Eating for life
*Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan
Recently ‘Vegetarianism ‘is acquiring more importance, which has got wide acceptance in all developed nations including Europe and United States. But for developing nations like India where protein malnutrition is a serious problem vegetarianism is really a controversial issue. When I was in United States I was able to visit a number of vegetarian restaurants, groceries, Bakeries and caterers. Catering to the increasing demand for vegetarian options, more and more grocery stores and restaurants from fast food to four- star are offering animal free foods.
According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians are reported to have lower body mass indices than non- vegetarians. Moreover they have lower blood cholesterol level, blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension, type2 diabetes, prostate and colon cancers and death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians have lowest rates of coronary diseases and incidence of cancer is only 40 percent.
A non-governmental organization based at Washington DC, USA People for the Ethical treatment of animals-PETA is propagating the vegetarian concept throughout the world. They argue that fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains make us healthy. Going vegetarian has never been easier. The explosion of vegetarian foods means that you can pop every thing from bean tacos to veggie sausage in to the microwave and finish the meal with frozen non-dairy ice cream. Studies have shown that vegetarians have stronger immune systems and lower cholesterol levels than meat eaters and are far less likely to die of heart disease or cancer. Meat and dairy consumption is also linked with diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, clogged arteries, obesity, asthma and impotence. The estimated medical cost attributable to meat eating in the US is more than 100 billion US dollars per year. Celebrities like Martina Navaratilova, Carl Lewis, Edwin Moses, Desmond Howard and Pamela Anderson are few of the famous faces who never eat non-vegetarian foods. Intensive agricultural practices for rearing Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Pigs, Turkey, Duck and Chicken for meat in overcrowded stalls, cages, crates or sheds where they are often unable to turn around or take even a single step for their entire lives. Deciding what we will eat means choosing between the horrors of factory farming and respect for animals. Says PETA.
According to PETA, Chickens, pigs, cows and fish accumulate toxic chemicals in their flesh and fat which is responsible for almost all the toxic residues like dioxins, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics. 80-90 percent of dietary pesticide exposure, as well as 100percent of dietary hormone and dioxin exposure comes from eating animal products and many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer in human beings. Fish can accumulate toxins up to 9 million times as those in water they live in. According to centers for disease control and prevention, 3,25,000 people get sick and some die every year in the US from eating contaminated fish and other sea animals. No species naturally drinks milk beyond infancy, and no species would naturally drink the milk of different species. Cows milk is designed for baby cows, which have four stomachs and gain hundreds of pounds in a matter of months. Says PETA. Consumption of human milk has been linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and even osteoporosis. The high animal protein content of milk causes calcium to be leached from the body. According to Harward medical School analysis milk does not protect against osteoporosis. It contains more cholesterol, fat and ever increasing variety of pesticides and antibiotics. Cow’s milk is laced with foeign, frequently allergy-inducing bovine protein and often contain hydrocarbon pesticides, contaminants and saturated fats. Clinical experience suggests that cow’s milk is linked to numerous common health problems like ear infection, running nose, bronchitis, allergy and asthma in children. Many children are subtly or violently allergic to milk proteins. Serving up just one egg for breakfast each morning can raise your cholesterol level by as much as 10 points. Eggs are primary carriers of salmonella, which kill more than 500 people every year in US.
Now corporate owned factories where cows are chained by the neck on concrete in huge sheds and treated like milk machines have replaced most of the family farms. To boost production many farmers inject cows with synthetic growth hormones, which increase the incidence of developing mastitis. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Children who eat more than 12 hot dogs per month are nine times more likely to develop childhood leukemia than vegetarian kids, according to university of southern California study.
Textured vegetable protein (TVP), Tofu, Wheat gluten, Tempeh, substitutes for eggs and non-dairy dairy products are new vegetarian foods taste like milk or meat. In the US animals raised for food are fed 70 percent of the corn, wheat and other grains. The world’s cattle population alone will consume quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people-more than the entire human population on earth. Of the agricultural land 80percent is used to raise animals for food. Nearly half of the water consumed in US for all purposes is used to raise animals for food. It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, but only 60 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. A totally vegetarian diet requires 300 gallons of water per day while a meat eating diet requires more than 4000 gallons of water per day. Raising animals for food causes more water pollution in the US than any other industry because animals raised for food produce 130 times excrement of the entire human population. Each vegetarian saves an acre of trees every year. Too much animal protein can cause people to excrete calcium through their urine and increase the risk of osteoporosis. It will also leads to kidney diseases. Grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts and seeds will provide all essential amino acids. Soy formula is far easier on babies’ digestive systems than cow’s milk.
While arguing for Vegetarianism, as a commercial venture many agencies are exploiting the situation by indirectly promoting Soya milk and related products that developing countries like India cannot afford. Animal protein is the quickest remedy for countries like India having serious protein malnutrition. Moreover Livestock sector is one of the major rural livelihood options in the country. Promoting the growing trend towards organic farming will be the only option available with us.
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Author is Asst Director, Animal Husbandry department; Kerala & Visiting Scientist, Smithsonian Institution, USA, and E-mail address is tpsethu2000@yahoo.com
