Introduction

Industrialized nations fear of dying is exceeded only by the fear of not getting enough protein, and not just any protein, it must be animal protein. Animal protein has become a status symbol. The poorer nations desperately try to emulate the affluent nation’s love of animal consumption. Nutrition experts and clinitians are still teaching biased and inaccurate information. Meat-eaters insist that vegetarians must be protein-deficient. Vegetarians maintain otherwise. All essential amino acids are in all foods, with the exception of sugars and fats. As in any situation, there are pros and cons to both sides. With ever-increasing knowledge however, the scales are being tipped in favor of vegetarianism.

According to the Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition (Vol. 3, p.1911), “Vegetarians are more likely to be from higher social classes with above average educational achievement. Vegetarians are also more health conscious, participate in physical exercise, tend to be non-smokers, and are more likely to consume nutritional supplements. All these factors are encouraged by the health profession and, no doubt, contribute to the evidence that vegetarians live longer and have substantially lower disease rates.”