Part 2 of research paper

[Guest guest]

ok, here we go with the next four pages:

 

The best possible diet for human nutrition has not yet been

decided upon. A belief that is widely held is that humans must

consume animal products and by-products in order to attain adequate

nutrition. While it is true that animal foods contain important

nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed to sustain human life, such

as protein, vitamin B12, folic acid, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty

acids, these things can also be found in plant foods. A vegan diet,

or a diet of only plant-based foods, provides adequate amounts of

nutrients, vitamins and minerals for human health.

The physical makeup of the human body suggests that humans

should be herbivorous as opposed to being omnivorous or carnivorous.

There are several features of the human body that help to prove this

point. To begin with, humans do not have a hinged jaw, which is a

characteristic of carnivores that is used to rip apart animal flesh.

Instead, we have a jaw that is capable of grinding sideways. Flesh-

eaters chew in an up and down motion, and swallow large chunks of

food. Herbivorous, including humans, chew in a somewhat circular

motion, which grinds the food. Carnivores have long, pointed teeth,

while humans have molars that are suitable for grinding grains.

Humans do have four canine teeth, which are pointed, but it has been

suggested that these pointed teeth are meant to be used as a show of

defense. It has also been argued that these teeth are needed for

biting into harder fruits and vegetables, such as apples. Carnivores

have straight and short intestines, which allow flesh to pass through

their bodies without rotting. Humans have long digestive systems

which absorb the nutrients we need from our food. When meat is

introduced to the intestines of humans, it begins to rot and release

toxins before passing all the way through. The saliva and stomachs

of flesh-eaters are both highly acidic compared to those of humans

and other herbivores. Carnivores have claws or talons that are used

to tear flesh, while humans lack these. These examples are enough to

conclude that a plant-based diet is more suitable for the human body,

but there are additional things to consider that further suggest this

conclusion.

The health benefits of the vegan diet alone are reason enough

for many people to make the choice to adopt this diet. Humans are

the only species that have self-inflicted diet-related diseases. Six

out of the ten leading causes of death in America are linked to the

high fat, high protein, high sugar, low fiber diet of the typical

American. On average, Americans consume about twenty-seven percent

more fat than they need. Roughly thirty-two to forty-two percent of

the average American's total calorie intake is fat. Studies link six

forms of cancer with dietary fat. Over half of the fat in the

American diet comes from animal foods. Animal foods are the only

source of dietary cholesterol consumed by humans. The human body

makes all the chjolesterol that it needs, and when extra cholesterol

is eaten, only 100 mg can be eliminated per day. Excess cholesterol

is linked to heart disease and stroke. Animal products contain

excessive amounts of protein, which is linkes to such health risks as

osteoporosis, kidney stones, and various types of cancer. High

levels of sugar and salt are due to the high consumption of over-

processed foods in our country. Animal products contain little or no

fiber. Dietary fiber serves beneficial functions such as a possible

reduction of blood cholesterol levels. Dietary fiber consists of

skeletal remains of plant cells that are not digested by the human

body's enzymes. The lack of sufficient fiber in the diets of most

Americans contributes to the risks of constipation, hemorroids, colon

cancer, and rectal cancer. Diets containing high fiber, such as

vegan diets, are linked to the reduction of blood cholesterol

levels. Fiber satisfies feelings of hunger at a low calorie intake

level, causing people to consume less. Therefore, diets containing

high amounts of fiber also help to lower the risk of obesity.

Vegan diets are lower in fat, and higher in fiber. Studies have

shown that mortality rates are similar or lower for vegetarians than

for people who include animal products in their diet. There is

strong data that suggests that the risks of constipation, various

types of cancer, hypertension, heart disease, type II diabetes, and

gallstones are lower. There is also data that risks of breast

cancer, colon cancer, kidney stones, and osteoporosis are lower.

Vegetarians consume higher amounts of fruits and vegetables than meat-

eaters. There are beneficial and protective effects associated with

eating fruits and vegetables because of their content and composition

of fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. This

is related to lower levels of lipids, or fats, and improved blood

pressure levels. Therefore, the risk of developing hypertension,

which can lead to strokes, is lower in vegetarians. In light of this

data, a reasonable conclusion would be that a plant-based diet is

beneficial to human health, while a diet containing animal products

is harmful to human health.

As long as someone adhering to a vegan diet consumes a wide

variety of plant foods including plenty of fruits and vegetables,

grains, beans, nuts and seeds, all nutritional requirements can be

met. The only supplement that vegans are advised to take is a

Vitamin B12 supplement. Vitamin B12 is only found in sufficient

amounts in animal foods. B12 is needed to make blood cells. A B12

deficiency can result in a rare blood disease called pernicious

anemia. Besides Vitamin B12, vegans get everything they need from

plant foods.

Some people become vegetarians after learning about the way

animals are treated in the food production business. Many animals

lead short and tortured lives at the hands of humans.

Slaughterhouses use brutally cruel methods for killing animals. The

general procedure for slaughter is the same for all species. The

animal is hung upside-down, electrically stunned, and its throat is

slit. A significant portion of the time, the animal is not

successfully stunned and is still conscious while its throat is being

cut. The lives of these animals are not much better than their

deaths.

Beef cattle begin their lives in the pasture. At a young age,

the animals are sold to factory farmers and are moved into fenced

feedlots or warehouses. Many of the cattle are castrated and their

horns are sliced off without anesthetic. They are later

slaughtered. Dairy cows spend their duration of their lives being

impregnated by artifical insemination over and over again. This

psychologically and physically unhealthy process is done in order to

keep milk production at a high. Farmers usually inject the cows with

a growth hormone to produce oversized udders. This often results in

a painful infection called mastitis, which causes their udders to

become so heavy that they sometimes drag on the ground. After four

years of this process, the cows can no longer produce milk and are

then slaughtered. The natural life-span of a cow is twenty-twenty

five years. The female calves that are born to these dairy cows

endure the same fate as their mothers, while the male calves usually

become sources for veal. These male calves spend their lives in dark

isolation, and survive by drinking an iron-deficient formula that is

provided to them by farmers. This formula is fed to the calves in

order to produce an expensive brand of veal that is valued for its

tenderness and while color. The formula usually produces a side

effect of chronic diarrhea. The calves are deprived of comforts.

They are denied bedding, because if provided, they would eat it, they

are denied water, in order to force the calves to drink more of the

formula in response to their thirst, and they are also kept away from

light, in order to reduce restlessness. After four months of these

miserable lives, they are slaughtered.

 

 

Ok, sorry to end off on such a depressing note, but it's the truth.

I will finish up the rest of this paper later tonight or tomorrow.

 

Meghan

[Guest guest]

Meghan,

 

This is wonderfully written and I can tell you put a lot of research

into it!

 

Thank you!

 

nikki

Read between the lines.

Dutch quote

 

 

, " nahgem62 <Sgem62@a...> "

<Sgem62@a...> wrote:

> ok, here we go with the next four pages:

>

<<SNIP>>