How is being a vegetarian good for you?

Answer 1

Livestock play significant roles in deforestation, soil erosion, water scarcity, global warming, depletion of fossil fuels, and loss of biodiversity.

There are three big areas: Fossil fuel usage, efficiency of land usage and greenhouse gas production:

A large amount of fossil fuel is used for animal agricultural - up to 1/3 of the USA total usage.

To raise an animal for slaughter, the animal must be fed on grains - much of which (soya and grains) could be eaten directly; greatly improving the usage of agricultural land.

A significant source of methane produced by livestock - cows in particular "burp" methane.

Mathematically, with much healthier foods taking up far and away less from the environment, the meat industry really only serves to retard environmental awareness (and moral ethics).

It should be noted that there are few drawbacks, environmentally speaking, to vegetarianism. Many vegetarians in northern climates want to have the diversity of fresh fruits and vegetables available all winter, As a consequence the carbon footprint of pineapples, mangoes and other exotic foods flown in from all around the world can be quite heavy. Winter vegetarians in northern paces like Alaska and Nunavut often convert to a game based diet to reduce this impact or eat a diet of summer grown storable vegetables and local produce (canned or dried) during the winter months.

Answer 2

less violence Switching to a plant based diet is one of the single most impactful things you can do to effect our planet in a positive way. For information to back up that statement, check out the related links.

Answer 3

Favorably! In fact, veganizing is the best way to protect and to heal our environment for many reasons. And, you can save your own money by eating vegan meals, vegans are proven in studies to be brighter than others, and they live around ten years longer than meat-eaters, have more energy, and stay young-looking. Plus, vegan foods taste much better ! Read this: Really Want to Help? To Save the World? It's Better To Green Your Food Than To Green Your Car Save the World and Your Own Health, o ne Meal At A Time It's Far Better To Green Your Food Than To Green Your Car Do You Truly Want to Save The World? Then Please Remember That It's Far Better to Green Your Food and to Become Vegan Than to Recycle, to Get Green with Your Car, Or ANYTHING Else You Can Do. http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg18825304.800.html THINKING of helping the planet by buying an eco-friendly car? You could do more by going vegan, say Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin of the University of Chicago. They compared the amount of fossil fuel needed to cultivate and process various foods, including running agricultural machinery, providing food for livestock and irrigating crops. They also factored in emissions of methane and nitrous oxide produced by cows, sheep and manure treatment. The typical US diet, about 28 per cent of which comes from animal sources, generates the equivalent of nearly 1.5 tonnes more carbon dioxide per person per year than a vegan diet with the same number of calories, say the researchers, who presented their results at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco last week. By comparison, the difference in annual emissions between driving a typical saloon car and a hybrid car, which runs off a rechargeable battery and gasoline, is just over 1 tonne. If you don't want to go vegan, choosing less-processed animal products and poultry instead of red meat can help reduce the greenhouse load. From issue 2530 of New Scientist magazine, 17 December 2005, page 19 And there are plenty more studies and articles that tell us the same thing. Vegan your plate and we can change our fate! Go Vegan and Save the World! Visit http://www.Ecoize.com http://media.www.lugazette.com/media/storage/paper816/news/2009/02/18/News/Going.Vegetarian.Saves.Animals.The.Environment.And.Your.Health-3636129.shtml http://www.alternet.org/environment/47668 http://www.earthsave.org/globalwarming.htm http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalWarming.asp http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/jvtubshvat.html http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-10-14-veggie-kids_N.htm http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/17/future_of_food/ http://www.all-creatures.org/murti/art-howour.html http://veganonthecheap.com/

Answer 4

these:

1. Vegetarians tend to result in lower rates of Heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 Diabetes and some forms of cancer.
2. Vegetarians also tend to have lower body mass indexes and cholesterol levels.
3. Vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and they have a 40 percent lower cancer rate of meat-eaters.
4. Meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegans (who don't eat any animal products) are.
5. Vegetarians have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters.
6. Vegetarians and vegans live, on average, six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters.
7. Good for the environment.

Vegetarianism is better for your health, the health of the planet, your karma, and to increase kindness and compassion on the planet. Yes and No. With any diet, if you live off nutrient deficient junk it will not be good for your health. Having some basic knowledge of nutrition is a good thing for non vegetarians and vegetarians. A vegetarian diet can be a very good thing. Many people can benefit and thrive off of a vegetarian diet. People do not have to consume meat for protein. A diet rich in legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and for some; eggs and dairy, provides all of the protein and nutrients the human body needs.

Answer 5

The meat industry has an immense negative affect on the environment, so becoming a vegetarian means that you are no longer supporting the carbon emissions that the industry puts out, pollution which will ultimately negatively effect our own population.

More directly, many African communities are giving up precious crop land to grow cattle because they can make more money, but this also means that they are going hungry more often. One pound of meat takes the equivalent of sixteen pounds of grains to produce- a lot of food wasted. Additionally, trees which could help clean the air we breathe are cleared to make room for cattle. And once the meat makes it to the factory, workers are forced to labor under a highly corrupt system, covered constantly in filth and making repetitive cuts at high speeds that lead many of them to develop diseases such as carpal tunnel. Those are some ways, in a very small nutshell.

Answer 6

Flat out answer: Yes.

The production of meat requires far more water, land, and fossil fuels than the production of the same amount of plant-based food. Up to 16 pounds of grain are needed to produce one pound of beef. Out of the huge amount of pesticide used on these grains, a percentage ends up on the food is destined for animals that are used to produce meat, milk, and eggs. The pesticide concentrates in the bodies of the animals. This pesticide is then eaten by people, and fed to their companion animals. The meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and many scientists now believe that in the wake of a changing climate, the switch to a largely plant-based diet is necessary to avoid famine.

That said, some people believe that it is possible to have a diet containing meat that is environmentally aware.

If you want to eat meat but you're concerned for the environmental impact, look for the different meat options and the different companies. You'll have to do some research on how each company grows and prepares their products but you should be able to find something that works for you.

Also if you can, look into any small business or family owned butchers. Rural butchers in particular tend to buy animals from farmers they know and there's a better chance of them having a smaller environmental impact than the large companies.

You'll probably find that most of the meat available in your local store comes from factory farms, though.

Answer 7

Here's the thing: You promote the further use of fossil fuels and increased soil erosion, not to mention losses in soil carbon by further cultivation, by stating such a fallacious assessment. You also encourage further land and habitat degradation and destruction by wishing for no livestock to graze on the land, but instead to plough everything under so more food can be grown for more people. Can't have wildlife habitat and plant biodiversity while growing monoculture crops for billions of needy people!
Only 10% of the earth's surface is suitable for crop production, and 26% currently used for grazing because that's all it's suited for. Even then, some of the crop land that is deemed "suitable" likely isn't even suitable at all, like in the Midwestern US, and should just be converted back to grassland for cattle to graze on. Not grown for oil and biofuel, and some animal feed for CAFOs.

Finally, you're also encouraging the further destruction of the rainforests by advocating for a vegan diet. See, rainforests are destroyed for the purpose of crop production like sugar, soybeans, coffee, cacao, and others. Once the soil is unsuitable for crop production, only then does it go to grass for cattle and sheep.

Hence, unlike the answer below, being a vegan affects the environment unfavourably. In fact, most scientists that study ecology and conservation (like Allan Savory, among others) agree that a vegan diet is probably the least sustainable behind that of the Standard American Diet, one that is rich in grains and conventionally-raised meat, fruits and vegetables.

Answer 8

Being a vegetarian (or better yet, a vegan) benefits humans in the following ways:

1. It reduces risk for chronic disease. People who don't eat meat tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. This kind of vegetarian diet is healthier than the standard American diet (SAD), especially when it comes to preventing, treating, or even reversing heart disease and reducing your risk of cancer. Cardiovascular disease kills 1 million Americans annually and is the leading cause of death in the United States, but according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is lower in vegetarians than in people who eat meat. In fact, a low-fat vegetarian diet is the single most effective way to prevent coronary artery disease or stop its progression. A vegetarian diet is healthier because vegetarians consume less animal fat and cholesterol (vegans consume no animal fat or cholesterol) and instead consume more fiber and more micronutrient-rich vegetables and fruits.
   
2. It helps fight obesity. The SAD tends to be high in saturated fats and processed foods and low in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 64% of adults and 15% of children aged 6 to 19 are overweight and are at risk of weight-related ailments including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A study conducted from 1986 to 1992 by Dr. Dean Ornish, MD, found that overweight people who followed a low-fat, vegetarian diet lost an average of 24 pounds in the first year and kept off that weight 5 years later. They lost the weight without counting calories or carbohydrates and without measuring portions or feeling hungry.
   
3. It helps humans live longer. Dr. Michael F. Roizen, MD, says that if you switch from the SAD to a vegetarian diet, you can add about 13 healthy years to your life. People who consume saturated animal fat have a shorter life span and are more disabled at the end of their lives. Meat, along with dairy and eggs, clogs your arteries, diminishes your energy levels, and slows down your immune system. Meat eaters also experience accelerated cognitive and sexual dysfunction at a younger age. Residents of Okinawa, Japan, consume a low-calorie diet of complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and soy. They have the longest life expectancy of any Japanese and likely the longest life expectancy of anyone in the world, according to a 30-year study of more than 600 Okinawan people who were 100 years old or older.
   
4. It reduces risk of food-borne illnesses. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meat, poultry, fish and seafood are frequently involved in food-borne illness outbreaks. The CDC reports that food-borne illnesses of all kinds account for 76 million illnesses a year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the United States.
   
5. It improves energy levels. Animal fat in your bloodstream clogs your arteries and reduces blood flow to your muscles, making you feel tired. Vegetarian diets that also avoid dairy and eggs are free of cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging animal fat that physically slow you down. And because vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains are high in complex carbohydrates, they supply your body with plenty of slow-burning fuel.
   
6. It relieves constipation. Meat contains no fiber. Vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and seeds are loaded with fiber, which pushes waste out of your body. People who don't eat meat tend to have fewer instances of constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis.
   
7. It reduces exposure to toxic chemicals. According to EPA estimates, nearly 95 percent of the pesticide residue in the SAD comes from meat, fish, and dairy products. Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens--such as PCBs and DDT--and heavy metals--such as Mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium--that can't be removed through cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products can also be laced with steroids and hormones.
   
8. It would save hungry people from starvation. Even though there are enough plant crops grown to feed the entire human population, the majority of crops are fed to livestock to produce meat for people who can afford it. It takes 13 to 20 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of beef, around seven pounds of grain to produce one pound of pork, and 4.5 pounds of grain to produce one pound of chicken. In 2009, a Worldwatch Institute study reported that "meat consumption is an inefficient use of grains...the grain is used more efficiently when consumed directly by humans...feeding grain to animals, creat[es] competition for grain between affluent meat-eaters and the world's poor." In 2011, farmers worldwide produced 883 million tons of corn, and 260 million tons of soybeans. On average, 40-50% of that corn, and 80% of those soybeans are fed to farmed animals, rather than humans. In 2013, scientists from the Institute on the Environment and the University of Minnesota published a study that concluded that if all food crops were fed directly to humans instead of animals, around 70% more food would be added to the world's supply, which would be enough to feed 4 billion additional people. That surplus alone would be enough food to feed over half the humans on earth, including the 925 million who face hunger every day, and the 2.5 million children under the age of five who die of starvation each year.
9. It would give people more money to spend on other things. Besides costing in terms of water and fuel that much of the world cannot afford, a pound of ground beef in 2014 cost $4.10 in the United States, where its production is highly subsidized. It provides 1,152 calories, nearly 91 grams of fat, 78 grams of protein, and no fiber. A half pound of lentils mixed with a half pound of brown rice costs about $1.38 in the United States. They provide 1,587 calories, 8 grams of fat, 88 grams of protein, and 77 grams of fiber. The biggest savings may be long-term: by avoiding chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, you could save on such procedures as a $57,439 heart bypass operation and take far fewer sick days.

Answer 9

Being a vegetarian gives you an opportunity to:

• develop dietary deficiencies by eating tasty things rather than the variet of unpopular foods that provide you with materials easily available in meat
  
• develop a sense of moral superiority about not killing animals while creating a carbon footprint beyond all reason by importing fresh vegigies and fruit from all over the world in the dead of winter
  
• fooling yourself by needing your food to be manufactured to look likee meat and dousing it with ketchup to make it look like its rare
  
• a chance to lecture your omnivore friends about how smart and moral you are
  
• eat a diet incompatible with the teeth and intestinal system our ancestors evolved.
• the mistaken impression that eating the McDonnell's veggie meal is lower calorie than a regular meal while consuming about a day's worth of food in one sitting

Answer 10

Vegetarian diet is believed to be the healthiest.