Fact 1
Vegetarians live longer and get sick less often because they get more vitamins, minerals, fiber and unsaturated fats. It has been established that the diet of centenarians consists mainly of products of plant origin, primarily grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and sometimes dairy products. Eating meat food leads to increased formation of protein breakdown products, intensifies the processes of putrefaction in the intestines, increases the load on the excretory system and other organs, and causes acidification of the internal environment of the body. It is generally accepted that excess animal food has a detrimental effect on health. Internal organs wear out prematurely, genetic errors accumulate, the body is filled with toxins and the body quickly ages, burdened with numerous diseases. The diet of vegetarians best suits the needs of the human body, preventing diseases and achieving active longevity.
Fact 2
Vegetarians have a higher IQ. The British Medical Journal reports that the smarter you are, the more likely you are to be a vegetarian. The University of Southampton conducted a 20-year observation of 8,000 people in the 70s. Scientists discovered that the IQ of people who became vegetarians by age 30 was 5 to 10 points higher than average.
Fact 3
Vegetarianism promotes spiritual growth. Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism prohibit eating meat. True, undistorted religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism advocated vegetarianism. The main commandment of all world religions is “thou shalt not kill.”
Fact 4
Vegetarianism is in most cases more economical than meat-eating.
Fact 5
Our ancestors were vegetarians. Some people think that man has eaten meat throughout history, but this is not true. Anthropologists say that humans have moved away from plant-based diets and toward eating meat since the last Ice Age, when normal foods of fruits, nuts and vegetables became unavailable and early humans had to eat meat in order to survive. And the fact that a person eats meat does not add to his health or longevity. Unfortunately, the habit of eating meat continued after the end of the Ice Age - either out of necessity (as among the Eskimos and tribes living in the far north), or due to tradition and ignorance.
Fact 6
“Excursions” of scientists into the depths of centuries have shown that many peoples previously ate plant foods. Historical documents indicate that the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Jews considered fruits and grains to be a staple part of their diet. The priests of Ancient Egypt never ate meat. There are ancient records that the Egyptians preferred to die rather than be accused of such a crime as eating meat. The Romans in the early period of the Republic were also vegetarians. Caesar's soldiers ate grains. It was forbidden for the inhabitants of Ancient Sparta to eat meat. The first Christians were also vegetarians. Vegetarianism was common among the greatest civilizations of the Incas. The Taoists of Ancient China were also vegetarians. And today there are peoples who are vegetarians.
Fact 7
You can live your whole life on pure vegetarianism; on pure meat-eating you can live for several weeks. In ancient China there was such an execution: the condemned person was fed only boiled meat. Putrefactive processes began in the person’s intestines, and after a few weeks he died in severe agony from intoxication.
Fact 8
Many famous historical figures were vegetarians. Among the vegetarians there were many thinkers, philosophers, writers, athletes: Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Plutarch, Leonardo da Vinci, Voltaire, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Leo Tolstoy, Bernard Shaw, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Albert Einstein, the phenomenal weightlifter Georg Hackeschmidt (nicknamed the “Russian Lion”), Yuri Vlasov, Valentin Dikul and thousands of other famous and respected people.
Fact 9
Vegetarians are the best lovers. By the way, the Kama Sutra was created by vegetarians.
Fact 10
Vegetarians are humane people who contribute to saving the planet. One vegetarian saves 80 animals and half a hectare of forest every year.
Fact 11
Meat eating is the reason for the shortage of drinking water in the world. It takes 20-40 thousand liters of water to produce 1 kg of meat. To produce 1 kg of wheat you need 100 times less water. Scientists have calculated that you would save more water by not eating half a kilogram of meat than by not taking a shower for six months, that is, half a kilogram of meat is the equivalent of water consumption from 180 showers.
Fact 12
Meat eating is the cause of world hunger. According to the UN, every sixth person on the planet dies of hunger. 40 thousand people die of hunger every day. 70% of all grains go to feed farm animals. The grain fed to livestock would be enough to feed 2 billion people.
Fact 13
Meat eating is the cause of deforestation on the planet. Forests, including tropical jungles, which contribute significantly to the oxygen supply to the atmosphere, are being cut down to open up new fields to grow feed for livestock. If South American forests continue to be destroyed for meat production, within 50 years there will be no forests left.
Fact 14
Meat eating is one of the main causes of soil, water and air pollution. Drainage of wastewater, discharge of waste from meat plants and livestock farms into rivers and reservoirs is one of the main causes of their pollution. Well-known environmentalist Georg Borgström claims that wastewater from livestock farms pollutes the environment ten times more than city sewers and three times more than industrial wastewater. The UK meat industry alone dumps 200 million tonnes of excrement into rivers.
Fact 15
Meat eating is one of the main causes of cancer, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular diseases. After alcoholism and smoking, eating meat is the main cause of death in Western Europe, the USA, and Australia. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, eating meat increases the risk of cancer and heart disease. Switching to vegetarian food prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases in 90-97% of cases.
Fact 16
Meat eating is one of the main causes of metabolic disorders and excess weight.
Fact 17
Eating meat makes a person more irritable, excitable and aggressive.
Fact 18
Eating meat is sinful because it involves killing and causing suffering to living beings.
Fact 19
Meat is the most economically unprofitable food product. There are three times more animals raised on livestock farms than there are people living on Earth. But these cattle farms require a lot of land, water and food. This is one of the causes of poverty. For example, in America, the amount of soybeans and corn that is fed to animals would be enough to feed all the people in China and India. In the UK, 90% of farmland only feeds animals. But even this is not enough. Therefore, it is imported from third world countries - regions where children die of hunger. 12 million people die of starvation every year. And people who need it sell food in order to receive funds to pay off debts to such rich countries as Great Britain and America.
To produce one kilogram of meat you need to spend 16 kilograms of grain. The harvest from land an area of 5 football fields is only enough to feed two people with meat, 10 people with corn, 24 people with wheat, and 61 people with soybeans. If everyone ate the same diet as most people in America and Great Britain, there would not be enough food for even half the world's population. And if everyone became vegetarians, there would be enough food for all the people in the world and for all the animals.
Fact 20
Eating meat is unnatural for humans. Who thinks that humans are carnivores and eating meat is natural for them? Remember the last time you killed a cow, pig, or even a chicken alive? Don’t remember?.. What, you’ve never been bitten to death? And why? Like “why, they’ve already done this for us”... But this is unnatural! How is it possible, you are deprived of such a huge “natural” pleasure from the process - killing a victim for meat! At the sight of bloody entrails, predators immediately begin to salivate and their appetite flares up! And if the same lamb is killed and butchered in front of you, you will most likely feel sick. So, excuse me, but if, having bought frozen chicken in a supermarket, you imagine yourself to be a primitive hunter, you are mistaken. Well, what kind of hunter are you? You are a scavenger and a corpse eater!
21 facts
Meat eating is one of the main causes of environmental disaster on the planet. A third of the earth's surface is converted into desert due to meat production. About half of the world's oceans are on the verge of environmental disaster due to intensive fishing.
Fact 22
Meat eating is a threat to the existence of humanity.
Meat eating is the karmic cause of wars on earth.
Fact 23
Meat eating is one of the main causes of global warming. 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are created by industrial livestock farming. All the world's cars, tractors, trucks, ships and planes combined create fewer global warming greenhouse gas emissions than factory farming.
So what is meat?
Meat is a difficult to digest product. The chemical reaction of its breakdown into final products lasts 6-8 hours.
Meat is a quickly rotting product. The weak hydrochloric acid in the stomach is unable to process the swallowed piece of meat, and it quickly rots.
Meat is a fermentable product. An unprocessed piece of meat begins to ferment in the stomach and intestines, especially in the presence of bread prepared with yeast.
Meat is a source of toxins and cadaveric poisons. Unprocessed meat that has turned into toxins stagnates in the intestines, which are 6 times longer than the body, and toxins enter the liver, kidneys, blood, joints and all cells of the body. 80% of all food poisoning comes from meat.
Meat is a source of chemical warfare agents. Chemical warfare agents such as sarin, soman, and mustard gas are obtained from the breakdown of meat.
Meat is a source of constipation. The most common cause of constipation is eating small, high-calorie foods without vegetable fiber (for example, sandwiches).
Meat is a source of fecal stones. Constipation leads to stagnation of rotting lumps.
Meat is a source of pathogenic microbes in the intestines. Rotting feces create an acidic environment, which promotes the growth of pathogenic microflora.
Meat is a source of methane, which is released by rotting animal proteins. Methane destroys B vitamins, as a result of which immunity is reduced, uncontrolled growth of cells and tissues is not prevented - a breakthrough occurs in the anti-cancer defense system.
Meat is a source of viral diseases.
Meat is a source of tuberculosis.
Meat is a source of sand and kidney stones.
Meat is a source of nitrates, pesticides, medicines, hormonal growth stimulants, antibiotics and everything that the food that was fed to animals contained. By consuming vegetables and grains, a person receives 40 times less toxic chemicals than by consuming meat.
Meat is a source of carcinogens. Sausages and frankfurters have many different fillers and preservatives that can be carcinogenic. Heat processing of meat products also contributes to the appearance of carcinogens.
Approximately one quarter of the world's population follows a vegetarian diet.
Vegetarians live longer and get sick less often because they get more vitamins, minerals, fiber and unsaturated fats. It has been established that the diet of centenarians consists mainly of products of plant origin, primarily grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and sometimes. Eating meat food leads to increased formation of protein breakdown products, intensifies the processes of putrefaction in the intestines, increases the load on the excretory system and other organs, and causes acidification of the internal environment of the body. It is generally accepted that excess animal food has a detrimental effect on health. Internal organs wear out prematurely, genetic errors accumulate, the body is filled with toxins and the body quickly ages, burdened with numerous diseases. The diet of vegetarians best meets the needs of the human body, contributes to the prevention of diseases and the achievement of active longevity.
It is believed that on average, over the course of a lifetime, a vegetarian will save about 760 chickens, 5 cows, 20 pigs, 29 sheep, 46 turkeys and half a ton of fish.
Many animals are vegetarian, including rhinos, elephants, giraffes, guinea pigs, rabbits, gorillas, hippos and goats.
Vegetarians don't eat fish!
Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity and are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
The word "vegetarian" comes from the Latin word "vegetus", meaning lively and energetic.
Vegetarians are no more likely to develop iron deficiency anemia than meat eaters! Even those who eat meat get a significant amount of their iron intake from vegetarian sources.
Vegetarians have a higher IQ. The British Medical Journal reports that the smarter you are, the more likely you are to be a vegetarian. The University of Southampton conducted a 20-year observation of 8,000 people in the 70s. Scientists discovered that the IQ of people who became vegetarians by age 30 was 5 to 10 points higher than average.
Vegetarianism promotes spiritual growth. Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism prohibit eating meat. True, undistorted religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism advocated vegetarianism. The main commandment of all world religions is “thou shalt not kill.”
Our ancestors were vegetarians. Some people think that man has eaten meat throughout history, but this is not true. Anthropologists say that humans have moved away from plant-based diets and toward eating meat since the last Ice Age, when normal foods of fruits, nuts and vegetables became unavailable and early humans had to eat meat in order to survive. And because a person eats meat, he does not gain either health or longevity. Unfortunately, the habit of eating meat continued after the end of the Ice Age - either out of necessity (as among the Eskimos and tribes living in the far north), or due to tradition and ignorance. Scientists' "excursions" into the depths of centuries have shown that many peoples previously ate plant foods. Historical documents indicate that the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Jews considered fruits and grains to be a staple part of their diet. The priests of Ancient Egypt never ate meat. There are ancient records that the Egyptians preferred to die rather than be accused of such a crime as eating meat. The Romans in the early period of the Republic were also vegetarians. Caesar's soldiers ate grains. It was forbidden for the inhabitants of Ancient Sparta to eat meat. The first Christians were also vegetarians. Vegetarianism was common among the greatest civilizations of the Incas. The Taoists of Ancient China were also vegetarians. And today there are peoples who are vegetarians.
You can live your whole life on pure vegetarianism; on pure meat-eating you can live for several weeks. In ancient China there was such an execution: the condemned person was fed only boiled meat. Putrefactive processes began in the person’s intestines, and after a few weeks he died in severe agony from intoxication.
The world's first vegetarian community was formed in 1847 in England. The main goal of the activists was to debunk the myth that a plant-based diet is incompatible with health and longevity.
1. Ancient India is considered the birthplace of the vegetarian movement. It is worth noting that even today many residents of the “wonderland” voluntarily give up meat, thereby making up more than 70% of the total vegetarian “population” of the planet.
2. The world's first vegetarian community was formed in 1847 in England. The main goal of the activists was to debunk the myth that a plant-based diet is incompatible with health and longevity.
3. Vegetarianism, like any ideology, can sometimes go to extremes. Thus, strict vegetarians - vegans - refuse not only meat, but also, for example, honey (the production of this product is often accompanied by the death of bees) and sugar, for the “bleaching” of which animal charcoal is used.
4. One of the radical forms of vegetarianism is frutarianism, or fruit eating, which allows the consumption of only those fruits that are collected in a non-violent way. In other words, a fruitarian will eat a pear that has fallen from a tree for the sake of a sweet soul, but will refuse carrots, the collection of which involves the destruction of the plant’s root.
5. A considerable part of people refuse animal food in the name of caring for the environment. And, it must be said, their fears are by no means groundless.
6. A significant number of people join the army of “herbivores” for religious and ethical reasons. In particular, vegetarianism is widespread among Hare Krishnas and Rastafarians.
7. British scientists claim that the likelihood of becoming a vegetarian is directly proportional to IQ. Researchers associate this pattern with the general analytical bias of thinking characteristic of “smart” people.
8. Another study, in which women sniffed the T-shirts of vegetarians and meat-eaters, found that men who gave up eating red meat had a more pleasant and attractive body odor.
9. Among the “star” vegetarians, among others, were and are: Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Sinead O’Connor and Brad Pitt.
10. There are also some notorious celebrities on this list: it is believed that a few years before his death, Adolf Hitler also “accepted” vegetarianism. However, some biographers claim that the dictator did not eat meat only in the presence of guests, pointedly reproaching them for their “bloodthirsty” habits. At the table, Hitler loved to talk about the procedure for slaughtering cattle, and when his listeners lost their appetite and pushed away their plates, he accused them of “hypocrisy.” At one of the gala dinners, the Fuhrer said: “Here is an example of how cowardly people are. They themselves are not capable of killing an animal, but without the slightest remorse they absorb the results of the murders of others.”
In recent years, there has been a growing belief that a vegetarian diet is a much healthier way of eating, and that consuming excessive amounts of meat (especially red meat) is extremely harmful to the heart, blood vessels and overall health. In our review there are facts about vegetarianism that will help you understand whether this is really so.
Especially for lovers of Japanese cuisine, we have collected dishes that even fans of Japanese cuisine have not heard of.
Almost all of us have heard (more than once) that a vegetarian diet is a much healthier way of eating and that eating excessive amounts of meat - especially red - is very unfavorable for the heart, blood vessels and overall health.
From an ethical point of view, you've probably heard that by eating meat we are responsible for the cruelty and killing of animals that happens every day, and such a statement may not be too far from the truth.
You may also have read that many people follow a vegetarian diet, with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie being the biggest examples, which probably makes you think that vegetarianism is cool.
As often happens in life, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and in the question of vegetarianism there are no exceptions to this rule. In any case, today we will not look at the pros and cons of vegetarianism, instead we invite you to learn 25 surprising and unexpected facts about vegetarianism that will shed light on the lifestyle that people have been leading for thousands of years, despite the fact that It has only become trendy recently.
25. Vegetarianism is based on ancient Indian and Greek philosophy. In India, vegetarianism has its roots in the philosophy of ahimsa, or non-violence towards animals and other living beings. During the time of the ancient Greeks, people became vegetarians for ritual and medicinal purposes.
24. One of the first and most famous vegetarians was the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras (known to many for the Pythagorean theorem), who lived in the 6th century BC. Before the term "vegetarian" was coined in the 19th century, the term "Pythagorean diet" was widely used for a plant-based diet.
23. For example, to better understand what vegetarianism is, you need to know that there are several types of vegetarianism. The strictest direction is called “veganism”. Vegans avoid not only meat, but also all products that are produced by and from animals.
22. The word "vegan" comes from the word "vegetarian". It was first used in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson realized that a vegetarian diet included too many animal products and was not entirely plant-based.
21. People become vegetarians for various reasons: for health reasons, for political, cultural, aesthetic, environmental and even economic reasons. However, the most common reason is based on ethical protest against cruelty to animals.
20. Scientific research has repeatedly shown that a vegetarian diet increases metabolism, helping the body burn fat and calories 16% faster than the body of a person who eats meat.
19. The first Renaissance man to advocate vegetarianism was Leonardo da Vinci. In fact, he was a strict vegan who openly clashed with local religious authorities, arguing that man did not have a God-given right to eat animals.
18. A study conducted by Time magazine estimates the number of vegetarians living in the United States: 7.3 million adults or 3.2% of the country's population. Of these, 0.5%, or one million people, are vegan.
17. French philosopher Voltaire played a key role in the history of vegetarianism (even though most of us still didn't even know he was a vegetarian). He used ancient Hinduism's prohibition of animal slaughter to argue against biblical claims to dominance. He argued that Hinduism's treatment of animals was "an alternative that dishonors the wicked European imperialists."
16. "The China Study" is a book based on a 20-year study comparing mortality rates among meat eaters and vegetarians. According to the book, citizens of countries that ate more meat had higher mortality rates from “Western diseases” (such as cancer and diabetes), while people in countries that ate more plant-based foods were healthier.
15. The question of whether or not to eat meat has been discussed throughout the history of Christianity. Many theologians argue that a vegetarian diet is most compatible with Christian values such as mercy and compassion. Jesus Christ is believed to have been a pescatarian.
14. Pescetarianism is one of the areas of vegetarianism in which eating fish is allowed. The term first appeared in 1993: it is a merger of the Italian word "pesce" ("fish") and the English word "vegetarian" ("vegetarian").
13. Unfortunately for vegetarians, vitamin B12 is one of the few nutrients that can only be obtained from animal products. Research has shown that a deficiency in vitamin B12 may be associated with weakened bones.
12. One of the first and most famous American vegetarians was Benjamin Franklin. He was the man who brought tofu to the country in 1770. Unfortunately for the vegetarian community, he later became a meat eater again.
11. So you don't get confused by the subcategories of vegetarianism: ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but do not consume dairy products; Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products but do not eat eggs; Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both eggs and dairy products.
10. Contrary to popular belief, many studies have shown that vegetarians do not get much less protein than those who eat meat. The same research confirms that a vegetarian diet provides adequate protein if it includes a variety of plant sources.
9. A British study found that vegetarian men are perceived as boring and less masculine than meat eaters - even by vegetarian women. Dr. Steven Heine of the University of British Columbia says meat and men go together.
8. If you like burgers and bacon and scrambled eggs and are looking for a reason to give up vegetarianism, we may have some good news for you: Adolf Hitler is said to have been one of the most committed vegetarians in history.
7. In fact, Hitler firmly believed that vegetarianism could be the key to Germany's military success. He argued that Caesar's soldiers lived entirely on vegetables, and the Vikings would not have been able to complete their campaigns if they ate a diet dependent on meat.
6. British scientists have found that a child's IQ can predict the likelihood of a person becoming a vegetarian in middle age, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The higher the IQ, the more likely it is that the child will become a vegetarian in the future.
5. Have you ever heard the term “fruitarian”? This is the name given to those who eat only fruits, nuts, seeds and other plant material that can be collected without killing the plant.
4. India is the country with the largest vegetarian population.
3. There is some debate in the vegan community about whether honey is suitable for a vegetarian diet. The American Vegan Society doesn't consider honey suitable for this diet because it comes from animals, but some vegan organizations see nothing wrong with consuming honey.
2. In 2012, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution requiring all Mondays in the City of Angels to be meatless. The measure is part of an international campaign to reduce meat consumption for health and environmental reasons.
1. Last but not least, there is no doubt that a vegetarian diet is the kindest to the environment than any other. To get an idea of just one negative environmental impact, consider that it would take 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat (about 450 grams), and 25,000 (almost 9,500 L) to produce a pound of meat.
