Vegetarianism vs Non-Vegetarianism

In the past, vegetarianism was given prominence in our country. Vegetarians were considered as well behaved and intellectuals. Vegetarians even commanded respect. However, the situation now has totally changed.

Many vegetarians have started relishing the Non-Vegetarian food items. A misconception of considering the vegetarians as weaklings and cowards, and non-vegetarians as strong and brave, has also developed. This situation is relevant only to India.

In western countries it's the reverse. Non-vegetarian are turning vegetarian. What is the reason? From health point of view, which is better vegetarian food or non-vegetarian food?

The food we take has considerable effect not only on the body but also on our mind. Our ancestors have divided our food into three types:

Food nurturing Satva guna (Soft and Polite) Food developing Rajo guna (Anger and arrogance) Food promoting Tamo guna (Ignorant and malignant)

Fruits, vegetables, pulses, milk and its products etc help improve the Satva guna. These foods not only nourish the man's body but also his mind and help improve his intellectual and amicable behaviours.

Drinks like Coca-Cola, coffee, tea etc fall under the second type. They are good to the body but are supposedly harmful to the man's nature by making him possessive and aggressive.

Meat, fish, eggs, mushrooms, stale food, intoxicating drinks, etc. increase the Tamo guna. They increase laziness and animal like behaviour in a man. They may be good for the body but definitely harmful to his mind.

We were vegetarians to begin with

Nature has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian creatures. Human body has been created to be vegetarian, rather than a non-vegetarian. We find several proofs to support this.

In fact, human being in his primary stage of evolution used to eat tubers, fruits, leaves and other vegetables for survival. During adverse natural calamities and famines, when vegetable became scarce he started eating non-vegetarian food. Later, he could not get over the taste of meat and thus he became a non-vegetarian.

Usually the intestines of non-vegetarian animals are not very long. They are usually about thrice the length of that animal. The short length is suitable for early excretion of the fleshy substances, which turn putrid quickly.

The vegetarian animals have considerably long intestines. The long digestive track enables slow assimilation of vegetables, fruits, and tubers. The human intestines are long, similar to the vegetarian animals; approximately 12 times his height!

In flesh eating animals considerable quantities of Hydro Chloric acid(HCL) is produced, which is, required for the digestion of meat. In human beings, HCL produced is hardly one tenth of the quantity produced in meat eating animals.

Salivary glands of meat eating animals are not fully developed and their saliva is highly acidic. But non-meat eating animals have fully developed salivary glands producing saliva, which is mostly alkaline in nature.

Humans also produce saliva, in which the alkaline percentage is high. Saliva also contains an enzyme called Ptyalin required for the digestion of pulses and cereals.

Meat eating animals have short sharp teeth to tear the flesh and in addition, they have fangs on both sides. They do not have molar teeth. Their paws have claws. In contrast, the non-meat eating animals have flat teeth, suitable for chewing and their feet do not have claws. We all know that our teeth and feet are similar to non-meat eating animals.

The meat eating animals drink water by licking it with their tongues unlike non-meat eating animals, which do not use their tongue for this purpose.

Now with all the above descriptions don't we understand that the human body is made more suitable to eat vegetable like leaves, fruits and tubers rather than eating meat.

How did we become non-vegetarian?

As explained earlier, our ancestors though basically vegetarians, had turned to meat when the vegetables became scarce due to natural calamities and famine.

To illustrate this theory we can take the example of Eskimos. Eskimos live in the arctic region where no vegetation can grow. Thus, they have no other way but to become non-vegetarians.

Disadvantages of non-vegetarian food

We are all aware that cancer and heart trouble are the two diseases, which take the maximum toll on human beings. It has been found in various researches and tests that meat eaters are more prone to these diseases than the vegetarians.

Short life span

Records show that vegetarians live longer than their counterparts. Many of those who have lived over hundred years were vegetarians.

Treatment for retching

Before actually throwing up one may have a retching sensation. This is called nausea. This may occur during various ailments or as a side affect to some medicines.

Whenever, nausea occurs do not try to eat any thing, instead sip water little by little and lie down. This will either remove the nausea or make you to vomit, bringing you relief in either way.

Cancer

The occurrence of stomach cancer is common in non-vegetarians and is rare in vegetarians. The reason for this has been observed as follows:

To digest the consumed meat, the stomach secretes strong chemicals. They stay there along with the meat for a long time, causing cancer of the stomach and intestines.

Its not the case in vegetarians. The food moves out of intestines quickly due to the fibre content in the vegetables. Because of the quick movement of the food, vegetarians have clean bowls without constipation.

Chemicals in meat

The preservative chemicals used for storing the meat also contain cancerous substances. Also, the chemicals in the manures and pesticides get stored in the meat of goats and sheep when they eat the plants on which these chemicals have been sprayed. Over and above this, varieties of chemical drugs are being used to see that the chicken, sheep, and pigs grow fast and put on weight. All these chemicals accumulate in their flesh and are likely to enter our body when their meat is consumed.

Heart diseases

The fat and fatty acids present in the meat enter our body and accumulate in the blood vessels clogging them and thereby causing heart attack and paralysis in the non-vegetarians.

The fibre content in the vegetables keeps the cholesterol in blood the under control. Thus making vegetarians free from any heart diseases. What even heart trouble they have is only due to the butter and oil they use and not from the vegetables themselves.

Meat become rancid quickly

Whenever any animal is killed either for meat or for any other reason, the flesh undergoes many changes. Some enzymes are secreted which make the meat go stale. More over many bacteria attack it and make it go putrid.

If the meat was taken out in the morning and if you prepare it in the evening, even then it can be said that the meat has gone stale. It is the same case, however fresh meat you may buy. The meat undergoes many changes chemically by the time it is cooked and all these chemicals have hazardous effects on our intestines.

Diseases like appendicitis are common in non-vegetarians than in vegetarians.

Kidney problems

When non-vegetarian food is consumed, the body produces lots of uric acid to digest the excessive proteins present in them. The kidneys have to put immense efforts to excrete these nitrogen components.

For some reason if the Kidneys do not function properly, the uric acid content becomes higher leading to the disease called Gout. This disease is common in non-vegetarians rather than in vegetarians.

Doctors prohibit non-vegetarian food when you are patient of Gout, only for this particular reason. Excessive uric acid gets into the joints making us susceptible to Arthritis and uric acid can also lead to stones in the Kidneys.

The cost

The meats contain mostly proteins and these are available in plenty in foods like milk and pulses. The required proteins can be had at a lower price since the cost of vegetarian food is much lower compared to meats, almost one-third.

Easy storing

The proteins from the vegetarian food can be stored for a longer duration compared to those from non-vegetarian foods. One can know this by comparing the storage periods of meat and pulses.

Worms in stomach and Intestines

When one consumes stale and putrid meat, he is likely to get tapeworms and infection like Trichinosis in the stomach.

Which one is better?

Our food contains five nutrients, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Mineral salts, Vitamins

If we consume vegetables, milk, pulses, beans and fruits we can not only get the same amount of proteins as in the meats but also we would have taken a balanced diet.

From the medical point of view, if a vegetarian consumes milk products and fruits along with his vegetarian food, it gives him every nutrient required for the body without taking any meat. More over, the hazards that accompany non-vegetarian food can be kept at bay.

Why do doctors advise meats?

During the process of recovery after an illness, the patient requires plenty of proteins. Since his appetite will be poor, he cannot take more food. To get the required proteins he has to take more quantities of vegetarian food. However, he can get the same amount protein by consuming small quantities of meat or fish. That is why during convalescence, the doctor's advice to take non-vegetarian food.

People above 35 years of age are prone to the fat related diseases. A person who is brought up with meat and eggs from childhood has more risk of these diseases. So instead of having meat every day, it is better to have meat occasionally like once or twice a week.

All said and done, food depends on our choice and liking. People with diseases like hypertension and heart diseases must leave non-vegetarianism and become vegetarians. Vegetarians should be the same for their own good.