Vegetarianism

By - Avaneesh
What is Vegetarianism+its effects?
1. Vegetarianism is a diet where a person does not consume any form of meat(both red, poultry or
seafood) and differs from veganism where they eat dairy products and(sometimes) eggs.
2. Vegetarians have a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity and a lower risk of IHD compared with
non-vegetarians from a similar background, whereas the data are equivocal for stroke. For cancer, there
is some evidence that the risk for all cancer sites combined is slightly lower in vegetarians than in
non-vegetarians, but findings for individual cancer sites are inconclusive.
3. Vegetarians have also been found to have lower risks for diabetes, diverticular disease and eye cataract.
Overall mortality is similar for vegetarians and comparable non-vegetarians, but vegetarian groups
compare favourably with the general population.
4. The long-term health of vegetarians appears to be generally good, and for some diseases and medical
conditions it may be better than that of comparable omnivores. Much more research is needed,
particularly on the long-term health of vegans.(“Becoming”)
Effects 2:
1. The prevalence of vegetarianism (the practice of following a vegetarian diet) varies widely around the
globe. India has the highest proportion of vegetarians of any country with about 30 % of the population
following a vegetarian diet.
2. It is important to eat a lot of nuts in a vegetarian diet as there is a lower amount of protein in meals that
are vegetarian as compared to a “non-vegetarian meal”, the meat/eggs/fish in it is a huge source of
protein and is why it is considered healthy. (“Vegetarianism”)
3. The long-term health of vegetarians seems to be generally good, and for some diseases and medical
conditions it may be better than that of comparable omnivores. Much more research is needed however
to say this for sure.(“Becoming”)
4. Semi vegetarian diets consist largely of vegetarian foods but may include fish or poultry, or sometimes
other meats, on an infrequent basis. Those with diets containing fish or poultry may define meat only as
mammalian flesh and may identify with vegetarianism.A pescatariandiet has been described as "a person
who does not eat meat but does eat fish."
5. This is the most common diet in most parts of India, but instead of mainly fish it is mainly chicken then
fish.(“Vegetarianism”)
Effects 3:
1. These differences are reflected in a lower prevalence of obesity among western vegetarians, and lower
weight gain in vegetarians and vegans during adulthood.
2. Obesity is a major cause of morbidity/mortality, so these findings might be expected to result in a
reduced risk of obesity-related diseases and conditions in vegetarians. Some studies have also suggested
a role for vegetarian and vegan diets in weight management.
3. The consistent findings of low BMI in western vegetarians may not apply in non-western populations;
for example there was no difference in mean BMI between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the
Indian Migration Study of 7000 participants, 33 % of whom were vegetarians.
4. More than one billion adults worldwide are overweight and at least 300 million of these are obese.
Studies of western vegetarians have consistently shown that vegetarians have a lower BMI than
otherwise comparable non-vegetarians, with differences typically in the region of 1–2 kg/m2 across all
adult age groups, vegans generally having the lowest BMI.(“Aleem”)
5. Plasma total cholesterol is lower in vegetarians than in non-vegetarians, primarily due to a reduction in
LDL cholesterol, with little difference in HDL cholesterol. This difference in plasma cholesterol is likely
to be large due to differences in fat intake, since meat is a rich source of SFA whereas some plant foods
such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are rich sources of PUFA.(“Vegetarianism”)
Effects 4:
1. The role of diet in bone health is complex. It has been suggested that vegetarians, and especially
vegans, may be at greater risk of low bone mineral density and fracture than non-vegetarians. Data
from the EPIC-Oxford study showed no differences in self-reported incident fractures between
meat eaters, fish eaters and lacto-ovo-vegetarians, but vegans had a 30 % higher risk of fracture
compared with meat eaters.
Why is it practiced religion (motives to practice it) :
1. It is due to a multitude of factors including both ethical and religious, The Hindu religion believes that
hurting animals or any other living being with emotion, like a dog or a horse.
2. Even though it is not “allowed” it is more of a suggestion in current times to not eat meat, all except
beef or any other red meat from a cow as it is believed to have deep emotions and has a connection to
the owner of the cow if of course it is treated well(meaning not in a factory farm).
3. Eating eggs is a very controversial thing in India as even though the egg will not hatch and give birth to
a chick it is not supported as to the means by which it was obtained and the way that the chickens who
laid them were treated. That is why some people who are vegetarian eat egg(a small minority) and the
rest don't.
4. Drinking milk and eating other dairy products however is supposedly fine as in India there are strict
laws as to how the milk can be obtained and how the cows have to be treated and fed. So it is fine to eat
dairy products in vegetarianism and is a big source of fat in Indian and other vegetarian foods.
5. Another reason as to why vegetarianism is practiced is due to environmental reasons, the factory farms
in which the huge majority of meat and eggs are produced feed the animals food that is only meant to
make the animals more fat or increase the amount of meat/eggs they can give.
Why is it practiced environmental (motives to practice it) pt 2 :
1. This means that the food given to them is usually very gas producing and makes them fart and burp a
lot, these farts and burps release a huge amount of methane and other greenhouse gasses into the
atmosphere and contribute to around 14.5% of greenhouse gasses.
2. Factory farming also has another side to it that directly impacts humans, only around 10% of the food
and water that is given to the animal(excluding egg) is turned into meat, this is horribly inefficient and
is helping to make children starve to death around the world as the farmland that is available in the
country is being used to feed these animals.
3. A 212-page online report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says 26%
of the earth's terrestrial surface is used for livestock grazing and one-third of the planet's arable land is
occupied by livestock-feed crop cultivation.(“Flesher”)
4. "Although I have been prevented by outward circumstances from observing a strictly vegetarian diet, I
have long been an adherent to the cause in principle. Besides agreeing with the aims of vegetarianism
for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical
effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.” - Albert
Einstein, writing in a letter dated December 27, 1930 (Einstein Archive 46-756)
Conclusion
1. The results so far suggest that the long-term health of vegetarians is good, and may be better than that
of comparable non-vegetarians for some conditions and diseases such as obesity and IHD. Stroke
mortality has not been shown to differ between vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
2. Overall cancer rates may be slightly lower in vegetarians, but the data are inconclusive for most
common individual cancers. Bone fracture rates in lacto-ovo-vegetarians may be similar to those in
non-vegetarians, but more data on this are needed; fracture rates are higher in vegans if they have
inadequate intakes of calcium.
3. Vegetarians have also been found to have lower risks for diabetes, diverticular disease, eye cataract,
degenerative arthritis, hyperthyroidism and the metabolic syndrome, but these findings need to be
further investigated in other studies. Overall mortality is similar for vegetarians and comparable
non-vegetarians, but vegetarian groups compare favourably with the general population.(“Aleem”)
Citations:

1. Publishing, Harvard Health. Becoming a Vegetarian.

www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian.
2. Flesher, John. “Factory Farms Provide Abundant Food, but Environment Suffers.” PBS, Public
Broadcasting Service, 6 Feb. 2020,
www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/factory-farms-provide-abundant-food-but-environment-suffers.
3. “Vegetarianism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,
www.britannica.com/topic/vegetarianism.
4. Aleem, M.A. “Vegetarian Diet and Neurological Diseases.” The BMJ, 17 Mar.
2021,www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5272/rr-1.