Miyashiro 1

Makayla Miyashiro

Mr. Donald

Writing for College

22 February 2018

Addition by Subtraction: An Alternative Diet

Humans consume almost six pounds of food each day. But how

much of that food is actually benefiting one’s body? “The

Western diet is the normal for most Americans impairs learning,

memory, and mood regulation” (Knepper). The main type of diet

most vegetarians use is the ovo-lacto diet, which includes all

animal origin products except for meat. They are able to eat

dairy products, honey, and eggs. Not all of the food that humans

consume provide the right nutrients and vitamins for one’s body.

Nowadays, most of America eats junk food and isn’t striving for

a healthy lifestyle. America mostly eats yellow foods such as

french fries, pizza, Twinkies, mac and cheese, chips, tacos, and

even beer. These foods bring one’s body down and doesn’t provide

the nourishment that the human body needs. Humans eat to gain

energy. People think that just because they are eating healthy

like salads, doesn’t mean they are eating cleanly. They could be

putting excess dressing on it. Vegetarianism is proven to boost

moods, is eco-friendly, and is a healthy alternative to diets

that have been proven harmful.

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Eating a vegetarian diet usually improves daily moods in

many ways. Some of the benefits are long term, while some are

short term. “The old adage has proved true — we are what we eat.

But we can also say that in a very real way, we think and feel

what we eat” (Knepper). A recent study by Des Moines University

showed that a hundred billion neurons in the brain talk to the

bacteria cells in the gut. This is known as the brain-gut axis.

When eating a clean diet one will feel healthier, therefore

boosting their mood. It’s mostly a psychological process but

there is still science behind it.

A vegetarian diet can still include foods like chips, fast

food products, candy, and sugary drinks. But, these food items

contain things such as trans fat, which can lead to diabetes,

high cholesterol, and Alzheimer’s disease. Trans fat contributes

to things like: clogged arteries, cellular destruction, and

wreak havoc on hormone production. Hormone production is needed

to regulate our moods. If bodies and neurotransmitters can’t do

this then ones mind and body will not be able to function

correctly. This is why it’s a smarter choice to eat clean. Just

saying “I’m on a vegetarian diet” doesn’t help the body as much

as taking action.

Daily moods come down to the fatty acids that one intakes

when eating. Two of the most important fatty acids needed is

eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. EPA and

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DHA combat the impact of arachidonic acid. These acids are long

chain omega-3. Salmon is a great resource of EPA. British

scientists gave small doses to patients with stubborn depression

and after three months over two-thirds of the group reported

feeling fifty percent better. EPA has recently found to be

crucial in keeping the brain signals smooth.

Arachidonic acid is considered an omega-6 unsaturated acid

our bodies need, but too much will lead to problems later on.

Eating more meat will increase the arachidonic acid level but,

EPA and DHA are supposed to combat the impact of arachidonic

acid. Research has proven that an increased level of AA can

affect mood swings and hormones. Recent studies proved that meat

eaters have more mood swings unlike vegetarians. Some acids that

help with moods are the omegas. Omega 3 and 6 can be found in

fish, but since fish is not included in the vegetarian diet,

there are supplements. These supplements can be taken daily to

still get the nutrients and vitamins as a fish would give.

Omega-3 is linked with better brain health. Eating fish or

taking supplements can reduce the prevalence of dementia while

eating meat can increase the risk of dementia (Beezhold). Red

meat has shown that there is a constant effect on the human

brain.

Less intake of fruits and vegetables can relate to stress

and anxiety. The mental well-being of omnivores is greater than

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those who choose not to eat fruits and vegetables. “In fact, the

lower stress and anxiety reported by vegans and some vegetarians

in our sample may be associated in part with their avoidance of

animal fats” (Beezhold). Stress pushes people to consume comfort

food consisting of unhealthy foods. Continuously snacking will

result in weight gain. Animal products are usually grain-fed

which means these products tend to be pro-inflammatory which

means that they will negatively affect cell membranes

(Beezhold).

Researchers are working to prove leafy greens and tomatoes

boost serotonin and dopamine in the brain which then works as a

mood booster. Serotonin is biochemically derived from tryptophan

and is primarily found in blood platelets and the central

nervous system. It works as a neurotransmitter and contributor

to happiness and well-being. Females who eat more sweets tend to

be more stressed than usual. Dopamine also functions as a

neurotransmitter but also contributes to motivation, arousal,

and reinforcement. Dopamine pathways mostly control motor

control related skills. These neurotransmitters are essential

for better moods.

As well as boosting mood, vegetarian diets include more

than one benefit. They also benefit the earth. Eating a diet

that consists of meat is not environmentally friendly. In

Canada, there is destruction of eighty-five percent of wetlands

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for agricultural clearing. Where are the birds and other animals

supposed to live? This disrupts the ecosystem on a large scale.

“Rain forests are cleared by humans seeking firewood, settlement

space, farm plots, monoculture plantation space, expanded land

holdings, oil, minerals, and pastureland for cattle” (Fox).

Humans need to provide for the animals at first so they can

graze on land and be free-range because that's what consumers

prefer. They may be healthier animals but still do the same

amount of damage on our bodies. Eighty percent of the deforested

Amazon forest is now used as cattle pastures. These pastures

take up too much of the community’s land that could be used for

tropic animals. Over seven football fields are razed to create

farming pastures for cows, goats, and pigs.

Along with deforestation of wetlands and forests, animals

from these pastures also create manure like a normal animal.

Because animals openly graze on grass, farmers need to replenish

the grass supply faster with pesticides because they eat so much

food. Farmers also need to use hormones on their animals to make

them grow faster to keep up with the high demand for meat.

Farmers or handlers don’t pick this up and when it rains, and it

eventually goes into the ocean. This is called runoff. When the

animal feces, fertilizers, and other bacteria enters the ocean

it creates high chemical levels. Regulators will close off the

beaches when this happens. “These wastes, the runoff of water

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used to clean farm buildings and equipment, and pesticide

residues and other agricultural chemicals, are often poorly

handled and cause the contamination of waterways and soil, as

well as air pollution” (Fox). Animal farms produce a hundred-

thirty times more waste than human beings do.

Runoff destructs the coral reefs and kills the healthy

zooxanthellae living in the coral reefs. Zooxanthellae is a type

of algae that live in the tissue of corals. Fish rely on the

corals reefs as shelter and food. Without this they die and then

there is no more fish. Similarly, Hawaii mostly relies on

tourist for our economy. Since Hawaii is such a big tourist

destination because of beautiful beaches, people want to go

snorkeling to see the brightly colored fish in the clear waters.

With the effect of runoff the water is no longer clear and all

the fish might travel elsewhere to find food and shelter. Now,

tourism is declining because there is nothing to do anymore.

This then lowers our economy. Being eco-friendly has a domino

effect.

Animals also consume so much of our resources. Workers can

be using those water resources to feed other humans who don't

have access to clean water. Farming takes up seventy percent of

the available water sources. Humans should take priority over

these resources but yet they are still fighting to compete with

animals and their own race. Producing meat takes more than 2,400
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gallons of water to produce 1 pound of cow flesh, whereas it

takes about 180 gallons of water to make one pound of whole

wheat flour (Leitzmann). At the maximum, it takes two hundred

thirty pounds to water crops like potatoes, wheat, maize, or

rice. Compared to one pound of meat takes 20,000 pounds of

water. Pigs might just be the thirstiest animal that lives on a

farm because they drink at least eight hundred seventy-five

pounds of water in one year. As the demand for meat increases,

so does the water to produce it, which means there is less for

the human population and crops. Feeding animals also takes up

thirty percent of Earth’s land mass to provide for the world

with meat.

Along with animals taking up resources, global warming has

been a huge issue the last couple of years. Greenhouse gas is a

type gas in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiant energy

within the infrared range. Programs have failed to take into

account how much greenhouse gases take a toll on the environment

raising animals. Greenhouse gases produce twice as much gas than

all the cars and trucks combined. Think about how that gas is

affecting the O-zone, earth, and the environment. Pasture

animals like cows and sheep are responsible for thirty percent

of the total methane in the atmosphere. Livestock produces sixty

percent of ammonia in the atmosphere and that is the cause for

acid rain. Manure from livestock emits nitrous oxide which

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contributes to global warming. In the U.S., animals raised on

large-scale farms generate more than one million tons of manure

each day. Slowly straying away from a meat based diet will

reduce greenhouse gases significantly. Then the demand for meat

will decrease and then the industry won’t use as many animals.

Next, families are naïve to processing methods and just see

what is on their plate but not where it actually came from.

Because the meat demand is so high the industry wants to meet

the demand. In order to actually meet it, they need a lot of

help. Animals grow just like humans but since they are so young

and little as babies they need hormones. These hormones can be

very dangerous because they just load them up with it and as

soon as they get to the minimum size they slaughter the animal.

Even if the animal has cancer they still take the meat but cut

out the affected cancer area. Large-scale “factory” farming aims

to produce the most meat and other products “as quickly and

cheaply as possible and in the smallest amount of space

possible, resulting in abusive conditions for animals

(Leitzmann). These abusive conditions for the animals result in

unhealthy meat.

Finally, everyone has heard the term “you are what you

eat.” but it is true. Notice when people eat unhealthy foods

all the time like fast food and oily food products his or her

acne level will spike? That is because all the excess oil from
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that will transfer to the face. The exterior of a human body

will show what the interior is like. This is one way to show if

one is eating healthy. Not only is vegetarianism a mood booster

and a way to save the earth, but it is beneficial to the human

body in many ways. The Harvard Medical School of Health states

that a vegetarian diet is more beneficial to the body than a

Western diet (Vegetarianism: Addition by Subtraction).

A high intake of unhealthy food has many damaging effects

such as diabetes. This happens when one eats too many sweets.

Diabetes in the body’s inability to respond to the hormone,

insulin, resulting in an abnormal metabolism. The most common

is Type 2 Diabetes. This type of diabetes is a chronic

condition that affects the way the body can process blood

sugar. A vegetarian diet can be key to preventing, treating, or

reversing Type 2 diabetes. The fiber found in plants helps

diabetics with blood sugar control. Root vegetables, leafy

greens, blueberries, and apples have been linked to treating or

preventing diabetes.

Eating is associated with exercising because those are

crucial to living a healthy and balanced life. Furthermore,

exercising could help out with weight loss. Exercising can be

cardio or short circuits but they both include the use of

lungs. Being on a vegetarian diet can help children with

asthma. Studies have shown that a higher intake of plant foods

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and a lower intake of arachidonic acid may lower the chance for

asthma in children. As for adults with asthma, it can be

reduced with a vitamin C products. Kiwis, strawberries, Brussel

sprouts, red bell peppers, and tomatoes are a great source of

vitamin C. “A plant-based diet offers documented nutritional

support and long-term management strategies for people with

asthma” (Soviero). Along with working out, a speedy recovery

from workouts can be helped with fruits and vegetables. Eating

unhealthy foods will just keep the body the same.

Vegetarianism can work many miracles but the best one is

preventing heart diseases. “Vegetarian diets can offer

protection against diseases affecting the heart and blood

vessels” (Soviero). Heart disease is still the leading number-

one death causes in America. Eighty percent of heart diseases

can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This type of

diet can increase life span, lower cholesterol and heart

disease and failure, and decrease the blood lipid levels. Lipid

levels is the amount of cholesterol in one’s blood. The

saturated fats in red meat could potentially block important

arteries, which could then lead to a stroke or heart attack.

LDL is the cholesterol that blocks arteries. High levels of

this type of saturated fat causes heart diseases. “Replacing

saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (from sources such as

soy, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and healthy oils) has been shown
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to lower, coronary heart disease risk” (Soviero). LDL is

combated with these different types of foods. Also, fibery foods

could help with cleaning out the body. “Numerous studies have

shown that a vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure, cholesterol,

and blood lipid (fat) levels. That adds up to a lower risk for

heart disease” (Vegetarianism: Addition by Subtraction).

In relation to the human heart, red meat could also offset

human blood. Animal protein makes human blood slightly more

acidic than it should be. Acidic blood draws out the calcium

from bones. Soy products could help with lowering the level of

acidity and reducing the risk of various cancers.

Next, red meat has so many damaging affects to the body.

As well as heart diseases, it can also cause bladder and colon

cancer. There could also be variations of these cancers.

Bladder cancer can cause pain in the lower back area and there

could also be pain while urinating. Colon cancer could cause

abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits. This happens

because when animals are fed the hormones to make them grow

faster, it seeps into their system and muscles, so humans

ingest them as well. Excessive red meat could lead to all types

of cancer, there are studies in progress trying to prove that

red meat is the leading cause.

The alternative to a regular diet is a plant-based diet.

This diet can do much more than a regular diet could do. People
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need to be educated more about what food can do to human bodies.

The impact of food on one’s body will be shown in the future but

by then it is too late. The government also needs to show people

how much animals take up human resources and how it comes from

farm to plate. A citizen right is knowing where the food comes

from. People should be protesting against meat eating because it

is partially animal cruelty also. PETA is one of many

organizations that advocate for animal rights. Encouragement is

also needed because switching diets can be tough. People always

hear “being vegetarian is hard” or “I can’t eat anything.”

That's not entirely true, but being vegetarian is just basically

eating cleanly. As mentioned before, they could just take

supplements to fill in the missing nutrients and vitamins a

vegetarian diet cannot offer like iron. There is no reason to be

frightened about switching diets.

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Works Cited

Beezhold, Bonnie, et al. "Vegans Report Less Stress and Anxiety

Than Omnivores." Nutritional Neuroscience, vol. 18, no. 7,

Oct. 2015, pp. 289-296. EBSCOhost,doi:10.1179/1476830

514Y.0000000164.

Fox, Michael Allen. "The Contribution of Vegetarianism to

Ecosystem Health." Ecosystem Health, vol. 5, no. 2, June

1999, pp. 70-74. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1046/j.1526-

0992.1999.09911.x.

Horrigan, Leo, Robert S Lawrence, and Polly Walker. “How

Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and

Human Health Harms of Industrial

Agriculture.” Environmental Health Perspectives 110.5

(2002): 445–456. Print.

Knepper, Catherine. “The food – mood connection.” Des Moines

University Osteopathic Medical Center. Des Moines

University, 4 April 2016.

https://www.dmu.edu/dose/2016/04/the-food-mood-connection/.

Accessed 17 Oct. 2017.

Leitzmann, Claus. “Nutrition ecology: the contribution of

vegetarian diets.” The American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.,

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/657S.full.pdf+html.

Accessed 1 Nov. 2017.

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Nolan Brown, Elizabeth. “Vegetarian Diet Could Make You Happier

and Less Stressed, Study Shows.” Huffington Post. Oath

Inc., 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2017.

Null, Gary and Martin Feldman. "The Argument for a Vegetarian

Diet." Townsend Letter, no. 312, July 2009, pp. 82-87.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=awh&AN=43028249&site=ehost-live.

Soviero, Julianne. "Deprivation as a Good Thing." USA Today

Magazine, vol. 144, no. 2842, July 2015, p. 61. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sch&AN=10836

8422&site=ehost-live.

"Vegetarianism: Addition by Subtraction. An Increasing Number of

Studies Are Finding Health Benefits from a Low- or No-Meat

Diet." Harvard Health Letter, vol. 29, no. 4, 1 Feb 2004.

Web. 21 Sept 2017.