The positive benefits of being a vegetarian are well known. These include:
- more energy
- less chance of being overweight
- healthier glow/clearer complexion
- higher fiber diet
- less chances of getting certain medical conditions such as colon cancer
- not participating in the inhumane way that animals are slaughtered for food
The list of positive benefits of being a vegetarian go on and on. How can anyone of us not want to reap these benefits? So the question that begs itself to be asked is, if there are so many positives to being a vegetarian, why do so many people still eat meat and what are some of the disadvantages of being a vegetarian?
Disadvantages of Being a Vegetarian
1) Decreased protein - meat provides us with adequate store of protein which our body needs to use for activities related to the repair, growth and maintenance of cells in our body. Protein gives us energy and helps our body fight against infections. There are other foods that give us protein such as eggs, milk, spinach, soybean, fish, whole grains, rice, beans, corn, oats, nuts, peas and peanut butter.
2) Lack of food choices – some restaurants and grocery stores still do not offer a wide selection of vegetarian entrees to choose from. Also, when someone who is a vegetarian goes out to eat over at a friends house, there are not always vegetarian options available.
3) Difficulty when with a crowd – it’s just easier to fix a meal for everyone then to fix two different alternatives. One meal for everyone else in your family who eats meat and then another meatless meal just for you.
4) Decreased creatinine – creatinine, which comes from meat, helps our body build muscle mass, an essential function for every movement we make.
5) Decreased vitamins and minerals – strict vegans who do not partake in the use of any animal products of any kind, have to be more conscious of getting vitamins B12 vitamin, Iron and Calcium. Fortunately, these deficits can be made up for and supplements can be taken.
Whether you are a vegetarian for religious, health or moral reasons or if you are considering becoming a vegetarian, look at the list of disadvantages of becoming a vegetarian and think of ways to combat or anticipate each one. Also, people with a need for a larger body mass such as weight lifters may need to rethink their desire for a vegetarian diet as supplements may not give you adequate protein stores needed.
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March 20th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Lack of protien? Ridiculous! Broccoli is 43% protien by weight, hemp powder is 50% and contains all essential amino acids. the fact is that if you aren’t a junk food vegan then it’s virtually impossible to not get enough protien. In fact, green leafy vegetables, raw nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protien.
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
You’re spot on Anonyman, thiis is such a frustrating misconception. And whilst people who eat large ammounts of meat can have higher creatinine levels in the body, the liver of a halthy person will create enough for the human body without having to consume meat. If a person has a good healthy diet supplements are also not usually needed. I’ve taken many avid meat eaters to vegetarian and vegan resteraunts and they have been extremely impressed with the food.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:36 am
RUBBISH! I LOVE MEAT! EAT MEAT MY FANS!
August 31st, 2009 at 9:36 am
robert pattinson is an a-hole. And I concur with the other two commentators, protein can be found in many different sources that don’t involve murder.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I totaly disagree that meat is murder! im sure most of the people who disagree have not grown up on a farm and does not know how the world works!
December 21st, 2009 at 10:50 am
I support both sides! Eating both types of food is required for a healthy body.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:40 am
God give us ability to think, to know what is wrong and right, its up to you what u are chosen, being vegetarian or not,
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:38 pm
well , i was a vegetarian and could never help my muscles, now i am not and my muscles strengh has gone up, as well as my bad mood…you decide
March 29th, 2010 at 11:33 am
I get plenty of protein, thank you! And if you look at the advantages and the disadvantages next to each other, there are way more advantages. People are just lazy, that’s why they don’t consider giving up meat.
April 8th, 2010 at 11:01 am
God put animals on this earth to eat. Honestly what are you vegetarians gunna do now that you dont eat meat. Are you just gunna become friends with all the cows, deer, dove, chicken, etc. Or are you just gunna save all the animals? Good luck
April 15th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Thanks
I love how cynical and close-minded people are sometimes. First off, not everyone believes in “god.” We aren’t doing it to “save the animals” per se, we are doing it to better ourselves and better the world around us. If you don’t want to give up meat, don’t. But don’t be ignorant to other philosophies. It’s just like with religion, it’s a choice. Just because I’m pagan doesn’t mean that I hate christians for believing what they do. So just because you eat meat, I don’t hate you. I may disagree, but we all are entitled to our own opinions, aren’t we? If we can be okay with you eating meat, why the hell do you care what we do or not?
April 15th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
OMG why become a vegetarian its so stupid…. i love meat i eat meat every daaaaaaaaay!!!!!
April 17th, 2010 at 6:36 am
I tried to go vegetarian because I love animals, and I hate how they get treated in our agriculture system. But it didn’t work for me. I got sick. I was tired all the time and my hair was falling out. I went to a nutritionist to get advice, and we tinkered for a while with supplements and whatnot, but after about a year, she said, “Sorry your metabolism is too fast. Not everyone can do it. If you don’t start eating meat again, you’re going to waste away!” I started eating a little meat again, and immediately got better.
April 21st, 2010 at 4:55 am
Vegetarians rock!
May 6th, 2010 at 3:17 am
If you have a problem with vegetarianism physically (as in, your body does not take it well), maybe you’re not adjusting right. Go slow if you have to. First no red meat, then after a week or more (you might need more time), go without poultry, then no fish. If that doesn’t work, your body probably just doesn’t work well without meat…bummer. There’s not really anything that can be done about that. Do keep in mind, though, that you have to replace the protein you usually get from meat with another source, maybe more than one. Being a vegetarian takes more than simply cutting out meat. That is just unhealthy.
If you have a problem with being a vegetarian because you are against it…shut up. Obviously, you are not a vegetarian, so you don’t know what you’re talking about, and you have no right to call it stupid. Furthermore, if you DID try vegetarianism, and it didn’t work for you, it’s because your body reacted badly naturally, or you were too damn lazy to replace your protein. Boo hoo. Again, that does not give you the right to talk smack. It was your choice, get over it.
Meat may not be murder…wait, it kinda is. You are KILLING an innocent creature for pleasure (oh, don’t pretend you don’t LOVE biting into cow-flesh on a weekly basis), how is that NOT murder?
Vegetarians have every right to be against eating meat, because, firstly, killing is like number one on the no-no list. So what if you’re not doing the killing? You are EATING the VICTIM, dumbarse. Therefore, you play a part. Secondly, because it’s already been proven that vegetarians can lead very healthy lifestyles, better than that of most meat-eaters, even, when it’s done right. So why the hell not?
Exactly.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
i love vegetarians they rock my socks, i think everyone in the world should have a “lets eat no meat” day xD it wouldd b funn xD Carrots are myy favouritee,, den broccolii den chickenn,, no waiit thats a meat and i dont like meat, sorry then its petit pois and then i like some turnip, i love turnipp,,
:P yummm that yellowyy mushy goodness,, .
June 17th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian.
There is also nothing wrong with treating animals properly.
what really gets me is when certain vegetarians get all snobby and snarky that killing animals for food is murder. Are you kidding me?! Humans are omnivores. That is why we have teeth that look like they can cut through meat and teeth that look like they can mash down veggies. Downing an entire porterhouse at one sitting, no, definitely not the best choice there. eating a 6-8oz of chicken/fish/beef/whatever meat every once in a while: healthy. Not every farm slaughters livestock in the most inhumane way possible. Get organic meat from organic farms, they have extremely strict standards there. If meat were murder than we should especially get rid of the lions and tigers and sharks… I mean that’s ALL they eat! and while we’re at it, we should probably get rid of the whales and dolphins too, feeding on poor defenseless living things! how dare they try to keep the balance of nature!
September 1st, 2010 at 6:43 am
It’s funny how these people who think that not eating meat means you don’t get enough protein – complete rubbish. Then they go home with their nutrient lacking steak and watch programs on TV about the largest and most powerful animals on the planet – they are all herbivores!
It’s not worth the time arguing about it. I’d put it back on them: “So, seeing as you’re in such perfect condition, full of energy and vitality, and have no aches, pains and health concerns – tell me, how do you do it?”
September 1st, 2010 at 6:48 am
And of course it’s in people’s instinct to kill and eat animals. So who would physically kill a cow themselves??
If you were in a room with some fruit and a live chicken and you are hungry? You are going to bite the head off the chicken and spit the feathers out are you. Yeah right, it’s in your instinct.
September 12th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Well, peoples are human beings not animals. That’s what God intended us to be. So, He gave us animals, fish, fruits, and vegetables to eat. With these, all we have to do is to strike a balance in our daily diet. One without the other is unhealthy. Therefore, enjoy life by eating the right amount and combination of the above. Bon appetit…
October 16th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
americans consume twice as much protein than needed! too much protein, especially ANIMAL protein, increases the risk of osteoporosis and kidney disease.
if everyone were vegetarian, ‘disadvantages’ number 2 and 3 would be nonexistant, honey.
October 16th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
also, who the hell told you God put animals on earth for us to kill?! what part of ‘THOU SHALT NOT KILL’ do you not understand?
October 18th, 2010 at 2:16 am
For a start, there is a lot of opinionated non-scientific information here that people are stating to claim health benefits relating to vegetarianism. To clarify, the ONLY proven health benefit of eating a well-maintained vegetarian diet is its reduction in Ischaemic Heart Disease.
See Key, TJ, et al. (1999). Mortality in vegetarians and nonvegetarians: detailed findings from a collaborative analysis of 5 prospective studies
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.70(3):516-524.
Notably, save ischaemic heart disease, all benefits of vegetarianism are infact due to lifestyle. Comtemplate if you will on how often your see your vegetarian friends out jogging, or refraining from eating fast food 4x a week, or getting out into the sun and playing sports and compare that to the majority of your meat-eating friends. Experiment’s show that those meat-eaters who are just as health-conscious as vegetarians, are just as healthy (though not including the risk in ischaemic heart disease)! So osteoporosis and kidney disease are old wives’ tales sorry.
Secondly, in order to maintain a healthy body as a vegetarian you need to increase your total consumption of food or your energy intake, along with reduced iron intake, will not be high enough and lethary would inevitably result. This effect is enhanced in vegetarians because their energy output is generally higher than the majority of the population who just sit in front of their TVs and order pizza. Also, a greater extent of variation is needed in a diet without meat as plants do not contain all the essential amino acids (which form proteins) that your body needs.
I’m not a vegetarian, due to several reasons, I like the taste of meat, it’s generally easy and versatile to cook with and because I would be much more socially demanding (in terms of asking friends to cook a separate meal for me, etc) if I were a vegetarian.
In regards to the last comment, “Thou shalt not kill” You’re taking that completely out of context. The law was specifically for people killing people and reading the whole of the book of Exodus would bring that into context for you as the punishment did not result from the Israelites eating meat, nor from culling animals in sacrificial rituals.
October 19th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
All these frustrating comments from vegetarians show that the lack of meat is frustrating the world.
It is a personal choice though. Everyone has their own opinions.
October 21st, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Then fact that the chickens are being injected with antibiotics and substances to promote unnaturally fast growth and that the cows are also being injected with hormones and other substances to make them grow faster is reason enough for me to become vegetarian. Why do you think we have a child obesity problem? Don’t you think that if the chickens and cows were injected with these substances that our children will grow bigger and fatter faster as well, since they are eating the chicken and beef in their daily meals? Think about it.
November 23rd, 2010 at 1:29 am
I’ve been vegan for 2 years and haven’t had any problems. I easily eat 100g of protein every day. Simple foods like rice, beans (especially soybeans), peanuts, and even white bread, etc.. all have far more protein per dollar compared to meat. Don’t believe me? Read some nutrition facts and compare prices.
I don’t even eat a lot of vegetables, just a few, and I have some vitamin C (natural or artificial) with every meal – for better iron absorption. Very occasionally I take a B12 supplement or a calcium supplement.
So really I don’t believe the so-called “disadvantages”.
February 12th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
If you read the Bible, you will read in the old testament how the Israelites having to sacrifice animals until Christ died. Now, in order to sacrifice something, you have to KILL IT! Now if God meant Thou shalt not kill to include animals, why would they have to sacrifice animals. Even God was upset with Cain’s sacrifice of vegetables.
March 5th, 2011 at 11:49 am
I question the statistics that prove that vegetarians are healthier than omnivores. I know many vegetarians who have no issues wharfing down a steak when they visit mom on Sunday – so long as their friends don’t see them.
I also know many former vegetarians who have abandoned their vegetarian diet when they got sick – those former vegetarians are not included as vegetarians in the research that presumably indicates better health for vegetarians, even though it is obvious that vegetarianism got them sick.
A living being has to take life in order to survive.
Otherwise, it will die. It is Universal Law #1, our “basic instinct”. Plants feel pain too, in their own electric and chemical way. They may not shout or bleed (blood, that is, because they do bleed juices), but that does not mean that they do not suffer in their way when torn away from earth.
If you think vegan vegetarians are some universal lords of ethics, well, I got news for you. The Jains! The Jains are a religious group that are on an even greater moral overdrive than vegans, since they refuse to eat bulbs because bulbs sprout and thus uprooting bulbs is like killing.
So, if you want to be a vegetarian, fine. Just do not think that you will be healthier or more moral than those who are not.
October 24th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Half of you guys don’t even know the benefits or the disadvantages of being a vegetarian. You guys should search this up and then argue over a side, and please don’t bring a religious percpective into science it will always contradict.
November 8th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Becoming a vegan holds its perks, but it also has its drawbacks so it’s a very risky life choice. BUt beIng vegetarIan dOes nOt Mean yOU”LL be sKInny Or a heaLthy weIght that aLL dePends On yOUr MetabaLIsM and yOU MaKe It seeM LIKe eatIng anIMaLs Is bad I hate that PeOPLe fOrget that hUMans are a sPecIes Of MaMMaLs therefOre we alsO are animals too. Is it bad that animals kill other animals in order to survive? Don’t be stupid, it’s a life decision, not the order of life.
November 26th, 2011 at 1:23 am
Another disadvantage – not eating meat leaves more smelly animals running around, scuffing up our planet. MAN’s PLANET. It’s much better to kill them and “manga” if you get my drift.
PS – “Thou Shalt Not Kill” correctly translated from the Hebrew would be “Thou Shalt Not Murder” – meaning commit a pre-meditated killing of another human. Has nothing to do with eating meat.
In my opinion, vegans are a complete pain in everyone else’s ass. It’s not just that they won’t eat meat – they won’t consume ANY animal product, even milk and cheese. They won’t eat eggs. They won’t eat anything with gelatin in it (which is made from animal products). They won’t eat anything that was processed with equipment that might have touched something processing animal products. It’s a total pain in everyone elses’ asses who have to cater to these skinny little pale sickly dweebs. I’m not saying you have to chow down on a 72 oz. Porterhouse at every meal – but c’mon. At least have a slice of cheese or something (and no- Soy Milk does NOT taste better than cow milk. It tastes TERRIBLE, as does Tofu and particularly Tofurkey, which is about as disgusting as any food product could possibly be. Vegans should have to pay an annual “nuisance” fine just for hanging around the rest of us. Hope that helps !
November 26th, 2011 at 1:27 am
MAN RULES THE WORLD. We should be able to kill and eat anything we want, in any quantity we want, and that includes each other. If the Asian peeps eat all of the fish out of the sea, oh well…. that just means they won’t have anything to eat, and eventually they will all starve and we won’t have to look at their slant-eyed yellow faces any more. If black people eat all the fried chicken and ham hocks -same thing. Or if the Cubans eat all the pigs – same thing. Nothing I can do about it.
Hope that helps