Its Not as Bad as You Think:

What a Meat-Free Diet Can Do For Personal and Planetary Health

Paul McCartney of the Beatles said, If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would
be a vegetarian. His wife, Linda McCartney, said the same words in her cookbook, Lindas
Kitchen: Simple and Inspiring Recipes for Meals Without Meat. Albert Einstein said It is my
view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament,
would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind. Countless celebrities and historical figures
have a lot to say about the vegetarian lifestyle, and several million average, non-famous people agree
that a vegetarian lifestyle is great for many reasons. Those reasons extend beyond just the ethical
the idea that it is wrong to treat animals the way they are treated in slaughterhouses and factory
farms, where animals are kept in confined spaces and cows are forcefully impregnated so they
produce more milk. Those reasons often include concern for personal health and how to improve
that health. However, cutting meat from ones diet and adopting a vegetarian lifestyle does not

only serve many health benefits, but environmental benefits as well. A plant-based diet yields
greater vitamin intake, a reduced risk for various diseases, and even has an impact on the health
of the planet by limiting greenhouse gas emission and increasing the number of resources
available to humans, among other things as well.
So how does a vegetarian diet yield a greater vitamin intake if a whole food group is
being cut out? Cutting meat means losing a large source of protein, vitamin B-12, iron, vitamin
D, calcium and, if fish is also cut, omega-3. Fortunately, there are many ways to make up for
those vitamins in other food sources or in supplements. That extra vitamin intake that was
mentioned comes from replacing meat with more vegetables, legumes, fruits, wheat products,
and more. The problem of limited iron intake can easily be addressed and also easily solved. In
the United States, many grain products are fortified with iron so eliminating meat from the diet

can have a pretty minimal impact on iron intake (Hunt 127). Unfortunately, there are many
countries that do not fortify grain products with iron so the iron intake of a person in that location
would be adversely affected, but in Western countries, a vegetarian diet may contain as much or
more iron than an omnivorous diet (Hunt 127). Iron does not need to be a huge concern for
anyone considering a vegetarian diet as long as they are living in a country that fortifies its
grain products with iron. B12, however, might be somewhat of a concern for someone following
a vegetarian or vegan diet. It was once thought that a B12 deficiency was rare except for strict
vegetarians or vegans, but it was found that a B12 deficiency is actually quite common for
people following any type of vegetarian diet (Pawlak 110-11). This is because B12 does not
occur naturally in foods of plant origin, except through contamination with soil or by exposure
to foods containing B12, such as milk solids during processing or in foods fortified with this
vitamin (Pawlak 110). Vegetarians have limited access to naturally-occurring B12 eggs, milk,
and dairy so their intake of vitamin B12 depends on fortified foods, those few animal products,
and the use of B12 supplements (Pawlak 110). It is likely that anyone adhering to a vegetarian or
vegan diet will experience some sort of vitamin B12 deficiency, but with the right amount of
effort, one could easily make up for the lack of B12 and could still maintain a healthy diet.
Yes, anyone following a vegetarian or vegan diet is missing out on several vitamins and
minerals and other good, important nutrients for the human body, but many of those nutrients can
still be obtained through plant-based food, vitamin-enriched grains, or supplements. Moving
back to the question of how a vegetarian or vegan could possibly be receiving more nutrients
than someone who still eats meat on a daily basis it is possible. It has been shown that
vegetarians actually eat better than non-vegetarians. Vegetarians consume more vitamin A, C,
and E, more riboflavin and thiamine, more magnesium, folate, and carotenoids such as beta-

carotene not only that, but the average vegetarian also consumed more fiber than someone who
adheres to an omnivorous diet (Should You or Shouldnt You). In some cases, a vegetarian diet
may yield more calcium than an omnivorous diet (Phillips 137), and this may be caused by a
greater consumption of dairy products to make up for the loss of meat and the nutrients that meat
provides. Many current dietary guidelines recommend that 50% of energy comes from
carbohydrates, which should mostly be complex carbohydrates and sugars received from milk,
fruits, and vegetables, and luckily a vegetarian or vegan diet has a similar or sometimes slightly
higher intake of these carbohydrates and sugars (Phillips 141). It is also important in this case to
mention that a meatless diet has less saturated fat, less cholesterol, and fewer calories (Should
You or Shouldnt You?). That is one case where a vegetarians lack of something turns out to be
healthier for them. The main concern for anyone maintaining a vegetarian or vegan diet is
whether the nutrients lost when meat is cut out can be sufficiently provided by other, non-meat
sources (Phillips 137). While fortification exists in most Western countries, and many plantbased foods and non-meat animal products do contain many of the same nutrients as meat, and
supplements are readily available, some vegans and vegetarians still may not be getting the
vitamins and nutrients they need. Because of this, a vegan or vegetarian diet requires a lot of
careful planning and attention to vitamin and nutrient intake to be sure that the diet remains
healthy.
Beyond that bit of extra vitamin intake that a vegetarian diet yields, vegetarians also have
a reduced risk for many diseases and health issues. Because of the lack of meat, especially red
meat, and a bit of extra vitamin intake in a vegetarian diet, issues with blood pressure, diabetes,
and heart disease are reduced. For many people, these benefits are especially good. Most
research done shows that antioxidants found in food, such as carotenoids and vitamin C and E,
are linked to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease, and vegetarians also have much lower

rates of Type 2 diabetes (Should You or Shouldnt You?). However, unfortunately, some
studies have shown that yes, there is a higher risk for colorectal cancer in those who consume a
lot of meat and not a lot of fiber, but there is no evidence that a vegetarian diet is what it takes to
defend against this type of cancer (Phillips 134). So not consuming meat may not directly affect
risk for cancer, but if vegetarianism becomes a lifelong diet, then the risk is still reduced because
there is not that meat consumption and there will almost certainly be that extra iron intake. In
addition to the possible reduced risk for cancer, there is also a reduced risk for cardiovascular
disease. A high intake of saturated fats can result in higher levels of serum cholesterol, and high
levels are quite a big risk factor for cardiovascular disease (Phillips 139). The reduced
cholesterol is also good for people with diabetes, as cardiovascular disease is one of the most
common serious problems for diabetics. Eating fiber also seems to help diabetics control blood
sugar levels, and a vegetarian diet often yields more fiber (Vegetarianism: Addition by
Subtraction). Mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, though, do not raise serum cholesterol and
possibly have favorable effects on other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (Phillips 139).
Eating more animal fat results in a higher consumption of saturated fats, and eating more
vegetable fat means more mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which means that a vegetarian diet
has a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. There was a study done to test how a vegetarian
diet affected blood pressure in adults and through measuring blood pressure in a sample of adults
who followed a range of diets including pescotarianism (eating just fish for meat), lacto-ovovegetarianism (still consuming dairy and eggs), veganism (not consuming any animals products),
semi vegetarianism (rarely eating meat), and omnivorous, it was found that limiting meat
consumption, or completely cutting meat out, can help reduce high blood pressure (Kahan).
The health benefits continue when you look at some of the extra vitamin intake that a
vegetarian diet frequently yields. Vitamin A is required for the normal growth and development

of tissues, vision, and healthy skin (Phillips 141). Vitamin A is found in animal foods such as
milk, eggs, and yogurt and in fortified foods such as breakfast cereals. It is also found in
green leafy vegetables and yellow and orange vegetables and fruits. Vegetarians and vegans also
typically get a higher vitamin K intake from green leafy vegetables, and vitamin K is needed for
bone metabolism (Phillips 143). A vegetarian diet may not be for everyone, but if done right, it
can really affect the health and wellbeing of a person.
A vegetarian diet does not just affect the health of a human being. Adhering to a meatfree diet has quite a large effect on the wellbeing of the planet as well. The livestock industry is
actually pretty harmful to the environment, with great amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and
the water usage and the land usage. About 80% of the worlds agricultural land is used for
livestock production, whether that is directly or indirectly (Clarke 108). In her article
Vegetarianism and Sustainability, Alexis Clarke says, The irony is that the more arable land
we use, the more arable land we need. Farming increases topsoil loss and soil degradation, which
steadily decrease the productivity of farm land (108). There is only so much land that is
available and humans use such a large part of farm land to produce meat for consumption. If
more people committed to at least a semi vegetarian diet, some of that land would not be needed
to produce more livestock. According to Clarke, 70% of the worlds available water goes to
agriculture (109). Much of that water is used solely for livestock production. The Stockholm
International Water Institute conducted a study on water availability and determined that the
worlds population may have to convert almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40
years to avoid catastrophic shortages (Clarke 108). It may be reassuring to know that a
vegetarian diet could have quite a great impact on the availability of water, however it is
disconcerting to have such high stakes that might force people into committing to a meat-free, or
almost meat-free, diet. Meat-heavy diets also contribute more to global warming, with a greater

emission of greenhouse gases (CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane), than transportation or industry
(Clarke 109). Clarke shares that a global transition to a meat-free diet could reduce the
contribution to climate change by 50% by the year 2050 (109). Not everyone believes in global
warming or climate change, but it is an irrefutable fact that CO2 and nitrous oxide and methane
emissions are having a negative impact on the earth and the environment.
Not only does the meat industry have an impact on the environment and water usage, but
there is also a lot of food being used to raise livestock. Michael Allen Fox says that in North
America, 95% of oats and 80% of corn that is produced goes towards animal feed for the
livestock that is being produced (The Contribution of Vegetarianism to Ecosystem Health 70).
In another article from Fox, he lists many effects the meat industry has on the environment. In
addition to pollution, he also mentions the domestic and foreign deforestation and
desertification that result from the clearing of land for grazing and cultivating feed, and
intensive exploitation of water and energy supplies (Vegetarianism and Planetary Health
165). The meat industry seems to have an endless negative impact on the environment, but if
there was a shift to a vegetarian, semi vegetarian, or vegan diet then many of the damaging
effects could be reduced and the life of the plant could be preserved. A vegetarian diet could help
to reduce the greenhouse gas emission, give back more food and water to the people on the
planet, as well as free up a lot of land and other resources. Fox says A vegetarian diet takes
pressure off the ecosystem by the simple expedient of permitting humans to eat lower down on
the food chain, thus enabling us to take greater advantage of solar energy and other resource
inputs (The Contribution of Vegetarianism to Ecosystem Health 72). Fox also suggests that a
global shift to vegetarianism could help feed everyone on the planet (The Contribution of
Vegetarianism to Ecosystem Health 73). This idea may be possible, considering how much
grain and corn alone are used to feed livestock. With the reduction of the meat industry, more of

those foods could be used to feed the populations of third world countries. Vegetarianism could
be the answer to several problems the world is faced with.
If the worlds population converted to a vegetarian diet, many people would be healthier
because of a greater intake of several vitamins and minerals, and less harm would be caused to
the environment through greenhouse gas emission. However, asking several billion people to
commit to a meat-free diet is incredibly unrealistic. Instead, people may consider converting to a
low-meat diet. Such a diet would still be very beneficial for ecosystem health and the personal
health of an individual, while still allowing people to consume some amount of meat. As Albert
Einstein said, It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the
human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.

Works Cited
Clarke, Alexis. "Vegetarianism And Sustainability." Journal Of The Australian Traditional
Medicine Society 21.2, 2015: 106-111. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Fox, Michael Allen. "The Contribution Of Vegetarianism To Ecosystem Health." Ecosystem

Health 5.2, 1999: 70-74. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Fox, Michael Allen. "Vegetarianism And Planetary Health." Ethics & The Environment 5.2,
2000: 163. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Hunt, Janet R. "Moving Toward A Plant-Based Diet: Are Iron And Zinc At Risk?." Nutrition
Reviews 60.5, 2002: 127-134. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Kahan, Scott, and Lawrence J. Cheskin. "Review: Vegetarian Diets Reduce Systolic And
Diastolic
Blood Pressure More Than Omnivorous Diets." Annals Of Internal Medicine 160.12,
2014: JC3. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Pawlak, Roman, et al. "How Prevalent Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency Among Vegetarians?."
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"Should You Or Shouldn't You?." Harvard Health Letter 24.10, 1999: 7. Health Source
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