We Can't Beat the Meat

The vegetarian diet is a very hotly debated topic to this day. There are many different arguments that arise when it comes to the positive and negative effects of the diet. Though both sides have their pros and cons, a non-vegetarian diet seems like the better choice. The consequences of a vegetarian diet seem to far outweigh the positive effects. The main downfalls of a vegetarian diet are a lack of iron, protein, zinc, and many other key nutrients. On the other hand, some downfalls to a meat-filled diet include different diseases that can cause major problems in the body. Now, trying to keep these diets up are hard but it can be done by finding different foods to keep the body in balance. There are also many other factors that pertain to the preference of the non-vegetarian diet. Such factors can include price, availability, and how much a certain vegan product can make up for the absence of animal products. According to many different articles, these two different diets can almost not be decided upon. The fact is, meat is the most naturally occurring, well balanced and easily obtained and digested package of proteins, essential acids and source of iron and Vitamin B12 that you can find. The stronger argument is in favor of a non-vegetarian diet because of its higher ability to provide for the body. This is supported by various articles written by health and wellness experts. Because of many problems that a vegetarian diet can cause, many experts believe that this may be a precursor to the development of an eating disorder. In a study done in 1987, “out of 116 individuals with anorexia, just over half of the patients claimed a vegetarian (defined in this particular study as not eating red meat) diet,” (Timko, Hormes, and Chubski 983). This disturbing observation just goes to show how a complete vegetarian diet can lead to many different problems with the human body stemming from eating disorders. Those that have iron deficiency, tend to get tired very easily

Links: iler 333). From this we can see that meat alone will not help to build strong bones. But meat plus dairy is an excellent combination. Now that there have been many pieces of evidence that point towards a meat-filled diet, we must also consider what makes vegetarianism a possible alternative. There are many different opinions on these two different diets but mostly questions the efficiency of this vegetarian diet. When it comes to being a vegetarian there are many aspects a person must consider in order to have a balanced diet. There are four main types of vegetarianism - pescatarian, flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan. A “pescatarian” is occasionally used to describe those who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. “Flexitarian” is a term recently thought of to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat. A vegetarian is one who do not eat meat of any kind, but do eat eggs and dairy products. Vegans do not eat meat of any kind and also do not eat eggs, dairy products, or processed foods containing these or other animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin. Now, trying to keep these diets up are hard but it can be done by finding different foods to keep the body in balance. As people move into a more health conscious society, vegetarianism is becoming a popular choice. While some people cannot imagine a day without meat, others are convinced that a vegetarian lifestyle is the better option. There are numerous benefits of being a vegetarian. Some of the reasons are as follows: vegetarianism has multiple health paybacks, is far better for the environment, and is morally sound. Most people believe that vegetarianism is unhealthy, goes against our natural diet, and unnecessary, however, a vegetarian diet offers many health benefits and is more ethical than an omnivorous existence. When it come to the positive aspects of a vegetarian diet, professors at Kyung Hee University in Korea determined that this diet can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Their studies have shown that, “The Western diet is one of the leading causes of the increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and intractable diseases” (Kim, Cho, and Park 155). There are many different factors that can contribute to this. Some more obvious than others. Based on facts presented by the Food Research and Action center, about two-thirds of U.S. adults and one third of children are overweight or obese. One of the main factors of this is the low prices of the fast food. Because the economy is in a slump and parents working long hours, they look to fast food to get a quick meal for the whole family. Furthermore, the prices of vegetables and other farm products seems to be always increasing. For families that can’t afford healthier choices, fast food is the easy alternative. Although the test results that these men have come up with are based on Korean people, it can be easily translated to Americans. According to their studies, a long-term vegetarian diet lowers oxidative stress, body fat, and cholesterol. Oxidative stress is caused by reactive oxygen species that are produced during metabolic processes. This in excess leads to free radicals and cause various diseases by inducing damage to proteins or DNA and destroying cell membranes. Because vegetarians don’t eat meat their levels of saturated fatty acids are a lot lower. Their fiber and antioxidant levels are higher because of the constant consumption of many fruits and vegetables. Therefore lowering oxidative stress and blood lipid levels. The body fat percentage was 21.6% in vegetarians and 25.4% in regular omnivores (Kim, Cho, and Park 155). The cholesterol levels in omnivores were also significantly higher. Although this is mainly the connection of a vegetarian diet and non-vegetarian diet, there are still many reasons outside of wellness that contribute to a person’s choice. Some vegetarians are purely moral-based because of they’re concern for the ways animals get treated in factory farms. Compared with health vegetarians, moral vegetarians find meat more disgusting, offer more reasons in support of their meat avoidance, and avoid a wider range of foods. A prime example of moral vegetarianism is found in the novel, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. In this case, he represents turkey’s as his primary example of animal cruelty leading him to be a vegetarian. But with further research done from different sites we find that this is a very real and serious matter. When it comes to animal welfare, there is a big grey area in which we are completely blind to what goes on in a factory farm. In the case of turkeys, they are forced to live quite like factory farmed chickens. They are crammed together in large sheds with almost no room to move. As shown by gentlethanksgiving.org, “The rest of their lives (turkeys) are forced to endure crowding, living in their own waste, and ravaging diseases. ” This usually does not come to mind when people are buying a turkey from their local store. They want a big plump turkey that will feed the family. But if people actually took a step back to look at a turkey’s living conditions, they will most likely have a different outlook on these birds. Not only do they live in their own fecal matter, but they are artificially inseminated, suffering from heart attacks, broken limbs, and lameness because of the enormous amounts of antibiotics injected into them. Because of this poor treatment, 9% of turkeys didn’t survive long enough to even make it to the slaughterhouse. However, the rest that do survive suffer a terrible death. Also mentioned by the same site, “After 16 weeks of misery, they are hung on a conveyer belt, their throats are cut, and they are dumped - sometimes still fully conscious - into scalding water to strip their feathers.” This cruel slaughter further shows the poor treatment of these iconic birds and their degradation from being such a high quality meat. Furthermore, there is no law that protects any food-bred bird from cruelty. Meat is an age-old delicacy that everyone enjoys and likes to have in their diet to keep it balanced. Through all the evidence shown, meat is a beneficial part of a person’s diet as it is in protein and iron, which are key aspects to keeping the immune system healthy. Vegetarianism is not a bad thing but it doesn’t quite satisfy a healthy balance without the addition of meat. There just isn’t enough evidence to prove that a vegetarian diet is 100% better because of the infinite number of factors that can be considered. With so many fast food restaurants and lazy people it creates a view of skepticism on the topic of meat. Moderation is key to a meat-eaters diet and with it there is no way a vegetarian diet can compare. From an ethical standpoint, there just aren’t enough people in the world that want to put a stop to factory farming which therefore makes it hard for them to argue against a meat filled diet. And with that you can’t beat the meat. A non-vegetarian diet is the way.