SVEUILITE U ZAGREBUFILOZOFSKI FAKULTET

Ak. god. 2014./2015.

Esej iz kolegija Engleski za akademske potrebe

Discussion essay:Health benefits and disadvantages of vegetarianism

Zagreb, 2015.

Mentor: Ines Jelovi Izradila: Sindy VukoviNowadays, vegetarianism is a broad and controversial topic because there are numerous arguments on both sides. The question of whether or not do human beings need to eat meat in order to maintain good health is highly debatable. According to the statistics, vegetarians currently make up to only 3,7% of Croatian population ( which is about 166, 500 people), but it's important that all people gain knowledge about vegeterianism before they place judgement on those who choose this lifestlye. Vegetarianism can be defined as a practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal), and may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter. This essay explores the issue of vegetarian diet and its consequences on human health, considering arguments both from those who think vegeterianism is as healthy as a diet containing meat, and those opposed to that idea.

On one side of the discussion are those who say humans can get all their food needs from meatless products and meatless substances and see vegetarianism as a healthier alternative. On the other side of the discussion are those who think that humans are omnivores by nature and should eat meat to stay healthy and well-nutritioned.

Reasarch have shown that a proper vegetarian diet delivers complete nutrition. According to the USDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, meat is not an essential part of a healthy diet. Firstly, you can get sufficient protein and all the essential amino-acids from plant-based foods (suchs as nuts, seeds, whole grains and soy ) if you eat a variety of them throughout the day. Secondly, a vegetarian diet provides a helathier form of iron (non-heme iron) than a meat based diet. Studies have linked heme iron found in red meat with an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer. Moreover, a vegetarian diet helps build healthy bones because vegetarians absorb more calcium than meat eaters.Meat has high renal acid levels which the body must neutralize by leaching calcium from the bones, which is then passed into urine and lost.

Statistics and medical facts prove that vegetarianism can benefit the body in the same, if not better, ways than meat can.For example, diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, gallstones, obesity and food-borne illness are more present in an omnivore lifestyle. Furthermore, studies show that vegetarians are up to 40% less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters. Additionally, vegetarians are at lower risk of heart disease and it's medically proven that a vegetarian diet helps lower blood pressure, prevents hypertension, and thus reduces the risk of stroke. Last but not least, vegeterian diet promotes a healthy weight because vegetarians generally have a lower body max index.

However, eating meat has been an essential part of human evolution for 2,3 million years. The inclusion of meat in the ancestral diet provided a dense form of nutrients and protein that, when combined with high-calorie low-nutrient carbohydrates such as roots, allowed us to develop our large brains and intelligence.In addition, evidence shows our taste buds evolved to crave meat's savory flavor.

Eating meat can more effectively provide us with protein, vitamins and iron. It's a scientific fact that meat is the most convenient protein source available. In one serving, meat provides all the essential amino acids , as well as essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Most plant foods do not provide adequate levels of all the essential amino acids in a single serving. Moreover, meat is also the best source of vitamin B12, a vitamin necessary to nervous and digestive system health.Although it is also found in eggs and dairy,studies show that two in three vegetarians are vitamin B12 deficient compared to one in twenty meat eaters. Vegeterianism is also linked to iron deficiency, so vegetarians are at more risk of suffering from anemia than meat-eaters.

In conclusion, a proper vegetarian diet can be beneficial for our health because it reduces risk of various diseases (such cancer, diabetes, hypertension, gallstones, obesity, etc.) and it's proven that it can provide us with all the necessary nutrients. On the other hand, humans are omnivores by nature and their brains have developed due to eating meat. It's also proven that meat is a better source of protein, iron and some vitamins. In my opinion, a well-planned vegetarian diet (and by that I mean taking in consideration everything your body needs to function properly) can be as healthy as a meat-based diet, if not healthier. No single food can provide all the nutrients our organism needs, so the key to adequate nutrition is eating a variety of foods.

References:

http://vegetarian.procon.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism

http://www.krenizdravo.com/prehrana/koliko-je-vegetarijanaca-u-hrvatskoj-europi-i-svijetu

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446?pg=2

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-32381/Meat-vegetarian-best-you.html