Lean Meat Contains What Vegetarians Are Missing

Some people may further choose to restrict their diet even further and become vegans whom exclude all meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and farm produce from their diet.

There are two main lifestyles that we as human beings practice that impact our eating habits. One being a Vegetarian, a person who chooses not to eat meat. The other being a Meat Eater (also known as an Omnivore), a person who chooses to eat both meat and vegetables. A controversial debate continues to go on, evaluating the pros and cons of each group, along with the reasons behind their choice. In the end it all depends on the individual’s outlook on life that makes the decision.

It is estimated that the average American consumes 180 pounds of meat a year. That is double the global average. Over the years while our meat consumption increased, our lifestyles became more and more sedentary. So, it is no surprise that in America the top three leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer, and stroke. The cost to treat these diseases are breaking our health care system, and killing 1.4 million people a year (CDC, Death and Mortality). These diseases can be directly related to our current diet of excessive meat and sedentary lifestyles. Also, our high demand of meat is causing irreparable damage to our

Vegan diets are often found to have higher than average levels of some nutrients such as, fiber, magnesium, vitamins C and E, and iron (Craig 1627S). They are also commonly low in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol (Craig 1627S). Vegans are also much more likely to be at a healthy weight than meat eaters. Since 1990, more than 20 different studies have shown vegans to be leaner than people other people eating healthy diets (Davis and Melina 39). Related to this, vegans typically have a lower risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure (Craig 1627S). Studies have shown that people who eat meat have a substantially higher risk of developing prostate and colorectal cancer than vegetarians or vegans (Craig 1628S). Consumption of tofu and other soy products, common in vegan diets, during childhood and adolescence has been linked to reduced lifetime risk of breast and prostate cancers (Davis and Melina 55). All this evidence supports the idea that a well-rounded vegan diet has numerous advantages against the omnivorous alternative.

While it is certainly a widespread stigma that vegetarian diets (including any diet lacking in meat or animal protein) increase risk of vitamin deficiencies, however, the American Dietetic Association has proclaimed that “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases” (ADA 1).

The average american eats 198 pounds of red meat per year (Reubold). This number has increased significantly over the past fifty years, and interestingly, so have cancer rates. The vast majority of people are unaware of the disastrous effects caused by meat consumption. Meat has the ability to cause cancer, type two diabetes, heart disease and numerous other health complications. The amount of meat produced each year is expected to rise to as much as 465 million tons by 2050 (“Meat Production Continues to Rise”). This raises the question, what effects will this have? With shocking correlation between meat consumption and health issues, one can only imagine the impact that such an increase in meat production/consumption could have on their health and environment. The only real solution to this pressing issue is to cut out meat as a food source. There is no justification for a diet which leads to health complications and possibly death. While many believe that meat is a better source of nutrients, the overall effects are detrimental to human-health and injurious to the environment.

The most common deficiencies in a vegetarian are iron, vitamin B12, iodine, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6. Many studies have been performed that have researched the prevalence of these types of deficiencies in vegetarians. Some deficiencies, like vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and zinc are as common as one would expect. However, deficiencies in iron, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6 are not as common as one would expect in vegetarians. Studies have shown that even omnivores are deficient in these areas as well. Many precautions can be taken such as making sure one is including a wide variety of foods, supplementing, and being sure one is consuming enough food in a day. It is possible for all groups, including vegetarians and vegans, to receive the daily recommended amounts of all vitamins and

If people are not eating the right foods, there can be an argument there. Natasha Mann wrote an article on the website Opposing Viewpoints in Context and she told a story about a family that was malnourished. She also made a list of nutrients that you need in order to replace the meat that one is not eating. B12 is a vitamin mainly found in meat, dairy products and eggs, vegans must get it from other sources such as supplements, fortified breakfast cereals and Marmite. Deficiency can lead to irreversible nervous system damage (26). Being just a vegetarian, there are still options to get the vitamin from dairy products and cereals. Our skins make vitamin D when exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays. But with desk-bound jobs, long winters and unpredictable weather, it is not always possible to get enough. Vitamin D is crucial for bone growth in children, and deficiency can result in rickets (28). Vitamin D is a problem with meat eaters and non-meat eaters. Vitamin D is easily found in dairy products such as milk. Vegans drink almond milk or coconut milk instead of milk from cows. Without sufficient iron, vegans and vegetarians can become anaemic. Deficiency can also delay growth in toddlers. Iron is commonly found in meat, but vegetarians can source iron from pulses and leafy green vegetables (30). This problem occurs especially in fit, active, women. There is nothing wrong with obtaining your iron from leafy foods or beans. High-biological-value protein is found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Low-biological-value protein is found in nuts, pulses, and whole

Meat is an important staple in human diets and nutrition, but not every type of meat is healthy. Red meat is defined as meat that is red when it is raw, for example beef or lamb. It is consumed in mass amounts all over the world, although there are risks involved in consuming so much red meat. Previous research has connected red meat to increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. It also causes an increased risk of mortality. The components put into meat, whether processed or unprocessed, adds to these risks and is unhealthy to put in the body. However, there are some benefits to eating red meat such as getting vitamins and minerals like B-12 and iron as well as using it as a source of protein. Too much red meat consumption negatively affects people’s health by causing health problems, creating increased risk for diseases and certain cancers through the processing of the meat as well as how the body reacts to it.

In fact I would be healthier if I had animal proteins in my diet. As an ethical and responsible human being you should have a moderate amount of healthy animal products.” As a vegetarian Bouvier can admit to the benefits that animal products in our diet is extremely beneficial to the health in all areas of one’s body. A huge reason why many vegetarians choose their eating habit is because they have been convinced that it is going to be healthier for their body, which could not be any further away from the truth. Meat has an extensive amount of important nutrients that will strengthen any person. Flesh has saturated fats, which has been proven to not be responsible for the thing that they used to be blamed for, such as heart disease, cancer or obesity. Instead in moderate amounts they enhance the function of the immune system and the nervous system by making sure that the vitamins in the fat reach their internal receptors in the brain. Meat also contains nutrients like vitamin A, D several of the B complex vitamins, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, iron and taurine, some of these are only present in animal products and they are vital to survival.

As far as the history of man can date back, man has chosen to fill his diet with meat. Meat consumption has provided the necessary nutrients our bodies have needed, including the various vitamins that benefit our health.The most well known vitamin that the body can’t produce and can only be gotten from animal foods, is Vitamin B12.(Gunnars). The opposition to eating meat started around “(570 BC - 495 BC) when a greek mathematician and philosopher by the name of Pythagoras advocated vegetarianism; a meatless diet was commonly called the "Pythagorean diet" until the term vegetarian became popular during the 1800s.”(Procon) This practice has grown as

Omnivores consume meat. Since meat contains a large amount of protein; this could be beneficial to the body as the need for protein is an important one for the body. Since protein is said to improve the overall health and well-being of one’s body, there are other benefits such as the repair and building of body tissues as well as the production of antibodies that will protect the body from infections, thus strengthening the immune system as well. Most importantly, since meat contains all the essential amino acids, it

Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish). The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits have been associated with the vegetarian

Vegetarianism is a lifestyle that has recently increased tremendously throughout the United States. Although vegetarianism has just recently reached new heights of popularity in the U.S., people have been prohibiting themselves from eating meat for centuries. Their reasonings behind their restriction of meat consumption ranges from religious views, monetary deficits, and animal ethics. Even though people nowadays might not use this reasoning as to why they become vegetarian, the history of this vegetarianism can have massive repercussions on the research and reasoning behind today’s vegetarians and scientists. This newly popularized dieting method is more than just a chic healthy trend; this lifestyle has been researched thoroughly and the results yield a totally unprecedented amount of health benefits. These benefits range from all across the board and improve life and sense of well being in general in every one who follows this meatless regime. Furthermore, plant based dieting provides more benefits contributing to a healthier lifestyle overall than meat based dieting because vegetarianism stimulates increased nutrient intake.

Adhering to a vegetarian diet offers improved overall health and provides additional protection against numerous conditions and diseases. Nutrition and wellness expert Ann Kulze, MD