in ur opinion, is vegetarianism healthier than eating meat?

Question

i've read that it's very healthy, but i've also read a lot of books that support vegetarianism and veganism. give me ur opinion supported with true facts.

Answer 1

everything in moderation. If vegetarians were really that much healthier it would be showing up in the death rolls and the actuarial tables used by life insurance companies. Most claims that I have seen try to say how people in some place to poor to afford even the sight of a meat animal are healthier because they do not die of heart attacks or of cancer or dozens of other old folks diseases. What they seldom mention is that those people are so undernourished that they die before they are old enough to get old people diseases. When you check the life spans and expected life spans in those places you find that most people are dieing in their middle ages.

best thing is to eat a balanced diet in moderation, and if you get a craving trust your body to the point that it knows it wants something(might be a certain mineral, protein, vitamin or maybe even fat)and it remembers it being in that food. Total fat free is not healthy either, your body needs some fat to stay healthy and to be able to digest proteins

Answer 2

yes, vegetarianism is a good lifestyle for your health. first of all, my doctor was pleased to hear i'd become a vegetarian. she congratulated me and said i'd taken the best step possible to improve my health.
also, since becoming a vegetarian, my immune system has become stronger. i used to get sick every month or two. this year, i've only been sick twice, and i got over it much faster than i used to. even when everyone around me at home and work got the flu, i was fine. and i have more energy now than i did when i ate meat.
third, none of my vegetarian or vegan friends are overweight. (about half of my friends are vegetarians, and 64% of americans are overweight.)

and finally, all the info i've read supports vegetarianism decreasing chances of all major diseases. diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure all increase dramatically in industrialized countries (where people eat meat regularly), but those rates are dramatically lower in vegetarians. here are some articles on it:

Answer 3

It depends on what you condsider healthy. On a vegan diet, you immediately eliminate most saturated fats and increase your intake of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients because of all of the fruits, vegetables, soy, and whole grain products that can be incorporated into a vegan diet. You can easily include these foods into meat diet as well and reduce your fat intake by eating only lean meats and fish.

I've heard so many people say that most vegans "look" unhealthy. And I think that has to do with a lack of a balanced diet. They still need to focus on getting enough protein and calcium into their diets, which can be done with soy and legumes (or dairy and eggs, if you include these). You can't just emliminate meat and call it a day. I think health comes from a well-balanced diet, regardless of whether you eat meat or not.

Answer 4

Yes, it is if you eat a true vegetarian diet. Some people who begin eating vegetarian think it is all about salads, fruits and sugars. You have to learn about lentils, beans and other proteins such as tofu/soy. I have been a vegetarian since 1980 and it is fun for me to experiment with new vegetarian recipes. Also, studies have shown that as countries become more affluent and therefore able to afford the luxury of eating meat, the rate of heart disease and other related health problems increase.

I love being vegetarian. There are so many tasty dishes. It is a challenge to eat fast food but Burger King and other places are starting to offer vegetarian foods, too.

Answer 5

While I do eat some meat, I think vegetarian diets are much healthier. You want facts, so how about the fact that meat contains much more cholesterol, much more fat, is harder to digest (that's why it makes us feel fuller longer, it takes longer to make it's way through), and way more calories too. Our bodies were originally designed to eat vegetables (think Garden of Eden here).
While I could never stop using ALL animal products, I do think there's something very unnatural about humans drinking the milk from other animals. No other mammal does that! Despite what all the "Got Milk?" ads want us to think, the calcium in milk isn't used as easily by our bodies as the calcium in leafy green vegetables.

Answer 6

You need to ask a nutrionist.

In general, too much saturated fat is bad for you and is a cause of heart disease. Most meat is high in saturated fat. Here is a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturated_fat

That said, a strictly vegan lifestyle may not provide you with all the nutrients you really need to live a long, healthy life. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish are thought to have both positive effects on heart health and brain function.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid

So, in my opinion, a balanced diet including foods from all of the food groups, but avoiding excessive amounts of meat/dairy/refined sugar/junk carbs is probably better for you than a strictly vegan diet.

Answer 7

You asked for my opinion, so I don't know about facts. I have friends who are vegetarians and they seem to be sick less often. I think it is interesting that in the Bible account, God told Noah he could eat meat after the flood, and that Daniel and his 3 Hebrew friends ate vegetables and not the delicacies of the King's table, and they were healthier. I myself like meat. If I were to eat a vegetarian diet, I'd have to watch protein intake for sure.

Answer 8

Most people eat too much meat. The USDA reccomends 2-3 3 oz. servings of meat each day. Most people eat several times this amount.

Ideally, people should eat low-fat meats like fish, along with high-protein vegetables like beans.

Because most non-vegetarians eat large amounts of meat each day, I would have to say that overall, vegetarians are healthier because they don't consume the large amounts of fat that non-vegetarians do.

Answer 9

I used to eat meat just like most of my friends and family, but then I found out most of my family member like my uncles and my grandparents that consumed alot of meats during meal time in their life developed cancer, cardiovascular problems in their late 40s and 50s.

That was a wake up call for me. I don't think eating meat is the only factor that lead to their condition, but I do think it was one of the reason they end up like that.

Also, I found out that a vegetarian's blood is lighter in color compare to meat eater, which means it carries more oxygen in its bloodstream. My doctor told me that vegetarian's blood contains less impurities than normal people that eats meats. I didn't need any other reason to convince me to become vegetarian after that.

I found out that my body feels lighter after switching my diets in a few months. My mind is more clear and I have faster reaction time, I definitely feel more healthier than before.

Answer 10

I don't feel like reading all the answers, but know this: eating excess meat and milk actually causes osteoperosis. Both have way more protein than you need (you need 2% of your diet to be protein, it doesn't even need to be a complete protein). Protein is made of amino acids; eating too much acidifies your blood, causing your body to take calcium out of your bones to neutralize it. So all the milk comercials telling you to drink milk to get strong bones... are paid for by the milk companies!!!