since vegetarians do not eat meat, they are suppose to be healthier than non-vegetarians.?

Question

is this statement true? pls put forth your arguments.

Answer 1

Well, it all depends on how a vegetarian is eating. If a veg is eating nothing but potato chips and processed foods then they will probably be no healthier then any other meat eater. But a veg usually relies mostly on vegetables and fruits to complete a meatless diet, that is why they tend to be healthier. I believe that a veg is more aware of what they are putting into their body, making them more health conscious. Of course there are also meat eaters who are health conscious and pay attention to what they eat. It can go either way though!!!

Answer 2

I don't believe there's a clear-cut answer to that question. I'm not vegetarian, but I buy organic, eat only whole grains, and just chicken, turkey & fish as well as soy protein "meats". I use only healthy oils for cooking anything that might need oil, or for salad dressings. I eat low fat, and keep the carbs to healthy carbs only, in healthy portions. I don't eat white bread ever or white potatoes, and only whole wheat pastas. It's turkey bacon or Canadian bacon because they are both lower fat choices, or vegetarian sausage. Pizza is usually veggies, with or without chicken, on whole wheat crust. And I take natural supplements to continue my goal of eating and staying healthy.

I think it's up to each person, whether vegetarian or not, to eat healthy. So, in my humble opinion... it's not a cold, hard fact that one is healthier than the other... it's about making healthy choices.

Answer 3

Not true because meat contains many vital proteins which cannot all be replaced by alternatives also lean meat is not unhealthy like skinless chicken with no fat steamed is extremly healthy same as any other lean meat. The most important thing helping to keep us healthy is a balanced diet which doesnt nessecarily mean cutting out meat and becoming vegetarian, but it depends on your reasons to become a vegetarian.

Answer 4

How healthy you are depends on what your diet is made up of, not *just* on whether or not there is meat in it. A balanced meat-eating diet is healthier than a junk-food or very limited vegetarian diet. But, when all your nutritional needs are being met without an excess of fat or sugar, a vegetarian diet is healthier. As a group vegetarians have less cardiovascular disease, fewer heart attacks and strokes, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, fewer cases of diabetes, less kidney disease, and a lower risk of several kinds of cancer, notably colon and prostate cancer. Statistically, vegetarians live 6-10 years longer than meat eaters.

Edit to add: there are NOT "special" proteins in meat! Protein is made up of amino acids and there are essential amino acids that you must get from your diet. EVERY SINGLE ONE is found in plant foods and the average American vegetarian gets more protein than they need without supplements and, in most cases, without even really trying. There is protein in practically everything and true protein deficiency is almost unheard of in the developed world.

Jeez, there are a lot of misinformed people out there. There are NO nutrients one cannot get on a vegetarian diet. Vegans need to supplement ONE, and that's just because chemical pesticides and fertilizers have rendered most soil incapable of sustaining the bacteria that synthesizes B12 (in past centuries, one could get plenty from root veggies, now not so much.) The protein myth is just that - a myth. How people came to believe that meat is the only good source of protein would be a complete mystery, except that it's not: the beef producing lobby tells us their product is the end-all-be-all when it comes to protein and we stupidly believe it. The average American meat eater gets 4x the protein needed and isn't aware that excess protein irritates the immune system, damages the kidneys and leaches calcium from the bones. And doctors are not constantly telling people to eat meat - I've been veg for 21 years and NO doctor has disapproved of my diet because I am not deficient in ANY nutrients and pretty much never get sick. And even if a doctor did tell someone to eat meat, you'd have to take it with a grain of salt since most medical schools teach next to NOTHING about nutrition. One visits a registered dietician if one wants nutritional expertise, not a doctor who probably got one three hour lecture on nutrition in med school.

FYI: The American Dietetic Association, the nation's nop nutritional watchdog, has come out in favor of a vegetarian diet as appropriate for all life stages. Even the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, THE beef lobby, has conceded that a vegetarian diet is healthy; they are clearly not pro-vegetarianism since they exist to sell beef, but they know full well that claiming otherwise in the face of reams of evidence to the contrary would damage their credibility.

Answer 5

Veg*ns will tell you it is true, but I think the science shows otherwise.

Humans need nutrients that are only found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Veg*ns usually have to take a lot of supplements to make their diets work. And when they get protein from sources like soy, they are consuming naturally occurring chemicals that can mess up your hormonal balances.

I'll grant that the standard American diet, with the processed sugar, high fructose corn syrup and trans fats is horrible for us. It is probably the biggest cause for diseases like diabetes, heat disease and other "aging" diseases. Veg*n diets are probably a bit better because they tend to avoid highly processed foods.

But I think science is showing that the best diet for humans is the so-called paleolithic diet. It consists of a lot of meat and fish, fruits, berries, some vegetables and some tubers - in other words the kind of diet a hunter/gatherer would eat.

Modern factory farm processes ,like feeding cattle grain, leaves meat with fewer essential Omega 3s, and I'm sure the hormones and antibiotics don't help. But if you can get organic grass fed beef, buffalo or know a hunter, you can get a good supply of fresh meat.

Answer 6

Supposedly yes since vegetarians don't eat any meat so they can avoid the unhealthy meat and replace the proteins of meat with soybeans and tofu.

Answer 7

Yes, I agree that vegetarian must be healthier than non-vegetarian.
we who r non-vegetarian, eat lots of germs during eating meats, thus making our immune system work loots.
But on the other hand the r special proteins only in meats. vegetarian may lack these precious.

Answer 8

vegetarians, like myself, (i'm semi-vegetarian, eating fish and chicken), eat tofu, soy, veggies, fruits, dairy, soy milks, eggs, beans, they take vitamins.....
19 more days till Christmas!

Answer 9

No. Neither is "healthier" if they both eat balanced meals and exercise.

Answer 10

Non vegs need more oil and salt for cooking. So vegetarianism is healthier.