Vegetarianism

[AhmadSyahir]

Is vegetarianism is good for health??

 

[Madhuri]

Only if the person makes sure they eat the right food to get all the nutrients they need. If a vegetarian can do this, which is not so hard in developed countries, then yes, it can be very healthy. It is much healthier than most meat-eaters who are ingesting meat containing very bad fats and hormones and far too much of it (due to modern day industry processes).

 

[Majikthise]

Yes and no.
Once you start you have to stick with it.

 

[jarofthoughts]

No.
There is nothing inherently healthy about a vegetarian diet.
Fish and meat contains nutrients and fatty acids that our bodies need and that vegetarians have to get through other sources.
The healthy thing to do is to eat a varied diet.

 

[Mister Emu]

Depends.

 

[Quintessence]

It may also be good to define "health." The physical health your doctor evaluates? Mental health? Spiritual health? The health of the greater ecosystems of the planet?

 

[SageTree]

Depends on how you handle it.

Garbage in garbage out... meat or no meat.

 

[Me Myself]

I answered yes but I also agree with:

Depends.

This is because eating sand all day long would also be called a vegetarian diet (as it doesn´t involve animals)

If we are talking about a GOOD vegetarian diet, yes it can be great for health, preventing many types of cancer and diabetes.

No.
There is nothing inherently healthy about a vegetarian diet.
Fish and meat contains nutrients and fatty acids that our bodies need and that vegetarians have to get through other sources.
The healthy thing to do is to eat a varied diet.

As you say, it CAN be attained in other sources.

To that, remember that a vegetarian diet lessens the risks of cancer, high pressure and diabettes if done correctly.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Health without bacon is like having a smoking hot wife and no penis.

 

[Me Myself]

Health without bacon is like having a smoking hot wife and no penis.

That depends.

Would you eat your own penis?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

That depends.

Would you eat your own penis?

Only if it was cooked in the chopped up remains of a perfectly good analogy.

 

[Me Myself]

Only if it was cooked in the chopped up remains of a perfectly good analogy.

I stand by defeated

 

[Gaura Priya]

I've known people who are vegetarians... and have poor health. XD But a balanced vegetarian diet is healthier, I think, in the long run.

 

[jarofthoughts]

As you say, it CAN be attained in other sources.

To that, remember that a vegetarian diet lessens the risks of cancer, high pressure and diabettes if done correctly.

But then again, the same can be said about any well thought out diet that also includes some amount of fish and meat.
I'm not saying that most people who eat meat do this, they clearly don't, but I'm saying that there is nothing inherently more healthy about following a vegetarian diet. What -is- healthy, and several studies show this, is to have a varied diet in which all the necessary nutrients are accounted for in reasonable amounts, which usually means lots of vegetables and fruit, with some meat and fish.

 

[Penumbra]

I'm not a nutritionist.

But based on research I have looked into, based on looking at the topic pretty thoroughly in a scientific nutrition class, and based on many years of personal experience as a vegetarian, I believe it's very healthy if it is performed correctly. It's not very hard to be pretty healthy with it. Protein is the most commonly cited question, but it's pretty easy to get enough protein unless you want to be a body builder; then it'll be tough. Calcium and Iron must be taken into account, especially for women (females need considerably more Iron than males, and Calcium is particular important when aging). Plus Calcium and Iron can conflict with one another. But as long as it's sufficiently balanced, it can be healthy, and will likely have a lot less fat and cholesterol than a typical diet in a developed country.

But other diets can be healthy too. A diet that is considerably plant-based, but that still includes some lean meats can be quite healthy. Some studies I've looked into show that pescetarianism (vegetarian + fish) can be the healthiest of all. I experimented with a pescetarian diet for a period of time, and saw no differences in energy or cognition, but the test didn't last for a lifetime obviously.

 

[AhmadSyahir]

For me, it doesnt matter as long as we get to eat . The most important thing is eat moderately. Thanks for your comment.

 

[Me Myself]

But then again, the same can be said about any well thought out diet that also includes some amount of fish and meat.
I'm not saying that most people who eat meat do this, they clearly don't, but I'm saying that there is nothing inherently more healthy about following a vegetarian diet.

Interesting... maybe you are right. In any case, I do most say that for most people that are vegetarian for a long time have shown the improvements talked about.

What -is- healthy, and several studies show this, is to have a varied diet in which all the necessary nutrients are accounted for in reasonable amounts, which usually means lots of vegetables and fruit, with some meat and fish.

Fish I think is around the most poluted lifeforms today because of what we are doing to the ocean? I do may be very wrong in this, it´s just something I think I´ve heard.

In any case, the ADA says that a vegetarian diet can be AS healthy as a non-vegetarian if I am not mistaken. So I would sustain that fish or meat is to the least completely unnecesary as a food source for great majority of us.

Colectively, vegetarianism is still the healthiest choice because most of the methane from the atmosphere comes from the absolutely enormous amounts of animals breeded to be "meat" for us. If you substracted the major meat companies from the planet the ecological problems would lessen proportionaly.

 

[illykitty]

It is very healthy if you know what you're doing. You need to learn about combining the right foods and a little bit about the vitamins and minerals contained in them (ex. beans contains proteins, fiber, vitamin B and iron).

I'm not entirely vegetarian, have fish once in a while (it's my weakness) but I've been one for a while and it's the best I felt in my life. Meat makes me feel heavy and sluggish. Plus there's the mental and spiritual benefits, it feels nicer to know that no animals have been harmed and that you're helping the planet!

But really, if someone wants to know what's likely to be a good diet, look at places where people live long and check out their diets, it usually is higher in fruits, veg and cereals, and lower in meat. Smaller portions also helps a lot!

 

[AhmadSyahir]

Some poor people just eat whatever they have without even thinking about a healthy diet but they still alive untill this day. Weird huh?? I figure out that we shouldn't be too concern about our diet (except for bodybuilder). Even the lion don't eat vegetables like us but they look quite healthy for me. The most important is to keep a good proportion and eat moderately.

 

[jarofthoughts]

Interesting... maybe you are right. In any case, I do most say that for most people that are vegetarian for a long time have shown the improvements talked about.

Quite possible, and as I pointed out earlier, most people, myself included, are not nearly conscious enough about their diet.
I get the impression that vegetarians to a larger degree focus on what they eat because they pretty much have to in order to obtain the nutrients the body requires.
It may be that this is not so much a question of vegetarian versus non-vegetarian, but more about being conscious about what we eat in general.

Fish I think is around the most poluted lifeforms today because of what we are doing to the ocean? I do may be very wrong in this, it´s just something I think I´ve heard.

I am not familiar with this so if you have any sources dealing with that issue I'd be grateful.

In any case, the ADA says that a vegetarian diet can be AS healthy as a non-vegetarian if I am not mistaken. So I would sustain that fish or meat is to the least completely unnecesary as a food source for great majority of us.

There is no question that you -can- get all the nutrients you need from a strict vegetarian diet. It's just a little more hassle.
For me it comes down to taste though, and I do love beef and bacon, so I am unlikely to give that up any time soon.
However, I'll be more than happy to give lab-grown meat a chance when that hits the marked.

Colectively, vegetarianism is still the healthiest choice because most of the methane from the atmosphere comes from the absolutely enormous amounts of animals breeded to be "meat" for us. If you substracted the major meat companies from the planet the ecological problems would lessen proportionaly.

This is not really something that has to do with what diet is the healthiest, but rather a question that has to do with the sustainability and production methods of said diet. In other words, for this specific topic, the ecological aspects are irrelevant.