Introduction
Vegetarianism is one of the oldest recorded forms of diet. The earliest evidence of a vegetarian diet comes from early Bronze Age Greece, where people who abstained from animal products were known as “vegetarians.”
Vegetarianism continued to be popular throughout the ancient world and considered an important part of religious practice.
For example, the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic written about 2,000 years ago, contains references to vegetarians who considered to be holy.
What do studies say about vegetarianism:
Studies on vegetarianism have shown that people who adopt a vegetarian lifestyle have lower rates of heart disease, obesity, and chronic diseases than those who do not.
A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that people who followed a vegetarian diet had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who ate meat.
Other studies have found that vegetarian people have a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and various types of cancer.
One study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that vegetarians had a lower BMI and risk of type 2 diabetes than meat-eaters.
Studies on vegetarianism also suggest that vegetarian diets are more environmentally friendly than diets that include meat. For example, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that a vegetarian diet produced fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a diet that included meat.
Vegan and vegetarianism differences:
Veganism and vegetarianism are two different ways of living that focus on avoiding animal products.
While both philosophies aim to reduce the amount of harm caused to animals, there are some key differences between the two.
Vegetarianism based on the idea that all forms of animal consumption should be avoided. This includes meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, except for Dairy products, Honey, and others that don’t require the killing of animals.
On the other hand, Vegans do not consume animal products, including meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy. Even vegans also avoid using animal-based products, such as leather and silk.
Vegetarian Diet Benefits:
1. Less Risk of Chronic Diseases
- Reduces risk of heart disease:
A vegetarian diet is beneficial for heart health because It is a low-fat, high-fiber diet that is rich in antioxidants, which prevents heart diseases.
- Reduces risk of cancer:
According to a study, a vegetarian diet reduced the risk of cancer in low-risk people. The study also discovered that an animal-free diet decreased the risk for certain cancers.
- Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes:
Acording to research conducted by the National library of Medicine, healthy vegetarian eating can help prevent type 2 diabetes and its symptoms.
A vegetarian diet rich in low-glycemic foods like whole grains, legumes, and nuts that maintain consistent blood sugar levels.
- Reduces risk of Lowers blood pressure:
According to some studies by the University of Cambridge, Vegetarians have lower blood pressure levels as compared to people who are non-vegetarians.
Mainly because vegetarian food majorly has sodium, bad fat, and cholesterol, which helps reduce blood pressure.
Additionally, fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of potassium, which lowers blood pressure.
2. Makes You Stronger
It’s proven through research that vegetarians are stronger than meat eaters. The study shows that vegetarians have more muscle mass than meat eaters.
So, vegetarians have higher muscle mass and are better able to utilize it.
Also, a veg diet is rich in calcium and vitamin D. A American journal of clinical nutrition study shows that people have been following a vegetarian diet for the last 20 years. At the age of 80, just 18% of vegetarians experienced any bone-related problems, compared to 35% of non-vegetarians at the same age.
Also, countries where mostly vegetarian populations have lower osteoporosis incidence. Eating animal products may make the body flush calcium from the bones, resulting in osteoporosis.
And who told you that vegetarians are weak?
3. Environment Friendly
Earth is constantly heating up. The effects of global warming are already being felt around the world.
Extreme weather events are becoming more common, seas are rising, and coral reefs are dying.
While the earth’s climate is changing, humans are also causing the problem. We are pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And the Meat industry contributes 26% of all global greenhouse gas single-handedly.
For example, the amount of water required to produce a single chicken breast is almost 735 liters, which is enough to fill your bathtub 4.6 times.
You could reduce emissions as a car does for six months by going vegetarian for a year.
4. Makes You Attractive and Happy
There is no doubt that vegetarians make people look great. They have a more slender physique because vegetarian diets have anti-tumor properties, improving skin health, supporting eye health, and male fertility.
Also, vegetarians have lower rates of obesity because they’re not eating many high-calorie foods.
- A large-scale survey with 11,537 participants conducted by trackinghappiness.com shows that:
- Vegetarians/Vegans report being happier (+7%) than meat eaters.
- Happier people are more likely to go fully Vegetarians/Vegans in the future.
- The environment is the primary motivator for 32% of vegans and vegetarians.
Now you know what’s the key to happiness.
5. Better Mental Health
There is a famous saying in India “As is the food, So be the mind.”
Our food influences our minds, and there is no doubt in that many studies have proved that meat-eaters are way more violent and dangerous than vegetarians.
When it comes to mental health, more than 50 studies all around the world show that a vegetarian diet can help to reduce and prevent depression.
This is because a veg diet Naturally higher in fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes and rich in antioxidants. All of this has been linked to a reduced risk of depression.
6. Animal Friendly
Every year, alone in the U.S, 55 billion and about 1 Billion in U.K animals are put to death just for food.
We all know how cruel the meat industry is. They crush those animals who have grown faster or slower than others. They raise animals on a tiny farm and use steroids to make their growth faster un-naturally.
Also, Meat production is one of the leading causes of global warming. It also takes more land and resources to produce meat than it does to produce vegetables.
So, You still need a reason to be a Vegetarian or Vegan your one decision can save millions of innocent animals.
7. Makes Brain Sharper
A vegetarian diet can make your brain sharper, according to new research. The study, published in the journal Nutrients, looked at the effects of a vegetarian diet on the cognitive performance of adults aged between 18 and 30.
The participants were given tests that measured their ability to think abstractly and solve problems. They were also asked to fill out questionnaires about their diet and lifestyle.
The results showed that those who ate a vegetarian diet had better cognitive performance than those who ate a diet that included meat.
Vegetarian diet disadvantages and fixes
Every coin has two sides vegetarian diet also has some disadvantages.
Less Protein?
A vegetarian diet may have less protein than a diet with meat, but it’s still a rich source of essential nutrients.
To fix this problem, add dairy, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, which are all high in protein.
Some vitamin Deficiency
A vegetarian diet is typically low in vitamins like B12, which can lead to deficiency.
However, vitamin B12 can also be found in some plant-based foods like mushroom and soy milk, or you can simply get a multivitamin to supplement your diet to fulfill your deficiencies.
Conclusion
A vegetarian diet has many benefits, and it doesn’t mean that a non-veg diet is extremely bad.
Both diets have their advantages and disadvantages.
You may find it difficult to quit non-veg immediately, and you don’t have to.
You can take all the benefits by gradually replacing your non-veg food with veg once.