Eng135 Position Paper

Data from the Oxford Vegetarian Study was used to determine whether or not a correlation

When I was growing up I was taught how to hunt, fish and trap animals for food as well as being fed an omnivorous diet, but today I have found that I no longer need animals in my diet. The Vegetarian Times recently found that out of the 311 million people in the US, 7.3 million eat a vegetarian based diet and 22.8 million eat a vegetarian inclined diet. Over the past century people have begun looking into the health implications of plant based diets as a way of improving their health and increase their longevity. This research paper is intended

Eliminating all animal products from the diet increases the risk of certain nutritional deficiencies. Micronutrients of special concern for the vegan include vitamins B-12 and D, calcium, fatty acids such as omega 3 which can be obtained from oily fish. Unless vegans regularly consume foods that are fortified with these nutrients, appropriate dietary/vitamin supplements need to be consumed. Iron deficiency which can cause anaemia will also be a concern as they do not consume any red meat to be able to get the iron their body requires.

Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. The relevance this phrase has is stronger than ever because nutrition is an underlying theme for just about every health concern one may experience today. An account of two nutritional doctors, many farm animals, and a multitude of human illnesses, Lee Fulkerson’s “Forks Over Knives” makes a convincing case for eliminating dairy and meat from the dinner table. With care and devotion, while it may be possible to obtain adequate nutrition on a vegetarian diet and decrease chronic illnesses, when it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right.

Many people have misconceptions about vegans, specifically that they are weak and unhealthy while it is quite the opposite. Registered dietician, Ashley Koff, points out that “eating meat and animal products...has been associated with inflammation” (Hartke par 17). And inflammation is just one of many health problems linked to diets consisting of meat. Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer have also been shown in higher rates among omnivores. Gary Fraser, PhD, MPH, who was a part of the Adventist Health Study observed that there was “12 percent reduction in risk of all-cause mortality in all vegetarians combined versus non-vegetarians” (Palmer par 21). Why would you want to pollute your body with the carcasses of animals and other by-products that we have stolen from them? The myth that cow’s milk makes your bones strong is just one of many falsehoods that agribusinesses and large industries have been telling us. Of course, they want us to buy their milk, cheese, and yogurt. But if you look into the effects dairy has on the body, you will learn the real consequences of consuming dairy and animal protein. In a study observing the bones in omnivore and vegan women, health researchers found that there was a “lower amount of bone formation in the omnivore women” which could lead to a lower bone density and ultimately end in osteoporosis (Wood par 16). Many of the strongest animals on the planet are herbivores. Many of the animals people consume are herbivores. We say that we eat meat to get the protein and to get the nutrients, but look at where these animals get theirs. Plants. If we want to be healthy and get our nutrients in their most pure form, we need to stop filtering them through animals. We’re not just killing the animals and our planet; we’re killing

“3.2 percent of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet. . . [and] 0.5 percent, or 1 million, of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all” (Vegetarian Times). Viewing these numbers in retrospect, the number of people taking this course of lifestyle are not a lot. Having a plant based diet is not quite what most people might think. Most people will argue this diet does not provide the essential proteins a person might typically receive from a diet involving meat. They might also add the diet will provide natural vitamin B12 which is only found in meat and poultry. Though these arguments are not fully true, there is always alternatives to receive proteins and vitamin B12. People can always eat other foods to get the proteins their bodies need. However, not receiving vitamin B12 is not a bad thing. A person will just have to pay more attention on their protein intake. If they do not that is when complication arise. Switching to a plant based diet is better for anyone’s life

In discussions of comparing the vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diet, one controversial issue has been the quality of the diets. On the one hand, omnivores argue their diets are superior for providing proteins and fats to necessary bodily functions. On the other hand, vegetarians could assert that their diets reduce the risk of illness and increase life expectancy. Vegans have even developed philosophical justifications to renounce products omnivores and vegetarians have included in their diets. Americans tend to believe that an omnivore diet has the greatest quality. My whole life I have heard it said that was the case. In an examination of recent works, I continue to support that consensus. The vegetarian diet has been concluded to be

Veganism, a phenomenon of the twenty first century. Nowadays one percent of the population practices a vegan diet; but what about the rest of the population? The other ninety-nine percent follow what many would call a Western diet. In recent years, debate has persisted about which diet is superior and truly more beneficial. In this essay, the issue of a superior diet will be compared in terms of prevention of diseases and rate of mortality, nutrients and vitamins, water conservation, and cost effectiveness, ultimately proving that the vegan diet is more beneficial.

Craig, W. J. (2009). Health effects of vegan diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1627S-1633S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736N

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

As different crazes and fads are appearing each day, we have come to expect them to simply fade away as the hype passes. However, veganism has stood the test of time in our fad society and is still increasing in popularity. Originally only thought to be a religious lifestyle, many people from different walks of life are becoming vegans. However, this poses many questions and sparks heated debates, mainly from omnivorous people who believe that veganism is against life’s natural order. Vegans, then, argue against an omnivorous lifestyle by bringing up facts about humans’ biological makeup and how humans are, contrary to popular belief, herbivorous by nature, not omnivorous. While both sides present good arguments to some, the veganism lifestyle contains more benefits and less harmful cons than an omnivorous lifestyle.

This report examines the various factors in a vegetarian diet that account for most of the energy required by the human body. The purpose of this report is to find out if a vegetarian diet can maintain normal physiological energy levels. In this day and age, many misconceptions arise regarding vegetarians. Some believe that vegetarians are lethargic and physically weak because they do not get enough nutrients from their diet. Having been a vegetarian my entire life, I can say that I haven’t had issues with low energy or any nutrient deficiencies. Some people might say that vegetarians eat vegetables and nothing else. In actuality, vegetarians cannot be placed into a single group. There are five main types of vegetarians: lacto vegetarians, lacto ovo vegetarians, pescatarians, pollotarians, and vegans. Lacto vegetarians eat vegetables and dairy products, whereas lacto ovo vegetarians, such as myself, eat vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. Pescatarians consume vegetables and fish products, avoiding all other meats. Pollotarians eat vegetables and chicken as their source of animal product. Vegans only eat vegetables and avoid all dairy and animal products. Maintaining physiological energy in all diet groups depends on various factors such as:

At one point in time, veganism appeared problematic due to the lack of necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins in the diet.

Becoming vegan is a personal lifestyle decision whom many people have influenced as their preferred nutritional intake and can be due to many reasons including long-term health benefits, environmental awareness, ethical concerns and religious beliefs. Many vegans are in fact health conscious and understand the benefits of following such eating patterns. The Vegan diet can be defined as the exclusion of all animal derived foods including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products from consumption and instead is emphasized on plant foods, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Vegans have become widely accepted and can potentially have many health benefits by minimizing obesity, regulating blood pressure, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and aids in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

The biggest concern for all vegetarians is vitamin B12. The studies show that “two in three vegetarians were vitamin B12 deficient compared to one in twenty meat eaters” (ProCon.org). The fact is that B12 is contained only in animal products; therefore, vegetarians can obtain adequate amount of vitamin B12 only from fortified food or supplements. Many proponents of a vegetarian diet recommend additional supplementation of vitamins and minerals, especially for children, on a daily basis. However, Lindsay S. Nixon referred to Dr. Campbell, who wrote in his book Whole: “Recent reductionist research has shown that supplementation doesn’t work. As it turns out, an apple does a lot more inside our bodies than all the known apple nutrients ingested in pill form” (111). Davis and Melina also pointed out the fact that “supplements rarely contain the complete mix of protective compounds naturally found in foods…Some evidence suggests that high-dose supplements could even increase cancer risk” (49).