Сборник материалов международной научной конференции студентов, магистрантов, аспирантов

А.А. Казей

Республика Беларусь, Брест, БрГУ имени А.С. Пушкина

Научный руководитель – Т.С. Троцюк

VEGETARIANISM

Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal) and may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons: ethical (moral) – not to cause animals suffering , to avoid their exploitation and murder; health – vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, cancer, and a number of cardiovascular diseases and certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; religious beliefs (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Seventh-day Adventists, Rastafarianism); economic – the conviction that a vegetarian diet saves money spent on consumption of meat products; environmental – the conviction that raising animals negative impact on ecology; others – such as the conviction that the plant food is natural for humans.

There are a number of vegetarian diets, which exclude or include various foods. Ovo vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy products. Lacto vegetarianism includes dairy products but not eggs. Ovo-lacto vegetarianism includes animal/dairy products such as eggs, milk, and honey. Veganism excludes all animal flesh and products, such as eggs, milk and honey. Some vegans also avoid animal products such as beeswax, leather (and possibly silk) for clothing, goose-fat for shoe polish and products that may use animal ingredients not included in their labels or which use animal products in their manufacturing; for example, sugars that are whitened with bone char, cheeses that use animal rennet (ferments from animal stomach lining), gelatin (derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin, bones and connective tissue), animal-tested baking soda and apple juice/alcohol cleared with gelatin or crushed shellfish and sturgeon, while other vegans are unaware of or do not mind such ingredients. Raw veganism includes only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Vegetables can only be cooked up to a certain temperature. Fruitarianism permits only fruit, nuts, seeds and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant. Sattvic diet (also known as yogic diet), a plant based diet which may also include dairy (not eggs) and honey, but excludes anything from the onion or leek family, red lentils, durian fruit, mushrooms, blue cheeses, fermented foods or sauces, alcoholic drinks and often also excludes coffee, black or green tea, chocolate, nutmeg or any other type of stimulant such as excess sharp spices. Different Buddhist traditions have differing teachings on diet, which may also vary for ordained monks and nuns compared to others (buddhist vegetarianism). In Taiwan, su vegetarianism excludes not only all animal products but also vegetables in the allium family (which have the characteristic aroma of onion and garlic): onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, chives or shallots. Jain vegetarianism includes dairy but excludes eggs and honey, as well as root vegetables. Macrobiotic diets consist mostly of whole grains and beans.

Individuals sometimes label themselves “vegetarian” while practicing a semi-vegetarian or flexitariandiet. Semi-vegetarian diets consist largely of vegetarian foods, but may include fish or poultry, or sometimes other meats, on an irregular basis. So individuals who occasionally consume any flesh may describe themselves as “flexitarians”. Semi-vegetarian diets include: Pescetarianism, which includes fish and possibly other forms of seafood; Pollotarianism, which includes chicken and possibly other poultry; Pollo-pescetarian, which includes poultry and fish or “white meat” only; Macrobiotic diet consisting mostly of whole grains and beans, but may sometimes include fish. These diets may be followed by those who reduce animal flesh consumed as a way of transitioning to a complete vegetarian diet or for health, ethical, environmental, or other reasons.

The earliest records of vegetarianism come from ancient India and ancient Greece in the 5th century BC. In the Asian instance the diet was closely connected with the idea of nonviolence towards animals (called ahimsa in India) and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers. Among the Hellenes, Egyptians and others, it had medical or ritual purification purposes.

Following the Christianization of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, vegetarianism practically disappeared from Europe as it was in other Continents, except India. Several orders of monks in medieval Europe limited or banned the consumption of meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them avoided fish. (The medieval definition of “fish” included such animals as seals, porpoises, dolphins and beavers.)

It re-emerged during the Renaissance, becoming more widespread in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1847, the first Vegetarian Society was founded in the United Kingdom; Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries followed. The International Vegetarian Union, a union of the national societies, was founded in 1908. In the Western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and more recently, environmental and economic concerns.

There are a lot of vegetarians among famous people. Even in ancient times such known Greek philosophers as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras kept to vegetarianism.

Also huge amount of talented scientists and creative people were the followers of vegetarianism, for example, Voltaire, Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Friedrich Nietzsche, Franz Kafka.

In recent years, vegetarianism has become not just a fashionable fad. For many people, including the popular and well-known practice of non-animal food has become a kind of philosophy and lifestyle. Paul McCartney, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman, Moby, Sting, Avril Lavigne, Madonna and other popular singers and actors are vegetarians. And this is not a complete list of them.

The most famous Russian vegetarian is Nikolai Drozdov known as a broadcaster and naturalist.

Compared to omnivores, vegetarian populations have a lower overall mortality rate and in particular benefit from a reduced incidence of many non-communicable diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes disease. A vegetarian diet reduces cancer risk, except for breast cancer.

A vegetarian diet which is badly planned can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia and platelet disorders; this risk may be offset by ensuring sufficient consumption of vitamin B 12 and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Well planned vegetarian diet contains low amount of fats, cholesterol, and saturated fats. As a result, it minimizes the risk of weight gain. This, in turn, reduces the possibilities of developing the health problems caused by obesity. Vegetarian diet is also helpful for healthy weight loss. A vegetarian diet lowers the blood cholesterol levels and decreases the risk of various disorders such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney diseases, gallstones and cancer. Due to intake of high fiber diet, digestive health is improved. Vegetarianism protects you from certain meat related food-borne diseases such as bird flu, mad cow disease, intestinal parasites, etc.

Although there are certain disadvantages of a vegetarian diet, it definitely offers a number of health benefits. If you properly plan your diet, you can overcome the problem of nutrient deficiencies, and improve your physical fitness and overall health. After all, healthy eating is the key to healthy living.

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   Vegetarianism [Electronic resource]. – Mode of access: http://en.wiki pedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism. – Date of access: 28.03.2015.
   
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   Advantages and disadvantages of being vegetarian [Electronic resource]. – Mode of access: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-being-vegetarian.html. – Date of access: 30.03.2015.
   
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   Greatvegetarians [Electronic resource]. – Mode of access: http://allfor-health.blogspot.com/2013/01/great-vegetarian.html. – Date of access: 28.03.2015.
   

В статье рассматриваются особенности вегетарианской системы питания и представлена классификация вегетарианства исходя из потребляемых человеком продуктов, а также мотивов перехода на вегетарианскую диету. Кроме того, раскрываются факты из истории распространения вегетарианства, показаны положительные и отрицательные стороны диеты, анализируется влияние такой системы питания на здоровье.