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which eat cereals, root and green crops, and various grains; if substituted with for crops suitable for humans would yield far better economic results. Statistics from the Ministry of Food, Government of India in Indian Agriculture in brief (1966) showed that plant food, excluding vegetables, fruits and sugar, provides on average 15.8 times more calories and 11.5 times more proteins when compared with animal foods, per acre of land (Wynne-Tyson 1979: pp. 18-20). About sixteen pounds of grains and soya beans, required to produce one pound of meat contains 21 times more calories, eight times more proteins and three times more fat than one pound of meat. Statistics from the US Department of Agriculture show that 80-90% of all grain produced in the United States goes for feeding animals, and millions of acres of land are used for raising livestock. If the same amount of land was used for cereals, it would produce five times more protein per acre, 10 times more legumes, such as lentils, peas and beans, and 15 times more protein if leafy vegetables were grown (Jain P. 1992: p.3.29). There may be variations in the statistics in view of the fact that insufficient funds by various governments are allocated for this important research, but it is true to say that land provides more food if crops for people are grown rather than those for animal feed. A vegetarian diet is less expensive than a non-vegetarian one is, as plant food is easier and cheaper to grow and produce. Vegetarianism may even help to create employment through a switch to less intensive forms of agriculture, including organic farming.
Nutritional values of a vegetarian diet A vegetarian diet is very healthy and has high nutritional value, provided it is balanced. Vegetarians in India (and now in the West) cook a variety of attractive, tasty dishes. A vegetarian diet is inadequate only if it is low in energy or contains too high a proportion of cereals and starchy foods. Vegans may require a weekly supplement of 0.5 mg vitamin B12.
Calorie requirements depend upon factors such as weight, age, sex, and activity. The World Health Organisation recommends 2,800 calories for men and 2,400 calories for women per day for moderately active persons, although these figures may vary during pregnancy, lactation and child growth periods, when additional calories are required. Cereals, starches, sugars, fats and oils are major sources of energy. Fruit and vegetables also provide some energy.
Proteins are supplied by cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, rye, millet, fruit and leafy green vegetables, and also dairy products. The World Health Organisation recommends the protein requirement for an average male adult of 70 kg body weight to be 40g of good quality protein per day, although many people still believe the higher figure of 100g, set in the 19th century guidelines, is valid.
The eight essential amino acids (tryptophane, methionine, theonine, leucine. lycine, phenylamine, voline and isoleucine) can be obtained from proteins in a balanced vegetarian diet. Two more, histidine and anginine, are important in childhood and are also available from a vegetarian diet.
Years ago proteins were divided into 'first class' (animal proteins) and 'second class' (plant proteins), but this arbitrary classification has been discarded by modern nutritionists, as it is generally accepted that no one protein source is superior to a combination of protein sources. One-gram of.protein provides four calories of energy
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