vegetarianism

a diet excluding all meat and fish

For plant-eating non-human animals, see Herbivore. For animal-eating plants, see Carnivorous plant.Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat, poultry, fish or their by-products, with or without the use of dairy products or egg (food)eggs ivu.org. The exclusion also extends to products derived from animal carcasses, such as lard, tallow, gelatin, rennet and cochineal. Some who follow the diet also choose to refrain from wearing products that involve the death of animals, such as leather, silk, feather, and fur.

History - Vegetarianism has been common in HinduismHindu countries, such as India, since possibly the 2nd millennium BC for spiritualityspiritual reasons, such as ''ahimsa'' (nonviolence) and reducing bad Karmakarmic influences. Jainism, which claims between eight to ten million adherants, enjoins its followers to be vegetarian. Many Buddhist monks have also historically practiced vegetarianism. In looking for parallels in Jewish and ChristianityChristian antiquity for these practices, some Christian vegetarians feel a kinship with Nazirite and Ebionite practices. Many Hindu scriptures advocate the diet. For instance, the epic Mahabharata states: "He who desires to augment his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures lives in misery in whatever species he may take his birth." fact The secular literature of Tirukural in Tamil Nadu, India, proclaimed over 2000 years ago: "Perceptive souls who have abandoned passion will not feed on flesh abandoned by life. How can he practise true compassion, he who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?" refKural Vegetarians in Europe used to be called "Pythagoreans" refSpencer , after the philosopher and his followers abstained from meat in the 6th century BC. These people followed a vegetarian diet for nutritionnutritional and ethicsethical reasons. According to the Roman poet Ovid, Pythagoras said: "As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love." refWynneTyson In 1847, attendees at the meeting of the first Vegetarian Society in Ramsgate, England, agreed that a "vegetarian" — from the Latin ''uegetus'' "lively", and suggestive of the English word "vegetable" — was a person who refuses to consume flesh of any kind.

Recent trends - Indian vegetarians, primarily lacto-vegetarians, are estimated to make up more than 70% of the world's vegetarians. They make up 20 to 30% of the population in India, while occasional meat-eaters make up another 30%. refIndian_diet_patterns In the Western world, the popularity of vegetarianism steadily grew over the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and more recently, environmental movementenvironmental concerns. In the U.S., as of 2000, 2.5 to 3% said they never eat meat vrg.org, which may mean they are vegetarian, while 5 to 6% said they do not eat meat findarticles.com. This represents an increase over the last decade vrg.org and a great increase since 1950 when vegetarianism was very rare, although per-capita meat consumption has increased considerably since then, as the price of meat has fallen due to factory farming, and the average income has risen.Recently concerns about the environmental accumulation of pesticides and poisons up a food chain have led some to avoid meat, while incidents of mad cow disease have also seen significant increases in the numbers of vegetarians in the United Kingdom and United States. fact In the Western world, vegetarians are twice as likely to be female as male, are more likely to be young to middle-aged than older, and are more likely to be liberal than conservative. In countries with predominantly Hindu and Jain communities, the ratios may favour females, older, and more conservative individuals.

Terminology and varieties of vegetarianism - Different practices of vegetarianism include:

Lacto vegetarianism — Lacto vegetarians do not eat meat or eggs, but may consume dairy products. Most vegetarians in India, as also those in the classical Mediterranean lands, such as Pythagoreans, are or were lacto vegetarian.

Lacto-ovo vegetarianism — Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not eat meat, but may consume dairy and eggs. This is currently the most common variety in the Western world.

Ovo vegetarianism — Ovo vegetarians do not eat meat or dairy products, but may eat eggs.

Veganism — Those who avoid eating any animal products, including eggs, milk, cheese, and honey, are known as dietary vegans. Those who avoid eating or using animal products, such as leather and some cosmetics, are called vegans.The following are less common practices of vegetarianism:

Raw food diet — Involves food, usually vegan, which is not heated above 116°F (46.7°C); it may be warmed slightly or raw, but never cooked. Raw foodists argue that cooking destroys enzymes and/or portions of each nutrient. However, some raw foodists believe certain foods become more bio-available when warmed slightly as the process softens them, which more than negates the destruction of nutrients and enzymes. Other raw foodists, called "living foodists", activate the enzymes through soaking the food in water a while before consumption. Some spiritual raw foodists are also Fruitarianismfruitarians and many eat only organic foods.

Macrobiotic diet — Involves a diet consisting mostly of whole grains and beans, and is usually spiritually based like fruitarianism.

Natural Hygiene — Involves a diet principally of raw vegan foods.

Fruitarianism — Fruitarians, or fructarians, eat only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant (some fruitarians eat only plant matter that has already fallen off the plant). This typically arises out of a holistic philosophy. Thus, a fruitarian will eat beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and the like, but will refuse to eat potatoes or spinach. It is disputed whether it is possible to avoid malnutrition with a fruitarian diet, which is rarer than other types of vegetarian or vegan diet.The following similarly named diets are not considered vegetarianism:

Pesco/pollo vegetarianism — Some people choose to avoid certain types of meat for many of the same reasons that others choose vegetarianism: health, ethical beliefs, etc. For example, some people will not eat "red meat" (mammal meat – beef, lamb, pork, etc.) while still consuming poultry and seafood. This is not vegetarianism, but has recently been referred to in the media as semi-vegetarianism or pesco/pollo vegetarianism.

Flexitarianism — Flexitarians adhere to a diet that is mostly vegetarian but occasionally consume meat. Some, for instance, may regard the suffering of animals in factory farm conditions as their sole reason for avoiding meat or meat-based foods, and will eat meat or meat products from animals raised under more humane conditions or hunted in the wild.

Freeganism — Freegans practice a lifestyle based on concerns about the exploitation of animals, the earth, and human beings in the production of consumer goods. Many tend towards veganism but this is not an inherent practice. Those that eat meat generally support the arguments for vegetarianism, but as freegans are very concerned about waste many prefer to make use of discarded commodities than to allow them to go to waste and consume landfill space. freegan.info

Motivation -

Nutritional - mainVegetarian nutrition Some nutritionists claim that a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables but low in, or excluding, animal fat and protein offers numerous health benefits, including a significantly lower risk of coronary heart diseaseheart disease, cancer, renal failure, obesity, diabetes and stroke. The American Dietetic Association, the largest organization of nutrition professionals , states on its website "Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower Body mass indexbody mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer." eatright.org mayoclinic.com The American Heart Association's website states "Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer." americanheart.org organicconsumers.org - Studies show that a vegetarian mother's breast milk has significantly lower levels of pesticide residue than a non-vegetarian's.Some vegetable protein sources lack in one or more "essential" amino acid. For example, Grains and nuts are low in lysine and legumes are low in methionine. While everyone should eat a variety of foods to ensure a balanced nutrition, the body’s requirement for essential amino acids now appears to be much less important than researchers once believed. Vegetarians get all the protein and amino acids they need from eating a normal variety of whole grains (whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice), beans, nuts, and soy (tofu, veggie burgers/hotdogs, etc). The intake of such foods has to be larger since the protein percentage in these foods are comparitively lower than in a similar serving of meat. Attaining sufficient protein intake is rarely a problem in developed countries and the lower protein intake of vegetarians has even been suggested as a possible cause of some of the health benefits above. A purely vegetarian diet does not include fish - a major source of Omega 3, though some plant-based sources of it exist such as soy, flaxseed, hempseed, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and especially, walnuts.Some suggest that vegetarians have higher rates of deficiencies in those nutrients which are found in high concentrations in meat. Surprisingly, studies endorsed by the ADA found that this was not the case for iron or calcium. On the other hand, Vitamin B-12 and zinc from vegetarian sources other than dairy products and eggs are not readily absorbed by the body and a vegan diet usually needs supplements. cyberparent.com. Nonetheless, these nutrients are now commonly supplemented in milks and cereals in the western world, and is not necessarily a problem in a vegetarian diet.

Ethical - . time.com ]]mainEthics of vegetarianism Many vegetarians consider the factory farmingproduction, subsequent slaughterhouseslaughtering and consumption of meat or animal products as ethicsunethical. Reasons for believing this are varied, and may include a belief in animal rights, or an aversion to inflicting pain or harm on other lifeliving creatures. In developed countries, ethical vegetarianism has become popular particularly after the spread of factory farming, which has reduced the sense of husbandry that used to exist in farming and led to animals being treated as commodities. Many believe that the treatment which animals undergo in the production of meat and animal products obliges them to never eat meat or use animal products. In addition to the ethical issues involved, some vegetarians find meat, animal products, and their production appetiteunappetizing or emotionally disturbing.

Environmental - mainEnvironmental vegetarianism Some people believe that the production of meat and animal products at current and likely future levels might be environmentalismenvironmentally and ecologyecologically sustainable developmentunsustainable. It is also argued that even if sustainable agricultural practices are employed, modern industrial agriculture is changing ecosystems faster than they can Adaptation (biology)adapt. This is however a very large assumption to make, and as such is based on opinion of a few people, and allegedly spread by pressure groups. In many cases, arable (vegetable) farming, destroys far greater areas of habitat (large industrial corn fields etc.) and leads to more widespread use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers, than is found in pastoral (animal) farming. All types of modern, industrialised farming involve heavy consumptions of resources such as fossil fuels and water, and can lead to emissions of harmful gases, or distribution of harmful chemicals. Some people believe that the problem of over-grazed lands can be alleviated with a vegetarian diet ajcn.org, but as a knock on, this is likely to cause greater mass arable production, with its own environmental problems. Environmental vegetarians can be compared with economic vegetarianismeconomic vegetarians, who consider the meat industry economically unsound.Some people argue that a more effective protest might be to continue eating meat, but source it only from well husbanded, sustainable farms.The debate rages on both sides, and articles supporting both arguments are frequent in the press. One such example of a pro-vegetarian article is below."The cost of mass-producing cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep and fish to feed our growing population... include highly inefficient use of freshwater and land, heavy pollution from livestock feces... and spreading destruction of the forests on which much of our planet's life depends." - Time Magazine 11/8/99

Economical - mainEconomic vegetarianism Some people are vegetarian for economic reasons, such as those who consciously choose a lifestyle of simple living or those who adopt vegetarianism through necessity. For example, in Great BritianBritain forced necessity changed dietary habits during the period around World War II and the early 1950's, as animal products were strictly Rationing in Britain during and after World War IIrationed whilst allotment (gardening)allotment or home grown fruit and vegetables were readily available. Also in Developing countrydeveloping countries people sometimes follow a mainly vegetarian diet simply because meat is scarce or expensive compared to alternative food sources. The same principle can also be a deciding factor in influencing the diet of students or low income households in the Western world. However since the price of meat has dropped in recent years due to intensive farming and increased competition, and overall affluence has risen, the percentage of people in the West who are vegetarian through forced necessity is relatively low now.

Social - Some people are vegetarian because they were parentingraised in a vegetarian household. Others may have become vegetarians because of a vegetarian partner, family member, or friend. Some people live in a predominantly vegetarian society (such as India), and so adopt this practice to avoid ostracism, or for the difficulty of buying meat in such a society .

Spiritual - Many Eastern worldEastern religions claim that spiritualityspiritual awareness is greatly enhanced on a vegetarian diet. They believe that vegetarianism helps an individual to explore deeper levels of consciousness and establish a connection with the Divine, through such practices as meditation, yoga or Sufi whirlingwhirling. In the Western world there are also individuals like James Redfield who, independent from any specific religious beliefs, share the same sentiment. In the West this motivation is regarded by many as a New Age reason for being vegetarian.

Religious motivation - mainVegetarianism and religion The majority of the world's vegetarians, according to the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians, follow the practice for religious reasons. Many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and especially Jainism, teach that ideally life should always be valued and not willfully destroyed for unnecessary human gratification.

Hinduism - HinduismHindus believe that food shapes the personality, mood and mind. They believe that meat promotes aggressiveness and a mental state of turmoil known as "gunarajas". On the other hand, a vegetarian diet is considered to promote gunasattwic qualities, calm the mind, and essential for spiritual progress. They also believe that animals have souls and killing animals have karmakarmic repurcussions that are bound to be reaped later by oneself. Also, the principle of Ahimsa compels one to refrain from injuring any living creature, physically, mentally or emotionally. Most of the secular motivations for vegetarianism such as ethical considerations and nutrition apply to Hindu motivations as well.Hindus of certain castes, especially Brahmins, are forbidden from consuming anything gained at the expense of an animal's suffering, and follow a Lacto vegetarian diet. Leather from animals who have died of natural causes is acceptable for some Hindus. The diet of the orthodox Hindu excludes animal products (apart from milk products), alcohol, the rajasic foods - onions and garlic, as well as mushrooms, which are a form of fungus.The Indian cuisine and diet is primarily vegetarian and most Hindus are semi-vegetarians, refraining from beef and eating meat/seafood only occasionally. Most non-vegetarian practising Hindus maintain a vegetarian diet on religious days.

Buddhism - The Pancasilafirst lay precept in Buddhism prohibits killing. But, the Buddha also made a distinction between killing an animal and consumption of meat, stressing that it is immoral conduct that makes one impure, not the food one eats. At one point, the Buddha specifically refused to institute vegetarianism, and the Pali Canon records the Buddha himself eating meat on several occasions. There were, however, rules prohibiting certain types of meat, such as human, leopard or elephant. Monks are also prohibited from consuming meat if they witnessed the animal's death or know it was killed specifically for them. On the other hand, the Buddha in certain Mahayana sutras strongly denounces the eating of meat. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha states that "the eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion", adding that every kind of meat and fish consumption is prohibited by him. In the modern Buddhist world, attitudes toward vegetarianism vary by location. In China and Vietnam, monks typically eat no meat (and with other restrictions as well – see Buddhist cuisine). In Japan or Korea some schools do not eat meat, but most do. Tibetan monks and Theravadins in Sri Lanka and South-east Asia, do not practice vegetarianism.

Ayyavazhi - Vegetarianism became as an important practice in Ayyavazhi from the event of Thuvayal Thavasu, a ritual based physical and spiritual cleanliness practiced in Vakaippathi. Now this is practiced in one form or other among the followers of Ayyavazhi. Some of them adopt partial vegetarianism especially on Sundays, Fridays and Tuesdays. But most of the Panividaiyalars (priests in Ayyavazhi)are strictly vegetarians.

Abrahamic religions - Jews, Christians, and Muslims (Abrahamic religions) are all left with the biblical ideal of the Garden of Eden diet, which from all appearances is fruitarian (see Book of GenesisGenesis 1:29, 9:2-4; Book of IsaiahIsaiah 11:6-9). Accordingly, some Charismatics, Christian anarchismChristian anarchists and Jewish vegetarians (Jewish MessiahMessianic) believe that in order to return to an era of Garden of EdenEden-like paradise, they will have to go back to a holistic approach to health and diet. However, only minorities within these populations actually practice and advocate such strict diets, since the same book of the Bible, Genesis, later gives permission to Noah to consume animal flesh. Commentators agree that this permisson to eat meat largely appears to be a divine concession to human weakness and sin, with penalties — likely including decreased life expectancy (see Book of GenesisGenesis 6:3). Some commentators also argue that people may eat animals because God gave Adam and Eve dominion over them.

Judaism - Rabbinical Judaism discourages ascetic practices in general. On the other hand, the Talmud discourages indulgence and states that it is preferable that one's diet consist mostly of non-meat products. Accordingly, to some Jewish vegetarians, vegetarianism is not a form of self-deprivation, because they don't desire to eat meat. Though Judaism has not promoted vegetarianism in general, some prominent rabbis have been vegetarian, among them the first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel, Abraham Isaac Kook and fomer Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Goren.An argument used by Jewish vegetarians is that the laws of shechita are meant to prevent the suffering of animals but today, with factory farming and high-speed, mechanized slaughterhouses, even kosher slaughterhouses are considered by some authorities as not rendering the meat kosher. They also say that the Sages only mandated eating an olive's bulk of meat during festivals, but even then, this was because in Talmudic times, meat was considered essential for one's diet. (See Jews for Animal Rights).

Christianity - MainChristian vegetarianism Some Christians, such as Keith Akers, believe that Jesus, the apostletwelve apostles and the early Messianic JudaismMessianic Jewish followers of Jesus (the Ebionites) were vegetarians. They think that a movement away from simple living and vegetarianism began with Paul of TarsusPaul, and that they need to return to pre-Pauline early Christianity. However critics point out the decision to be vegetarian or omnivore is purely a personal choice, as there are many passages in the Bible that advocate meat and fish within the diet. There are also Christian vegetarians, such as Leo Tolstoy and Ammon Hennacy, who believe that the Christian principles of compassion and nonviolence require a vegetarian diet whether the Jews and the early Christians were historically vegetarians or not.

Islam - Islam explicitly permits the eating of some kinds of meat, but does not make it compulsory. There are several hadith that support a vegetarian lifestyle and recommend kindness to animals rather than eating them. "Masih (the messiah, Jesus) said, ‘Flesh eating flesh? How offensive an act!’" (Al-Raghib al-Isfahani), Mahadarat al-Udaba', 1:610.)However, most Islamic scholars assert that if a person is a vegetarian because he does not like meat and prefers eating vegetables or because of some dietary reasons, then this cannot be objected to on religious grounds. However, if he or she thinks that slaughtering animals to eat their meat is doing injustice to them, that is not acceptable, since animals have been created by Allah "solely for the service of man":And cattle He has created for you. From them you derive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their meat you eat. (16:5)''It is Allah who made cattle for you that you may use some for riding and some for food. (40:79)''According to Islam, one should not try to be more merciful than the Merciful Allah. Such philosophising is tantamount to expressing "ingratitude to Allah". In other words, eating the meat of the animals is acknowledging the favours of a "Gracious" Creator, and this acknowledgement in turn is instrumental in the "inner purification" of a person – the primary goal of Islam. Slaughter animals by Halal is thus important for "inner purification" according to Islam. Some Islamic mystics, such as the SufismSufis, advocate vegetarianism.

Jainism - All dietary rules listed for Hindus apply to JainismJains. In addition, Jains must take into account any suffering caused to plants and ''suksma jiva'' (Sanskrit: ''subtle life forms''; refers to what would later be termed "microorganisms") by their dietary choices. They are forbidden from eating most root vegetables (such as potatoes) and deem many other vegetables acceptable only when harvested during certain times of the year.

Taoism - In Chinese societies, "simple eating" (素食 Mandarin (linguistics)Mandarin: sù shí) refers to a particular restricted diet associated with TaoismTaoist monks, and is sometimes practiced by members of the general population during Taoist festivals. It is referred to by the English word "vegetarian". However, though it rejects meat, eggs and milk, this diet does include oysters and oyster products.

Bahá'í Faith - The Bahá'í Faith prefers a vegetarian diet, although it is not required. Furthermore, Bahá'ís believe "Fruits and Cerealgrains" will be the foods of the future and the time will come when meat will no longer be eaten bahai-library.com.

Sikhism - In Sikhism, it is believed that one should not eat any type of meat for it involves killing a living, conscious being.

Rastafari - Rastafari movementRastafarians generally follow a diet called "I-tal", which eschews the eating of food that has been artificially preserved, flavoured, or chemically altered in any way. Many Rastafarians consider it to also forbid the eating of meat.

Vegetarian cuisine - mainVegetarian cuisine This generally means food which excludes ingredients under which an animal must have died, such as meat, meat broth, cheeses that use animal rennet (some vegetarians will eat all cheeses and others none, because of its milk content), gelatin (from animal skin and connective tissue), and for the strictest, even some sugars that are whitened with bone char (e.g. sugarcanecane sugar, but not sugar beetbeet sugar).

Country specific information -

In India ''vegetarianism'' is usually synonymous with ''lacto'' vegetarianism, although ''ovo-lacto'' vegetarianism is practiced as well. 20 to 30% of Indians are estimated to be vegetarians and vegetarian restaurants (almost always lacto vegetarian) abound refIndia . There are usually many vegetarian (''Shakahari'' (~''plant-eater'') in Hindi) options available in all restaurants ('hidden' meat ingredients such as lard, gelatin, meat stock are not used in the traditional cuisine).

In the United States, ''vegetarianism'' is usually synonymous with ''ovo-lacto'' vegetarianism. However, vegetarians are sometimes wrongly assumed to be pesco/pollo vegetarians who will tolerate some meat. Many restaurants and caterers provide vegetarian options to patrons, often explicitly indicated as such. It is also possible to order a vegetarian meal and be served meat. Polls find that 2.8% of Americans are vegetarian as of 2004 msnbc.msn.com.

In the United KingdomUK, voluntary labelling of vegetarian foods is widespread, but far from universal. Many manufacturers will label food as "suitable for vegetarians" though there is currently no agreed definition of this. In addition, the Vegetarian Society operates a scheme where foods that meet its strict criteria can be labelled as "Vegetarian Society-approved". Cheese is often labelled as well, making it possible to identify cheeses that have been made with non-animal rennet. Flavourings in ingredients lists do not need to specify if they come from animal origin, which can make identifying vegetarian foods difficult if they are not otherwise labelled as such. 5% of the UK are estimated to be vegetarians. The United KingdomBritish Vegetarian Society regards a product as vegetarian if it is free of meat, fowl, fish, shellfish, meat or bone stock, animal or tallowcarcass fats, gelatin, aspic, or any other ingredient resulting from slaughter, such as rennet. Where egg (food)eggs are used, they must be free range, and the product should not have involved animal testing. vegsoc.org

In Ireland, food labelling is in place.

In Spain, most vegetarian meals will be served with egg, or even tuna. Stock_(food)Stock is normally used in vegetable soups and many sauces.

In France the situation is similar to that in Spain, but is slightly less unfavourable.

In Germany, the confusion of vegetarianism with pesco/pollo vegetarianism is also common. There is no food labelling in place, and buying only vegetarian foods can involve having to read the fine printed ingredients list ("Zutaten") on many food products. However widespread Organic_farmingWholefood emporia provide sources for vegetarian foods in even remote areas.

In Australia the same conditions apply as in Germany. Some manufacturers who target the vegetarian market will label their foods, however except for foods intended for export to the United Kingdom, this labelling can be inconsistent. Flavourings in ingredients lists do not need to specify if they come from animal origin. As such, ''natural flavour'' could be derived from either plant or animal sources.

Vegetarian societies - Vegetarian societies (apart from India) were first formed in majority meat eating European countries both as a means to promote the diet and to gather together vegetarians for mutual support. By 2000, most western and developing nations had functioning vegetarian societies. The countries that were first to establish societies are still the ones most likely to have the greatest proportion of vegetarians within their populations.The first societies were:

1847 — United Kingdom

1850 — United States of America

1867 — Germany

1880 — France

1886 — Australia

1889 — India

1890 — Ireland

1893 — Switzerland

1894 — Netherlands

1895 — Sweden

1896 — Denmark

1896 — Hungary

1899 — Belgium

1900 — Austria The International Vegetarian Union ivu.org, a union of all the national societies, was founded in 1908.

Quotes - wikiquote

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.

The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men - Leonardo da Vinci

I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals - Henry David Thoreau

A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite - Leo Tolstoy.

I do feel that spiritual progress does demand, at some stage, that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for the satisfaction of our bodily wants - Mahatma Gandhi. (Gandhi however saw the consumption of sterile eggs as acceptable.)

To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana - Buddha. (Buddha himself consumed meat and advised his disciples not to avoid meat that was offered to them to be polite)

Criticism - There are some people who criticise vegetarianism on the grounds that it is difficult, if not impossible, to get a sufficient amount of B12 from a strictly vegetarian diet, although the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada statement on vegetarianism which has been reaffirmed four times over 15 years strongly disputes this eatright.org. In any case involving B12 deficiency, this can be easily remedied by simply taking a B12 supplement.Some people have allegedly suffered from health problems because of various types of vegan diets (See beyondveg.com - this web site, for example.) However, many other people have suffered from health problems due to various types of non-vegan / non-vegetarian diets. For example, the World Health Organization indicates that who.int - eating animal fats increases your risk of cancer, and ingentaconnect.com - a study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology in February 2005 finds that consuming meat and/or dairy products increases the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.There are also some people who question some of the basic reasons for vegetarianism. For example, it is erroneous to assume that food given to livestock could instead be used to feed humans. In developing countries particularly, such food is usually of poor quality and not fit for human consumption, though the land it utilizes could be turned over to human food production. Also, there exist some types of terrain (such as mountains) that are suitable for grazing animals, but not suitable as farmland. Some people produce environmental criticism based on the water consumption of local farmers: In most of the poor countries in Asia, the main source of carbohydrates and intake of cereals comes from rice consumption. The cultivation of paddy requires two to four times as much water when compared to cultivation of other dry crops fao.org - (FAO) thus making it far more environmentally friendly to diversify the production.Other criticism of vegetarianism comes from people who exclusively eat meat and dairy products produced locally in humane conditions. They consider that vegetarians are undermining the market for these products and tacitly supporting factory farming.

References - noteMosby's (2002). Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary. Sixth Edition. p. 1798. ISBN 0323014305.noteKural mountainman.com.au - ''Thirukural'' Chapter 26: Abstaining from MeatnoteSpencer Spencer, Colin. (2002). ''Vegetarianism: A History''. Four Walls Eight Windows; 2nd edition. p. 38. ISBN 1568582382noteBook ''L. Beckett & J. W. Oltjen. (1993). Estimation of the water requirement for beef production in the United States. Journal of Animal Science, 71, 818-8268.''noteFAO ''FAO., United Nations. (1996). Livestock & the Environment.''noteShierry Shierry Weber Nicholsen, ''The Love of Nature and the End of the World : The Unspoken Dimensions of Environmental Concern'' (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2003). ISBN 0262640511.noteBook1 ''Techno Economics of Paddy cultivation'', State Bank of India Publications.noteWynneTyson Excerpt from the book ''The extended circle'', by Jon Wynne-Tyson, ISBN 0747406332.noteIndian_diet_patterns highlights - Indian consumer patterns - US dept of agriculture report, ers.usda.gov - Agri reform in India - USDA , fao.org - Diary and poultry sector growth in India noteIndia !vegetarian-restaurants.net - Vegetarian restauraunts in india

See also -

Christian vegetarianism

Fruitarianism

List of vegetariansList of notable vegetarians

Natural Hygiene

Veganism

Vegetarian cuisine

External links -

ananimalfriendlylife.com - An Animal-Friendly Life Offers a wide variety of vegan links

vegsoc.org - The Vegetarian Society

ivu.org - The International Vegetarian Union

brook.com - Eco-Eating

vegetarian.allrecipes.com - Vegetarian Recipes - All Recipes has 800 free vegetarian recipes.

lioncity.net - Vegetarian Discussion Forum

christianveg.com - Christian Vegetarian Association

brook.com - The Vegetarian Mitzvah

tonysamara.org - Vegetarianism and Spirituality

vegparadise.com - Protein Basics Chart Tells how much and what kinds of proteins are required for different lifestyles and has great detailed charts showing how much protein is in various foods.

happycow.net - HappyCow.net A world guide to vegetarian restaurants and health food stores.

vegetarianusa.com - VegetarianUSA.com A more extensive guide to vegetarian restaurants and health food stores for the USA only.

vegweb.com - Vegweb An extensive, collaborative vegetarian cookbook.Spirituality !Category:NutritionCategory:Die tsCategory:Vegetarianism Category:Vegetarian !cuisineCategory:Spiritualitybg :Вегетарианствоc a:Vegetarianismecs:Vegetarián stvída:Vegetarianismede:Veget arismuses:Vegetarianismoeo:Veg etarismofr:Végétarismeit:Veg etarismohe:צמחונותhu:Ve getarianizmusnl:Vegetarismeja: ヴェジタリアンpl:Wegeta rianizmpt:Vegetarianismoru:В� �гетарианствоfi:Ve getarismisv:Vegetarianzh:素� �主義

Church of Gnostic Luminism
Integration of higher consciousness with the normal waking self is the true goal of all valid religious practice, whatever the symbols used to embody the idea. Its attainment triggers a personal transformation or “rebirth,” an Initiation; it is the only true “salvation.” If a sufficient number of individuals develop this integration, the infusion of new creative energy into human society will trigger a worldwide revolutionary transformation, an evolutionary leap into the future. This will constitute the onset of puberty for Homo sapiens. It is to this personal and social transformation — Revelation and Revolution — that our new Church will be dedicated.
http://www.luminist.org/

Vegan Runners International
Vegan Runners is a club for vegans who enjoy running on all levels from joggers to elite runners. The international site has links to national Vegan Runners sites with more information and/or communities for each country.
http://www.veganrunners.org/

Beyond Vegetarianism
Explores the varieties and psychology of idealistic diets which may lead to orthorexia nervosa, a syndrome of health and behavioral problems arising from rigid adherence to alternative diets.
http://www.beyondveg.com/

Vegetarian Resource Group
A non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger.
http://www.vrg.org/

KidsHealth
Up-to-date information on growth, food and fitness, childhood infections, immunizations, and medical conditions from the Nemours foundation.
http://kidshealth.org/

Vegetarian Pages
"Independent and definitive internet guide for vegetarians."
http://www.veg.org

National Library of Medicine
The world's largest medical library. It collects materials in all major areas of the health sciences and to a lesser degree in such areas as chemistry, physics, botany and zoology.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/