vegetarian.procon.orgVegetarian - Pros & Cons - ProCon.org

Vegetarian - Pros & Cons - ProCon.org Skip to content More Issues About Us FAQs Teachers’ Corner $0.99 /Month Join Vegetarian Should People Become Vegetarian? Last updated on: 11/20/2018 | Author: ProCon.org The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report that Americans eat an average of 58 pounds of beef, 93 pounds of chicken, and 52 pounds of pork, per person, per year. Vegetarians, about 5% of the US adult population, do not eat meat (including poultry and seafood). The percentage of Americans who identify as vegetarian has remained steady for two decades. 11% of those who identify as liberal follow a vegetarian diet, compared to 2% of conservatives. Many proponents of vegetarianism say that eating meat harms health, wastes resources, causes deforestation, and creates pollution. They often argue that killing animals for food is cruel and unethical since non-animal food sources are plentiful. Many opponents of a vegetarian diet say that meat consumption is healthful and humane, and that producing vegetables causes many of the same environmental problems as producing meat. They also argue that humans have been eating and enjoying meat for 2.3 million years. Read more background… Pro & Con Arguments Pro 1 It is cruel and unethical to kill animals for food when vegetarian options are available. Animals are sentient beings that have emotions and social connections. Scientific studies show that cattle, pigs, chickens, and all warm-blooded animals can experience stress, pain, and fear. [ 100 ] In the United States about 35 million cows, 115 million pigs, and 9 billion birds are killed for food each year. [ 96 ] These animals should not have to die to satisfy an unnecessary dietary preference. Read More Pro 2 Human anatomy has evolved to support a primarily vegetarian diet. Humans do not have the large mouth or long, pointed teeth of carnivores. Human teeth are short and flat for chewing fibrous food. Carnivores have short intestines (3-6 times body length) while human intestines are long (10-11 times body length) to allow slower digestion of plant foods. The liver of a carnivore can detoxify the excess vitamin A absorbed from a meat-based diet. The human liver cannot detoxify excess vitamin A. [ 62 ] Read More Pro 3 A vegetarian diet delivers complete nutrition and can provide health benefits. According to the American Dietetic Association, a vegetarian diet can meet protein requirements, provide all the essential amino-acids (the building blocks of protein), and improve health. It can also provide all the necessary vitamins, fats, and minerals, and can improve one’s health. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] According to the USDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, meat is not an essential part of a healthy diet. [ 68 ] [ 123 ] Read More Pro 4 A vegetarian diet can help alleviate world hunger. Over 10 pounds of plant protein are used to produce one pound of beef protein. [ 24 ] If these grains were fed to humans instead of animals, more food would be available for the 925 million people in chronic hunger worldwide. [ 105 ] Research from Cornell University found that the grain used to feed US livestock alone could feed 800 million people. [ 107 ] Read More Pro 5 A vegetarian diet reduces the chances of developing kidney stones and gallstones. Diets high in animal protein cause the body to excrete calcium, oxalate, and uric acid—the main components of kidney stones and gallstones. A diet high in animal protein is responsible for the high rates (15% of men and 7% of women) of kidney stones in the United States, according to a peer-reviewed Nov. 15, 1999 study. [ 6 ] Read More Pro 6 A vegetarian diet provides a more healthful form of iron than a meat-based diet. Studies have linked heme iron found in red meat with an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer. [ 4 ] Vegetarian sources of iron like leafy greens and beans contain non-heme iron. [ 3 ] Read More Pro 7 A vegetarian diet helps build healthy bones because vegetarians absorb more calcium than meat eaters. Meat has high renal acid levels which the body must neutralize by leaching calcium from the bones, which is then passed into urine and lost. [ 5 ] There are many sources of healthy vegetarian calcium including tofu, dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collard greens, as well as fortified cereals. [ 128 ] Read More Pro 8 A vegetarian diet lowers the risk of heart disease. [ 64 ] According to a peer-reviewed 1999 study of 76,000 people, vegetarians had 24% lower mortality from heart disease than meat eaters. [ 7 ] A vegetarian diet also helps lower blood pressure, prevent hypertension, and thus reduce the risk of stroke. [ 8 ] Read More Pro 9 Eating meat increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. A peer-reviewed 2004 study from Harvard researchers found that eating meat increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes in women, [ 9 ] and a 2002 study found that eating processed meat increases the risk in men. [ 122 ] A vegetarian diet rich in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and soy proteins helps to improve glycemic control in people who already have diabetes. [ 10 ] Read More Pro 10 Vegetarians live longer. A Mar. 12, 2012 peer-reviewed study of 121,342 people found that eating red meat was associated with an increased risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease. [ 121 ] A peer-reviewed 2003 study found that adherence to vegetarian diets or diets very low in meat for 20 years or more can increase life expectancy by 3.6 years. [ 86 ] A peer-reviewed July 9, 2001 study of Seventh-Day Adventists who were vegetarian (or ate very little meat) showed longevity increases of 7.28 years for men and 4.42 years for women. [ 76 ] On June 3, 2013 a peer-reviewed study of 73,308 people found that a vegetarian diet is associated with a 12% reduction in all-cause mortality. [ 130 ] Read More Pro 11 A vegetarian diet promotes a healthy weight. According to a peer-reviewed 2003 Oxford University study of 37,875 healthy men and women aged 20-97, 5.4% of meat eaters were obese compared to 3% of vegetarians. Meat eaters had an average Body Mass Index (BMI) 8.3% higher than vegetarians. [ 11 ] Another 2006 meta-study that compiled data from 87 studies also found that vegetarian diets are associated with reduced body weight. [ 124 ] Read More Pro 12 Studies show that vegetarians are up to 40% less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters. In 2015 the World Health Organization classified red meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans" and processed meats as "carcinogenic to humans." [ 140 ] According to a peer-reviewed 1994 study by Harvard researchers, consuming beef, pork, or lamb five or more times a week significantly increases the risk of colon cancer. [ 102 ] The World Cancer Research Fund found that eating processed meats such as bacon or sausage increases this risk even further. [ 148 ] A 2014 study found that diets high in animal protein were associated with a 4-fold increase in cancer death risk compared to high protein diets based on plant-derived protein sources. [ 132 ] Read More Pro 13 Overgrazing livestock hurts the environment through soil compaction, erosion, and harm to native plants and animals. About 70% of the 11 western states are grazed by livestock. [ 29 ] Grazing has been a factor in the listing of 171 species under the Endangered Species Act. [ 92 ] It has damaged 80% of streams and riparian areas in the western United States. [ 93 ] 85% of US land used for grazing livestock is not suitable for farming. [ 27 ] Abstaining from meat would help in the restoration of vast US lands more naturally suited to provide habitat for native plants and animals. Read More Pro 14 A vegetarian diet conserves water. It takes about 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, and about 660 gallons to make a pound of chicken. It only takes about 220 gallons to make a pound of tofu and 180 to make a pound of wheat flour. [ 25 ] Read More Pro 15 A vegetarian diet leads to l...