for our health
Sometimes the best argument for vegetarianism is simply that it's better for your health.
- First of all, when I became a vegetarian I began to pay more attention to the foods I ate. I've learned a lot about vitamins and nutrition. This may not sound fun, but the healthier food that I eat makes me feel less tired and less cranky. I eat much healthier than I did when I ate meat.
- You may be asking how I get enough of the vitamins and protein that I need without meat in my diet?
- Protein:
The average American eats twice as much protein as they need. Excess protein causes kidney disease and osteoporosis. Too much protein robs us of calcium. Vegetarians find all the protein they need in beans, nuts, and cereals. Protein found in plants is more healthy for people than animal protein, anyway.
- Calcium:
Vegans find calcium in leafy, green vegetables, like kale, spinach, and collard greens. Not only that, vegetarians absorb more calcium because they do not get too much protein.
- Vitamin B12:
Vitamin B12 is normally found only in animal products. Vegans can take a supplement or eat food fortified with B12, like Grape Nuts cereal. We don't need a whole lot though, because the body stores B12 for up to 8 years.
- Meat causes health problems, too. In a study of 250,000 people, men who ate meat had three times the chance of getting heart disease. Meat-eaters have higher risks of breast and colon cancer, diabetes, kidney stones, and high blood pressure.