Millions of people currently subsist on a diet free of meat, and millions more do so on a diet completely free of any animal produce whatsoever. For some reason, what a person chooses (or rather in this case, chooses not) to eat is a weirdly contentious issue online. So we compiled a list of 5 pros and 5 cons of a vegetarian or vegan diet you you may want to consider if not eating meat is something that’s ever appealed to you.
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Cons
5. Vegetarian diets cost more (if you’re poor)
4. Vegetarian diets are worse healthwise (if you don’t do it properly)
3. Demand for exotic produce can be harmful to the environment, in specific circumstances
2. A vegetarian diet still harms tons of animals
1. Vegetarians are more likely to suffer from health problems
Pros
5. Vegetarian and vegans are often thinner
4. A (good) vegetarian diet is rich in lesser consumed vitamins and minerals
3. It can give you a better “Antioxidant status”
2. A vegetarian diet can improve your overall mood (in the short term)
1. A vegetarian diet might protect you from dying of a heart attack
Source/Further reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/29/kis-junk-food-dont-blame-parents
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Vegetarianhealth/Pages/Vegetarianhealthqanda.aspx
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160926-what-would-happen-if-the-world-suddenly-went-vegetarian
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97836&page=1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3917888/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15702597
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1627S.full
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/antioxidants-topic-overview
https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-11-9
http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian
http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/static/photo/1x/Fresh-Vegetarian-Vegetables-Bowl-Green-Salad-82913.jpg
https://static.pexels.com/photos/321598/pexels-photo-321598.jpeg
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/07/13/09/37/coca-cola-155787_960_720.png
https://pixnio.com/free-images/2017/03/30/2017-03-30-09-32-02-725×408.jpg
http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/static/photo/1x/Tasty-Raw-Diet-Organic-Food-Veg-Vegetarian-1478548.jpg
http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/static/photo/1x/Mixed-Salad-Vegetable-Salad-Diet-Salad-Dish-844144.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4073/4907420699_8d1243dd1f_b.jpg
http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/20000/velka/healthy-lifestyle.jpg
http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/static/photo/1x/Brunette-Woman-Everyday-Life-Blond-Kitchen-Man-1979272.jpg
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/20/14/02/harvest-1682559_960_720.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Harvest_Mouse_%28face%29.jpg/1280px-Harvest_Mouse_%28face%29.jpg
https://get.pxhere.com/photo/fruit-dish-meal-food-produce-vegetable-breakfast-healthy-dessert-eat-lunch-cuisine-delicious-nutrition-fruits-vitamins-brunch-flowering-plant-fruit-salad-tropical-fruits-sense-land-plant-567527.jpg
http://res.publicdomainfiles.com/pdf_view/0/13393023613747.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Fresh_cut_fruits_and_vegetables.jpg
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/08/10/13/05/pan-1583152_960_720.jpg
source
Iam a. Vegetarian
bmi was a Belgium scientist design and only for cows, pigs and other farm animals.
People are OMNIVORES.
Thus vegan is bad. Easy.
4:00 was very unnecessary and Bias… you should look at the amount of water we waste on animal agriculture and gassed that affect how our environment not to mention the toxic waste being dumped into small nearby towns who live near slaughter houses…
most vegetarians are grainatarians. and use the whole wheat and wheat germ in "meats" and people are allergic. if they eat wheat or wheat they have a sever allergic reaction. it also take farming and that mean clearing forrest.
Kind of interesting how many of the cons were a bit contrived. For instance, of course having a poorly planned vegetarian diet is bad for you – but so is having a poorly planned omnivore diet. And of course things like quinoa are problematic for the environment – but you really don't need those exotic grains or fruit to have a balanced, rich vegetarian diet, any more than you need Brazilian beef to have a rich omnivore diet. And the point about a steak from 10 miles away being better than a kiwi fruit shipped from half the world away – international logistics has become so effective that the way you bring the food home from the supermarket is the main deciding factor in the environmental impact of the whole chain from the farmer to your mouth, so I'm not fully convinced by that claim. But the main con is a real one: we've become so effective at producing cheap animal products and making them easily available that that's what people are going to eat when they're poor and stressed out.
a balanced diet, is a HUMAN diet. we have evolved to be "omnivores". we need a little of everything to be human.
I've been vegetarian for 7 years. I eat very crappily. I may be thin, but I am weak af.
con 1 and pro 5 are technically one in the same. Vegans a vegetarians are thinner because they're not getting the nutrition they need. and are more likely to be ill because they don't have high enough of a BMI. Fat is a necessity.
I'm sorry but I love prime rib, chicken parm, bacon, and beef wellington too much to become a vegetarian/vegan.
This Video Really Deserves A True Like …
Sadly I had to give up meat because of my health. And it is so true that someone on a fixed income it is damn near impossible to manage.
Is a 'celeb high five' a different way to say 'free pass' haha
Hitler was Vegetarian.
I dont want to become a Nazi xD
Also im so glad someone mentions how shipping of exotic produce is bad for the environment. Also growing produce uses LOTS of water
FINALLY someone explains how healthier foods are difficult for low income people to afford all the time! Its like for some reason people cant fathom that!!
Suggestion for another show. I've been vegetarian for 33 years (I'm a moral life long veggie), and I haven't forced my view on others in 30 years, but I've always wondered how many veggies / vegans last 5 years, 10, 20, 25 years, before they go back to meat and why they changed. In all my years, I've literally watched hundreds if not thousands become veggie, preach and then a few years later they are eating a big steak. So what are the various groups by length of time, why they changed, what was their health status etc. Thanks for your time.
Vegan for 2.5 years. Better health, better skin, better knees. Had several issues related to the consumption of dairy which went away, my joints were suffering greatly. I supplement b12 and D in the winter. I also watch my iodine levels and eat a variety of foods: legumes, veggies, fruits and some processed stuff. I'm not hell bent in health, however, it has had a positive impact on my state of mind, on my physique and on my mental health in general. Also, I had b12 deficiency before veganism with all the meat and dairy I was eating and I had some huuuge digestive problems which disappeared right away. It has been easy for me, I'm motivated by helping animals and the planet; I know it's not the same for everyone and I always support and encourage the reduction of animal products. I have vegan and non vegan friends and no one in my family except for my partner is vegan. I tried to convince my dad who is riddled with health issues to give a dam. But he doesn't so I haven't forced him to do anything. It's his choice. Too bad because I can see his health deteriorating more and more. For anyone trying to at least have meatless Mondays or switching to plant based milk, I support you and I applaud you. You are amazing.
Farmers markets were I live are 3 or 4 times the price of the supermarket and 2/3 of the stalls are crap like 60$ bars of soap or hipster 20$ a plate truck food. Farmers markets only serve the rich and trendy now and even the real farmers charge a ton to pay the young hipsters dressed as mao and che they have to hire to make sales even though they have zero knowledge of products.
'Kwin-no-Ah' – hahahaha
The major 20-30 (Stanford I think) year study I heard about on NPR said that your immune system will suffer if you don't get 1 ounce of meat a month. That's less than a pound a year your body actually needs… So no you cannot get 100% from plants…
That "poor people dont have time or money" hit hard lol. I work 16 hour days so I just make a soup that has all the nutrients you need with maybe a snack, make enough for a week at a time, and split it into 2 meals per day. Chronometer is a great completely free app to track your macro and micronutrients 🙂
*fresh fruits and vegetables cost a lot of money if you live in the USA. Where I am from (Netherlands) a lot of people don't eat meat or at least not every day just because it is more expensive than veggies.
Definition of eating disorder:
"An unhealthy relationship with food"
Humans are omnivores, meant to eat, in moderation, from all food groups. Removing everything from any food group(s) from your diet, without a specific medical need, is an extreme, and unhealthy relationship with food. While it is true that people need different portion sizes, and servings of each food group, based on age, gender, health, etc. Every human will suffer consequences of eating any extreme diet.
There was a time when humans survived on little to no meat. But science has proven that their cognitive development suffered significantly for it. And while there is a way for vegetarians, specifically vegans to obtain equal nutrients, it would require eating between 700 and 7000 more calories per day, of specific foods. (Based on age, sex, health, and level of vegetarianism/amount of foods your denying your body.) Children, through the age of puberty, suffer the most from such deficiencies, and land at the higher end of that scale. Those who don't consume the additional amounts, of the proper foods, have shown a 25%-65% lower cognitive brain development, are often treated for, and many die of malnutrition. Adults suffer severe health problems, skin and digestive disorders, extreme fatigue, bone density issues, etc.
On the up side, studies have shown that in people age 70+, and those suffering from various forms of dementia, do benefit from a low level vegetarian diet. At least so long as it includes fish and milk/dairy. But a full vegan diet has the opposite effect, and has been linked to exacerbating dementia and other common geriatric conditions.
There are obviously medical conditions that may require various levels of vegetarian diets. That's a whole other ballgame. When someone's body doesn't function exactly normally (cancer, renal failure, liver failure, etc) you make the best of what you can.
It boils down to, figuring out the healthy balance for your needs. It's mostly standard for everyone, yet differs based on where you're at in life. Since most people can't afford an accredited, personal dietician, it's wise to strive for moderation in all things, as a rule.
I hate the taste and texture of most raw fruits and vegetables. Not eating meat would be absolute torture.
I am vegetarian Mondays through Fridays and I eat meat on weekends.
People think they need to go all or nothing and that's simply not true.
I don't even really care about being super healthy, I just don't want to eat animals because I'll feel bad, that's all. If you wanna eat meat I won't stop you.
I have been vegetrain for about half a year, and animals seem to like me more.
Vitamin B12 is found in most energy drinks.