what are the benefits of becoming a vegeterian, besides being one less person to eat innocent animals?

Answer 1

I only need that reason.

Not being responsible or contributing to the cruelty inflicted on animals is a good enough reason for me.

Other reasons include great and varied food, healthy, better for the environment

Answer 2

There are certainly implications on our health, which a lot of people here have pointed out. I have heard that people who eat meat are at higher risk of obesity, certain cancers and heart disease.

"Diet for a Small Planet" is an excellent book about eating low on the food chain and the advantages to doing that. It explores a number of reasons to skip meat - primarily dealing with feeding everyone on the planet.

You might want to read Will Tuttle's book, "The World Peace Diet." He and his wife are vegans and they go into great detail about the global impact of eating animals.

Environmentally speaking, when we eat animals, it means that food that might be allocated to people who are starving is instead allocated to feed animals. We could very likely feed more people if we ate less meat.

In addition, animals are now fed and cared for much differently than they were even 50 years ago. Their main diet is corn which means that we are actually getting meat that is less healthy from them - higher in carbs, not to mention all the growth hormones and drugs pumped into the animal.

There are also moral implications. A lot of animals are treated horribly all their lives and they die horribly so we can eat them.

I think there are a lot of layers to this. Good question! Read Will's book if you want a thorough exploration of the topic.

Answer 3

It is not so much being one more person, but being me who does not eat dead flesh. I just can't do it... not to a cat, not to a cow. And I am fortunate enough to live in a society when I do not have to eat animals to survive or to be healthy.

I understand that main-stream living does not agree with my version of morality, but that doesn't matter; I can only live for me, no one else.

I suppose some health benefits are that I will not have decades of animal flesh rotting in my colon, and I will not be filled with bad cholesterol. After smoking, many of the highest causes of death have to do with eating animals.

It is also better for the environment. Fast food alone is constantly depleting the rainforest. In a time when our planet cannot absorb unhealthy gasses fast enough, we are still depleting ridiculous amounts of trees every minute.

But these are all things I have learned since becoming vegetarian. For me, it just helps me sleep better at night. We live in a time when I do not need to eat or torture animals to survive, so I choose to not do so. The meat industry is far from the *farmer and his cows on a nice little farm* version of things we saw when we were children.

Answer 4

Many have spoke of health and financial benefits. Some have pointed out the difficulty of eating a balanced vegetarian diet in _this_ meat-eating society.

I'd like to add one more: you are a kinder, gentler person as a vegetarian. first you stopped condoning the killing of animals for taste. Second you start to question the norm -- animals are like us in fearing death, so refusing to shoot Bambi is not a sign of weakness. *more later. Third you act on your compassion.

good for you that you're asking.




*there is one exception. culling a herd of over-crowded deer can sometimes be an act of compassion.



to the person claiming god-given authority to kill and eat animals: I say this. do not presume to know God's will or you will commit the sin of pride against Him. Do notice the Jewish practice of non-cruelty in harvesting farm animals. That is in the Judeo-Christian heritage. Man is supposed to manage the animals to replenish the earth. A far cry from killing and maiming for your pleasure.

Answer 5

According to the ADA, vegetarians are at lower risk for developing:

Heart disease

Colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers

Diabetes

Obesity

Hypertension (high blood pressure)
This is because a healthy vegetarian diet is typically low in fat and high in fiber. However, even a vegetarian diet can be high in fat if it includes excessive amounts of fatty snack foods, fried foods, whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Therefore, a vegetarian diet, like any healthy diet, must be well planned in order to help prevent and treat certain diseases.

Answer 6

Well, in the last seven months or so since I went vegetarian, I've lost 45 pounds, my blood pressure is low-normal, my blood sugar is down in the normal range again, and my joints and muscles don't ache nearly as much.

I've also got a lot more energy than I've had in years, and I feel better about myself and my diet. I really enjoy trying new recipes and having fun with cooking, rather than fixing the same old stuff all the time.

That's how being a vegetarian has benefited me.

Answer 7

God did not make animals to be eaten. Check your premises before you answer. In the book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verses 28-30, it was very explicit that God put Adam and Eve "in charge" of all birds, fish, and wild animals, and gave them all the fruit-bearing trees to eat from. I am not making this up. As I said, go check your bible:


And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.


Gen 1:29 ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.


Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Answer 8

besides saving the animals, being a vegetarian makes you feel special and also there was a report i read somewhere in the internet that vegetarians are smarter than the average people.=) being a vegetarian rules! your making a lot of living things happy! like me!hehe =)

Answer 9

well although there is 1 less person....
--there will be more innocent animals alive
--your grocery bill will go down
--you will probably live 5 extra healthy years
--you will be healthier
etc
etc

Answer 10

dvantages and Disadvantages of Vegetarianism

Advantages:

1. Due to the high fibre content of the diet, one is less likely to suffer from bowel problems.
2. It is less likely for a vegetarian to have high blood pressure or heart disease.
3. It is less likely for a vegetarian to be over-weight.
4. Plant foods are cheaper than meat.

Disadvantages:

1. Meat is a main source of a lot of vitamins and minerals, so many vegetarians lack nutrients, e.g. Iron or Vitamin B12
2. Vegans in particular could suffer from a lack of calcium due to not consuming dairy produce.
Disadvantages:
Vegetarians (vegans) have difficulty consuming enough of the following nutrients:

*
Vitamin B-12
Found in animal products only, fortified cereals, soy products
*
Vitamin D
Found in milk, margarine, soy milk & cereals
*
Iron & zinc
Besides meats, poultry, chicken & fish, these nutrients are found in: whole grain foods, soy foods, beans, dried fruits, nuts and seeds. Consuming foods high in vitamin C with iron foods will help to increase the absorption of the iron.
*
Calcium
Studies have found that diets of vegetarian children are most likely deficient in calcium. Excellent sources of calcium include milk, yogurt and cheese. Plant products include: cereals, juices, beans, tofu, soy foods, dried figs and almonds.

Vegetarianism is not recommended for young children because it is extremely difficult for them to consume the nutrients they need in adequate amounts for optimal growth without consuming any animal products.