Benefits of Vegetarianism and Veganism

“I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.”

Leonardo da Vinci

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Before we get to the benefits of these modes of eating, I think it’s important to pose and answer the question, what are we supposed to be eating as humans? When you compare our bodily systems against other mammals, omnivores, carnivores and herbivores, how do we measure up? I find that what is abundantly clear is that humans were and still are very opportunistic. The weather and situations going on around the world spanning all the way back to paleolithic times was ever diverse and challenging as it has always been. Looking at fossils of prehistoric man and comparing their bodies to ours today, I think we’ve been the same way for a very long time.

Ultimately, our diet was mostly vegetables, grains, nuts, berries and possibly in times of necessity, a little meat. Ultimately however, our body is clearly mostly designed for plants. We have no carnivore teeth for ripping, our mouths are small in general, and moveable to be able to grind at vegetables. Our intestines are long and coiled much like apes and horses making digestion slow and better able to break down and absorb nutrients from plants. Our hands are outwardly very built for plant collecting and eating. In contrast, carnivores and even omnivores have sharper teeth, larger mouths with jaws that don’t move very well, sharper claws and shorter intestines with a fast transit time of an average of 3 hours. It’s no surprise that our bodies and inner workings look and act closest to that of our closest living relatives, apes and monkeys. Their diets are mostly plants, nuts, fruit, insects and the very occasional meat snack.

With all that said, there are critical vitamins that are low in strictly vegetarian or vegan diets and can cause health issues. These are the minerals such as iron and vitamins A, B12 and D3 as well as protein and omega-3 fatty acids among others. Ultimately, I think if we were strictly living off the land, our diet would include mostly vegetables, nuts and fruits with the occasional weekly meat snack of squirrel, rabbit or other small mammals, possibly even insects. However, thankfully in today’s world there is an abundance of supplements that can provide for our lacking nutritional needs as vegetarians or vegans.

Fortified milks, cereals and other vitamin supplements can easily fill in the missing gaps of our nutrition. It’s just critical to be mindful of those because while being a vegetarian or vegan has many benefits that I’ll get into, lacking in these vitamins can cause nervous system damage, depression, fatigue syndrome and an increase in heart attack and stroke among other issues. Overall, a well balanced and diverse diet is important for both vegetarians and vegans as well as those that eat meat and animal products. We need certain vitamins and minerals to function optimally and if we don’t get those items through our regular diet, we have to find high quality supplements. As much as a vegetarian or vegan diet serves to heal us, it can harm us if not done correctly. The Vegan Society has wonderful guides on commonly lacking nutrients and where to find them that I find very helpful.

Coming at this from a strictly logical and non-emotional stance (even though I have many emotional reasons), yes humans are meant to eat meat, but we’re not meant to eat a lot of it. We’re probably not meant to eat it daily or even worse, three times a day with every meal. Most studies show a rise in the risk of disease at levels of 50 – 100 grams or 1.8 – 3.5 ounces of red meat consumed daily, respectively, as per Dr. William Kormos, editor in chief of Harvard Men’s Health Watch. To put that in perspective, eating above a playing card sized portion of meat a day increases the risk of disease beyond that of vegetarians.

Going beyond vegetarianism, many people push towards veganism and completely eliminate all animal products, namely those that contain milk, eggs (sometimes considered a meat) or honey. Studies show that from a biological perspective we stop producing lactase (which breaks down milk) as we age suggesting that we’re not meant to drink milk after toddlerhood. In fact, one world study suggests that approx. 75% of the earth’s population is lactose intolerant. The group that is least intolerant are northern European populations, again, suggesting that only out of necessity, likely due to the cold climate and lack of options did we begin to drink milk as adults. While many of us evolved at some point to process lactose, likely due to a necessity to survive at the time, lactose intolerance is naturally a common ailment of many. Eggs were also likely eaten out of necessity due to starvation at one time as eggs really don’t add much to our diet unless we’re nutritionally lacking other better options. Adding onto the health risks of a diet heavy in animal products are the moral issues with modern and mass factory farming methods which are often if not always harmful and cruel not only to the animals themselves, but the natural world.

Benefits of a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet

Helps Save the Environment

Conserves Precious Natural Resources

Prevent Animal Cruelty

Feel Compassionate and Better About Our Food Choices

Weight Reduction

Reduction of Food Borne Illness and Disease

Lowers Risk of Heart Issues, High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

Lowers Risk of Cancer

Lowers Risk of Diabetes

Promotes Bone Health

Improves Digestion

Lowers Effects of Aging

Increases Energy

Avoid Toxic Chemicals, Hormones and Antibiotics

You’ll Save Money

Animal Consumption Contributes to Starvation in 3rd World Countries

Lowers Risk of Childhood Obesity

In summary, it’s up to each of us to make informed choices, avoid the pitfalls of those choices and guide our lives in the direction we want to go. Many studies have clearly shown that a largely plant based diet is healthiest and what isn’t up for debate are the negative impacts of meat consumption on animals and the environment at large. There are countless ways in which a largely plant based diet enriches our lives and experience while we’re here and is one more personal choice we can make that has genuine power to improve our world.

A healthy bridge to vegetarianism or veganism could be first participating in “meatless mondays”. Experiment with product choices as well as recipes. Make slow and deliberate changes and find a new substitute product by product that works for you. Many vegan products are absolutely delicious while others, not so much, but that’s just the same with any food and product. If you try one you don’t like, don’t give up, there are ten more behind it that you might enjoy! Join groups online for support. Have fun with it!

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