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Vegetarianism and Personal Health

Published Tuesday, November 18, 2008 by bloggerblognet22596 | E-mail this post

One of the beautiful things about living in the United States is the freedom that we are given to exercise our rights and choose the kind of lifestyle that we ultimately want to live. Fortunately, we also have that specific choice when it comes to our own personal health. While growing up, I found that an increasing number of my peers had converted to vegetarianism. A vegetarian is a person who does no participate in eating meat. Under very strict interpretations, this includes anything associated with an animal.

There are several reasons why a person might engage in vegetarianism. For some, religion clearly states that ingesting another living, breathing being is wrong. For others, it is a self-made conscious decision based on personal ethic, compassion for other animals, or purely health. Culture has a huge impact on the perception of vegetarianism. In some areas, vegetarianism is looked down upon because it isn't readily understood. The opposite can hold true as well. In India for example, the killing of a cow is expressly against the law, as the cow is considered a sacred animal.

There are some benefits to being a vegetarian. One of them is having lower levels of saturated fats and cholesterol in the body. This reduces the chance of developing heart disease late in life. Also, higher levels of fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C and E, as well as phytochemicals provide a lower risk of developing cancer and other forms of potentially fatal diseases.

The debate over protein intake is still on-going. Studies have shown that vegetarians and non-vegetarians differ minutely with regard to the level of protein intake. Vegetarians are able to get the sufficient amount of protein with certain plants, including soy, hempseed, and buckwheat.

The scientific community is of the opinion that the body was best designed for omnivorous activities, simply because of our natural ability to digest both plant and animal material. A small minority of people maintain that eating animals is an unnatural activity, citing that human teeth were not designed for ripping through pieces of flesh.

No matter what the choice, becoming a vegetarian is a personal decision that must be made at the individual level. Sometimes you may be met with skeptical criticism and judgmental advice, but being confident in the choice that you make is the key in sticking to that personal decision.

For more information and vegetarianism and health, visit www.healthdirectoryforyou.com.

Joseph Devine

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