I've constantly debated whether I should take the leap and give up meat forever. I tried giving it up as part of my New Year's Resolution in 2010 but having brought up in a household that serves up meat for almost every course, it was hard to drop cold turkey. Also, I read this online article about a recent study about how healthy are vegetarians?
Facts discovered:
- Vegetarians visit their doctors more often and are more prone to allergies
- They also have 'a 50% increased risk of both heart attacks and cancer'
- They are also more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders
- But vegetarians tend to be more active and less likely to drink and smoke
- The research also revealed that people of high socioeconomic status are more likely to be vegetarian.
In my opinion, it would make sense why this research shows this. Think about it! Meat is an excellent source of protein as well as a bit of fat which is needed for essential insulation, internal organ shielding and also good for developing muscles and repairing bones. Most of our body functions with proteins e.g. enzymes. In addition to this, people often worry that red meat increases the risk of cancer. The simple fact is that it is high in saturated fats and that it is not recommended to eat high levels of it. A little bit of anything can't hurt. People have eaten red meats for millions of years, why suddenly drop that? Cheeses, tofu and other substitutes for meat cannot compensate to the lack of intake your body requires. Being a pescaterian can have some benefits as Omega 3 which is good for the brain and muscles however, fish is very expensive and its simply a luxury in most of society's cases. As for the slaughtering of animals, this has been going on for a very long time, and it is being thoroughly managed in agricultural businesses. It is not as if we will be running out of cows. Farmers and livestock owners have breeding programmes and make up for the stock they kill for produce. It Also, animals are used for a lot more things such as products that we use day to day. Does that mean you are suddenly going to stop using glue, soaps and bags for the rest of your life? Another interesting fact is that we don’t have the teeth of vegetarian animals - our incisors and canines are the teeth of meat eaters. Without these teeth our ancestors would not have survived. So honestly, it is inevitable to not be using or consuming the product of an animal in your day to day to lives...
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