# RKS: VEGETARIANS & VEGANS (I): The Boast Or Roast?
# RKS: VEGETARIANS & VEGANS (I)
THE BOAST OR ROAST?
THE CULINARY DIVIDE
UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENTIFIC IMPLICATIONS OF FOOD HABITS
Dear Reader,
The recorded history of vegetarian nutrition started in the sixth century BCE (before Christ era) by followers of the Orphic mysteries. Orphism was a mystery cult associated with the mythical poet Orpheus and the various poems and songs attributed to him. Practicing a reformed version of an earlier Dionysian religion, Orphics worshiped the gods Dionysus and Persephone, both of whom were believed to have travelled to the underworld and returned.
The Greek philosopher Pythagoras (580 BCE) is considered the father of ethical vegetarianism. In India, the advocacy of a regular fleshless diet began about the middle of the 1st millennium (10th to the 1st century) BCE.
Veganism, a term coined in 1944, is an extreme form of vegetarianism. VEGETARIANS DO NOT EAT ANIMALS AND BIRDS BUT VEGANS DO NOT EVEN CONSUME ANY PRODUCT FROM ANIMALS AND BIRDS AS WELL! Are vegetarianism and veganism healthy habits or do they deprive the humans of many beneficial dietary advantages, leave aside the pleasures experienced by non-vegetarians? Does vegetarianism and veganism tilt the health scales in their favor or is it otherwise?
It makes an interesting reading to dwell deep into the basics of vegetarianism and also to explore in details the advantages - disadvantages based on scientific evidences and real-life factual data.
VEGETARIANISM BASIS
GLOBAL
In the Greek tradition of Pythagoras, it was not only the avoidance of animal cruelty that established vegetarianism as a way of life, he also saw the health advantages of a meat-free diet. Pythagoras viewed vegetarianism as a key factor in peaceful human co-existence, putting forward the view that slaughtering animals brutalised the human soul. Buddha and Pythagoras were almost exact contemporaries and it is possible that the Greek thinker was influenced by Indian's mystical teachings.
INDIA
In Asia, abstention from meat was central to such early religious philosophies as Hinduism, Brahminism, Zoroasterianism and Jainism. Vegetarianism was encouraged in the ancient verses of the ‘Upanishads’ and also mentioned in ‘Rig Veda’ — the most sacred of ancient Hindu texts. Pivotal to such religions were doctrines of non-violence and respect for all life forms.
The Indian king Asoka (who reigned between 264~232 BC) converted to Buddhism, and ended animal sacrifices as his kingdom was the first to have become vegetarian. In today's context, besides religious and ethical considerations being major motivations behind adopting a vegetarian diet, recent research has provided evidence that the levels of liking and consumption of dietary items are influenced by taste perceptions which itself is genetically determined (NPC1, RMC1 and TMEM241 'vegetarian' genes).
VEGANISM BASIS
Dorothy, a schoolteacher married Donald Watson in 1944 in US and they coined the terminology 'vegan'.
The word 'vegan' is based on "the first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian' because it marked, in Watson's words, "the beginning and end of vegetarian." In India, the origin of veganism can be traced to ancient times when philosophers like Mahavira and Acharya Kundakunda influenced the vegan practice in India. Although the term “vegan” was coined only in 1944, a Himalayan tribe was vegan 5,000 years ago.
The history behind veganism is since Donald announced that because vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he was going to create a new term called “vegan,” to describe people who did not.
VEGETARIANISM & VEGANISM CENSUS
GLOBAL
88 million (mn) of vegetarians i.e. 6% of global population, are vegans.
88 million (mn) of vegetarians i.e. 6% of global population, are vegans.
INDIA
From amongst the 140 crore Indians, surprisingly, over 75% are non-vegetarians - despite the 'Hindu nation' tag. Less than 10% of the residents of India are vegans!
From amongst the 140 crore Indians, surprisingly, over 75% are non-vegetarians - despite the 'Hindu nation' tag. Less than 10% of the residents of India are vegans!
VEGETARIANISM & VEGANISM TYPES
17% of Indians are flexitarians and another 18% are selective meat eaters or omnivorous (eat both vegetarian food as well as consume animal food selectively - maybe depending on occasion, cuisine or possibly host factors).
VEG vs NON-VEG & HEALTH
NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCD)
Conventionally considered as healthy diets, Asian Indians have discredited the myth that being a vegetarian is healthier with respect to heart disease and diabetes since they consume plentiful of refined and processed food. Besides fruit drinks, candy, dairy, chocolate and fast food, vegetarian Indians consume plenty of ghee, butter and honey.
Globally, vegetarians usually are more weight-balanced as compared to their non-vegetarian counterparts. In India, however, the average body mass index (BMI) is same namely, 23.9 kg/m2 irrespective whether the individual is a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian. Any deviation from typical body weight readings indicates that one's health is worsening. In India, thus, bariatric surgeries are being done on similar number of vegetarians as compared to non-vegetarians implying that avoiding meat has not translated to a better health profile.
The Indian Health Ministry has identified cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases as major NCDs.
Table: High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes occurrence in India based on dietary habits.
The research team of the 1000 Genomes Project have provided evolutionary evidence that the vegetarian diet, over many generations, may have driven the higher frequency of a mutation (cancerous change called rs66698963) in the FADS2 gene in the Indian population. The FADS2 gene is a key to making long chain polyunsaturated fats and the mutation has resulted in an unbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 in vegetarian and marine (respectively) diets and thereby resulting in more incidences of inflammation-related diseases, including cancers.
DEFICIENCIES
Non-vegetarians tend to manifest lesser nutrient deficiencies since meat is a major source of valuable proteins, vitamins such as A, B1, B12, niacin, iron, zinc and other micronutrients whilst fish contributes to omega-3 fats.
Deficiency of nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin D are common in vegetarians. Micronutrient deficiencies have been detected in 80% of Indian vegans.
Non-vegetarians tend to manifest lesser nutrient deficiencies since meat is a major source of valuable proteins, vitamins such as A, B1, B12, niacin, iron, zinc and other micronutrients whilst fish contributes to omega-3 fats.
Deficiency of nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin D are common in vegetarians. Micronutrient deficiencies have been detected in 80% of Indian vegans.
CONCLUSIONS
Foods can be:
- Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods are whole foods in which the vitamins and nutrients are still intact.
- Processed foods (PF): Foods altered in any way, including cooking, canning and freezing are referred to as processed foods. Processed foods include staples (food always consumed like vegetables), milk, oil, salt, processed wheat, tea, coffee, spices and butter and these are plentiful in vegetarian diet.
- Refined foods: Some processing done and resulting in removal of nutrients and fibre. Examples of refined foods include white bread, crisps, cakes, cereals, baked goods and white pasta.
- Ultra-processed foods (UPF): When foods are prepared with extracted such as fats, starches, added sugars and hydrogenated fats they are referred to as ultra-processed foods. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, ready-to-eat foods, breakfast cereals, cakes and salty snacks. UPF may also contain undesirable and / or harmful additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers.
'Junk foods' are those that contain high levels of fats, salt or sugar, and lack nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. Chips, instant noodles, burgers, fries, pizzas, sandwiches and wraps have higher carbohydrate content whilst namkeen and fried chicken are extra richer in fats.
Glaringly, the consumption of PF + UPF in India has been reported to be:
- Northern states & territories: 218 kgs per household member per year!
- Eastern states: 127 kgs per household member per year!
- Western states & territories: 153 kgs per household member per year!
- Southern states & territories: 108 kgs per household member per year!
The total annual consumption of processed and refined foods, including UPF in India is annually 150 kgs per person i.e. 500 gms daily on an average for an individual. 60% of urban Indian households purchase processed foods and most items are milk, oil, atta and salt. However, the concern is the consumption of more than (>) 6 kgs of UPF annually by each individual and the rising purchase of such food items in all states except the southern region.
Non-vegetarians were defined as those consuming some meat (red meat, poultry, at least once per month), and the total of meat and fish >1 time/week. In India, unlike in westerners, non-vegetarians do not consume red or processed meat. Hence, they are more healthier than vegetarians who consumed regularly more refined, processed and even UPF which otherwise leads to persistently high levels of undernutrition (including micronutrient deficiencies) and rising levels of overweight and obesity in India.
Vegetarians consume greater amounts of legumes, vegetables, roots and tubers, dairy and sugar, while non-vegetarians had greater cereals, fruits, spices, salt, fats and oils. As a result, vegetarians consume more carbohydrates whilst non-vegetarians' intake of proteins and fats is higher.
Body can only tolerate 5 gms of glucose per 5 litres of blood that is usually flowing in the arteries and veins. Any entry of glucose beyond 5 gms at a time in blood is potentially damaging the tissues. When carbs are consumed, the body is in a race against time to reduce the glucose level in blood before glucose poisons body tissues.
The upcoming next blog will dwell deeper into the controversial role of carbohydrates in diet - a macronutrient that any vegetarian or a vegan cannot avoid in his / her diet.
DR R K SANGHAVI
Prophesied Enabler
Experience & Expertise: Clinician & Healthcare Industry Adviser
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments
Post a Comment