Vegetarianism: Is It the Best Choice?

The National Institutes of Health have proven that over five hundred thousand Americans die each year from coronary heart disease. They also have found that over seven million Americans are suffering from this disease at this present time ("Facts about Coronary Disease"). This same article explains that coronary disease is the most prominent form of heart disease. There are many risk factors that have been linked to coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity just to name a few. These are all risk factors that can be controlled by people on their own, without the use of drugs or any medical help. There are a few exceptions, however, gender, heredity and age can also lead to this disease and these are factors that cannot be controlled by a person. The diet one chooses can serve as a preventative measure.

Coronary disease is caused by thickening in the heart's coronary arteries, which prevents nutrients and oxygen from flowing to the heart. The thickening of the arteries comes from the excessive amounts of saturated fat consumed by a person from years of careless dieting (Internet). A vegetarian diet eliminates one of the major elements in a person's diet that contains fat. Meat is high in saturated fat. Whether it is, pork, beef, chicken, or turkey, meat contains fat from the animal that does not need to be consumed. When people cook these meats, they add different types of oils and seasonings that increase the fat intake and abuse of these foods could lead to obesity. This is another major cause of coronary heart disease. If one's diet is based on vegetables and other non-animal foods, the chance of acquiring heart disease dramatically drops because they can eliminate two of the major causes, high cholesterol and obesity. The reason for this is obvious, non-animal based foods do not contain high amounts of saturated fat that clog the arteries, therefore, helping one maintain a very healthy and strong heart.

So far, how one's diet affects their health by increasing the chances of heart disease has been explained. Robert Schneider, a practicing medical doctor, revealed in his book, Cancer Prevention Made Easy, that one's diet also increases the chance of cancer. Because diet is the focus, colon, stomach and breast cancer are the most common forms that are influenced by diet. Schneider in his research has found that "most Americans in the past consumed 40 percent of their total calories in the form of fat, and too high a proportion of that in the form of saturated, or animal, fat"(66). It has already been said that there is strong evidence of animal fat being related to heart disease, but there is also evidence that says animal fat has also been linked to different forms of cancer. Schneider also states that animal fat produces saturated fat which is the main culprit in the beginning of cancer, yet fruits and vegetables contain mono and polyunsaturated fats which are less of a threat of causing cancer.

North American women are six times more likely to contract breast cancer than some Asian and African peoples because of the excessive amounts of fat in their diets. It has been proven that Japanese women and vegetarian women have much less breast cancer than North American women and meat consuming women no doubt because of the less amounts of animal fat they consume. In countries that are known for meat consumption, especially beef, such as Argentina, Uruguay, and New Zealand, the colon cancer rates are higher than those countries whose meat consumption isn't so high (Schneider 125). The most effective way for a person to decrease the chances of cancer, obviously, would be to eliminate meat consumption from their diet. A vegetarian diet would increase a person's chances of avoiding cancer by eliminating its major culprit.

Many people argue that the major source of protein needed comes from meat. People who argue this point are right; meat does contribute largely to a person's daily protein. These people fail to realize where the animals get their source of protein. Griehl Dudley explains that the animals eaten by humans gain their protein from the plants and vegetables they eat (Internet). This is why we receive large amounts of protein from animals. Because this bit of information is true, one would be better off getting protein straight from its source. Eating the vegetables, grains, and plants that contain these valuable sources of protein give a person more of the nutrition that they would get from any animal.

A young person's development can be healthier and more efficient with adequate nutrition. On the American Baby webpage, Dr. Alan Greene is asked the question, "My 15-month-old is boycotting meat! I have tried everything. I have pureed it and tried slipping it into mashed potatoes--you name it, I've tried it. It has been about three weeks. She eats everything else just fine. What can I do?" This question has to deal with this lady's child getting enough protein in her diet. Dr. Greene goes on to tell the lady that there are many ways to provide her child with protein besides meat. He told the lady that a child normally needs 12 to 16 ounces of milk a day and that she should add 2 ounces to that total and it should make up for her child not eating meat. He also added that yogurt is also a high protein food that children usually like and that vegetables and grains although not classified as high protein foods, do make a difference.

In Alice Martin and Frances Tenenbaum's book, Diet Against Disease, they explain that there are times in a person's life where a deficiency in vitamins is common. To avoid these situations one must supply their body with the vitamins their body craves. For example, the body needs vitamins A to develop skin which is its protective covering. It is also needed for proper mucous membrane development as well as the development of bones and teeth in children. They also explain that it is not wise to use vitamin A supplements because too much vitamin A is toxic to the body (52). It would be wise to get vitamins from more natural sources such as fruits and vegetables. Butter, cheese, and milk are also good sources for vitamin A instead of meat products because they are detrimental to one's health in the long run. Other vitamins such as vitamins B and C as well as minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and so forth are needed by the body as well and can be found in other foods besides meat (52-65).

The nutritional content of one's diet has a significant influence on the development