Benefits of vegetarian diet over non vegetarian

In the late 1970’s, 200 scientists from different countries did extensive research in order to recommend a diet ideal for the human body. The group, which included representatives from various nations, cultures, and religions, recommended a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, with no cholesterol, no processed, milled, refined foods with additives, no junk food, no red meat etc.

If you know the benefits of vegetarian diet over non vegetarian for health and wellness you will be astonished. Despite the equality of this diet and credentials of the researches, local academic review committees branded the recommendations as drastic and impractical, and the recommendations were later modified- probably due to pressure form the 15 billion dollar/year U.S food processing industry- to state that some meat in the diet is not bad, and that 150mg of cholesterol is all right for an adult to consume. Since then, the study has been largely ignored.

Concerns about health, love for animals, and awareness of the Earth’s limited resources have prompted many people to take up some form of vegetarian diet. In most western countries this represents a revolution of sorts, while in other countries the choice to be vegetarian represents a return to traditional values.

In the U.K at least three million people abstain from eating meat, and 19 million have reduced their meat consumption over the past three years. One young woman in ten has recently become vegetarian. Similar trends would apply to other developed countries. If you wanna shed some extra weight, read the weight loss diet plan here. 

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7 reasons why vegetarians live longer.

Stress management.

Vegetarian restaurants and food stores can be found in almost every city, and vegetarian cook books on the shelves of most book stores. Lack of will power, decrease in our moral and ethical values, and psychological dependence on diet and food habits have led us to an unhealthy society where due to stress, ignorance, and faulty diet, the number of diseases and diseased is multiplying geometrically.

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the healthiest men of this century. He remained totally on a fruit diet for three years and was not deprived of protein, vitamins etc. Many, many vegetarians live only on fruits and vegetables and still are healthy.

We should learn from their example the benefits of vegetarian diet over non vegetarian and from the amazing endurance of herbivorous animals like the elephant, deer, cow and many others.

Carbohydrates:

80% of the calories in our diet should come from complex carbohydrates obtained from fresh product such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, grains, etc. Complex carbohydrates contain polysaccharides and have a very high nutritive value.

Complex carbohydrate sources are also rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, and polyunsaturated fats. Unrefined complex carbohydrates are best for providing stamina, strength, and capacity for physical endurance.

Excessive protein or fat is the wrong fuel for the body. All athletes, laborers etc. should consume 80% of their total calories from complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the cheapest source of food on earth.

Protein:

Protein is the most commonly misunderstood product of our diet. In the developed (western) countries, protein consumption is 2-25 times greater than the body can accept or requires.

This is due to misconceptions, ignorance, and psychological dependence on a high protein diet. Excessive protein is harmful to the body. It deprives the body of calcium and vitamin B6, and makes the body sluggish and easily tired.

Protein is not a fuel but a structural material- like building blocks. It is required in much smaller quantities than is believed by the majority of people and nutritionists. Protein contains amino acids and some vitamins, but does not provide stamina and strength.

Protein in the diet must supply nine essential amino acids that are not synthesized by the body. These can be acquired by consuming two or three complex carbohydrate products each day.

The diet could be totally devoid of milk, meat, fish, etc. and still be rich in all the protein the body requires. There are a lot of benefits of vegetarian diet over non vegetarian although nutritionists previously considered animal protein sources to be superior to vegetable sources, any benefits of animal protein are outweighed by the amount of cholesterol in animal products.

Only 5-10% of our calories should come from protein. An adult male requires only 0.5 g. per kilogram of body weight, or 45-50 g per day.

Fat and cholesterol:

There are three types of fat consumed in the diet: saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat is best for the body as it supplies all the essential fatty acids.

Fats from plant sources are generally polyunsaturated. Complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereal grains, lentils and pulses are very low in fats and contain no cholesterol.

This means that vegetarians can afford the occasional luxury of fried foods prepared in polyunsaturated fat. Adding a bit polyunsaturated fat in cooking makes the food taste better, and vegetables cook faster, preserving vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables foods rich in fat include nuts, avocados, and coconuts. Cholesterol is only found in animal products which also contain large amounts of saturated fat. There is no cholesterol in any product of plant origin.

Our body does not actually need cholesterol. An adult should not consume more than 150 mg of cholesterol per day. One average size egg contains 250 mg of cholesterol. Heavy intake of cholesterol causes deposits to form in the arteries, organs, and joints that disturb their function.

It is very difficult to eliminate cholesterol once it has accumulated in the body. In the USA 45% of the calories in the average person’s diet come from fat and refined white sugar. In fact only five percent of our calories should come forum fat. This alarming disparity reflects excessive consumption of junk food and animal products.

The top six killers in the USA are associated with diets rich in animal products. Heart disease, at the top of the list, is attributed to diet and stress. Excessive intake of cholesterol and saturated fat contributes to 50% of all cancers in females and 40% of all cancers in males.

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Vegetarian health benefits.

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High cholesterol levels in the body also cause gall stones, gall bladder problems, arthritis, muscle, tendon and joint problems, arteriosclerosis, and other diseases. Countries, where people consume little or no cholesterol in their diet, have essentially no deaths due to heart disease. These people have longer lifespan and healthier bodies.

 Vitamins and minerals:

Scientists have identified relatively few of the vitamins and minerals required by the body. Vitamin supplements can cover the known requirements, but cannot provide unknown trace nutrients.

If the body is deprived of a few vitamins and minerals, then it is also being deprived of many unknowns that could never be supplemented by tablets. If you feel that you may be deficient in vitamins and minerals, then the solution is to eat small portions of a wider variety of complex carbohydrates.

Use different colored fruits, grains, lentils, legumes, vegetables, etc. Laziness, food fads, and unbalanced likes and dislikes all contribute to vitamins can be dangerous as they have toxic properties and cause other kinds of nutrient imbalances.

Supplements described as natural are extracts from various plant and animal sources such as shells, bones, liver, kidney, muscles, animal fats, etc. They do not differ substantially in quality or effects form supplements synthesized in the laboratory.

Sugar:

Refined sugar supplies calories to the body minus the vitamins and minerals needed to metabolize them. Excessive sugar consumed in starchy non nutritive ‘junk’ foods depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.

Consumption of junk foods also reduces the appetite for healthy food at regular meals. If refined sugar is consumed, it should complement nutritive food. The sugar is not harmful provided it represents a small fraction of the total caloric intake and that the diet contains plenty of nutritious foods.

I am gonna briefly describing the benefits of vegetarian diet over non vegetarian as it is a very big topic. At present 20% of the calorie consumed in the USA are derived from refined sugar consumed at home, not to mention sugar in processed, packaged foods. This is excessive and dangerous.

 Is sugar white poison?

Honey is healthier than refined sugar. The nutritional value of honey is not any better than that of refined sugar. Honey can also aggravate allergies because bees gather pollen and nectar from so many different types of flowers.

Brown sugar is better that white sugar. Most of the brown sugar sold is white sugar that has been colored by molasses. It is not significantly more nutritious.

The lumpy dark brown extract from sugar cane may contain a variety of contaminants depending on the extraction process. The only really healthy sources of sugar are fresh fruit, vegetables, and dry fruits such as raisins, figs, dates, etc.

These may be used in many dishes either along with or replacing refined sugar. Sweets and candy bars satisfy hunger and give a quick energy boost. Intake of sugar causes a sudden but temporary increase in the level of sugar in the blood because the body rapidly absorbs and metabolizes sugar.

However, the body’s control mechanisms soon step in, causing the blood sugar level to drop, and make you feel weak and tired. Fluctuations in the blood sugar level cause appetite and behavior problems, especially in children, who become hyperactive.

It is better to buy products containing ‘natural sugar’. Many juices, drinks and other processed foods have labels stating that they contain natural sugar.

In the USA natural only means that it was not synthesized chemically, but came from a natural source. All refined sugars and many food additives are natural, but a natural origin does not.

Fiber:

Fiber is as essential to the diet as vitamins, minerals, and protein. Fiber cleanses the intestines, which are six times the height of the body. When waste products are stagnant in the long intestine, they are absorbed through the intestinal wall, then circulate through the blood and deposit in the body. Fiber enhances peristalsis and helps keep the intestine clean.

Fiber is actually cellulose, and is derived from plant sources. Cellulose is not digested by the body, and therefore, supplies no calories. It is bulky. A large amount in the diet makes meals more satisfying. A lack of fiber in the diet slows cleaning of the bowels. When foods are refined and processed, they typically lose 80% of their fiber content.

Leafy green vegetables, celery, root vegetables, vegetables peels and stems, fruits (especially the peels and seeds) whole grains, lentils, and legumes and spices and herbs are rich in fiber. If you eat a vegetarian diet, you will have no problem in getting plenty of fiber.

Lack of fiber in the diet is attributed to causing cancer of the colon, which is the number two killer in the USA. Lack of fiber also causes skin diseases, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis of the colon, diverticulitis, appendicitis, gas, constipation, headaches and cramps.

Conclusion:

Vegetarian nutrition and diet can keep you healthy, calm, fit. I am not against non vegetarian diet. If you are physically working hard like sportsmen or wrestlers then non veg food are a boon for you as physical exercises need more animal protein. Drop your comments and suggestions on ‘benefits of vegetarian diet over non vegetarian’ and share the knowledge.