Vegetarianism

Living with a diet that excludes all the animals and slaughter byproducts is termed as vegetarianism. Every now and then we come across people who have either been following a vegetarian diet since birth or have switched to a non-vegetarian diet and the reasons are varied. Many people do it because of their love for animals, some people are simply used to following it, few do it because it is what their religion or culture says, the reasons might be moral, social, health related or even economical for that matter.

History and Origins of Vegetarianism

The promotion of a vegetarian diet or a diet devoid of meat and flesh can be traced back to the 1st millennium BC in India. Also in the eastern Mediterranean, the concept of vegetarianism was being preached as a part of the teachings of the philosopher Pythagoras of Samos (c. 530 BC). Thereafter, the concept of vegetarianism has been an integral part of many belief systems, religions and cultures. Some of the prominent religions and cultures that believe in vegetarianism include Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. The First Vegetarian Society was founded in England in the year 1847, which was later embraced by countries and by 1853 the Society already had 889 members. Soon, the concept of Vegetarianism was spread on the global scenario, which perhaps led to the formation of the International Vegetarian Union in 1908, which was a union of several national vegetarian societies. However it is only in the twentieth century that the popularity of vegetarianism increased in the western world, due to nutritional, ethical, and also environmental and economic concerns.

Variations of Vegetarianism

Many a times people get confused about the accurate definitions and implications of a vegetarian diet, mainly because there exist several variations of Vegetarianism, which have minute differences about inclusion of dairy and poultry products. Often we hear customized terms like vegans, or even eggitarians, these are the variant diet patterns that stem from the basics of vegetarianism. Here are all the variations of vegetarianism:

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism: Vegetarians who do not include any meat, fish or poultry but allow the inclusion of other animal-obtained products like eggs, dairy and honey in their diet are termed as ‘lacto-ovo vegetarians’. Lacto-Ovo vegetarians believe in consumption of animal products that are given by the animals by will.

Lacto Vegetarianism: Vegetarians who do not include any meat, fish or poultry but allow the inclusion of dairy and honey in their diet are termed as lacto-vegetarians. Lacto-vegetarians do not include eggs in their diet due to their belief that consumption of eggs is synonymous with the murder of an unborn young one.

Ovo Vegetarianism: Vegetarians who do not include any meat, fish or poultry but allow the inclusion of eggs and honey in their diet are termed as Ovo-vegetarians. Ovo-vegetarians do not consume the dairy and dairy products derived from animal milk.

Veganism: Known as strict-vegetarianism or pure vegetarianism - Veganism is perhaps a concept that is far more stringent than all the other variations about the use of animals and animal related products for consumption. It does not allow any type of meat or poultry, nor does it allow the consumption of eggs, dairy and other animal-derived products like honey. Not just food, vegans also abhor the use of animals for clothing or any other purpose of mankind.

Fruitarianism: Fruitarianism is a concept that includes not just compassion for animals but concern for the plants as well. Fruitarians are people who consume a diet that is limited to consumption of fruits, nuts, seeds and any other plant material that can be obtained without causing any harm to the plants as well. Read more about

Other than the variants mentioned, there are off course a wide range of categories and subcategories that are semi-vegetarian by opting to consume only on type of meat or poultry.

Being a Vegetarian: Benefits of Vegetarianism

There are several benefits of adopting a vegetarian diet. First and foremost, a vegetarian diet contains food that is rich in dietary fibers. Inclusion of dietary fibers in the regular diet can lower the risk of coronary heart diseases, cancer of intestinal tract, piles, obesity, diabetes, constipation, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dental caries and even gallstones. Following a vegetarian diet also increases the chances of meeting dietary recommendations for percentage of fat, carbohydrate and protein and can aid in keeping body weight under control as well. Food-borne infections like E. coli or even Salmonella that are prevalent in animals can be avoided in a vegetarian diet. Also a vegetarian diet translates into less exposure to pesticides and other residual toxins such as dioxins, which accumulate as you travel up the food chain. In addition to all this, many vegetarians also claim to obtain a sense of spiritual satisfaction and general well being from avoiding slaughtering of intelligent life on earth. Although several supporters of the non-vegetarian diet claim that a vegetarian diet lacks nutrition The American Dietetic Association and the Dietitians of Canada have found the vegetarian diet to completely satisfy nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have proven vegetarianism to increase longevity, improve health, and significantly lower risks of cancer and other fatal diseases.

Myths About Vegetarianism

Myth: A Vegetarian Diet will result in weakness and nutritional deficiency.
Truth: It is established and certified by the American Dietetic Association that all nutrients, proteins, and amino acids necessary to the human body can be found in a vegetarian diet that includes green leafy vegetables, grains, nuts, and fortified juices or soymilk.

Myth:A vegetarian diet will create a deficiency of Omega-3 Fatty acid that is found only in fish.
Truth: Plant-based sources of Omega-3 Fatty acid do exist. These include soy, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and also hempseed and flaxseed.

Myth:A vegetarian diet can lead to weak bones.
Truth:A vegetarian diet has a calcium diet that is similar to non-vegetarians. Impaired bone mineralization is found in vegans due to exclusion of milk and eggs, but can easily be combated with the use of calcium supplements.

Myth:A vegetarian diet cannot provide sufficient amounts of Vitamin D.
Truth: A vegetarian diet has sufficient Vitamin D sources. Vitamin D course in a vegetarian diet include milk, soymilk and cereal grains which are very rich in Vitamin D.

Myth: A vegetarian diet does not have enough proteins.
Truth: The protein intake in a vegetarian diet might be lesser than the in a omnivorous diet but the amount of proteins in a vegetarian diet are sufficient to satisfy all the daily requirements.

Famous Vegetarians

Well if you are actually wondering whether there exist people who actually follow a vegetarian diet, mentioned below are names of a few vegetarians. The names might ring a bell…

• Albert Einstein
• Abraham Lincoln
• Alicia Silverstone
• Aristotle
• Billie Jean King
• Bryan Adams
• Brad Pitt
• Bruce Springsteen
• Carrie Underwood
• Charles Darwin
• Clint Eastwood
• Demi Moore
• George Bernard Shaw
• Emily Dickinson
• John Lennon
• Leo Tolstoy
• Leonardo Da Vinci
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Mark Twain
• Rabindrnath Tagore
• Richard Gere
• Socrates
• William Blake

Vegetarianism Quotations

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. ~Albert Einstein

It is only by softening and disguising dead flesh by culinary preparation that it is rendered susceptible of mastication or digestion, and that the sight of its bloody juices and raw horror does not excite intolerable loathing and disgust. ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, Queen Mab Notes

Truely man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men. ~Leonardo da Vinci

We manage to swallow flesh only because we do not think of the cruel and sinful thing that we do. Cruelty... is a fundamental sin, and admits of no arguments or nice distinctions. If only we do not allow our heart to grow callous, it protests against cruelty, is always clearly heard; and yet we go on perpetrating cruelties easily, merrily, all of us - in fact, anyone who does not join in is dubbed a crank. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends. ~ George Bernard Shaw