Personally, I cannot say that I am a vegetarian. I eat meat almost every day without thinking about it, it is just something of habit to me. No one in my family is a vegetarian or vegan and none of my close friends are either, so I have not really been around that way of thinking often. Barbeque is a staple at my family gatherings; being from the south, we all love it. At Christmas, at thanksgiving, birthday parties; any celebration we always buy barbeque from a local restaurant. After researching this topic and writing this paper, I think that I may second guess myself the next time my relatives get together whether or not I actually eat that meat that is so commonly consumed. 

Veganism and vegetarianism are becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. Some people think of them as just what is popular right now, or a fad; but in actuality this lifestyle has many note-worthy reasons as to why this is a healthy diet to follow. There have been so many studies supporting this change in lifestyle that can help against numerous diseases that a lot of people suffer from; and not only will it help our bodies, but a new diet will help to keep our environment in better shape. Humans have been eating meat forever, and people always will; it is just now that physicians are looking into the effects of that and performing studies comparing a meat eating diet and a plant-based diet. The basis of my argument in this paper is that a vegetarian or vegan diet is much better for the environment, animals, and human health. 

The argument against a no-meat diet is that you simply cannot get all of the nutrients and protein that humans need to live day to day. Although it may seem like vegetarianism could cause this; there are actually many other food sources that provide just as much protein as meat, and that are healthier as well. This is the main argument people make against plant-based diets, which causes them and others to not take this lifestyle seriously. Options such as legumes, nuts, oatmeal, etc. can be used by vegetarians in order to fulfill their protein needs. Australia’s dietary guidelines recommend you consume a wide variety of foods each day, including plenty of vegetables, whole-grain foods (including legumes/beans, nuts and seeds) and low-fat dairy products. (Baines) These foods give you the necessary nutrients to survive without having to consume meat. 

Not only can you just survive on a no-meat diet, humans can thrive on this change in nutrition. Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, a recently retired heart surgeon and someone who has been a vegan for half of his life says, “When I was in practice in medicine, I would tell the patients that the vegetable-based diet was the healthy way to go, and to keep away from the animal products as much as possible.” (Walia) Becoming a vegetarian can be extremely difficult for people, it is a long process. It involves a new dedication to thinking about everything you eat before eating it and to discern whether or not something has meat hidden in it or not. Although it can be challenging, vegetarians and vegans tend to be healthier in the long run. 

Harvard Medical School says, “Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians tend to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol and more vitamins C and E, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals), such as carotenoids and flavonoids. As a result, they’re likely to have lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower body mass index (BMI), all of which are associated with longevity and a reduced risk for many chronic diseases.” (Harvard) That being said, I think that choosing this diet has many advantages. Though Harvard may be right that vegetarians “tend to” do these things, that is not always the case. Being a vegetarian means no meat, but that could also be construed as eating potato chips and ice cream all day, and that person is a vegetarian by that standard. Not all vegetarians follow the best lifestyle, but in studies they tend to because it is necessary for them to get the nutrients needed to live a normal and healthy life. 

Vegetarianism dates back very far in the history of humans. The most notable figure of the classical world that practiced this diet is Pythagoras (580 BCE). Pythagoras had the opinion that all animals deserved to be treated with respect, just as humans are. He taught these ideals that animals are kindred to us and that we should abstain from consuming them. (Vegetarian Society) I think that this though process has stayed true throughout time through organizations like PETA and others who are huge proponents for the non-consumption of meat. There is a problem with how the meat industry is run and there needs to be a change. There is an astonishing amount of cruelty to innocent animals for human pleasure, which personally I think is unfair. 

The most popular group of people who are known as vegetarian advocates today are the Seventh Day Adventists. Yes, they do support this diet but, their reasons are usually different from why other types of people choose to abstain from meat. They believe that eating meat clouds the brain, lessens spirituality, renders the mind incapable of understanding truth, animalizes you, causes sickness and disease, strengthens lower passions, and endangers physical, mental, and spiritual health, along with many other reasons. (SDA) From the research that I have conducted, I have come to find that the two most popular reasons for people now eating no meat is the environmental effects and the health benefits. 

Similarly, to the Seventh Day Adventists, the majority of people make this decision based on how meat “causes sickness and disease”. Most of my sources always expand on the topic of how eating vegetarian can make a person healthier and prevent, to an extent, heart disease, cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. 

On the other hand, eating animal meat has been in the human tradition forever. Some people say that we don’t need to change anything because we are doing just fine with health now taking into consideration modern medicine and everything we know about health today. The argument can be made that there have not been enough studies, or that the studies are not valid. The only way to really see if a vegetarian or vegan diet is beneficial in the long run is to have an extended study of many people who claim they do not eat meat and continually check on their physical condition throughout their lifetime and compare with people who eat meat. Where these types of studies can seem unreliable is that since they are not necessarily timed, or the people are not being watched the entire time, the observers cannot truly know whether or not the person has consumed meat or not. 

Although this claim can be made that the studies are not reliable; there have been personal accounts, not participators in studies, that can vouch for a meatless diet. There are numerous doctors that recommend a vegetarian diet and that practice this themselves. Sharon Palmer is a registered dietitian, food and nutrition writer, and plant-based nutrition expert. The health benefits that she offers include: weight, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, cancer, longevity, and healthy behaviors. (Palmer) 

Weight has also been a popular reason for changing up a diet to cut out meat. If you cut meat entirely out of a diet, then you are forced to eat healthier foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, etc. to obtain the calories and nutrients needed to live. 

Health reasons are very important to some people who choose to become vegetarian for this purpose. However, in my opinion I think that the most significant motive is to improve the environment and treat animals with the same respect as we treat each other. I understand that we have been eating meat for ages, but that does not mean that we have to treat them cruelly while they wait for us to kill them for our own meals. This is a fairly recent thing that has been happening in the meat industry. The animals are not fed correctly, they are held in small areas where they can barely move, they are transported in crates no bigger than they are; there are countless examples of animal cruelty directly caused by the meat industry that provides for us. 

Not only is it unsafe for animals in the factories, they are causing the earth to be unsafe for all animals out there and for humans as well. PETA says that 51% or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture, it takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, more than 90% of all Amazon rainforest land cleared since 1970 is used for grazing livestock, and many more statistics show that going meat free can help get our environment back on track. (PETA) 

No one can argue against the environmental benefits behind not eating meat. There are so many ways that we can help our declining environment, and this change in diet can be the first step for many people to help the earth.
