[For the Jenny class]Being Vegetarian: Benefits and Drawbacks

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Being Vegetarian: Benefits and Drawbacks

Compiled by Dr. Easton A. Reid

Definitions

1.      Total Vegetarian- A person who eats only plant food. They do not eat any animal foods, including fish,

eggs, and honey dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese).

1.       Vegan- A person who eats only plant food and uses nothing from animals (e.g. leather, wool, silk).

2.       Raw Vegan- A person who eats only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

3.       Fruitarian- A person who eats only fruit, nuts, seeds and other parts of plants that can be gathered without

                           harming the plant.

4.       Su Vegetarian (e.g. Buddhists)- A person who eats only plants but does not eat vegetables in the allium

                                                            family (e.g. onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, or shallots).

5.       Lacto-Vegetarian-  A person who eats dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese) but not eggs in their plant food diet.

6.       Ovo-Vegetarian- A person who eats eggs but not milk in their plant food diet.

7.       Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian-  A person who eats eat both eggs and dairy products in their plant food diet.

8.       Pesco-Vegetarian- A person who includes fish into their diets.

9.       Pollo-Vegetarian- A person who includes poultry into their diets (e.g. chicken, turkey, and duck).

10.    Semi-Vegetarian or Flexitarian- A person who is reducing the amount of animal flesh eaten while

                          transitioning to a vegetarian diet. ^1-7

Reasons to become a vegetarian

1.      Lower risk of lung and colorectal cancer. A diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and fiber can help reduce the risk of lung disease and related illnesses.

2.      Healthy skin. Diets rich in water-based and plant foods are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins-ideal for healthier skin every season.

3.      Chemical-free food. Meat-based diets take in animal cells and fats, along with chemicals and by products used on the animals during processing. This can include chemicals sprayed on the dead animal, preservatives, and other unnatural ingredients used for packaging and mass distribution.

4.       Hormone-free eating. Fruits, vegetables, and soy products are never injected with growth hormones and other chemicals that may harm the human body.

5.      Increased energy. With the body spending less time digesting animal protein, an energy boost is a nice side effect.

6.      Lower blood pressure. Vegan and vegetarian diets can be naturally low in fat and sodium, helping reduce blood pressure and improve circulation instead.

7.      Improved digestion. Plant-based foods and fresh fruits are rich in fiber, improving the digestion and elimination process. High fiber diets have also been linked to preventing certain types of cancer.

8.      Prevention of diabetes. Steady blood sugar is easily achieved with a nutritious vegetarian diet, and the cycle of blood sugar peaks and crashes is almost eliminated without the meat and unhealthy carbohydrate combinations.  Complex carbohydrates and fiber in vegetarian diets that help the body use insulin more efficiently.

9.      Lower grocery shopping bills. By shopping the perimeter of the grocery store and stocking up on high-fiber, highly nutritious food, vegetarians can eliminate almost 25% of their food budgets without pounds of meat on the bill. In some cases this balances out if the vegetarian shopper chooses to buy premium veg brands and gourmet ingredients, but average costs do tend to be much lower per trip.

10.  Toxin-free food. Some studies suggest that when animals experience fear, the adrenaline rush causes a release of epinephrine, steroids, and other stress hormones into the bloodstream. These are then ingested by the meat eater, presenting a range of toxins that can accumulate in the blood.

11.  Healthy amino acids. Plant-based proteins (e.g. soy) can be an excellent source of amino acids that help with protein assimilation and metabolism.   

12.  Low or no saturated fat. Vegetarian menus typical use all-natural oils and cooking methods to enhance flavor. This is free of unhealthy saturated fat which can lead to a variety of heart problems and cardiovascular disease.

13.  Appreciation for simple flavors. After eliminating meat from the diet, it becomes much easier to differentiate flavors and get a real taste for fruits and vegetables.

14.  Healthy cholesterol levels. Without unhealthy meat and fat sources in the diet, cholesterol levels of vegetarians can be much lower and easily fall into a healthy range.

15.  Lower risk of cancer. With a diet rich in antioxidants, phytochemicals, and vitamins, vegetarians naturally lower their risk of cancer and other diseases. Meat eaters, especially those that indulge in fatty meats are at a much higher risk of cancer.⁸

More Reasons To Become a Vegetarian

1.      You'll live a lot longer. Vegetarians live about seven years longer, and vegans (who eat no animal products) about 15 years longer than meat eaters, according to a study from Loma Linda University. These findings are backed up by the China Health Project (the largest population study on diet and health to date), which found that Chinese people who eat the least amount of fat and animal products have the lowest risks of cancer, heart attack and other chronic degenerative diseases. And a British study that tracked 6,000 vegetarians and 5,000 meat eaters for 12 years found that vegetarians were 40 percent less likely to die from cancer during that time and 20 percent less likely to die from other diseases.

2.       You'll give your body a spring cleaning. Giving up meat helps purge the body of toxins (pesticides, environmental pollutants, preservatives) that overload our systems and cause illness. When people begin formal detoxification programs, their first step is to replace meats and dairy products with fruits and vegetables and juices. "These contain phytochemicals that help us detox naturally," says Chris Clark, M.D., medical director of The Raj, an Ayurvedic healing center in Fairfield, Iowa, which specializes in detox programs.

3.      You'll help reduce waste and air pollution. Circle 4 Farms in Milford, Utah, which raises 2.5 million pigs every year, creates more waste than the entire city of Los Angeles. And this is just one farm. Each year, the nation's factory farms, collectively produce 2 billion tons of manure, a substance that's rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the country's top 10 pollutants. And that's not even counting the methane gas released by cows, pigs and poultry (which contributes to the greenhouse effect); the ammonia gases from urine; poison gases that emanate from manure lagoons; toxic chemicals from pesticides; and exhaust from farm equipment used to raise feed for animals.

4.      Your bones will last longer. The average bone loss for a vegetarian woman at age 65 is 18 percent; for non-vegetarian women, it's double that. Researchers attribute this to the consumption of excess protein--the average meat-eating American woman eats 144 percent over the recommended daily allowance; the average man eats 175 percent more.  Excess protein interferes with the absorption and retention of calcium and actually prompts the body to excrete calcium, laying the ground for the brittle bone disease osteoporosis. Animal proteins, including milk, make the blood acidic, and to balance that condition, the body pulls calcium from bones. So rather than rely on milk for calcium, vegetarians turn to dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and legumes, which, calorie for calorie, are superior sources.

5.      You'll help reduce famine. Right now, 72 percent of all grain produced in the United States is fed to animals raised for slaughter. It takes 15 pounds of feed to get one pound of meat. But if the grain were given directly to people, there'd be enough food to feed the entire planet. In addition, using land for animal agriculture is inefficient in terms of maximizing food production. According to the journal Soil and Water, one acre of land could produce 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, 40,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 pounds of carrots or just 250 pounds of beef.

6.      You'll avoid toxic chemicals. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly 95 percent of pesticide residue in our diet comes from meat, fish and dairy products. Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic; lead, cadmium) that cannot be removed through cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products are also laced with steroids and hormones.

7.      You'll protect yourself from food-borne illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that among Americans, there were approximately 80 million incidences of food-borne illness a year--resulting in 9,000 deaths. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 25 percent of all chicken sold in the United States carries salmonella bacteria and, the CDC estimates, 70 percent to 90 percent of chickens contain the bacteria campy-lobacter (some strains of which are antibiotic-resistant), approximately 5 percent of cows carry the lethal strain of E. coli O157:H7 (which causes virulent diseases and death), and 30 percent of pigs slaughtered each year for food are infected with toxoplasmosis (caused by parasites). All of which leads Michael Klaper, M.D., author of Pregnancy, Children and a Vegan Diet (Gentle World Inc., 1988), to comment, "Including animal products in your diet is like playing Russian roulette with your life."

8.      You may get rid of your back problems. "Back pain appears to begin, not in the back, but in the arteries," says Neil Barnard, M.D., president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of Foods That Fight Pain (Harmony Books, 1998). "The degeneration of disks, for instance, which leads to nerves being pinched, starts with the arteries leading to the back." Eating a plant-based diet keeps these arteries clear of cholesterol-causing blockages to help maintain a healthy back.

9.      You'll be more "regular." Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Meat contains no fiber. Studies done at Harvard and Brigham Women's Hospital found that people who ate a high-fiber diet had a 42 percent lower risk of diverticulitis (intestine disease). People who eat lower on the food chain also tend to have fewer incidences of constipation, hemorrhoids and spastic colon.

10.  You'll cool hot flashes (symptoms of menopause). Plants, grains and legumes--especially soy--contain phytoestrogens that are believed to balance fluctuating hormones, so vegetarian women tend to go through menopause with fewer complaints of sleep problems, hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, depression and a diminished sex drive.

11.   You'll help to bring down the national debt.   For example, the U.S. spends between $60 billion to $120 billion annually to treat the heart disease, cancer, obesity, and food poisoning that are byproducts of a diet heavy on animal products.  The same national debt reductions would be seen in countries around the world including Korea.

12.  You'll help protect the purity of water.  It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, but just 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. Not only is this wasteful, but it contributes to rampant water pollution. A 1997 study by the Senate Agriculture Committee found that 60 percent of American waterways were polluted, and the major reason is animal agriculture. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development lists nitrate pollution (from fertilizer and manure) as one of the most serious water-quality problems in Europe and the United States. 

13.  You'll provide a great role model for your kids. "If you set a good example and feed your children good food, chances are they'll live a longer and healthier life," says Christine Beard, a certified nutrition educator and author of Become a Vegetarian in 5 Easy Steps (McBooks Press, 1997). "You're also providing a market for vegetarian products and making it more likely that they'll be available for the children."

14.  You’ll have a more enjoyable sex life.  Being an excessive meat eater increases the risk of heart-related diseases which can cause impotence.   A healthy heart and blood vessels increases the intensity and longevity of sexual pleasure.⁹

Reasons to become a Vegan

Nutrition

All of the following nutritional benefits come from a vegan diet full of foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and soy products.

1.      Reduced saturated fats. Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your health tremendously, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.

2.      Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy for your body. When you don’t have enough carbohydrates, your body will burn muscle tissue.

3.      Fiber. A diet high in fiber (as vegan eating usually is) leads to healthier bowel movements. High fiber diets help fight against colon cancer.

4.      Magnesium. Aiding in the absorption of calcium, magnesium is an often overlooked vitamin in importance to a healthy diet. Nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens are an excellent source of magnesium.

5.      Potassium. Potassium balances water and acidity in your body and stimulates the kidneys to eliminate toxins. Diets high in potassium have shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

6.      Folate. This B vitamin is an important part of a healthy diet. Folate helps with cell repair, generating red and white blood cells, and metabolizing amino acids.

7.      Antioxidants. For protection against cell damage, antioxidants are one of the best ways to help your body. Many researchers also believe that antioxidants help protect your body against forming some types of cancer.

8.      Vitamin C. Besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin C also helps keep your gums healthy and helps your bruises heal faster. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant.

9.      Vitamin E. This powerful vitamin has benefits for your heart, skin, eyes, brain, and may even help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. A diet high in grains, nuts, and dark leafy greens is full of Vitamin E.

10.  Phytochemicals. Plant-based foods provide phytochemicals, which help to prevent and heal the body from cancer, boost protective enzymes, and work with antioxidants in the body.

11.  Protein. That protein is good for your body is no surprise. It may be a surprise to learn that most Americans eat too much protein and in forms such as red meat that are not healthy ways of getting protein. Beans, nuts, peas, lentils, and soy products are all great ways to get the right amount of protein in a vegan diet.

Disease Prevention

Eating a healthy vegan diet has shown to prevent a number of diseases. Find out from the list below what you could potentially avoid just by switching to a healthy, balanced vegan way of eating.

12.  Cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health. A British study indicates that a vegan diet reduces the risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Vegan diets go far in preventing heart attack and stroke.

13.  Cholesterol. Eliminating any food that comes from an animal and you will eliminate all dietary cholesterol from your diet. Your heart will thank you for that.

14.  Blood pressure. A diet rich in whole grains is beneficial to your health in many ways, including lowering high blood pressure.

15.  Type 2 diabetes. Not only is a vegan diet a weapon against Type 2 diabetes, it is also "easier to follow than the standard diet recommended by the American Diabetic Association."

16.  Prostate cancer. Men in the early stages of prostate cancer who switch to a vegan diet have the potential to stopd the progress of the cancer or may have even reversed the illness.

17.  Colon cancer. Eating a diet consisting of whole grains, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, can greatly reduce your chances of colon cancer.

18.  Breast cancer. Countries where women eat very little meat and animal products have a much lower rate of breast cancer than do the women in countries that consume more animal products.

19.  Macular degeneration. Diets with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, can help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration.

20.  Cataracts. Much the same way macular degeneration is headed off by a vegan diet, cataracts are also thought to be prevented through the intake of the same fruits and vegetables. Produce high in antioxidants are also believed to help prevent cataracts.

21.  Arthritis. Eliminating dairy consumption has long been connected with alleviating arthritis symptoms, a combination of a gluten-free and vegan diet may improve the health of those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

22.  Osteoporosis. Bone health depends on a balance of neither too much or too little protein, adequate calcium intake, high potassium, and low sodium. With a healthy vegan diet, all four of these points help to prevent osteoporosis.

Physical Benefits

In addition to good nutrition and disease prevention, eating vegan also provides many physical benefits. Find out how a vegan diet makes your body stronger, more attractive, and more energetic.

23.  Body Mass Index. A diet without meat leads to lower BMIs–usually an indicator of a healthy weight and lack of fat on the body.

24.  Weight loss. A healthy weight loss is a typical result of a smart vegan diet. Eating vegan eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues.

25.  Energy. When following a healthy vegan diet, you will find your energy is much higher. National Football League (NFL) tight-end Tony Gonzalez started eating vegan and gained energy–while playing football.

26.  Healthy skin. The nuts and vitamins A and E from vegetables play a big role in healthy skin, so vegans will usually have good skin health. Many people who switch to a vegan diet will notice a remarkable reduction in blemishes as well.

27.  Longer life. Several studies indicate that those following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle live an average of three to six years longer than those who do not.

28.  Body odor. Eliminating dairy and red meat from the diet significantly reduces body odor. Going vegan means smelling better.

29.  Bad breath. Vegans frequently experience a reduction in bad breath. Imagine waking up in the morning and not having morning breath.

30.  Hair. Many who follow vegan diets report that their hair becomes stronger, has more body, and looks healthier.

31.  Nails. Healthy vegan diets are also responsible for much stronger, healthier nails. Nail health is said to be an indicator of overall health.

32.  PMS. When switching to a vegan diet, many women tell how PMS symptoms become much less intense or disappear altogether. The elimination of dairy is thought to help with those suffering with PMS.

33.  Migraines. Migraine suffers who go on vegan diets frequently discover relief from their migraines.

34.  Allergies. Reduction in dairy, meat, and eggs is often tied to alleviation of allergy symptoms. Many vegans report much fewer runny noses and congestion problems.

Too Much in the Western Diet

The typical Western diet not only consists of too much food, it also relies on too much of unnecessary food products or toxins. The following list explains how a vegan diet can eliminate these problems.

35.  Animal proteins. The average American eats twice as much protein as necessary for a healthy diet and much of that is from red meat. Getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier and reduces the risk for osteoporosis (see above).

36.  Cow’s milk dairy. The human body is not designed to digest cow milk and cow milk dairy products, yet the idea of milk being healthy is pushed through advertising. As many as 75% of people in the world may be lactose intolerant and many people suffer from undiagnosed milk allergies or sensitivities. By eliminating cow’s milk from your diet, you are improving your overall health.

37.  Eggs. Many nutritionists believe that the number of eggs in the Western diet is too high. While sometimes disputed, it has been shown that eggs can raise cholesterol levels.

38.  Mercury. Most of the fish and shellfish consumed has mercury in it. While some fish have less than others, it is almost impossible not to be putting mercury in your body when you eat fish.

39.  Sugar. Most people have heard that Western diets consume way too much sugar. Relying on other sweeteners that are not synthetic, processed, or derived from animal products is a healthier way to eat. Many vegans do not eat processed sugar due to the fact that most of the cane sugar is refined through activated charcoal, most of which comes from animal bones.

Other Benefits

In addition to the health benefits above, following a vegan lifestyle and diet also provides these benefits as well. From helping the environment to avoiding serious bacterial infections, learn other benefits to eating the vegan way below.

40.  Animals. Many people begin a vegan diet out of concern for animals. Whether opposed to the conditions of animals intended for food or eating animals in general, going vegan will help your conscience rest easily.

41.  Environment. Growing plants takes much fewer resources than growing animals. By eating vegan, you can help reduce the toll on the environment.

42.  E. coli. E. coli comes from eating contaminated red meat and is the leading cause of bloody diarrhea. Young children, those with compromised immune systems, and elderly people can become extremely ill or die from E. coli. Eating vegan means completely avoiding the risk of E. coli infection.

43.  Salmonella. Another gastrointestinal illness from animal products, salmonella food poisoning is closely related to E. coli. The most frequent way people contract salmonella food poisoning is through contact with raw eggs or raw chicken meat from chickens infected with salmonella. Again, going vegan means eliminating this risk altogether.

44.  Mad cow disease. It’s safe to say that most people would want to avoid contracting a fatal, non-treatable disease. One way to ensure you don’t get Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is by not eating animals infected with mad cow disease. While the incidence of mad cow disease is not reportedly so high in North America, it does exist.

45.  Global food supply. Feeding grain to animals meant as food sources reduces the amount of food that is available to underdeveloped nations. Many people will go hungry while that same food they could be eating is given to animals raised for slaughter. Eating vegan ensures that you have removed yourself from the participation of this imbalance.

46.  Hormone consumption. Eating animals that have been given hormones to speed growth (a common practice in the meat industry) means those hormones go into your body. Not only can this disrupt the natural balance of your hormones, but some of the hormones given to animals have shown to cause tumor growth in humans.

47.  Antibiotics. Antibiotics are frequently given to feed animals, which can lead to bacterial resistance. Many of the antibiotics used to treat human infections are also used in feed animals.¹⁰

Disadvantages of Being a Vegetarian

1.      Vitamin B-12, Protein, Calcium, Iron and Zinc- Although vegetarian diet provides all the essential nutrients, if a person is not careful certain factors may be lower in Vegetarian diet like proteins, calcium, vitamin B12, iron and zinc.  However, vitamin B12 is added to soy products and fortified in cereals.  Also, Lacto-ovo vegetarians can get vitamin B12 from milk and eggs.  Two heads of broccoli or a hand full of almonds have the same amount of calcium as a cup of milk.   Sesame, soybean, and blackstrap molasses have more Iron than fish, hamberber, beef liver or oysters (per 100 g of a raw edible portion).  Pine nuts, soybean, cashew and sesame have more zinc than shrimp, skinless chicken, lean pork, lean beef and lean lamb (per 100 g of a raw edible portion) .  Combinations of nuts, beans and whole grains can provide complete protein needed by the body.  Soybeans, Lentils and Mung beans can provide more protein than lean beef, lean lamb, lean pork or baked chicken (per 100 g of a raw edible portion).

2.      Body Builders- Vegetarian diet is not recommended for bodybuilders, as they require a high calorie, protein-rich diet that is easier to maintain eating lean meat.^{11, 12}

3.      Friends and Family Not Understanding- Leading a vegetarian lifestyle is easy when friends and family understand vegetarianism and can offer support. On the other hand, if friends and family do not understand why someone is vegetarian and what it means, they can make life a little harder. Well meaning family members may encourage a vegetarian to eat meat or fish or may prepare meals without considering a vegetarian's needs. If this isn't addressed, it can cause far reaching problems that form problems between family and friends.

This problem can often be addressed by good communication. If a vegetarian explains to family and friends the reasons why being a vegetarian is important to them, and why this is a lifestyle change and not a fad, it will help their loved ones to better understand. It is also useful to explain exactly what being a vegetarian means to you.

4.      Large Holidays- One disadvantage of being a vegetarian is that this can often be seen as problematic during large holidays that are traditionally celebrated with meat based meals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Vegetarians may find that an offer to bring their own vegetarian food will be much appreciated by the host.

5.      Eating Out- At one time, finding vegetarian food in restaurants and fast food chains was extremely difficult. Today, however, there are often vegetarian options available and this makes eating out more straightforward. This isn't without its problems, however, as some foods may not be prepared in a vegetarian way (for instance food fried in animal oils) or may not contain vegetarian ingredients (such as rennet based cheese).  A vegetarian would normally expect that cooking utensils and food preparation equipment are kept specifically for vegetarian food production to avoid contamination with meat products. This is not a problem for all vegetarians, but stricter vegetarians like vegans will not find it acceptable.

Before eating out, a vegetarian may want to check an establishment's reputation for vegetarian food. This is easily done by asking fellow vegetarians or reading one of the many restaurant reviews published in print and on the Internet, as well as asking the restaurant about its vegetarian policy.

6.      Misconceptions About Soy Products. Some have concerns about plant-based hormones called phytoestrogens and their connection to breast cancer.  However, phytoestrogens are not like animal-based estrogens that can increase cancer risk.  They react differently in the body and are protective.¹³

7.      Hidden Dangers for Vegans- Another major challenge is the number of hidden dangers that face a vegans who will not use anything made from an animal product. Items such as soap, for instance, are often made using tallow or other animal fats. Other items sometimes made using animal byproducts include glue, gelatin and even the finings used in wine production.  A non-vegetarian may be surprised and offended if a gift of a purse decorated with feathers, for instance, is rejected because it is made from animal products.^{14,15, 16}

References

1.       https://www.msu.edu/user/daenzerr/rd491/types.htm  accessed May 7, 2010.

2.       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism   accessed May 7, 2010.

3.       Vegan Basics: What is a Vegan?, Vegan Society (UK), accessed May 2, 2010.

4.        International Vegetarian Union (IVU), accessed May 2, 2010.

5.       Mangels, AR. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2009, vol 109, issue 7, pp. 1266–1282.

6.       Yabroff, Jennie. "No More Sacred Cows", Newsweek, December 31, 2009.

7.       Gale, Catharine R. et al. "IQ in childhood and vegetarianism in adulthood: 1970 British cohort study", British Medial Journal, December 15, 2006, vol 333, issue 7581, p. 245.

8.       http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/405912/17_benefits_of_being_a_vegetarian.html

9.       http://www.articlealley.com/article_768548_26.html

10.    http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

11.    http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-being-vegetarian.html

12.    Pamploma-Roger GD. Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers, 2006, vol1

13.    Shu X., et al., Soy food intake and breast cancer survival, Journal of the American Medical Association 2009 Dec 9;302(22):2483-4.

14.    http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/Disadvantages_of_Being_a_Vegetarian accessed May 7, 2010.

15.    http://www.tshc.fsu.edu/he/nutrition/nutrition_specialneeds/vegetarian_diets.htm accessed May 7, 2010.

16.    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_1999_April/ai_54232138/ accessed May 7, 2010.