Why be vegetarian?
Download our new ‘reasons to be vegetarian’ pamphlet now.
There are so many reasons to be vegetarian. It’s healthier, kinder, more sustainable and offers a wide variety of tasty food.
Health
Vegetarians live longer and have reduced risk of lifestyle diseases, obesity and hypertension. Animal fat and meat has been linked conclusively with an increase in heart disease, stroke, colon and breast cancer, liver and kidney disease, depletion of bone mass, arthritis, and a host of other afflictions. Vital foods build vital bodies. Read more about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet.
Humane
To stop the exploitation of animals by intensive breeding and cruelty, and needless slaughter. It has become the conviction of many of the world’s deepest thinkers that cruelty shown to animals stands as a blot upon humanity, retarding our progress. Wise sages have prescribed Ahimsa (non injury or harmlessness), as the most effective method to counteract and eradicate the brutal, cruel tendencies in people.
Ethics
The knowledge that other creatures have feelings very similar to our own. The average meat-eater during their lifetime is personally responsible for the slaughter of 5 cows, 20 pigs, 30 sheep, 760 chickens, 46 turkeys, 15 ducks, 7 rabbits, 1 1/2 geese and 1/2 tonne of fish. Read more here.
Environmental
Animal agriculture is responsible for deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change and most importantly, the loss of biodiversity. Read more about it here.
World Hunger
There are some 800 million people in the world with barely enough to eat, yet 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used for feeding animals and only 20% for feeding humans directly. It takes approximately 80lbs of vegetable protein to produce 1lb of animal protein.
Religion
Vegetarianism is strongly linked with a number of religions that originated in ancient India – in particular Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is also the preferred diet for many following a spiritual path due to the concepts of ahimsa (non-violence), purity of the body and mind from avoiding flesh, or because the eating of animals goes against spiritual beliefs.
Anatomical
Humans are closer to herbivores than carnivores. Compare…
Carnivore
- Sharp teeth
- No ptyalin
- Short intestinal tract
- Large liver
- Smooth colon
- No pores
Human/Herbivores
- Grinding teeth
- Ptyalin in saliva
- Very long intestinal tract
- Small liver
- Convoluted colon
- Millions of pores
How many more reasons to be vegetarian do you need?