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urban75 is fuelled and kept up to speed with a strictly non meat diet. And, of course, lager. Now we're not the sort that starts ranting on and on whenever someone around us fancies a slice of ham, but we thought it only fair to dispel some of the myths concerning vegetarianism and reveal some of the uncomfortable truths of the meat industry. The facts below have been compiled by the excellent Viva! charity and have been reproduced with their kind permission. Veggie facts! Antioxidant Allies Antioxidants protect against more than 60 diseases. Found mostly in fruit and vegetables. They destroy 'free radicals'. Protein Plus 'Vegetarians have excellent health. Protein is not a limiting factor.' US Government Cutting Cholesterol A vegetarian diet can reduce cholesterol levels. (Cholesterol is linked to heart disease - fruit and vegetables contain none.) BMA Free Folic Acid Vegetarians and vegans have higher intakes of folic acid than omnivores. BMA Cool for Kids A vegetarian diet meets all the nutritional needs of infants and adolescents. ADA/BMA Iron - the Truth Vegetarians are no more likely to suffer anaemia than meat eaters. ADA/BMA Kitchen Zinc Zinc levels are normal in vegetarians. ADA 
Marine Madness The world's 17 major fisheries are on the point of environmental collapse because of over-fishing. United Nations Raining Acid Animal faeces is a major cause of acid rain - in Holland and Belgium, the main cause. Wageningen University Felling Forests Rain forests are still being felled to graze hamburger cattle. Going vegan saves one acre of forest every year. Cornell University Desert Dangers Deserts spread every year - by an area the size of England and Scotland. Livestock grazing is the main cause. Wasting Water On irrigated land, 1lb of vegetables uses 25 gallons. 1lb of beef uses 5,214 gallons. University of California Chemical Killers Every year in Britain, one billion gallons of pesticides are used - 200 chemicals, 50 suspected of causing cancer. Soil Association
Beg Your Pardon Farmed animals rank second in causing global warming. Reason - methane from prolific farting and belching. SAFE Astounding Appetites More than 90 per cent of all agricultural land in Britain is used to feed animals Land to Spare If Britain went vegetarian, less than half the farm land would be needed - vegan, less than a quarter! Reading University Live Longer Vegetarians often live longer and suffer less from several chronic diseases. ADA Better Births Vegetarians have a much lower incidence of caesarean section. PCRM Slowing Strokes Vegetarians are less likely to suffer strokes caused by coronary artery disease. BMA Unclogging Arteries Vegetarian diets have been successful in arresting and reversing severe coronary artery disease. ADA Defeat Disease Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and gallstones. BMA
Ditch Diabetes Diabetes is much less likely to be a cause of death in vegetarians. ADA Perfect Protection Vegetarian diets offer disease protection because of lower saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein and higher folates, antioxidant vitamins and plant nutrients. ADA Banishing Bugs 95 per cent of all food poisoning comes from meat and animal products. Cancer - No.2 Killer Cancer rates among vegetarians are 25-50 per cent less than non-vegetarians. PCRM Pressure Points Hypertension (high blood pressure) in vegetarians is one third to one half that of meat eaters. PCRM Heart Disease - No.1 Killer Vegetarians have half to three-quarters the risk of dying of heart disease compared to non-vegetarians. PCRM Alzheimer's Awareness New research suggests that dementia may be linked to a BSE-like 'prion' found in some meat.
Legal Mutilation 50 per cent of all piglets have their teeth crushed and tails cut off without anaesthetics. Dairy Deaths Calves are taken from their mothers a day or two after birth. Males are usually killed. Boiled Alive Up to one fifth of chickens may be fully conscious when they enter the scalding tank to loosen their feathers. Not So Humane The majority of calves, lambs and pigs are conscious when their throats are cut Broiler Barbarity Four-fifths of broiler chickens (killed for meat) have broken bones and deformed feet, legs and other bone deformities. Saving Space Broiler sheds may contain up to 50,000 birds - each one allowed a space the size of a telephone directory. Terror for Turkeys 25 per cent of turkeys are in chronic pain because of swollen joints - 70 per cent of big birds.
Ducks' Despair Most ducks are factory farmed in crowded sheds. They never see daylight or swim in water. Assault and Battery 80 per cent of all eggs come from battery hens - kept five to a cage no bigger than a microwave oven. No Reprieve 24 per cent of dairy cows are pregnant when slaughtered - many nearing full term. Misery and Medication Disease, dirt and crowding, antibiotics and chemical growth enhancers - that's the five-month life of most pigs. The Healthy Option? Nearly all 650 million UK chickens are fed antibiotics daily. 72 million die from disease. Silent Lambs 20 per cent of lambs die from cold, disease and starvation. Waste Not, Want Not It takes about 10kg of good quality plant protein - such as wheat and soya - to produce 1kg of meat protein.
Meat is Murder The amount of veg protein fed to the US beef herd would feed almost the entire populations of India and China - two billion people. From the Mouths of Babes 90 per cent of UK's animal feed protein concentrates come from poor countries - often those where children die from starvation. Wicked Waste Amount of grain needed to end extreme hunger - 40 million tonnes. Amount of grain fed to animals in the West - 540 million tonnes. United Nations » Hungry world 'must eat less meat' (BBC) Veg is Best Veg consumption is much more efficient than growing feed for meat production and dairying. WHO Food for a Future 35 per cent of the world's people can be fed on a meat-based diet. A plant diet could feed everyone - then plus some. Sir Crispin Tickell The medical sources quoted are from some of the most prestigious in the world: BMA (British Medical Association); ADA (American Dietetic Association); WHO (World Health Organisation); PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). For more information, contact: Viva! 12 Queen Street, Brighton BN1 3FD UK Tel: 01273 777688 Also: Environmental benefits of Vegetarianism |
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