Health Reasons

VEGGIE vs. MEAT DIET

Are there greater health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet?

One of the major reasons people are becoming vegetarians is because of the reduced risk of acquiring coronary heart disease and colon cancer. Meat eaters usually have more higher amounts of HDL cholesterol, higher fat intake, and higher salt levels due to the salt put in meat to help preserve it.

Vegetarians generally have lower levels of LDL cholesterol achieved by eating meals that contain lots of fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, have more antioxidants, are generally lower in salt, more complex carbohydrates, and less simple sugars.

The risk of contracting breast cancer is 3.8 times greater for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week, and 2.8 times greater for women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week.

The risk of contracting breast cancer is 3.8 times greater for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week; 2.8 times greater for women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week; and 3.25 greater for women who eat butter and cheese 2 to 4 times a week as compared to once a week.

The risk of fatal ovarian cancer is three times greater for women who eat eggs 3or more times a week as compared with less than once a week.The risk of fatal prostate cancer is 3.6 times greater for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily as compared with sparingly or not at all.

Humans are Not Designed to Eat Meat

Just because you can digest animals does not mean you are supposed to. You can digest cardboard. That does not mean you should eat it. And it also does not mean that you digest it well.

Our closest relatives are primates. Very few eat animals, and those who do typically stick to things like insects, not cows and pigs. Jane Goodall, famous for her extensive study of apes while living with them, found that it was very rare for the primates she saw to eat other animals.

As another author said, "The human body was not designed to catch or eat animals. You have no claws. Your teeth do not rend flesh. Your mouth can not seriously wound nor is it made to really get a good bite into an struggling victim like true carnivores can. You are not fit to run fast to catch prey. Meat-eaters have fast enough reflexes to ambush or overtake a victim. You do not. Try catching a pig or a chicken with your bare hands; see what happens."

Different anatomies: Vegetarians and Carnivores

Carnivores

Carnivorous animals such as lions, dogs, cats, and wolves all have a very short digestive system, approximately three times the length of their bodies, in order to digest food quickly to avoid poisoning from decaying flesh.

For this reason, their stomachs have ten times as much hydrochloric acid as vegetarian animals. Sweat is expelled through their because they hunt at night and sleep during the day, whereas plant-eaters spend the day gathering food in the sun, and so therefore need to perspire through pores in their skin to cool their bodies down.

The biggest and most obvious difference between carnivores and vegetarians are their teeth. Carnivores have long, sharp teeth that pierce through another animal's hide and tear its flesh. Meat-eaters hardly chew their food because most of the digesting is done in the stomach and intestines.

Vegetarians

Vegetarian animals have no claws or sharp teeth; they drink by sucking water up into their mouths as opposed to lapping it up with their tongue which all meat eaters do. Since they do not eat rapidly decaying foods like the meat eaters, and since their food can take a longer time to pass through, they have much longer digestive systems, intestines which are ten times the length of the body.

Recent studies have shown that a meat diet has an extremely harmful effect on vegetarian animals. Dr. William Collins, a scientist in the New York Maimonedes Medical Center, found that the meat-eating animals have an "almost unlimited capacity to handle saturated fats and cholesterol".

If a half pound of animal fat is added daily over a long period of time to a rabbit's diet, after two month his blood vessels become caked with fat and the serious disease called arteriosclerosis develops. Human digestive systems, like the rabbit's, are also not designed to digest meat, and they become diseased the more they eat it.

Humans

The human digestive tract is consistent with a herbivorous diet. Humans have muscular lips and a small opening into the oral cavity. Human teeth are also similar to those found in other herbivores, and fairly simple digestive systems well suited for animal protein, which breaks down quickly. The human small intestine, at 23 feet, is a little under eight times body length (assuming a mouth-to-anus "body length" of three feet). This is about midway between cats (three times body length), dogs (3-1/2 times), and other well-known meat eaters on the one hand and plant eaters such as cattle (20 to 1) and horses (12 to 1) on the other.

The word vegetarian, coined by the founders of the British Vegetarian Society in 1842, comes from the Latin word vegetus, meaning "whole, sound, fresh, or lively," as in homo vegetus-a mentally and physically vigorous person. The original meaning of the word implies a balanced philosophical and moral sense of life, a lot more than just a diet of vegetables and fruits.

Foods are classified according to the main essential nutrients that they provide for the body, even though most foods contain a wide range of nutrients. All the nutrients that are provided in meat can be found in other sources, these lists provide some information on where they can be found.

Protein

Protein is actually made from amino acids. The body cannot produce 9 out of the 20 amino acids that the body needs, because they cannot be produced in the body, these 9 amino acids are called essential. These 9 amino acids need to be extracted through the food that we eat. Nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds contain some of the 9 essential amino acids.

One type of plant does not contain all of the essential amino acids, but this problem is eliminated by mixing different kinds of vegetables , fruits, grains, and dairies together. Women need about 45g of protein a day (more if pregnant, lactating or very active), men need about 55g (more if very active). Evidence suggests that excess protein contributes to degenerative diseases

.

Vegetarians obtain protein from:

• Nuts: hazels, brazils, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine kernels etc.

• Seeds: sesame,pumpkin, sunflower, linseeds.

• Pulses: peas, beans, lentils, peanuts.

• Grains/cereals: wheat (in bread, flour, pasta etc), barley, rye, oats, millet, maize (sweet corn), rice.

• Soy products: tofu, temp eh, textured vegetable protein, veggie burgers, soy milk.

• Dairy products: milk, cheese, yogurt (butter and cream are very poor sources of protein).

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy. Most carbohydrates that the body needs can be found in fruits and vegetables. There are three main types: simple sugars, complex carbohydrates ( starches), and dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are considered simple or complex based upon their chemical structure and both types contain four calories per gram. Both are also digested into a blood sugar called glucose, which is then used to fuel our bodies for work or exercise.

Simple sugars, or simple carbohydrates, are digested quickly and give you sudden bursts of energy, they can be found in fruit, milk, and ordinary sugar. Refined sugars are not recommended because they can cause tooth decay, and lack any beneficial fiber, vitamins or minerals.

Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and supply most of the energy that we need, because they are usually packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. Examples are vegetables, breads, cereals, legumes and pasta.The World Health Organization suggests that %50-%70 of our energy should come from complex carbohydrates. The amount of complex carbohydrates you consume should depend on your level of activity and the size of your appetite.

Dietary Fibre

Dietary fibre or non-starch polysaccharide (NSP), as it is now termed, refers to the indigestible part of a carbohydrate food. This fibre helps to prevent digestive problems and protect against diseases associated with digestion such as colon cancer and diverticular disease. Dietary fibre can be found in whole grain cereals, fresh and dried fruits, and vegetables.

Fats & Oils

The two types of fat are saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Too much saturated fat is bad, only a little is necessary to help produce hormones, keep our tissues healthy, and to hold numerous vitamins. The high amount of saturated fat in meat raises your cholesterol level, which causes coronary heart disease and strokes. One of the main benefits of having a vegetarian diet is the amount unsaturated fat found in vegetables.

Vitamins

Vitamin A (or beta carotene):

Red, orange or yellow vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, leafy green vegetables and fruits like apricots and peaches.

Vitamins B:

This group of vitamins includes B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalmin), folate, pantothenic acid and biotin. All the B vitamins except B12 occur in yeasts and whole cereals (especially wheat germ), nuts & seeds, pulses and green vegetables. Vitamin B12 is the only one that may cause some difficulty for vegetarians as it is not present in plant foods.

Only very tiny amounts of B12 are needed and vegetarians usually get this from dairy produce. It is sensible for vegans and vegetarians who consume few animal foods to incorporate some B12 fortified foods in their diet. Vitamin B12 is added to yeast extracts, soy milks, veggie burgers and some breakfast cereals.

Vitamin C:

Fresh fruit, salad vegetables, all leafy green vegetables and potatoes.

Vitamin D:

This is vitamin is not found in plant foods but humans can make their own when skin is exposed to sunlight. It is also added to most margarine and is present in milk, cheese and butter.

These sources are usually adequate for healthy adults. The very young, the very old and anyone confined indoors would be wise to take a vitamin D supplement especially if they consume very few dairy products.

Vitamin E:

Vegetable oil, whole grain cereals.

Vitamin K:

Fresh vegetables, cereals and bacterial synthesis in the intestine.

Minerals

Calcium:

Important for healthy bones and teeth. Found in dairy produce, leafy green vegetables, bread, tap water in hard water areas, nuts and seeds (especially sesame seeds), dried fruits, cheese. Vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed.

Iron:

Needed for red blood cells. Found in leafy green vegetables, wholemeal bread, molasses, eggs, dried fruits (especially apricots and figs), lentils and pulses. Vegetable sources of iron are not as easily absorbed as animal sources, but a good intake of vitamin C will enhance absorption.

Zinc:

Plays a major role in many enzyme reactions and the immune system. Found in green vegetables, cheese, sesame and pumpkin seeds, lentils and whole grain cereals.

Iodine:

Present in vegetables, but the quantity depends on how rich the soil is in iodine. Dairy products also have plenty of iodine. Sea vegetables are a good source of iodine for vegans.