Vegetarianism and Its Various Benefits - Research Paper Example

? Vegetarianism and its various benefits Number Number Teacher’s Due Vegetarianism and its various benefits In therecent past, one can see many celebrities who are turning towards vegetarianism as a way of life. In many cultures, vegetarianism has been a part of the food habits of the people for a very long time. These habits are in many cases, in fact, centuries old. Reasons for a person being vegetarian may be many. Some of these reasons may be religious while some may be because of a belief in the rights of animals to live lives without being harmed by human beings. People may also turn vegetarian since they feel that human beings are supposed to eat food that is obtained only from plant sources. Vegetarianism can also be manifested in different forms and degrees with some people deciding to be extreme followers and some deciding against it. With the increase in the number of vegetarians in the world, there are sects even within vegetarians. There are some who eat eggs and dairy products and others who avoid them. They are classified into lacto-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, vegans and so on and so forth (Vegetarianism, n.d.). These categories prove the importance that people assign to the constituents of their diet in a world comprising people who are increasingly conscious of their appearances and their health. In many industrial countries this may be a survival tactic to gain more immunity against the pollution that is prevalent in these countries. In others, it may be a means of gaining protein from certain sources while remaining faithful to their religious practices. Anyhow, these sects within the larger group of vegetarians prove how strong the overall movement against what they perceive as cruelty to animals is. In some cases, religious beliefs can be the root cause of vegetarianism and in such instances, people start attaching great value to their vegetarianism as it is a symbol of their culture. Especially in communities that consist of immigrants, vegetarianism can be a strong reminder of the culture of the homeland and may be held on to with great strength. This can be seen in the Jain communities of the United States of America. Originally from the Indian subcontinent, the people belonging to the Jain community are mostly lacto-vegetarians and they believe in not inflicting violence upon animals. This is a part of the larger theories of nonviolence that were propounded by the founder of Jainism, Mahavir (Mehta, n.d.). The importance of vegetarian diets is significant in the cultures of Jainism and some sects of Jains even wear cloth masks so as to not accidentally inhale insects and cause harm to them. The conflict between different cultures that believe in vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism as parts of their religion creates problems for many nations. In multicultural and multi-religious societies across the world, such problems keep surfacing. In such a scenario, it becomes important for one to analyze the position of vegetarianism in the world and whether it would not be beneficial to adopt vegetarianism as a whole. This discussion is at a hypothetical level as people are free to choose the food of their choice unless of course, there are instructions from the state to the contrary. This paper shall look at the benefits of vegetarianism for human beings at an individual level and also for the environment. It shall speak of the different positive effects that vegetarianism ahs on the human body. It shall also discuss the negative effects that the meat industry has on the environment and the flora of a nation. The conservation of the environment would receive a boost if the presence of the meat-production centers in the world would decrease. Vegetarian diets often have the ability to provide the body with substances that would enable it to detoxify itself. The presence of various kinds of vitamins and minerals in these diets, absent from meat-only diets, helps the body to purify itself of the toxic substances that may be ingested from a terribly polluted environment. Non-vegetarian diets often contain toxins as they are obtained from animals that mostly occupy the higher rungs of food chains and they often accumulate toxins from previous rungs of the chain (Antao, 2011). The importance of keeping the environment clean and reducing pollution is one of the things that man has to do to reduce the presence of such toxins at the higher rungs of the food chain. For this too, it would be necessary for plants to be there in large numbers, something that would be possible only if the number of vegetarians would be on the rise and vegetarianism was accepted at the level of communities. Gabe Bronk and Arthur Su are among students who have talked of the need for vegetarianism as a solution to the crises of pollution and food shortages. They present statistics that show that the maintenance of the meat and poultry industries in the United States of America meant that seventy percent of the grain that was produced would be needed to feed the animals. If vegetarianism was the most prevalent diet, it would result in the saving of an immense amount of labor and the food shortages that are experienced in many places on account of a lack of grain may be easily solved. Food is not the only resource that the meat industry uses up. It is also the water and fuel resources of a nation. An enormous amount of water, much more than what is required by plants is needed for the sustenance of the meat industry. Apart from this, it is also to be noted that the meat industry is one of the main users of the fossil fuel energy of a nation and this leads not only to the depletion of these precious resources but also pushes up the prices of fossil fuels, thus leading to great negative changes in the economy of that nation (2006). All these factors combined, one would tend to think that vegetarianism could be a solution to the greatest problems that face the world economy at this point of time. There are also various health–related benefits that are brought about by vegetarianism. It helps in reducing the instances of cardiovascular problems that people face. Many people face these problems as a result of the primarily non-vegetarian diets that they follow. These diets are high on cholesterol and fatty acid content that leads to arterial blockage. Vegetarian diets that are used to replace such diets are not only healthier, but also cheaper. They also offer substitutes such as soy for introducing the protein that is so necessary for the normal growth and development of human beings (Discover the Benefits of Vegetarianism, 2010). Contrary to popular perceptions, vegetarian and vegan diets can often provide adequate nutrition that is balanced, if they are planned properly. The presence of many oilseeds in a vegetarian diet can ensure that proteins and fatty acids are gained by the body. The presence of food articles such as tofu also enables a vegetarian diet to be completely balanced and nutritious (Vegetarian and Vegan Diet, 2012). Dieticians often recommend vegetarian diets for people who are prone to gastric problems and these diets are often shown to yield very good results. The importance of vegetarian diets lies also in the fact that it would enhance the growth of plants in field which would be cultivated with vegetables rather than being used for producing meat by artificial methods of rapid reproduction and growth in animals that would give the non-vegetarian his food quicker and in larger quantities. The number of food chains that specialize in non-vegetarian food items are almost always unhealthier that restaurants that serve only vegetarian food. Research has shown that such diets can produce the kind of results for a healthier body that normal diets cannot. “My situation is a solemn one. Life is offered to me on condition of eating beefsteaks. But death is better than cannibalism. My will contains directions for my funeral, which will be followed not by mourning coaches, but by oxen, sheep, flocks of poultry, and a small traveling aquarium of live fish, all wearing white scarfs in honor of the man who perished rather than eat his fellow creatures”- George Bernard Shaw (Quotations about Vegetarianism, 2012). A feeling that other creatures are a part of the same planet and share the right to live on it is something that vegetarianism and its proponents have always strongly felt about. Activists for the rights of animals often speak out against the slaughter of animals for the sake of food that can be had from plant sources. The fact that plants can regenerate themselves quickly and naturally is another reason for shifting to a diet that is completely vegetarian. The advantages that the environment gains as a result of vegetarianism are also a significant argument that can be advanced in favor of vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is also held up as a diet that can help people remain calm and peaceful, thus ensuring the maintenance of a harmonious existence between the different elements of civilization. Works Cited Antao, Lisa. (2011). “Be a vegetarian, live a healthy life”. The Times of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-31/diet/29733493_1_vegetarian-diet-fibre-meat-and-fish Accessed on 4th May, 2012. “Vegetarianism”. (n.d.). Kidshealth. http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/dietary_needs/vegetarianism.html Accessed on 4th May, 2012. “Quotations about Vegetarianism”. (2012). Welcome to The Quote Garden. http://www.quotegarden.com/vegetarianism.html Accessed on 4th May, 2012. Mehta, Raj. (n.d.). “Being Vegetarian in U.S.A.”. Articles on Vegetarianism, compiled from several issues of the Jain Study Circular. http://www.jainstudy.org/Vegetarianism.htm Accessed on 4th May, 2012. “Discover the Benefits of Vegetarianism”. (2010). The Daily Green. http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/benefits-of-vegetarianism Accessed on 4th May, 2012. Bronk, Gabe; Su, Arthur. (2006). “The environmental benefits of vegetarianism”. NewtonTab. http://greendecade.org/download/vegetarianism.pdf Accessed on 4th May, 2012. “Vegetarian and Vegan Diet”. (2012). MedicineNet.com. http://www.medicinenet.com/vegetarian_and_vegan_diet/page2.htm Accessed on 4th May, 2012. Read More