Jain Digest 1992 01

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 13

Jain Digest
Medical basis of vegetarianism
the atherogenesis faster. 1985 Nobel Prize awarded to Professor Goldstein and Brown for their outstanding work on the cholesterol receptor deprivation with high animal food consumption. Most of the rich and elite people have this fatal illness.
Dr. D.C. Jain,
By Dr. D.C. Jain, Head, Department of Neurology, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi
In the United States of America about 10 million people have adopted vegetarianism. All major states have vegetarian associations, which are actively engaged in the propagation of vegetarianism. In the United Kingdom, Switzerland, West Germany, Israel, Mexico, Japan, the vegetarian dietary habit is getting recognition from a large number of people.
What is the rationale behind this
movement?
Medical Basis: The fast growing medical sciences have been the major factor in converting the people to vegetarianism. The fibre content of diet, low cholesterol contents, prevention of zoonotic disorders have been the major reasons which have appealed the medical people to propagate vegetarianism. The discovery of human onchogene (mutation of gene by meat eating) by Professor Weinberg of Massachusetts Institute of Technology has revolutionized the programs of Cancer Prevention. Bowel cancer is very well known to be due to low fibre content in the animal diet. However, the association of breast cancer and other organ cancers appears to be due to a mutant cancer gene or some unknown reason. Prevention of hemorrhoids, varicosity, constipation, haitus hernia, ulcerative colitis and peptic ulcer by a fibre rich diet is known to medical scientists since four decades. Heart attack and stroke: Recently the relationship between animal food and the myocardial infarction stroke have gained much attention. In the United Kingdom and United States the trend is now, no animal food and less eggs in the diet. The cholesterol contents of animal food makes
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Prevention of zoonoses: The World Health Organization has brought to notice the 160 zoonotic disorders transmitted through the intermediate host: the animals. Many of these diseases are spread by mere contact and others by eating them (WHO magazine "World Health" - July, 1985).
Immunological state: The foreign body setting up the antigen antibody reaction, lowers the immune status and increases the chance of graft rejection in the organ transplants. Animal food increases the chance of bacterial and viral antigens to grow further. Thus the immune system is impaired.
Growing requirements of food energy resources has made the scientists to work out the alternative resources. The commercial production of meat is costly. The conversion rate of plant protein to animal protein is too low. It is, therefore, better to utilize vegetable food directly in the human diet rather than animal for protein. Not only the conversion of plant protein to animal protein is lower, the caloric conversion is much lower. It has been estimated that 7 vegetable calories are required for production of one animal calorie. It is, therefore, evident that the plant food to animal food conversion is not only too costly but too wasteful a proposition in the present day world when all efforts are being directed to remove the caloric malnutrition throughout the world. At the time when millions are dying of starvation, it is morally indefensible that over half the world's grain is fed to animals which in turn would be fed to people. The British Parliamentarian, Rt. Hon. Bernerd Westherhill, has expressed that economically there would be tremendous saving of food energy resources provided the intermediate link of livestock is broken and people start taking vegetarian meals. No soul on this earth will be left over without meal.
Economic basis: The animals and plants form a natural habitat for human beings. This ecosystem has greatly been disturbed by fast growing deserts, deforestation and de-animation. The fertility of
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land, soil erosion, all depend upon the animal life which apparently looks economically useless. Therefore, vegetarianism will promote the preservation of the animal kingdom and promote the forestry. The ecological experts are very fast realizing the need for maintenance of our ecosystem and environment.
Longevity of life and diet: The Human survival rate of India is fast decreasing. We have still people who are octogenarian. Attention has bee focussed on the Soviet Republic of Abkhasia. They live well over one hundred years and are largely vegetarian. They are healthy, vigorous,. slim and smart people. A study conducted by the Ethnographic Institute in Sukhumi revealed that arteriosclerosis is rare there except in extreme old age after one hundred years. A nine year study of 123 people over one hundred years old living on vegetarian food revealed no reported case of mental illness.
Physical strength and endurance: Johnny Welsmuher, Provo Nurmi, Chris Evert-Lloyd and many other marathon runners, body-builders, wight lifters have preferred to be vegetarian. The endurance and stamina has been extraordinary among them. In fact, in scientific tests using
a
stationary bicycle, athletes put on a vegetables and grains diet averaged three times as long as when eating animal based diet.
Vitamin b-12 deficiency=a myth: The myth among people is that meat would make them very strong. They believe that muscles of animals would directly incorporate into their muscles. The fact is that whatever you eat, is broken down by the digestive system. You must know that elephant, cow buffalo, bulls, oxen, gorillas, are vegetarians. How could they develop so strong without eating other animals!
Most of the nutritional scientist know that sub-acute-combined-degeneration a disease caused by the deficiency of Vitamin B-12 is rare in India. If B-12 deficiency would have been so common, many more cases would have been seen in India. It shows that there is no deficiency of B-12 in vegetarians.
It will thus be not unfair if it is concluded that the world-wide movement for vegetarianism is the need of the time. Your kind support as an individual, scientist and ecological expert on the subject matter is urgently needed: