There are many websites promoting vegetarianism, but are there some that do not?

Question

I'd like to know both sides of the story before I commit to something so drastic. I understand a great deal about vegetarianism, but would like to review a fair opposing arguement.

Answer 1

dont' listen to dhaarvi2002

what a load of c***
first all the research this dude pulled up is bs
just radomly copying and paste bad stuff bad doctors wrote about vegetarianism.

think about this
fruit and veggs are healthy
healthy is spelled with heal, so eat your fruit and veggs

and, out of all the diets in the world which is the most nautral?
atkins? jenny krig? poping diet pills, lipo? or vegetarian diet?
that's right.

if you beleive eating meat is good for you then eat it
but don't tell me not to eat veggs

Answer 2

When you want to research pretty much anything, but avoid the garbage that just anybody can fling up on a site:

http://scholar.google.com/

There are pitfalls; I was on there the other day reading about vegetarianism and a variety of topics.

I couldn't find any problems caused by a _well-balanced_ _vegetarian_ diet. There _were_ problems reported with vegan diets, vegetarian diets too full of soy, etcetera. I was surprised by the soy what-not; good thing I find it gross.

If you don't want to 'commit to something so drastic,' don't feel you have to -- I suspect people on 'mostly vegetarian' diets do pretty well.

Answer 3

What a fantastic answer! I commend your science and objectivity "dhaarvi"! This refutes many of the "feelings" based arguments and positions that become "fact" simply because they are repeated so often.
Thanks
-A Healthy Omnivore

Answer 4

Many vegetarians strongly believe that their lifestyle is both right and healthy, and are not really interested in exploring the possible downsides. So until now, discussion of the pros and cons has not been high on the list of pages to be added to the site. But the recent publicity about serious illness and death due to lack of B12 in New Zealand children with a vegan diet has prompted me to write this article.

It is widely assumed that a diet low in fat and especially one low in red meat (and thus vegetarianism) is the most healthy. This is not necessarily the case. Although many people thrive on a vegetarian diet, there are potential dangers. First let’s look at the types of vegetarianism, then have a good look at how healthy they really are.

Vegetarians eat no meat, but do eat other animal products. Some eat fish, and most eat eggs and dairy products. The majority of their diet will be from fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts & seeds.

Vegans go one step further and eat no animal products at all – no meat, fish, eggs, dairy or derivatives. Their diet will be entirely from plant life - fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts & seeds.

Fruitarians eat all fruit and berries, plus the vegetable fruits - avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, olives and squash. There are slight differences in the ranges of food – for example, some may also eat nuts and seeds, at least when they first change eating styles. All food is raw so that the enzymes are kept intact. They believe that as the body adjusts to a raw fruit diet, the food is better assimilated and all needed nutrients (including protein and essential fats) are extracted from the food. An advanced fruitarian may eat only one type of fruit at each meal to get the maximum benefit from it.

I completely understand the ethical and ideological reasons why a person would wish to be vegetarian, and can’t argue with any of them. But the health reasons are a different story. There are many people who keep very good health on a vegetarian diet. But you only have to visit the blood type diet website to hear many first hand stories from people who have passionately believed in their vegetarian lifestyle, only to fall ill with a variety of chronic diseases. When they start eating meat again, usually after a lot of difficult soul searching, their health returns.

So why do many people have the idea that vegetarianism is the most healthy way to eat? Some people believe that our ancestors ate a mainly plant based diet, and so should we. Another reason is that many people believe the hypothesis that fat is bad for you, especially saturated fat. So meat, which is high in saturated fat, is bad for you. This started as a hypothesis, and was so well promoted that it has become accepted as fact. Actually, it has never been proven and the data all indicates that it is not true.

Let’s look at some of the reasons these theories fall down :

* The latest research into the Paleolithic diet shows that our ancestors actually got 65% of their food from animal sources, and 35% from plant sources, rather than the other way around.

* Anthropological studies haven't found any societies (now or historically) in good health, whose native diet is exclusively vegetarian. All healthy groups eat at least seafood, and usually meat. The organ meats and fatty parts of the animals are most prized due to the vital fat content. Weston Price did observe some isolated cultures located in more temperate climates living primarily off fruits and other vegetation. Fish and animals were consumed less frequently and in smaller amounts, but were still an important part of the diet.

* When our digestive systems are compared to those of a dog (a carnivore) and a sheep (a vegetarian), using 39 points of comparison, we are identical to dogs on 37 points and similar to dogs on 2 points. We are dissimilar to sheep on all points. We are, in fact, omnivores.

* There is a lot of disagreement about how much protein we need. But think about this – we need protein for rebuilding our bodies in all sorts of ways, whereas carbohydrates are used solely for energy. The level is debatable, but there is no doubt our health will suffer if we eat inadequate protein. Complete protein is difficult to get without eating animal products. It is possible, of course, to get all the animo acids you need by carefully combining plant sources, but those plant sources will also contribute a high level of carbohydrate to your diet. This brings me to my next point.

* A diet high in carbohydrate has been assumed to be the ultimate healthy diet. But not so. In the decades that our fat intake has been dropping, and our carb intake increasing, obesity has increased by 25%. Some of this is because of the type of processed carbs we’re eating, but part of that is because of the nature of carbohydrate itself. It is converted to sugar by the body before it can be used and even complex carbohydrate will cause a rise in insulin levels if eaten to excess. This has resulted in a huge increase in associated diseases – those that some call Syndrome X.

* Another problem is the heavy reliance on grains and legumes. These have anti-nutrients which made them unsuitable for our Paleolithic ancestors to eat. Eventually they found out how to tolerate them by grinding and cooking them, which changed the face of history. But because we can tolerate them does not mean they are good for us, and their intake has resulted in another increase in ill health – this time chronic diseases such as food intolerances & auto-immune diseases.

* Vegetarians usually get a lot fo their protein from soy. There is a lot of discussion of how good soy really is for you, and many people now believe it isn't. While women may be able to tolerate a certain amount of it, the high estrogen content makes it unsuitable for men and children. It should only be eaten in fermented forms (eg. tempeh, miso and tamari) and in small amounts. It is unwise to rely on it as the main form of protein.

* Straying from the diet of our ancestors also means that we are getting a different intake of the micro-nutrients – vitamins and minerals. Our bodies need these in carefully balanced amounts and imbalances can cause all sorts of problems. The lack of B12 in a vegan diet has been the cause of serious child illnesses and developmental problems. For those who are able metabolically to follow a vegetarian lifestyle, it is critical to ensure that adequate supplementation is undertaken.

Despite the latest research on the Paleolithic diet, I don’t believe we all need the same diet. If you read the section on metabolic diets, you will see that there is a spectrum of dietary needs. A continuum you could say, with those people whose metabolism is essentially unchanged from our Paleolithic ancestors at one end and those who have evolved to need a diet higher in carbohydrate and lower in fat and purines at the other. For those with an Agriculturist metabolism, a vegetarian diet may well be the most healthy. More extreme Agriculturists may find a vegan or even a fruitarian diet is suitable. But remember that these are extreme diets and for those who are not Agriculturists they could do much more harm than good.

So how do I know if I should try it? you may ask. Read up about metabolic diets and especially about Agriculturists. If you think it sounds like you, give it a try. As always, if you feel unwell after an initial adjustment phase (give it at least a week, but if you feel really bad, don’t go more than a couple) try something else.

Your next question might be “I’ve been a vegetarian for xxx amount of time now. How do I know if it’s working for me?”. Have a run through this checklist :

1. Are you eating a wide variety of foods, including lots of different types of fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs?

2. Do you keep your grains and legumes to a minimum, and make sure you prepare them optimally? (see "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon for how to reduce the anti-nutrients and make them digestible)

3. If you are not eating fish, eggs or dairy, are you making sure you combine your food correctly to get complete protein at every meal?

4. Are you getting an adequate intake of essential fats?

5. Are you supplementing to make up for any nutritional gaps?

6. Is your weight appropriate & stable? ie. You are neither too fat or too thin.

7. Do you have a good level of muscle mass?

8. Do you feel energetic?

9. Do you feel satisfied by the foods you eat, with no cravings, bingeing or food reactions?

10. Do you keep good health? ie. Good immune status and no chronic conditions

11. Are your hair, skin and nails in good condition?

12. Is your sex drive within normal limits (normal for you, that is)?

If you can answer Yes to all of these questions, sounds like you’re on the right track. If you answer No to even one of these questions, you need to look at the reasons why. Also, remember that changing to a vegetarian diet may have very good results at first, as you eliminate a lot of junk food from your diet. But it's how you go on the long haul that is important.



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http://www.dhaarvi.blogspot.com