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Default Origin, History of Cow Slaughter and Beef Eating in Bharat

MEAT INDUSTRY'S FAT LIES

Excerpt

Meat Industry's Fat Lies

By John Robbins

The meat and dairy industries have spent many millions of dollars to
promote the belief that carbohydrates, such as potatoes, bread and
pasta are the real culprits that cause excess weight gain. But
literally thousands of impartial studies have shown this to have no
basis in fact. Due to their high fat content, meats are far indeed
from "calorie conscious."

The renowned Harvard nutritionist, Dr. Jean Mayer, explained the
matter this way:

'In becoming a vegetarian, you will eat a greater percentage of your
calories from cereal grains, dried beans and peas, potatoes and pasta
-- the very foods most dieters avoid with zeal. And you will lose
weight.'

Because people eating the standard American diet eat such a very high
percentage of their calories as fat, most of them fight a never-
ending "battle of the bulge." But obesity is not merely an aesthetic
issue. It has been found to be a significant co-factor in all the
degenerative diseases that cripple and kill modern man.

The obese, and to a lesser but still significant extent the
overweight, have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, liver
disorders, gallbladder disease, cancer, arthritis, and virtually
every other degenerative disease. Infant mortality rates are far
higher for babies born to obese mothers. Obese teenagers have a life
expectancy that is 15 years shorter than normal.

Clinically, the term "obesity" refers to excessive levels of body-
fat. It is, quite literally, a case of being fat.

From a clinical standpoint, the body weight most of us think as
"normal" is anything but healthy. As one authority wrote:

'A teenager who remains 20% under the normal weight enjoys a 15-year
increase over and above normal life expectancy. Lower than normal
weight is also associated with marked reductions in the incidence of
cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other degenerative
diseases. In a very real sense, then, U.S. and European weight
standards are excessive, and the overwhelming majority of Americans
and Europeans are detrimentally overweight . . . The U.S. Public
Health Service estimates 60 million Americans are overweight. In
reality, the number of Americans who are above optimal weight may be
three times the government estimate. [That is 3 out of 4 Americans.]'

When we realize that so-called "normal" weights are actually too high
for optimum health, and a very high percentage of Americans are above
even these weights, a picture emerges that is neither flattering nor
healthy. What is considered "normal" in our culture is actually a
moderate form of obesity.

So, if you are concerned about your health and our environment,
eliminate meat from your diet.

- Mayer, J. and Goldberg, J., 'Nutrition' (a syndicated column)
Washington Post, July 26, 1981

- Tartter, P., 'Cholesterol and Obesity as Prognostic Factors...'
Cancer, 47:2222, 1981

- Donegan, W., 'The Association of Body Weight with Recurrent
Cancer...,' Cancer, 41:1590, 1978 Editorial, 'Obesity -- The Cancer
Connection,' Lancet, 1:1223, 1982

- Hur, R., 'Foor Reform: Our Desperate Need' Neidelburg Publishers,
1975, pg 74

End of excerpt

- Robbins, John, DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA Stillpoint Publishing,
Walpole, N.H., 1987, pgs. 289-290. All text and citations.

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

> Why Vegan?
>
> http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan
>
> Visit also:
>
> http://www.pcrm.org
>
> Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
> Om Shanti
>
> > Vegan Children: Healthy and Happy
> >
> > Most people have been taught that children must eat
> > animal flesh and dairy products to grow up strong and
> > healthy. The truth is that children raised as vegans, who
> > consume no animal products, including meat, eggs, and
> > dairy, can derive all the nutrients essential for optimum
> > growth from plant-based sources. Children not only don't
> > need animal products, they're much better off without
> > them.
> >
> > Consider this: Many children raised on the "traditional"
> > American diet of cholesterol- and saturated fat-laden
> > hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza are already showing
> > symptoms of heart disease -- the number one killer of
> > adults -- by the time they reach first grade. One
> > epidemiological study found significant levels of
> > cholesterol and fat in the arteries of most children
> > under the age of five.(1) Children raised as vegans can
> > be protected from this condition. They are less likely to
> > suffer from childhood illnesses such as asthma, iron-
> > deficiency anemia, and diabetes and will be less prone to
> > ear infections and colic.(2)
> >
> > A vegan diet has other benefits, too. E. coli, the deadly
> > bacteria that killed four children and sickened more than
> > 600 people in Washington state in 1993, was traced to
> > tainted meat in a fast food restaurant. According to the
> > Centers for Disease Control, there are more than 20,000
> > E. coli infections from meat every year in the United
> > States (3). A vegan diet protects children from the
> > pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics that are fed to
> > animals in huge amounts and concentrate in animals' fatty
> > tissue and milk.(4)
> >
> > Nutrition in Vegan Diets
> >
> > Nutritionists and physicians have learned that plant
> > products are good sources of protein, iron, calcium, and
> > vitamin D because they can be easily absorbed by the body
> > and don't contain artery-clogging fat.
> >
> > o Protein -- Contrary to popular opinion, the real
> > concern about protein is that we will feed our children
> > too much, not too little. Nutritional biochemist Dr. T.
> > Colin Campbell, author of the ground-breaking China
> > Study, has shown that excess animal protein actually
> > promotes the growth of tumors -- and most people on a
> > meat-based diet consume three to 10 times more protein
> > than their bodies need!(5)
> >
> > o Children can get all the protein their bodies need
> > from whole grains in the form of oats, brown rice, and
> > pasta; from nuts and seeds, including spreads such as
> > tahini and peanut butter; and legumes, including tofu,
> > lentils, and beans.(6)
> >
> > o Iron -- Few parents know that some babies' intestines
> > bleed after drinking cow's milk. This increases their
> > risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia since the blood
> > they're losing contains iron.(7) Breast-fed infants under
> > the age of one year get sufficient iron from mother's
> > milk (and are less prone to Sudden Infant Death
> > Syndrome). Formula-fed babies should be fed a soy-based
> > formula with added iron to minimize the risk of
> > intestinal bleeding. Iron-rich foods such as raisins,
> > almonds, dried apricots, blackstrap molasses and
> > fortified grain cereals will meet the needs of toddlers
> > and children 12 months and older. Vitamin C helps the
> > body absorb iron, so foods rich in both, such as green,
> > leafy vegetables are particularly valuable.(8)
> >
> > o Calcium -- Drinking cow's milk is one of the least
> > effective ways to strengthen bones. Too much protein,
> > such as the animal protein fed to children in dairy
> > products, actually causes the body to lose calcium.(9) In
> > countries where calcium intake is low but where protein
> > intake is also very low, osteoporosis is almost non-
> > existent.(10)
> >
> > o Cornbread, broccoli, kale, tofu, dried figs, tahini,
> > great northern beans, and fortified orange juice and soy
> > milk are all excellent sources of calcium. As with iron,
> > vitamin C will help your child's system absorb calcium
> > efficiently. (11)
> >
> > o Vitamin D -- This is not really a "vitamin" but a
> > hormone our bodies manufacture when our skin is exposed
> > to sunlight. Cow's milk does not naturally contain
> > vitamin D; it's added later. Vitamin D-enriched soy milk
> > provides this nutrient without the added animal fat. A
> > child who spends as little as 15 minutes a day playing in
> > the sunshine, with arms and face exposed, will get
> > sufficient vitamin D.(12)
> >
> > o Vitamin B-12 -- This essential vitamin once occurred
> > naturally on the surfaces of potatoes, beets, and other
> > root vegetables, but the move away from natural
> > fertilizers has caused it to disappear from our soil. Any
> > commercially available multivitamin will assure adequate
> > B-12 for your child. B-12 is also found in nutritional
> > yeast (not to be confused with brewer's or active dry
> > yeast) and many fortified cereals. (13)
> >
> > Dangers of Dairy Products
> >
> > Children do not need dairy products to grow up strong and
> > healthy. The director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins
> > University, Dr. Frank Oski, says, "There's no reason to
> > drink cow's milk at any time. It was designed for calves,
> > it was not designed for humans, and we should all stop
> > drinking it today, this afternoon."(14) Dr. Benjamin
> > Spock agrees that although milk is the ideal food for
> > baby cows, it can be dangerous for human infants: "I want
> > to pass the word to parents that cow's milk . . . has
> > definite faults for some babies. It causes allergies,
> > indigestion, and contributes to some cases of childhood
> > diabetes."(15)
> >
> > The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that
> > infants under one year of age not be fed whole cow's
> > milk. Dairy products are the leading cause of food
> > allergies. In addition, more than two-thirds of Native
> > Americans and people from Asian and Mexican ancestry and
> > as many as 15 percent of Caucasians are lactose
> > intolerant and suffer symptoms such as bloating, gas,
> > cramps, vomiting, headaches, rashes, or asthma.(16) Many
> > people become lactose intolerant after age four. For
> > these people, animal proteins seep into the immune system
> > and can result in chronic runny noses, sore throats,
> > hoarseness, bronchitis, and recurring ear infections.(17)
> >
> > Milk is suspected of triggering juvenile diabetes, a
> > disease that causes blindness and other serious
> > effects.(18) Some children's bodies see cow's milk
> > protein as a foreign substance and produce high levels of
> > antibodies to fend off this "invader." These antibodies
> > also destroy the cells which produce insulin in the
> > pancreas, leading to diabetes.
> >
> > An estimated 20 percent of U.S. dairy cows are infected
> > with leukemia viruses that are resistant to killing by
> > pasteurization.(19) These viruses have been found in
> > supermarket supplies of milk and dairy products. It may
> > not be merely coincidence that the highest rates of
> > leukemia are found in children ages 3-13, who consume the
> > most dairy products.(20)
> >
> > Resources
> >
> > o Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet by Michael
> > Klaper, M.D. (Gentle World, Inc., P.O. Box U, Paia, Maui,
> > HI 96779, 1994)
> >
> > o The Vegetarian Mother and Baby Book by Ross Elliot
> > (Pantheon Books, 1986)
> >
> > o Vegetarian Baby (McBooks Press, 1984) and Vegetarian
> > Children (McBooks Press, 1987) by Sharon Yntema
> >
> > o The Compassionate Cook by PETA and Ingrid Newkirk
> > (Warner, 1993)
> >
> > o Vegetarian Times magazine (4 High Ridge Park,
> > Stamford, CT 06905)
> >
> > o Vegetarian Journal (P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD
> > 21204)
> >
> > o Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM),
> > 5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 404, Washington, DC 20015;
> > 202-686-2210
> >
> > o La Leche League, 1-800-LA LECHE
> >
> > References
> >
> > 1. Akman, D., et al. "Heart Disease in a Total Population
> > of Children: The Bogalusa Heart Study," Southern Medical
> > Journal, Oct. 1982, 75(10), pp. 1177-81, and G.S.
> > Berenson, et al., "Cardiovascular Risk Factors in
> > Children. Should They Concern the Pediatrician?" American
> > Journal of Diseases of Children, Sep. 1982, 136(9), pp.
> > 855-62.
> >
> > 2. Klaper, Michael, M.D., Pregnancy, Children, and the
> > Vegan Diet, 1994 edition, pp. 2-3, 36, and Physicians
> > Committee for Responsible Medicine, news release: "Top
> > Doctors Warn: Milk Can Cause Health Problems," September
> > 29, 1992.
> >
> > 3. "A Disease That's a Bite Away," Washington Post,
> > February 13, 1994.
> >
> > 4. Klaper, Michael, M.D., Pregnancy, Children, and the
> > Vegan Diet, 1994 edition, p. 2.
> >
> > 5. "Want Long Life? Lay Off Meat," Tucson Citizen,
> > October 4, 1991.
> >
> > 6. Klaper, op.cit., pp. 12-14.
> >
> > 7. "Doctor Spock Adds Clout to Warnings About Cow's
> > Milk," Wall Street Journal, September 30, 1992.
> >
> > 8. Klaper, op.cit., pp. 17-18.
> >
> > 9. Ibid., pp. 15-16.
> >
> > 10. "Don't Believe Everything Dairy Industry Tells You,"
> > San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, February 10, 1993.
> >
> > 11. Klaper, op.cit., pp. 15-16.
> >
> > 12. Klaper, ibid., p. 58.
> >
> > 13. Klaper, ibid.
> >
> > 14. "Dr. Spock Joins Milk's Detractors," Washington Post,
> > September 30, 1992.
> >
> > 15. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, news
> > release: "Top Doctors Warn: Milk Can Cause Health
> > Problems," September 29, 1992.
> >
> > 16. "Don't Believe Everything Dairy Industry Tells You,"
> > op. cit.
> >
> > 17. Ibid.
> >
> > 18. "Don't Drink Milk?," Washington Post, February 9,
> > 1993.
> >
> > 19. Klaper, op.cit., p. 42.
> >
> > 20. "Vegan From the Cradle: A Medical Doctor Explains Why
> > an Animal-Free Diet for Babies Is His First Choice,"
> > Vegetarian Times, Sept. 1987.
> >
> > Source - http://goveg.com/r-fact6.html
> >
> > Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
> > Om Shanti
> >
> > > Origin And History Of Cow Slaughter And Beef Eating In India
> > >
> > >

> >

> http://www.hitxp.com/articles/histor...aughterhouse-b
> > eef-conspiracy-india/
> > >
> > > I posted the following in 2003:
> > >
> > > [Please use a fixed-width font to view the tables.]
> > >
> > > HUMANS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR EATING MEAT
> > >
> > > "The human intestine has a very hard time handling the
> > > putrefying bacteria, high levels of fat, and lack of fiber that
> > > characterize meat, dairy products and eggs. There are other
> > > animals, though, whose intestines seem designed for the task.
> > >
> > > "The human intestine is anatomically very different from that
> > > of natural carnivores, such as dogs and cats. Because of the
> > > design of their intestines, these animals are virtually guaranteed
> > > short transit times.
> > >
> > > "Our bowel walls are deeply puckered; theirs are smooth. Ours
> > > are full of pouches; theirs have none. Our colons are long,
> > > complex pathways, like a winding mountain road full of hairpin
> > > turns; theirs are short, straight chutes, like wide open freeways.
> > > The toxins from putrefying flesh are not the problem for them that
> > > they are for us because everything passes through them so much more
> > > quickly. Dogs, cats and other natural carnivores do not get colon
> > > cancer from high-fat, low-fiber, flesh-based diets. But we do.
> > >
> > > "Researchers who analyze and test human feces can distinguish
> > > the feces of meat-eaters from those of vegetarians by their smell.
> > > [1] They report that the eliminations of meat-eaters smell far
> > > stronger and more noxious than those of non-meat-eaters. There is
> > > a serious reason. Putrefying animal products are far far more
> > > toxic than rotting plant products, and meat-eaters' colons are
> > > constantly subjected to these toxins."
> > >
> > > "You see, the digestion of meat itself produces strong
> > > carcinogenic substances in the colon and meat-eaters must produce
> > > extensive bile acids in their intestines to deal with the meat they
> > > eat, particularly deoxycholic acid. This is extremely significant,
> > > because deoxycholic acid is converted by clostridia bacteria in our
> > > intestines into powerful carcinogens. The fact that meat-eaters
> > > invariably have far more deoxycholic acid in their intestines than
> > > do vegetarians is one of the reasons they have so much higher rates
> > > of colon cancer." [2]
> > >
> > > SOURCES:
> > >
> > > [1] Hoye, Dr. Martin, M.D., personal communication with author.
> > >
> > > [2] Hepner, G., "Altered Bile Acid Metabolism in Vegetarians"
> > > AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DIGESTIVE DISEASES, 20:935, 1972
> > > Hill, M., "The Effect of Some Factors on the Fecal Concentration
> > > of . . ."
> > > JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, 104:239, 1971
> > > Reddy, B., and Wynder, E., "Large Bowel Carcinogenesis: Fecal
> > > Constituents of Populations with
> > > Diverse Incidence of Colon Cancer"
> > > JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, 50:1437, 1973
> > > Reddy, B., "Metabolic Epidemiology of Large Bowel Cancer"
> > > CANCER, 42:2832, 1978
> > > Reddy B., "Nutrition and its Relationship to Cancer"
> > > ADVANCES IN CANCER RESEARCH, 32:237, 1980
> > > Wynder, E., "Dietary Fat and Colon Cancer"
> > > JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, 54:7, 1975
> > >
> > > All excerpts are from:
> > >
> > > DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA by John Robbins; Stillpoint Publishing; 1987.
> > >
> > > Also:
> > >
> > > WHAT MIGHT BE THE "NATURAL" DIET FOR HUMAN BEINGS?
> > >
> > > By Ted Altar
> > >
> > > Now, we could begin by noting that many frugivorous (fruit eating)
> > > primates, apes like gorillas, and other non-meat eating animals,
> > > have long incisors for defensive reasons. Human incisors are
> > > really quite pathetic and would not serve us at all in killing an
> > > animal. Gorillas have much larger and more formidable incisors,
> > > but they are completely vegetarian.
> > >
> > > Does this answer what diet is maybe preferable for human beings.
> > >
> > > Far from it. Instead of just looking at only one anatomical
> > > detail, we need to consider at the very least our anatomy in
> > > general and as a whole. Hence, the following facts taken together
> > > are germane:
> > >
> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++
> > > + PHYSIOLOGICAL COMPARISONS +
> > > + -------------------------+---------------------+-------------------- +
> > > + MEAT EATER |HERBIVORE |MAN +
> > > + -------------------------+---------------------+-------------------- +
> > > + has claws |no claws |no claws +
> > > + -------------------------+---------------------+-------------------- +
> > > + no skin pores, perspires |perspires through |perspires through +
> > > + through tongue |skin pores |skin pores +
> > > + -------------------------+---------------------+-------------------- +
> > > + sharp front teeth for |no sharp front teeth |no sharp front teeth +
> > > + tearing, no flat molar |has flat rear molars |has flat rear molars +
> > > + teeth for grinding | | +
> > > + -------------------------+---------------------+-------------------- +
> > > + intestinal tract 3 times |intestinal tract |intestinal tract 12 +
> > > + body length so rapidly |10-12 time body |times body length +
> > > + decaying meat can pass |length | +
> > > + out quickly | | +
> > > + -------------------------+---------------------+-------------------- +
> > > + strong hydrochloric |stomach acid 20 |stomach acid 20 +
> > > + acid in stomach to |times less strong |times less strong +
> > > + digest meat |than meat-eaters |than meat eaters +
> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++
> > > [This excerpt comes from the New York Times_ dated 12/13/90]
> > >
> > > Now, does this mean that we are "herbivores"? Of course not. But
> > > it does clearly indicate that we are far less like evolved and true
> > > carnivores than we are like herbivores.
> > >
> > > Critics point out that we are best described as "omnivores", but
> > > what does that mean? It turns out that BOTH carnivores and
> > > herbivores can eat meat. Squirrels can eat meat, chimpanzees can
> > > eat meat, humans can eat meat. In fact, even cows can eat meat!
> > > Indeed, cows are regularly fed rendered meat protein, some of which
> > > is from slaughtered cows! It also turns out that BOTH carnivores
> > > and herbivores can eat plants. Cats and dogs digest carbohydrates
> > > and will do so even in the wild (by eating their the stomach
> > > contents of their prey). Indeed, dogs which are clearly carnivores
> > > are also described as "nutritionally omnivorous". The Merck
> > > Veterinary Manual, 5th edition, says this about dogs:
> > >
> > > Although classified as a carnivore, the dog utilizes a wild
> > > variety of foodstuffs efficiently. This ability enables
> > > the dog to meet his nutritional requirements from a
> > > remarkable diversity of diets. . . . Some vegetable
> > > proteins are . . . . satisfactory sources of amino acids
> > > for dogs.
> > >
> > > There is nothing special about meat protein as mammals do NOT use
> > > protein as given, but break down all protein into its constituent
> > > amino acids. Yes, both dogs, humans, squirrels or even cows can
> > > digest both animal or plant protein. The term "omnivore" is not a
> > > hard and fast scientific category but merely is used to indicate
> > > what an animal usually eats. In our current social environment,
> > > our culture's predominate dietary practices would permit it be said
> > > that we are "omnivores", but that doesn't entail anything about
> > > what we might be constitutionally best evolved to eat.
> > >
> > > The physiological stress of eating meat and the greater health
> > > benefits of a vegetarian diet arguably do support the view that
> > > maybe we are best evolved for a vegetarian diet. Certainly, with
> > > respect to the anthropological evidence, we evolved as frugivorous
> > > animals. Of course, like chimps, we can opportunistically eat meat
> > > and insects, but it only constitutes a mere 5% of their calories,
> > > but we have chosen for reasons that are no longer necessary or
> > > essential to consume in the West some 40 - 50% of our calories come
> > > from slaughtered animals or from animals products (4).
> > >
> > > Yet, our bodies in the wild were best equipped not to catch prey
> > > but to forage for fruits, roots, and insects. Proponents of the
> > > notion that vitamin C requirements for humans are maybe being
> > > larger than current RDA's have also argued their claims from what
> > > we do know about our evolutionary history as being evolved from
> > > frugivorous apes. Reference to that evolutionary history is not
> > > completely irrelevant to what might be, given the choice, a
> > > preferred diet for reasons of health. Just because we can
> > > opportunistically eat meat doesn't mean that we are therefore
> > > equally capable as evolved carnivores in thriving off a diet
> > > largely of meat. Indeed, cats can be fed diets up to 60% fat by
> > > calories with no apparent problems to their cardiovascular health.
> > > This is certainly not the case with humans. Indeed, early
> > > experiments with dogs being fed fatty diets with lots of
> > > cholesterol were misleading in their implications for humans, and
> > > were a hindrance in the final recognition that fatty diets high in
> > > saturated fat and dietary cholesterol do pose serious health
> > > problems for human beings.
> > >
> > > Clearly, the anatomy of the human digestive system is well
> > > engineered to digest plant-based foodstuffs high in fiber and
> > > complex carbohydrates and only moderate in protein. Constipation
> > > and indigestion is less of a problem when people's diets are free
> > > of fiberless, fatty meat. The balance of key metallic elements,
> > > sodium and potassium, is reversed between plant foods and animal
> > > flesh (This greater proportion of sodium may explain why high blood
> > > pressure is rare among vegans). The amounts and chemical kinds of
> > > fats in animals (cholesterol and triglycerides) are very different
> > > than those found in plants. Certainly, no cholesterol is found in
> > > our plant foods. The greater concentration and unnecessary amounts
> > > of protein consumption from meat makes for an excess protein load
> > > that the body must attempt to deal with. Other biological, physical
> > > and chemical properties of flesh foods, like its symptomatic
> > > stimulation of inflammatory substances (prostaglandin 2E) induces
> > >
> > > OBSERVABLE SIGNS OF METABOLIC STRESS.
> > >
> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++
> > > + AFTER A MEAL OF ANIMAL FLESH: +
> > > + a) white blood cell count increases +
> > > + +
> > > + b) Red blood cells become more `sticky' and `sludge' +
> > > + in small blood vessel. (1) +
> > > + +
> > > + c) levels of anti-inflammatory hormones (cortisol) +
> > > + and sex hormones (estrogen, prolactin) increase. (2) +
> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++
> > >
> > > Employing the engine metaphor, then meat is actually an inferior
> > > "fuel" for the body since it generates many acidic waste products
> > > when metabolized. Hence, a high carbohydrate, low fat diet enables
> > > athletes to be stronger and have more physical endurance.
> > >
> > > To summarize the argument he the amount of flesh consumption,
> > > especially with its current fatty quality, does not appear to be
> > > anything like what might be the kind of diet we have evolved to
> > > flourish on as evidenced by the immediate body reactions to meat,
> > > the comparative differences between humans and true carnivores, and
> > > our probable evolutionary history as being predominantly
> > > vegetarians.
> > >
> > > Yes, we can eat meat, but not without some costs. We can eat live
> > > insects, but we normally don't. Indeed, we can eat an omnivorous
> > > diet, but we can also be sustained on a vegetarian diet and the
> > > health evidence certainly suggests that a vegetarian diet is more
> > > conducive to better health.
> > >
> > > But the inveterate critic will repetitively point out that fact
> > > remains that we can and do eat meat, therefore we are omnivores.
> > > For many people, this would misleadingly suggest that meat-eating
> > > is desirable, or at least not harmful. After all, many people are
> > > persuaded by the logic that if there is something that we have
> > > evolved to do, then that is what we must do, or at least can do
> > > with no harm. I do think that such an implication needs to be
> > > challenged. The first point of challenge being to point out that
> > > we are more accurately described as being evolved from frugivorous
> > > apes. Chimps can eat meat, but we don't classify them as
> > > omnivores. Remember, the term, "omnivores" only serves as a
> > > description of what an animal would normally eat given the normal
> > > opportunities for foods with its autochthonous ecological niche.
> > >
> > > Returning to the argument of evolution, again I would stress:
> > >
> > > (1) Only up to 5% of calories come from meat in the
> > > chimp's diet, while aculturalized humans in the West are
> > > consuming for non-essential reasons some 50% of their
> > > calories from slaughtered animals. Also, not all great apes
> > > have been observed to capture or hunt prey as have the
> > > chimps.
> > >
> > > (2) the bulk of the chimp diet is still predominantly
> > > vegetarian and doesn't resemble in the slightest the kind of
> > > excessive meat consumption that we in North America have
> > > been persuaded by the meat industry to assume (that the meat
> > > industry has been influential is indicated by the fact that
> > > we are eating twice as much meat today as we did in the
> > > 1950's).
> > >
> > > (3) more direct and reliable evidence is suggested by
> > > observations of primitive human societies in which it has
> > > been observed that gathering constitutes either the total or
> > > the bulk of the diet for most primitive human groups. There
> > > is no reason to think that such a pattern did not also occur
> > > in our pre-historic past.
> > >
> > > Any claim that our current meat-eating habit is " a natural
> > > evolutionary trait" is simply too strong. That is, it is TOO
> > > SPECIFIC a trait that is contradicted by our evolutionary history
> > > and by the existence of largely vegetarian societies where hunting
> > > is still viable. After all, the development of such specific
> > > evolutionary traits depends upon a constancy of environmental
> > > conditions and a consequent advantageous adaptation for specific
> > > environmental niches. Humans are marked by a flexibility that has
> > > permitted them a capability to live in a great range habitats.
> > > With respect to diet, it would seem more accurate to say that for
> > > the recent evolutionary history of humans, OPPORTUNISM OR
> > > ADAPTABILITY IS THE HUMAN TRAIT IN QUESTION, ALTHOUGH A
> > > PHYSIOLOGICAL NEED FOR VEGETARIAN FARE REMAINS. After all, there
> > > are human groups that are total vegetarians and others in which
> > > meat figures prominently (never totally and exclusively throughout
> > > the year).
> > >
> > > Again, I think that one of the most convincing facts to keep in
> > > mind is that the scientific evidence is pretty clear that the best
> > > diet for human beings in terms of health and longevity is
> > > vegetarian! No other diet for a large, mixed population of people
> > > has been able to achieve the kinds of health risk reductions of,
> > > say, cancer and CHD, as has a vegetarian diet, particularly a vegan
> > > diet.
> > >
> > > "We tend to scoff at vegetarians, call them nuts among the
> > > the berries, but the fact is, they're doing bettr than we
> > > we are"
> > > Dr. William Castelli, Director of the government's
> > > Framingham Hearth Study in Massaschusetts (3)
> > >
> > > Even when we factor out population differences in smoking (which
> > > accounts for about 3 added years) lacto-ovovegetarians still live
> > > longer (about 3 years) than even low-meat eaters. For instance,
> > > the observed-to-expected coronary heart disease mortality among
> > > total vegetarians is only 14%. Vegetarians, of course, do have
> > > heart attacks but they occur approximately 20 years later in life
> > > then for meat eaters. This is a huge difference, and vegetarians
> > > live their lives feeling more fit and healthy and suffering from
> > > fewer episodes of sickness (e.g., less colds). The reasons for
> > > these gains, in part may have to do the many contaminants and
> > > toxins found in meat, but it is known to be largely due to the fact
> > > that meat is comprised of a too high a proportion of fats,
> > > particularly the wrong kinds of fatty acids, which are now being
> > > seen by health experts as causing significant health problems.
> > >
> > > Even medical doctors, who have been slow to recognize the
> > > importance of nutrition for health, some at least are beginning to
> > > concede to the scientific evidence that has been accumulating for
> > > about a hundred years. The "PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE
> > > MEDICINE" recently put out their own 4 Basic Foods chart, much to
> > > the chagrin of that powerful lobby, the meat and diary industry.
> > > The "basic" foods include:
> > >
> > > (1) Whole Grains
> > > (2) Vegetables
> > > (3) Legumes
> > > (4) Fruits.
> > >
> > > Unlike the old charts that were freely supplied by the meat and
> > > diary industry to all our schools, there is no mention of meat or
> > > dairy products as being essential food groups necessary for human
> > > nutrition and health. Their position is that the less we eat of
> > > this stuff the better. Many of these physicians have themselves
> > > become vegetarian simply on the strength of the nutritional studies
> > > performed on human beings.
> > >
> > > All primates have, for the most part, evolved to be fruitarians or
> > > herbivores. Yes, we can eat meat, as do chimpanzees in the wild,
> > > but for chimps this is actually not a common event (except for
> > > insects) and certainly meat does not constitute being a necessary
> > > or significant component in diet. That humans can eat meat doesn't
> > > mean that they must eat meat. That humans may opportunistically
> > > eat red meat doesn't mean that they equally evolved or
> > > physiologically as well adapted to subsist healthily on meat as
> > > compared to a plant food diet.
> > >
> > > In any case, the distinction between carnivores and herbivores is
> > > not clear cut and precise. Again, let it be noted that "true"
> > > carnivores like dogs, for instance, can live normal lives on a
> > > vegetarian diet but this does not make them herbivores. In spite
> > > of this fact, we do not call dogs omnivores. Similarly, we are
> > > still biologically vegetarian creatures as given by the evidence of
> > > physiological constitution, evolutionary history and by the facts
> > > suggesting that our health fares best on a vegetarian diet.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps. ted
> > >
> > > References:
> > >
> > > (1) Friedman, M. 1984. "Serum lipids and conjuctival
> > > circulation after fat ingestion." CIRCULATION, 29:874.
> > >
> > > (2) Armstrong, B. (1981). "Diet and reproductive hormones: A
> > > study of vegetarian and non-vegetarian postmenopausal
> > > women." JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE", 67:761.
> > >
> > > (3) Liebman, B. (1983). "Are vegetarians healthier than the
> > > rest of us?" NUTRITION ACTION, 10:8
> > >
> > > (4) C Brusse EVOLUTION, 1977, 31:907
> > >
> > > End of forwarded post
> > >
> > > Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
> > > Om Shanti

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