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Vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming the flesh of any , Eggs , Honey , Wool , Silk , Down Feather s, etc.). Vegetarians have varied motivations including religious, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, environmental, social, economic, health, political, and personal concerns. TERMINOLOGY AND VARIETIES OF VEGETARIANISM Main varieties There are a variety of different practices of vegetarianism. The following table summarizes the most common types of vegetarian diet: Other dietary practices commonly associated with vegetarianism
Some terms for non-vegetarian diets are Neologisms derived from the word "vegetarianism", used to describe a diet that accepts some subset of meat in addition to vegetarian diet:
VEGETARIAN CUISINE See Also: Vegetarian cuisine For lacto-ovo vegetarians, this generally means food that excludes ingredients derived directly from the death of animals, such as meat (including fish), meat broth, Lard , cheeses that use animal Rennet , Gelatin (from animal skin, bones, and Connective Tissue ), and for the strictest, even some sugars that are whitened with Bone Char (e.g. Cane sugar, but not Beet sugar) and Alcohol clarified with Gelatin or crushed Shellfish and Sturgeon . ETYMOLOGY The first and other standard dictionaries state that the word was formed from the term "vegetable" and the suffix "-arian".''OED'' vol. 19, second edition (1989), p. 476; ''Webster’s Third New International Dictionary'' p. 2537; ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology'', Oxford 1966, p. 972; ''The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology'' (1988), p. 1196; Colin Spencer, ''The Heretic's Feast. A History of Vegetarianism'', London 1993, p. 252. The Oxford English Dictionary also gives evidence that the word was already in use before the foundation of the Vegetarian Society:
But it also notes that "''The general use of the word appears to have been largely due to the formation of the Vegetarian Society at Ramsgate in 1847.''" HISTORY See Also: History of Vegetarianism The earliest records of Vegetarianism as a concept and practice amongst a significant amount of people concern ancient IndiaSpencer, Colin: ''The Heretic’s Feast. A History of Vegetarianism'', London: Fourth Estate 1993, p. 69-84. ISBN 1-85702-078-2. and the ancient Greek civilization in Southern Italy and in Greece in the 6th century BCE.Spencer p. 33-68. In both instances the diet was closely connected with the idea of in Medieval Europe restricted or banned the consumption of meat for Ascetic reasons, but none of them eschewed fish.Lutterbach, Hubertus: ''Der Fleischverzicht im Christentum'', in: ''Saeculum'' 50/II (1999) p. 202. Vegetarianism was to reemerge somewhat in Europe during the Renaissance.Spencer p. 180-200. It became a more widespread practice in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1847 the first ''Vegetarian Society'' was founded in EnglandSpencer p. 252-253, 261-262.; Germany, the Netherlands and other countries followed. The International Vegetarian Union , a union of the national societies, was founded in 1908. In the Western World , the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and more recently, Environmental and Economic concerns. Today, Indian vegetarians, primarily Lacto Vegetarians , are estimated to make up more than 70% of the world's vegetarians. They make up 20–42% of the population in India, while less than 30% are regular meat-eaters Indian consumer patterns Agri reform in India Diary and poultry sector growth in India . Surveys in the U.S. have found that roughly 1–2.8% of adults eat no meat, poultry, or fish. Vegetarian Resource Group, 1997, How Many Vegetarians Are There? in Vegetarian Journal, Sep/Oct 1997, Volume XVI, Number 5 Vegetarian Resource Group, 2000, How Many Vegetarians Are There? in Vegetarian Journal, May/June 2000 Vegetarian Resource Group, 2003, How Many Vegetarians Are There? "How Many Vegetarians Are Vegetarian?", Vegetarian Journal, 2006, Issue Four MOTIVATIONS AND BENEFITS People choose vegetarianism for various reasons:http://goveg.com/theissues.asp Religious and spiritual See Also: Vegetarianism and religion The majority of the world's vegetarians are Hindu. Hinduism and Jainism teach vegetarianism as moral conduct while Christianity and Islam generally do not. Buddhism in general does not prohibit meat eating, while Mahayana Buddhism encourages vegetarianism as beneficial for developing compassion. Minor denominations that advocate a fully vegetarian diet include the Seventh-day Adventists , the Rastafari Movement and the Hare Krishnas . Hinduism Most major paths of Mahabharata 12.257 (note that Mahabharata 12.257 is 12.265 according to another count); Bhagavad Gita 9.26; Bhagavata Purana 7.15.7.; and the conviction that non-vegetarian food is detrimental for the mind and for spiritual development. Nonviolence is a common concern of all the vegetarian traditions in Hinduism; the other two aspects are relevant for those who follow special spiritual paths. However, in the practice of vegetarianism among some particular Hindu castes, they might allow for the consumption of foods like fish, since they occur as staple foods in those parts of the country. Other animal products like milk and honey are consumed and also used in worship. Judaism In the that chew their Cud , fish with fins and scales, and certain bird species. Animals are also required to be slaughtered in a manner that minimizes their suffering. Some Jewish people are vegetarian because a vegetarian diet makes it easier to abide by kashrut principles. There are also a large number of Jews who are vegetarians by choice with no relation to their religious beliefs. Jainism See Also: Jain vegetarianism Followers of .Matthews, Warren: ''World Religions'', 4th edition, Belmont: Thomson/Wadsworth 2004, p. 180. ISBN 0-534-52762-0 Honey is forbidden, because its collection is seen as violence against the bees. Some Jains do not consume plant parts that grow underground such as roots and bulbs, because tiny animals may be killed when the plants are pulled up. "Jainism" at jainuniversity.org Buddhism See Also: Vegetarianism in Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism generally advises monks to be strictly vegetarian, but followers may choose whether to be a vegetarian or not, although most do eat meat. In the Theravada tradition monks are allowed to eat meat if it were being offered to them, nothing has been said about householders' diet. Christianity See Also: Christian vegetarianism While vegetarianism is not common in Christian thought, the concept appears periodically. According to the Bible, in the beginning, humans and animals were vegetarian.Genesis 1:29-30, "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, ... and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat, and to every beast of the earth, ... I have given every green herb for meat." After the flood, God permitted the eating of meat.Genesis 9:3, "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things". Some Christians believe that the Bible explains that, in the future, humans and animals will return to vegetarianism.Isaiah 11:7-9, "The cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, ... they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." Some Christian leaders, such as the Reverend Andrew Linzey , have supported the view that Jesus was a vegetarian. Some people believe that the Book Of Daniel specifically promotes vegetarianism as beneficial.Old Testament, Daniel 1:8-16 However, common theology argues that in this instance Daniel is rejecting food that is considered to be unholy by his faith (eating food that had been sacrificed to pagan gods), not strictly meat. Specifically, some believe that the New Testament of the Bible says that a person's dietary choice is of small consequence and should not be a point of confrontation.New Testament, Romans 14:19-21 Therefore, some modern Christians consider vegetarianism as a perfectly acceptable personal choice that has many of the same implications as fasting. Islam See Also: Islam and animals Islam allows consumption of meat, if the meat is " Halal ," which is meat slaughtered by the Islamic standards, and disallowed meat is '' Haram '', which is non-permitted meat or meat not slaughtered according to Islamic standards. Muslim vegetarians are very rare as the consumption of meat is intertwined with religious sacrificing of animals (namely Caprid s, Bovine s and Camel s) in Eid Ul-Adha . Moreover, according to Islamic jurisprudence it is wrong to forbid that which is not forbidden. When travelling to locations where it is difficult to get halal meat, Muslims might eat fish or vegetables but they must be sure that the vegetarian food does not contain Wine or other Alcoholic taste enhancers. However, meat-eating is not compulsory and one may abstain from it if they do not like the taste or need to abstain for health reasons. Sikhism Followers of the Sikh religion are divided in their opinion on whether their religion opposes meat consumption for Sikhs. "Misconceptions About Eating Meat - Comments of Sikh Scholars," at The Sikhism Home Page Although many Sikhs eat meat, some Sikhs abstain from the consumption of meat and eggs. "Langar," at http://www.sikhwomen.com In the case of meat, the Sikh Gurus have indicated their preference for a simple diet and depending on what one sees as a simple diet could be meat or vegetarian. Passages from the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of Sikhs, also known as the Adi Granth) says that fools argue over this issue. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh , prohibited the Sikhs from the consumption of halal or Kutha (any ritually slaughtered meat) meat because of the Sikh belief that sacrificing an animal in the name of God is mere ritualism (something to be avoided). "Misconceptions About Eating Meat - Comments of Sikh Scholars," at The Sikhism Home Page Neopaganism Many who practice a faith that falls under the Neopagan umbrella also practice vegetarianism. Since Neopaganism generally emphasizes the sanctity of Earth and Nature, a vegetarian diet is sometimes adopted out of Concern For The Environment and/or Animal Welfare . Conversely, many Neopagans view the consumption of meat as natural and a part of the cycles of life. The only qualms they may have is with the way in which animals are treated prior to being killed and the method in which they are killed. Health Many people who choose a vegetarian diet do so as a way of improving their health. The possible benefits include improved health for nutrition reasons and improved food safety. Nutritional See Also: Vegetarian nutrition ]] The , Cholesterol , and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, Fiber , Magnesium , Potassium , Folate , and Antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E and Phytochemicals ."2 online copy available Some studies suggest that vegetarian food helps keep body weight under control http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4801570.stm and reduces risk of Heart diseases http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2526891.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1412238.stm. American vegetarians tend to have lower Body Mass Indices , lower levels of Cholesterol , lower Blood Pressure , and less incidence of Heart Disease , Hypertension , some forms of Cancer , Type 2 Diabetes , Renal disease, Osteoporosis , Dementia s such as Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders that may be diet-related. The health of a group of 27,000 vegetarians is currently being followed at a UK centre of the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer And Nutrition (EPIC), the largest study of the long-term effects of vegetarian diet. Although potentially diet related, most studies do not control for other lifestyle variables that typically coexist with vegetarianism, for example increased exercise as part of a general concern for physical wellbeing that often accompanies the adoption of a vegetarian lifestyle. Food safety =''E. coli'' |
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