IS IT REASONABLE BEING A VEGETARIAN? 2
When it comes to the question of diet, few people take their time to research on the pros
and cons of a given dietary choice. Besides, most people tend to disregard scientific evidence
backing up a given diet, thereby leading to wrong nutritional choices. Against the popular
opinion, being a vegetarian might not be as reasonable and healthy option as most people
assume. Sufficient scientific evidence suggests that non-vegetarians lead better and more robust
lives than vegetarians. This paper considers the disadvantages of being non-vegetarian, which
ideally result to the conclusion that being a vegetarian is not reasonable.
The possibility of mineral deficiencies is one of the reasons that may make one avoid
becoming a vegetarian (Fearnow, 2014). Most vegetarians assume that their diets are well
balanced, but this is untrue. Despite most of the vegetarian diet saving the required nutrients,
some micro and macronutrients can only be derived from animal and dairy products. Since
vegetarian diets exclude such products, then one must supplement the diet with the nutrients,
failure to which would lead to mineral deficiencies. For instance, most vegetarian diets eliminate
B-12 and omega-3 fats, which are found in dairy products or eggs and fish respectively. Unless
the person supplements the diet, he or she will miss the benefits offered by the missing nutrients.
The heightened risk of suffering from depression could demotivate a person from being a
vegetarian. A report by CBS Atlanta indicated that vegetarians are at a higher risk of suffering
from anxiety and depression than the non-vegetarians (Fearnow, 2014). This is mostly due to the
absence of specific minerals in their natural form. At times supplements may not serve the same
purpose as they would if available in natural, unaltered form, thus making the individual
susceptible to diseases affiliated with mineral deficiencies. Lack of adequate information on
dietary choices and supplements could seriously affect the well-being of vegetarians, which in
turn would bring down their health. Despite reports showing that, the vegetarians have a low
