From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Sun Jun 03 2001 - 04:30:32 MDT
Chris Ledwith wrote,
> I've decided to become a vegetarian again.
> I would be interested to know if other transhumanists/extropians
> have come to the same conclusion and became vegetarians.
I quit eating animals, fowl, and fish in 1986. I have little interest in
animal rights or the environment. It was a self-serving decision on my
part. My nutritional research for my book _Nutrients_Catalog_
<http://harveynewstrom.com/biotech/nutrientscatalog/index.html> convinced
that eating lower on the food chain was a healthier way to absorb nutrients.
Animal meat is already constructed into flesh. The body must break it down
into the individual amino acids and rebuild them into the complex proteins
as needed. Some animal proteins, such as milk proteins, are very difficult
to break down and digest. Vegetarian proteins are simpler proteins and are
easier to break down and absorb.
Animal flesh not only contain the proteins required by human flesh, but it
also contains the chemical side-effects of aging diseases experienced by all
animals. By leeching this protein directly from other animals instead of
building our own proteins, we are also leeching their aging-related
side-effects. Cholesterol buildup, free-radical oxidation, high fat and
triglycerides that affected the animals are directly absorbed and
incorporated into our bodies along with the proteins. We absorb not only
the good chemicals from the animals, but also the bad ones. By eating a lot
of meat from a lot of animals, humans can absorb many lifetimes worth of
cholesterol and free-radicals from a large number of animals and concentrate
them into their single body over a single lifetime. Vegetarian foods do not
contain these animal problems that humans are trying to avoid.
The way meat is raised today on factory farms makes it even more unhealthy
than it would be in its natural state. We fatten up cattle, which makes
more fat for humans to absorb. We pump them with hormones that make animals
gain weight and produce extra fat. These hormones are then eaten by humans
and may mimic human hormones to gain weight and produce extra fat. Steroids
in cattle can be utilized by the human body as a source of additional
steroids. Antibiotics which can breed resistant strains of bacteria are
used in cattle and are absorbed and remain active as antibiotics in humans.
Many of these antibiotics are the same formulas used in humans, only in much
higher doses. Vegetarian foods do not contain animal chemicals and are less
likely to affect humans. (The major exception would be pesticides, which
are intended to be poisonous to animals so that it kills larvae and
insects.)
Animal diseases can also be absorbed from animals. Eating meat is almost
like getting an indirect blood transfusion from the animal. Bacteria,
viruses or prions that infected the cattle will be absorbed and infect the
human as well. Many animal diseases do not affect humans, but many animal
diseases do. Some, such as cowpox, are very easily transferred to humans.
Others, such as mad cow disease, is just now being detected as affecting
humans. Plant diseases are much less likely to affect humans or animals.
Vegetarian foods are naturally cholesterol free. Vegetarians have no
cholesterol in their bodies except that actually made by their bodies as
needed. They do not absorb excess cholesterol from their food. Veggie
foods are also lower in fats, triglycerides and other bad chemicals that
animals produce. Again, veggies only have the bad chemicals that their own
bodies produce, without absorbing extra from other animals. Veggie foods
are also contain more nutrients, more fiber, and less calories than meat.
Almost all healthy diet recommendations suggest cutting back on meat and
dairy products and increasing veggie consumption. Most human nutrient
requirements are filled by plants, with meat being good for only protein and
vitamin B12. More plant nutrients are being discovered all the time that
fight cancer, oxidation and promote intelligence.
Statistical studies show that vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.
This is probably a side-effect of eating less fat, avoiding cholesterol,
eating more fiber, and getting more variety. Except for protein and vitamin
B12, meat is a poor source for most nutrients.
My choice to remain a vegetarian is simply a choice to live healthier and
longer. I do not worry about animal rights or saving the environment.
Although it is nice that I do not have to kill animals to live. It also is
clear that plants are more efficient and turning grasslands into food than
cows are. A vegetarian diet cuts out the middle-man (middle-cow?) and more
obtains the nutrients from the land more directly. Food for a vegetarian
diet can be obtained on much less land than cattle requires. This is simply
because the cows normally eat food for their own needs, and only a small
fraction of their food usage is absorbed by humans at the end of the cow's
life.
If anyone does wish to become a vegetarian, I would suggest learning about
nutritional needs. I prefer scientific texts rather than lifestyle or
emotional references. Pay attention to protein levels. Also be sure to
take vitamin B12 pills or some enriched vitamin B12 foods. Modern
processing methods prevent bacterial buildup of vitamin B12 that used to be
common in plant foods.
Look for tofu or wheat gluten (seitan) as high-protein staples. Seitan can
provide 55 grams of protein in just 250 calories! It also can be eaten
as-is, whereas tofu must be disguised as food. Be warned that a lot of fake
meats can be high fat, high salt and high calories because they so
accurately duplicate the chemical composition of real meat.
Vegetarians report having more energy and less health problems than
meat-eaters. Those who do return to meat-eating report that they have to
slowly wean themselves back onto meat, just as people who don't drink milk
can become lactose intolerant and have to slowly wean back onto it.
Also, I personally disagree with the idea that we are evolved to eat meat.
I know humans like to think that we are at the top of the food chain, but
our claws, fangs, running speed and bloated carnivore stomachs are really
undeveloped when compared to most carnivores. We can't really kill and eat
a whole antelope and then bask in the sun for a few days. Also, I don't
believe in natural cravings for meat. I think that any high protein, high
salt, chewy food will satisfy hunger cravings. If we really were evolved to
crave meat, I think raw meat would seem more appetizing. Most people can't
eat raw meat, but have to disguise it with a lot of processing.
Anyway, health concerns are my reason for being vegetarian. It is a natural
choice for a life-extension diet. I even think seitan would be a good
choice for a calorie-restricted diet. The brand I use has 55 grams of
protein for only 250 calories.
-- Harvey Newstrom <http://HarveyNewstrom.com> <http://Newstaff.com>
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