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Benefits of Vegetarianism
The practice of vegetarianism goes far back in history. Many known philosophers & religious teachers urged their followers to avoid the flesh diet. Brahminism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism & Buddhism acknowledged the sacredness of life & the need to live without causing suffering; so did the early Christians.
There are many types of vegetarians. "Vagans" are the strictest vegetarians who eat only plant foods & exclude all the animal by-products such as milk, cheese, eggs, curd, butter, ghee & even honey. There are "lacto-vegetarians" who eat plant food as well as dairy products & "lacto avo vegetarians" who eat eggs besides plant foods & dairy products. There are even fish eating vegetarians. The common factor is that they do not eat flesh of warm blooded animals.
Meat seems to have assumed an exaggerated importance nutritionally. It is generally mistakenly believed that nutritional deficiencies, especially of proteins & vitamin B-12 & poor health may result if animal foods are eliminated. Studies have indicated no health problems or deficiency diseases for those on a vegetarian diet.
Green vegetable protein is as high in quantity as milk protein & thus makes a valuable contribution to the vegetarian's protein nutrition.
Most diseases of the human body are caused by auto intoxication or self poisoning. The flesh of animals increases the burden of the organs of elimination & overloads the system with animal waste matter & poisons.
Chemical analysis has proved that uric acid & other uremic poisons contained in the animal body are almost identical to caffeine, thein & nicotine, the poisonous stimulating principles of coffee, tea & tobacco. This explains why meat stimulates the animal passions & creates a craving of liquor, tobacco & other stronger stimulants. Excessive uric acid resulting from meat eating also causes diseases such as rheumatism, kidney stones, gout & gall stones. Meat proteins causes putrefication twice as rapidly as do vegetable proteins.
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