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Human civilization has evolved through ups and downs through centuries and has reached this state of so called Modern age. Modernization, technology development had proved the supremacy of Human being in whole creation with out any doubt . Though it has brought a great comfort to life , it had created a great environmental instability, global warming, increasing natural calamities , pollution and lots . The whole reason for this has been synchronized in a single term by Acharya Charaka in his legendary text of medicine Caraka Samhita as Prajnaparadha- i.e. the act of performing a fault by neglecting own knowledge and intellect. We are well known that aforestation will cause bio-instability but it is still continuing, atomic power may destroy the whole creation in few seconds but ....., industrial wastes in rivers …….. and so many. Indian wisdom always emphasize to keep control on the sense organs . loulyata in taste, eye, skin and all other indriyas … can be a reason for all sorts of ailment . Vegetarianism is one of the entities always in controversy . For the sake of our taste we kill innocent lives . Is it the sign of real modernisation or education. Lets consider some reality and decide the truth .
Anatomical basis
Human anatomy suggests that it is only constructed fit as a vegetarian –
Anatomical basis
Human anatomy suggests that it is only constructed fit as a vegetarian –
Meat-eaters: have claws
Herbivores: no claws
Humans: no claws
Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
Humans: perspire through skin pores
Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding
Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length.
Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat
Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits.
Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to pre-digest grains and fruits
Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits
Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
[Based on a chart by A.D. Andrews, Fit Food for Men, (Chicago: American Hygiene Society, 1970)]
All religions advise non-violence and prevent killing of innocent animals cruelly . Not only the factor of religious faith , it is a matter of ecological - balance too . The UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) has estimated that direct emissions from meat production account for about 18% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. So I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider.{Rajendra Pachauri Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change}.
Medical basis
· Studies suggests that fibre rich diet prevents diseases like Varicose veins, Appendicitis, Colitis, Heart diseases, Tooth decay, Diabetes, Gall stones etc.
· Vegetarians tend to have lower body mass index, lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less incidence of heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, osteoporosis, dementias such as Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders.[
· Non-lean red meat, in particular, has been found to be directly associated with increased risk of cancers of the esophagus, liver, colon, prostate , breast and the lungs. Other studies have shown no significant differences between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in mortality from
· large-scale studies have shown that mortality from ischemic heart disease was 24% lower in vegetarians than in nonvegetarians.
· According to report about 160 zoonotic disorders, transmitted through the intermediate host, the animals.
· Prevention of cancer
· Animal food increases the chance of bacterial, viral antigens to grow further, sets the antigen antibody reaction and lowers the immune status.
Nutrition Basis
· Necessary nutrients, proteins, and amino acids for the body's sustenance can be found in vegetables, grains, nuts, soymilk, eggs and dairy.
· Vegetarian diets offer lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals.
· The essential amino acids can also be obtained by eating a variety of complementary plant sources that, in combination, provide all eight essential amino acids (e.g. brown rice and beans, or hummus and whole wheat pita, though protein combining in the same meal is not necessary). A varied intake of such sources can be adequate, a 1994 study found.
· The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have found a properly planned vegetarian diet to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life.
· Plants are not generally significant sources of vitamin B12 . Since the human body preserves B12 and reuses it without destroying the substance, clinical evidence of B12 deficiency is uncommon. The body can preserve stores of the vitamin for up to 30 years without needing its supplies to be replenished.
Economic basis
· Commercial production of meat is very costly.
· Meat is 3-4 times costlier than the equal quantity of vegetarian diet.
Ecological basis
· According to the theory of trophic dynamics it requires 10 times as many crops to feed animals being bred for meat production as it would to feed the same number of people on a vegetarian diet.
· Animal agriculture is a large source of greenhouse gases and is responsible for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalents. By comparison, all of the world's transportation (including all cars, trucks, buses, trains, ships, and planes) emits 13.5 percent of the CO2. Animal farming produces 65 percent of human-related nitrous oxide and 37 percent of all human-induced methane. Methane has about 21 times more Global Warming Potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide has 296 times the GWP of CO2.
· Animals fed on grain, and those that rely on grazing, need far more water than grain crops.
Longevity basis
· According to report by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition based on one study low meat eating (less than once per week) and other lifestyle choices significantly increase life expectancy, relative to a group with high meat intake. The study concluded that "The findings from one cohort of healthy adults raises the possibility that long-term (≥ 2 decades) adherence to a vegetarian diet can further produce a significant 3.6-y increase in life expectancy."
· Soviet republic of Abkhasia, they live well above 100 years and are largely vegetarians.
· A study conducted by the Ethnographic institute in sukhumi revealed that Arterio sclerosis is rare there.
· The Eskimos, Laplanders, Greenlanders and the Russian kurgi tribes stand out as the population with highest animal consumption in the world and lowest life expectancy often only about 30 years.
Famous Vagiterians
Indians
Ashoka, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba bhave, Anni Besanta ,
Rabindranath Tagore .
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam- Former president, Scientist
Bollywood - Amitabh Bacchan, John Abraham, Sahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor
Sports - Guru Hanuman, Vijaya Marchand, Veenu Mankad – faomous tennis players
Dalip Singh Rana, aka "Great Khali", professional Indian wrestler , Venkatesh Prasad etc.
From other corners of World
Aristotle - Greek philosopher
George Bernard Shaw – famous writer
Leonardo da Vinc – Italian painter and inventor
Leo Tolstoy - Russian writer and philosopher
Lord Byron - a British poet
Albert Einstein - German scientist
Sir Isaac Newton- physicist
Charles Darwin- renowned scientist
Plato- Greek philosopher
Voltaire- French writer and philosopher
Pythagoras of Samos- Greek mathematician of Pythagorean Theorem
Chris Evert -American tennis legend
Michael Jackson- singer
Patrick McDonnell- cartoonist and creator of Mutts
Pamela Anderson - actress
Kristen Bell- actress
more list of vegetarians from http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html
