It is adopted, followed and implemented for the overall qualitative and quantitative enhancement of human life. Much before the prodigal relationships between meat products and health risk conditions, there was the evolution of mankind, not to mention that we are the descendants of a big red apple. Yes, the history of evolution in which Adam and Eve ate apple to conceive all of us. Similarly, the concept of a diet based of plant products were rigidly followed in the Asian anthropology. Its reference is specially emphasized in Hinduism, the oldest living religion in the world.

According to Vedic astrology in Hinduism, humans were born to survive and flourish in the folds of nature, the fruits, the flaura and fauna gifted to us for our survival. Flesh was actually the dead food, implying that all the vital energy has lost in transition. It is a decayed mass of blood and flesh that becomes edible with the spices and ingredients. People who ate meat at that era were known as hounds or Rakshashas. They also profess that all vital energy of the planet comes from the sun. Plants are compounds that thrive and nourish in the shelter of solar energy and thus contains the bio energy that is ultimately stipulated within our system, while most animals are carnivorous and contain a body mass full of dead flesh. Carnivorous animals are also often in a state of fear and anxiety, often hysterical of their perceived death. Have you ever seen the slaughter of a goat? It moans and cries like a small child, pledging every word of forgiveness, sympathy to save its life. These are said to dramatically produce high levels biochemical activities in animals like the increase in adrenalin and dopamine. Though dramatic these effects seems to evaporate in the spices and culinary delights that adorn our well decorated tables.

First let us discuss the different types of vegetarians. Vegetarians usually imply people who do not eat meat, poultry, or seafood. But due to the diversity in food habits and a strong inclination for some form of non vegetarian foods, people constrict themselves in certain categories of vegetarianism.

Vegans: Totally based on nutrition from plant products and are strictly against consumption of  meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatine.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians: They do not eat meat and fish  but consume but do eat eggs and dairy products.

Lacto vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, but do consume dairy products.

Ovo vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but do eat eggs.

Partial vegetarians: Avoid meat but may eat fish (pescovegetarian, pescatarian) or poultry (polo-vegetarian).

What are the reasons for being a vegetarian?

A vegetarian diet is often cited to be a more healthy and balanced form of diet. But the temptation of the cold turkey sandwich and the beef cutlet is too hard to resist. A survey by the Vegetarian Resource Group gives a figure that just under 3% of Americans are actual vegetarians, though 4% to 10% identify and make them a member of the category, however after the often sought after indulgence in eggs and fish. According to Winston Craig, PhD, MPH, RD, Professor of Nutrition, Andrews University, “ statistics show that the total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to meat consumption were estimated to be $30-60 billion a year, based upon the higher prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity and food-borne illness among omnivores compared with vegetarians.”

1. The animal-to-plant ratio of the average American diet is 2:1. It means that our platter is full of meat as compared to the vegetable proportion. Excess emphasis of meat products without proper vegetable complementation fails to balance the ecology in our diets. Hence a biased overeating of flesh leads to discomfort and internal damage.
2. Animal as well as animal based foods may often be injected with artificial chemicals, antibiotics and hormones, especially livestock. These highly artificial ingredients enter our body and piles up as toxins in our systems. It often leads to damage to the internal aesthetics of our body system.
3. Excessive consumption of meat products produce a strong and pungent odour in the body, as the decayed flesh further decompose in our body. It accumulates as toxins and excretes in the form of perspiration or foul smell from the mouth. Thus non vegetarians must be more cautious about personal health and hygiene.
4. According to a report analyzing the results of published studies in The Lancet and Journal of the American Medical Association, by Susan E.Berkow, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Neal D. Barnard, M.D., concludes “that vegetarian populations have lower rates of hypertension.” These studies provide trends and studies of individual patients showing that there were persistent effect on blood pressure levels with consumption of diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
5. Non vegetarians are more prone to elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides that are masses of plaque accumulated in the arteries of the blood vessels. A Spanish study in 2007, which comprised of 67 vegetarians, found that vegetarians had significantly lower total cholesterol as compared to 134 non vegetarians (73 % ate eggs among the vegetarian group). This study also revealed that 79% of the vegetarians had desirable total cholesterol levels, as per the American Heart Association. However 71% of the omnivores had “borderline high risk” total cholesterol levels. Red meat especially is the main source of dietary cholesterol. Thus meat poses a great challenge in the face of potential risk of developing diseases. Thus it is often the first food that medical doctors restrict in the diets of their hypercholesterolemia patients. A study presented in 2008 at the Fifth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition suggests “that omega-3s from walnuts and fish both work to lower heart disease risk, but by different routes. Walnut omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA) help reduce total cholesterol and LDL (bad), cholesterol, while omega-3s from fish (eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels”
6. Non Vegetarians are often obese. Vegetables are a good source of important nutrients and essential for the proper function and development of the body. Moreover, vegetables are easily digestible and are not stored as fat reserves in the body. Nutritionists lay special emphasis of consumption of fruits and vegetables to implement a weight loss program, because vegetables contain less calories and fats that causes excess accumulation of fat in the body. However, there are exceptions like potatoes which have high carbohydrate content and might hamper the process of weight loss. Also some vegetables have a high sugar content that might lead to problems in diabetics. Vegetables like pulses and peas helps to maintain the muscle ratio of the body as they are high in proteins. Non Vegetarian foods like beef, mutton and pork contain high amount of fat and are dangerous for obesity.
7. Vegetarian foods have a low gycemic index, which means that when fruits and vegetables are consumed they are digested slowly by the stomach. Hence it provides enough time for the glucose levels to be adjusted and regulated. In case of foods that are high in fat and sugars like the ones in non vegetarian diet, they are almost instantly absorbed by the body and cause a spike level rise in blood glucose levels. They have to supply maximum in a minimum time period. This constant erroneous behaviour in the demand supply chain, leads to an elevated glucose response and lack of functioning by insulin.
8. Vegetarians have a lower incidence of heart diseases. There’s some evidence that vegetarians have a lower risk for cardiac events (such as a heart attack) and death from cardiac causes. In one of the largest studies with, a combined analysis of data from five prospective studies involving more than 76,000 participants published, concluded, “Vegetarians were, on average, 25% less likely to die of heart disease.” A more recent study with 65,000 people in the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford), researchers “found a 19% lower risk of death from heart disease among vegetarians.” Vegetarians have better regulated levels of cholesterol, blood glucose regulation, reduced triglycerides, better insulin resistance which are potential contributors in heart disease.

Being vegetarian also prevents certain types of cancer. It is a common notion that eating about fruits about five times a day lowers the risk of cancer in its various forms.  For example, in a pooled analysis data from the Oxford Vegetarian Study and EPIC Oxford, “fish-eaters had a lower risk of certain cancers than vegetarians.” A reduction in the eating of red meat may lower the incidence of colon cancer. According to a 2007 report from the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research, “red meat consumption is the only “convincing” dietary association with colon cancer. We lower our risk of cancer by choosing predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and minimally processed starchy staple foods, and to limit the intake of grilled, cured and smoked meats and fish. These methods of preparing meat produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines which are carcogenic.”

There are about 36 plant foods that have anti cancer properties. They are Cruciferous Vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower, umbelliferous Vegetables like carrots, celery, cilantro, caraway, dill and parsley, vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, fruits like grapes, cantaloupe, berries, whole Grains like brown rice, oats, whole wheat, flaxseed, nuts, herbs.

Thus a planned, balanced and vegetarian diet coupled with an exercise regime, are recognized by the American Dietetic Association, as being “nutritionally adequate, and providing healthful benefits in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.”

Nutritional Information of Vegetarian Diet

1. Vegetarian diet consists of phytochemicals such as carotenoids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, isoflavones, ellagic acid, glucarates, curcurmins, liminoids, lignans, phenolic acids, phthalides, saponins, phytosterols, sulfide compounds, terpenoids, and tocotrienols. These are highly beneficial compounds that affect the metabolic structure and hormonal stimulations that essentially help in the growth of cancer. These plant products also serve as antioxidants, help in stimulating the immune system, and remove the affect of free radicals and inflammation in the body.
2. Vegetarian diet and proteins are quite contemporary to each other. Whole grains  like whole wheat flour, pasta, brown rice, bread, oats, rye, nuts like hazels, almonds, cashews, brazils, seeds like sunflower, sesame, legumes and pulses like peas, lentils , lentils and soy products. It is also a good source of carbohydrates, good source of fats like nut, avocados, essential fatty acids like the polysaturated fatty acids, omega 3 fatty acids.
3. Vegetarian diet is a rich source of Vitamins. Rich sources of vitamin A (Carrots, spinach, pumpkins, tomatoes, dark greens, vegan margarines), Vitamin B (Nuts, oats, muesli, pulses, yeast extracts, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms and dried fruit, Vitamin C (Red and blackcurrants, berries, citrus fruits, green vegetables, potatoes, Vitamin D ( vitamin D-fortified foods like vegan margarines, some soy milks) and folate includes (Wheat germ, raw/lightly-cooked green leafy vegetables, yeast extracts, nuts, peas, dates, avocados).
4. Vegetarian diet is also rich in minerals. Calcium (Nuts, seeds, pulses, soy beans, tofu, soybean curd, haricot beans, molasses, carob, parsley, dried figs dried, sea vegetables, oatmeal, fortified soy milks, iron (Nuts, seeds, pulses, grains, dried fruit, sea vegetables, parsley, green leafy vegetables, molasses) Zinc (whole grains (whole wheat bread, rice, oats, nuts, pulses, tofu, soy protein, peas, parsley, bean sprouts.

The Vegetarian Diet and Environment

A 2006 United Nations report estimated that the “meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. combined.² Greenhouse gases cause global warming, which studies show will increasingly lead to catastrophic disasters—like droughts, floods, hurricanes, rising sea levels, and disease outbreaks—unless we drastically reduce the amounts emitted into the atmosphere.” The book Live Earth concerts say “refusing meat is the “single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.”

According to Environmental Defense, it is said that one chicken meal per week, substituted by vegetarian food by the Americans, would lead to a much less emission of carbon dioxide in the environment and would even equate the same as taking off more than half million cars off the US roads. A report formulated in the University of Chicago, finds that instead of buying hybrid cars to reduce greenhouse gas, people shifting to vegetarian diets would lead to a 50% decline in greenhouse gas emissions. It is said that raising animals for food like eggs; milk is attributed to be the potent cause in maximum damage to the environment. Raising a farm not only emits harmful quantities of carbon dioxide but also expels harmful quantities of Methane and Nitrous Oxide which when combined with the effects of carbon dioxide leads to be the major cause in global warming. Huge number of animals bound in a farm or factory tends to produce high concentrations of methane, during their digestion process and also from the accumulated feces they excrete. Methane is said to be much more powerful than carbon dioxide in stimulating the effects of trapping heat in our atmosphere. Statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show “that animal agriculture is the number one source of methane emissions in the U.S.”  The Nitrous Oxide formed in the process is said to cause 300 times more danger of global warming.

A vegetarian diet is appropriate but essentially not exhaustive. There are some vitamins like vitamin B12 which needs to be consumed only from meat products to prevent severe anemia. Thus it is good to adopt a diet that would be able to compensate all the dietary requirements of the body. Strict vegetarians, devoid of eggs or dairy products may cause harm and make the body weak and prone to diseases.

Works Cited

Almeida Teixeira, R., M. Bisi Molina, E. Zandonade, and J. Mill.(2007) “Cardiovascular Risk in Vegetarians and Omnivores: A Comparative Study.” Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia. Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009 from www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0066- 782X2007001600005&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Majchrzak I. Singer M. Männer P. Rust D. Genser K.-H. Wagner I. Elmadfa (2006), B-Vitamin Status and Concentrations of Homocysteine in Austrian Omnivores,Vegetarians and Vegans, Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009

J.McMillan-Price and J Brand-Miller, (2006), Low-glycaemic index diets and body weight regulation, Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009.

Susan Male Smith, M.A., R.D, (2008), Environmental Nutrition, Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009.

Nutrition Health Review,(2005) Consumer Journal, Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009

Harvard’s Women Health, (2009), Becoming Vegetarian, Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009

Filips, (2006), British Nutrition Foundation Bulletin, Last Retrieved on October 23, 2009

http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/vegetarian_diets_health_benefits.php

http://www.annecollins.com/vegan-diet.htm

http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalWarming.asp

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596/NSECTIONGROUP=2