Over the years, many nutritionists have been advocating for the consumption of green vegetables and fruits and avoiding meat products to maintain good health. A diet containing meat products has always been considered an unhealthy one by many. Nevertheless, we should note that consuming meat products has its benefits because there are nutrients found in meat products that can never be found in a vegetarian diet. Diet is classified into two, which is vegetarian diet and non-vegetarian vegetarian. Vegetarians are persons who are restricted from consuming meat while non-vegetarians are allowed to consume meat at any time. Therefore, while discussing the benefits of non-vegetarian diet over vegetarian diet, it is vital to note or rather consider the issue of nutrition. Non-vegetarian food is paramount to all humans because of its health benefits. Consuming meat has lots of health benefits that cannot be found in any types of foods consumed by vegetarians. Meat is the primary and complete source of proteins, and as we know, proteins are essential to our bodies. Therefore, vegetarians are at risk of not getting enough proteins in their body thus being at risk of several health benefits. Non-vegetarian diet is the best diet people should embrace because it is easily available worldwide with many types of foods to choose from and it has numerous health benefits
Firstly, non-veg foods have numerous health benefits. Non-vegetarian diet has a good source of protein, which is an essential element in our diet and to the human body. It is imperative to note that we need protein daily to facilitate the growth and repairing of the body tissues to maintain the body functioning. According to the American Dietetic Association, proteins help in the growth and development of our bodies and a lot of it is got from animal products (749). Even though vegetarians argue that they can still get proteins from nuts and legumes, it is evident that these sources of proteins are inadequate. Our bodies need complete proteins with amino acids, which come from animal products, something vegetarians are not allowed to consume.
Apart from proteins, meat is also a good source of vitamin B12, healthy fat, and minerals. These foods are rich in phosphorus, calcium, and healthy fats, which are vital in the growth and development of children. Moreover, non-vegetable foods contain essential amino acids that help in the body functioning (Demand Media). On top of the amino acids, non-veg foods also encompass iron, which is very beneficial in maintaining the body’s hemoglobin. Iron is critical for our bodies because it facilitates the transport of oxygen in our bodies. Therefore, many vegetarians lack iron in their bodies, and this puts them at risk of developing iron deficiency diseases, for instance, anemia. Since they are restricted from animal products, they may end up lacking iron and vitamins B12, which is imperative in our diet.
Non-vegetarian foods help in the growth and development of the bones, muscles, and other body systems. If compared to vegetarian diets, the diet has less bone mineral density. A study done by Ho-Pham, Nguyen, and Nguyen reveals that vegetarians have less bone mineral density in their bodies for lack of taking milk, and this highly affects their bone formation and strength (Ho-Pham, Nguyen, and Nguyen 948). In addition, they help in maintaining and repairing the body tissues, which assist in the production of antibodies that help fight diseases in the body. Because of the above reasons, it is apparent that non-vegetarians have an advantage over vegetarians because of the many health benefits of the foods they consume in their daily lives. Non-veg foods are rich in calcium, zinc, and selenium, which are essential in the body because they aid in tissue formation. Zinc helps the immune system to work properly and helps in the development of cells, and it is a nutrient that can never be found in vegetables making the vegetarians disadvantaged. Even though they can find some sources of zinc in nuts, beans, and grains, high levels of zinc can only be found in animal products (Foster et al. 2368). Moreover, these foods help individuals maintain strong teeth, healthy skin, as well as promoting the brain development. Hence, we can argue that non-vegetarians diet is better that vegetarian diet.
Meat contains creatinine, which aids in the building of muscles for body movement. Due to lack of creatinine in their bodies, vegetarians especially growing children tend to show the signs of stunted growth. According to Burke, Chilibeck, and Parise vegetarians have low levels of intramuscular creatine, which is bad for their health (1950). Without enough creatine in the body, the growth of muscles will be affected thus hindering vegetarians from exercising and performing heavy duties.
Non-vegetarian diet has several advantages over vegetarian diet because the diet has a widespread range of food they can choose from because they can take both non-veg and. Moreover, non-vegetarians can live and adapt to any place in the world without any problems. In contrast, vegetarian food is not easily available in most parts of the world making vegetarian diet risky. This is because the non-vegetarian food is accessible and available compared to veg foods, which are rare to find in some parts of the world. Moreover, most non-vegetarians can delight in a wide range of seafood because they have no health risks with such type of foods. They have an advantage of eating anywhere; something vegetarians cannot do. Non-vegetarians consume both animal and plant origin food, and so they will never lack food choices anywhere they go (Foster et al. 2368). Nevertheless, with vegetarians, it is even difficult to eat in hotels because their foods have to be prepared separately, which is time consuming and expensive.
Being a non-vegetarian is better than being a non-vegetarian because consuming non-veg foods have several health benefits, which are vital in our bodies. For instance, strict vegetarians are at a high risk of nutritional deficiencies because of the restrictions they have on the types of foods they consume. Most vegetarians especially children face the risk of suffering from calories deficiency (American Dietetic Association 750).
Even though vegetarians argue that they can get proteins from other sources apart from animal products, it is important to note that, what they get is not enough for the body. The body needs enough proteins to function, or else it will stop working. It is a fact that everyone has right to choose the types of food they prefer, and that goes to the vegetarians. However, it should be noted that vegetarianism could just be one significant cause of death. Being a vegetarian has its downsides, which are detrimental to the health of individuals. Lacking essential nutrients in our diet because of being a vegetarian is damaging to the human health. Hence, non-vegetarian diet is the best.
Vegetarians argue that meat contains high levels of fats and cholesterol, which are harmful to the body. They further claim that intake of animal proteins may lead to coronary diseases. A study done by Fraser reveals that vegetarians are at low risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer because of a low LDL cholesterol in their bodies (Fraser 160). Therefore, they recommend the vegetarian diet full of vegetable to reduce the high risk of cardiovascular disease. Nonetheless, this is far-fetched because non-vegetarians can incorporate many vegetables in their diets, meaning they can be taking meat but in small portions to balance their diet. Moreover, Elizabeth notes that non-vegetarians can choose their meet sources wisely as well as consume them in moderation to optimize their health and lessen their chances of suffering from cardiovascular disease (Demand Media). Additionally, even though non-vegetarians consume meat on a regular basis, they incorporate exercises in their daily lives, which help burn the extra fats in the body thus making them healthy and at no risk of any health condition.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that meat can also be a good source of minerals and vitamins that cannot be found in plant based foods. For instance, Vitamin B-12 is rarely found in plant foods, and this means that it is tough for vegetarians to obtain it in their diet. Moreover, non-vegetarians can balance their diet by consuming both meat and plant origin foods which will give them enough vitamins needed by the body. Therefore, a non-vegetarian can incorporate both meat and plant based food to have a healthy diet something a vegetarian cannot do because he/she is not allowed to eat meat. The argument that vegetarian food is the best and healthy is very shallow it is all about consuming the right quantity of food, exercising, and a consuming a balanced diet.
In conclusion, a non-vegetarian diet beneficial than a vegetarian diet and is essential to the human body. Consuming non-vegetarian foods have innumerable health benefits because it contains plenty of nutrients. For instance, non-veg foods are an excellent source of vitamins, iron, healthy fats, calcium, minerals, proteins, and necessary amino acids required for the proper functioning of the body. Furthermore, it is readily available across the globe because non-vegetarians are not restricted from taking certain types of foods like vegetarians. Therefore, vegetarians should switch to non-vegetarian diet because of its health benefits and ecological benefits too. Becoming a non-vegetarian is the best thing an individual can do because of the underlying benefits.
Works Cited
Fraser, Gary E. "Vegetarian Diets: what do we know of their Effects on Common Chronic Diseases?." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89.5 (2009): 1607-1612. Print.
Elizabeth, Lauren. The Benefits of a Non-Vegetarian Diet. Demand Media. <http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/benefits-nonvegetarian-diet-16122.html>
Ho-Pham, Lan T., Nguyen D. Nguyen, and Tuan V. Nguyen. "Effect of Vegetarian Diets on Bone Mineral Density: a Bayesian Meta-Analysis." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 90.4 (2009): 943-950. Print.
American Dietetic Association. Dietitians of Canada: Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. J Acad Nutr Diet, 103.3 (2003):748 – 765. Print.
Burke Darren.G., Chilibeck Phillip. D. and Parise Gianni. Effect of Creatine and Weight Training on Muscle Creatine and Performance in Vegetarians. Med Sci Sports Exercise, 35.1 (2003):1946-55. Print.
Foster, Meika, et al. "Effect of Vegetarian Diets on Zinc Status: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Studies in Humans." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 93.10 (2013): 2362-2371. Print.
