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Health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle
Health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle
Health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle
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Did you know that only a mere 2% of the U.S population are on a vegan diet? A vegan diet, is a diet that consist of plant-based foods only. Vegans do not eat other animals or anything that they produce. Although this is not a very popular lifestyle, it is gradually growing over years. Many people tend to look down on a vegan diet for some reason, but I never understood why. I personally think a vegan diet is better than an omnivorous diet in multiple ways. A proper vegan diet is more natural, healthy, and morally correct. Not all vegan diets are healthier than omnivorous diets, because some vegans do not know how to get all the nutrients needed for survival, but for the most part a vegan diet is much healthier.
A proper vegan diet is much more
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This will lead to heart problems and greatly increase your chances of having A heart attack. It can also lead to clogged heart arteries. Coronary heart disease is also a risk factor that meat eaters should take into consideration. A vegan diet practically eliminates all chances of heart problems. Eating red meat will also add to your waistline and overall weight which is not very good either. Obesity can lead to even more heart problems, knee problems and back problems. Cutting meat from your diet will greatly decrease your chances of obesity. It does not completely eliminate the chance of obesity, because there is a lot of vegan junk food, but it makes it much harder to gain weight quickly. The human body is only supposed to intake meat a few times a month anyway, but American culture, and mass industrialization of animals has lead the country to get its monthly intake of meat in 1 or 2 days. Many argue that we must have meat because it contains essential nutrients such as protein and B12, but there are other healthier sources for both of these nutrients. Protein is found in foods such as beans, nuts, and many green vegetables. I do not think B12 is found in any vegetables or natural vegan options, but you can by supplements in pill and liquid form that contain all the nutrients you will need to live a healthy long living …show more content…
Many people stay away from a vegan diet because vegan food “doesn’t have enough flavor” or because “there aren’t enough food options”, but both of these statements are completely false. Many believe that all we eat is fruits and vegetables, when in reality there is such a wide variety of new vegan flavors and recipes to try. It may take a little research, but you can find a vegan version of almost any recipe. The taste may not be exactly the same, but it will be just as good, if not better than the animal based version. Vegan food also tends to have more of a fresh flavor and will not leave you as sluggish as an animal based meal would. They also tend to be easier on the
Imagine living a life without eating anything with an animal product in it. No meat, fish, milk, eggs, honey, not even gelatin. Vegans are people who adapt a lifestyle where they live without any animal based goods; some do this for the health benefits that come with eliminating meats and dairy. Many become vegan as a way to protest and eliminate animal cruelty which is extremely apparent in the meat industry. A vegan diet is based largely on fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and soy. Many people would say this is unhealthy, that a person cannot live like this. Much of this skepticism comes from being misinformed, and under informed about veganism. It is safe to live a vegan lifestyle. On a vegan diet a person can get all the vitamins
People are unaware of the harsh effects of meats. They contain toxic fats and hormones not intended for human consumption. Each year seven million people die from cancer internationally. However, a change into a healthier diet, such as veganism, can lengthen people's lifespans. Due to the low-fat, high-fiber diet, the vegan diet has a tendency to prevent cancer. Veganism has been proven to prevent certain cancers, studies show that veganism hinders the development of cancers such as breast, cervical, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Not only does veganism prevent diseases such as cancer, it also improves one's physical and mental health. The elimination of the animal products will cause one's Body Mass Index (BMI) level to change. Fattening food consumptions of meats can cause weight gain. Therefore, the elimination of these unhealthy proteins helps with weight loss. Along with a positive body image, not supporting the inhumane slaughtering of innocent animals could ease one's conscious. However, without meat, vegans aren't able to consume the right amount of nutrients that non- vegans get. For an example, vegans do not get cobalamin (B-12) naturally because it is only in animal by products. Vegans can always take vitamins to fix this problem. Also, they do not receive a lot of calcium, vitamin D, and iron, but just like they take supplements, or eat fortified foods, as a substitute for cobalamin, is the same way they are able to fix these other problems. Not only do they find a way to fix small problems with their diet, but also with the harmful effects for humans, and the environment people live
Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont says, “[Your risk of heart disease reduces] because of the fatty red meats and many processed meats that are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol which increases risk of coronary heart disease.” Being vegetarian doesn’t just help women with heart disease, but it helps with so much more. For one it helps lower your blood pressure, in a research that was done on a group of people it was found that only vegetarians were found with the lowest blood pressure (Alexandra p.1). Secondly it helps lower the risk of death. A 2013 study showed that more than 70,000 people found that vegetarians had a twelve percent lower risk of death compared with non-vegetarians (Alexandra p.2) With the absence of the saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs arteries, vegetarians are at a lower risk for chronic disease overall. Thirdly, when being a vegetarian you are also in a better mood. “ A 2012 study randomly split participants into three diets: all-meat allowed, fish-only and vegetarian no-meat. The researchers found that after two weeks, the people on the vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those on the other two diets.”(Alexandra p.3). Being a vegetarian also gives you a less risk of being over weight, which we all know has been one of the biggest problems here in America. Too many people are overweight and are not doing
The vegetarian diet has become very popular in the United States. How does not eating meat affect a person's health? It is important for people to eat a nutritious diet that will fuel their body. Some people think the vegetarian diet is bad for a person because there are so many nutrients that we can only get from meat.The vegetarian diet has a stigma that it is not very healthy, however the vegetarian diet can be very beneficial to a person's health.
Regardless of a vegan's reasons for going vegan, and there are several, there's little doubt of that veganism, or minimally a mostly plant-based diet, can offer a reduction in the contribution of harming the ecological balance of the earth.
While plant-based diet have been around for decades, veganism did not make headlines until the late 1990’s. ‘Vegetarian’ first appears in a title of an article on September 16th, 1852, five years after the Vegetarian Society was formed (Vegetarian Society). Although veganism has clearly risen in popularity in the 21st century, it can not be concluded that American’s view plant-based eating positively. Multiple articles have been published bashing the lifestyle. ‘Vegan’ first appeared in a title of an article on December 6th, 1998, fifty-four years after the first vegan society was formed (Vegan Society). The article was titled, “All Species Welcome At A Vegan Mixer.” The author wrote about veganism as a foreign idea and made jokes on vegan’s behalf. The second time veganism appeared in the New York Times was in December of the same year. The article exposed a vegan eco-terrorist group, giving all vegans a bad reputation. Two years later, on February 1st, 2000,
Veganism is a diet that consists of eating NO animal products. This includes any animal meat, eggs, dairy products, and honey. They are also known to boycott any company associated with animal cruelty and/or animal testing. Veganism is also known as a wholefood, plant based diet. As well as saving the animals, veganism is also a way to tremendously decrease the waste of fresh water and the levels of pollution in our environment. Because of these restrictions, they eat only vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes. The main concern of skeptics, is whether or not this diet has a convincing source of protein. People who follow this diet rave about its benefits, not only in health, but in emotional wellbeing. They say that eating a clean diet like this one, keeps you energized and feeling amazing. Also, studies have shown that people on this diet have significantly lowered their risk for heart attacks, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, strokes, and cancer. While some people might think that this diet is extreme, there’s a diet that’s even more
Today’s medical experts say that avoiding meat helps you avoid saturated fat. They have found out from studies that women who eat meat daily have a fifty percent greater risk of developing heart disease than vegetarian women and a sixty-eight percent greater risk in men (staff writer). People may not know about serious diseases meat can cause such as, mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease. In the September 1999 issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases, approximately 76 million food-borne illnesses- resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths occur in the United States each year from improperly cooked or diseased meat (Licher). That is a lot of fun!
Health reasons alone are sufficient grounds for becoming a vegetarian. Research has shown that we do not require meat in our diets and that it is actually healthier to avoid meat. Meat is high in saturated fats which are known to cause clogged arteries Cultures that consume less meat than North America have much lower cholesterol and lower rates of heart disease. For example, Japan used to have a lower incidence of heart disease, as well as cancer, before meat consumption increased. There is also reason to believe that humans have naturally evolved to be herbivores, rather than carnivores. Human teeth resemble the teeth of other herbivores, and human intestinal tracts are long, unlike the short intestines found in carnivores. What is natural is usually healthier, and people who become vegetarians frequently report a feeling of increased energy and well being.
According to vegansociety.com, “ Veganism represents a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, other animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, other animals and the environment.“ People that follow this way of living are called vegans. The vegan diet is more a lifestyle choice and a philosophy than just a diet. The vegan life is the best way to live because it’s healthier, helps the environment, and is kinder to animals.
People have used the argument that eating meat plays an important role in the overall health of a human and it is the way the cycle of life is meant to be, but this is not the case. Eating meat is unnecessary. Becoming a vegetarian could save countless animals from unnecessary suffering, improve human health, and help preserve numerous natural resources.
Today people are concerned with what they eat in order to lose or maintain their weight. What people do not know is how their food is obtained, how veganism is beneficial to their health and what the food industry thinks of vegans. Veganism is the avoidance of any animal products particularly food. Veganism confronts the issues of animal welfare as well as dietary concerns for humans. It is an effective method to live a healthy and humane lifestyle.
Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One such way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle, is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets, whether they become a strict vegetarian who eats no animal byproducts, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy. As with any other lifestyle, research is always being done to see if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and so far, the results of vegetarian diets have been encouraging. Vegetarian diets have proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other health problems. With a little planning and dedication, a vegetarian diet will be healthier and more beneficial than a traditional diet that includes meat and animal products.
Numerous people believe that a vegetarian diet is unhealthy for the reason that one is not consuming enough protein since there is a decrease in the consumption of meat. However, meat is not the only source of protein. Nuts and grains contain great amounts of protein, and by eating these in the place of meat, one not only gets protein, but avoids the harmful carbohydrates and fats that are in animal meats. Consuming supplements can also help gain nutrients if the diet is not providing enough. There are countless amounts of nutritional supplements that one can purchase, including fish oil and omega 3s. These can be fairly cheap if purchased at the right place, and easily give bodies the nutrients they crave to function.
Promoters of the vegan lifestyle emphasize that chronic diseases are diminished, protein can be obtained through vegetable sources, and animals would not have to be slaughtered if they have their way. They also list the following advantages of being a vegan.