Fresh Vegetable Recipes

Vegetarians?

I never met an old vegetarian, does that mean due to lack of protein they die young? You an old Vegetarian? How old are you?

Public Comments

Iam 60 and I am a vegetarian. I know lots of older people who do not eat meat. I think eating meat can be harmful in some situations but I do believe children and young adults need to eat meat.
I am 70 and have been a vegetarian all my life. And I have several older relatives who are vegetarians too. Food habits have nothing to do with longevity.
Donald Watson (September 2, 1910 – November 16, 2005), founder of the Vegan Society and inventor of the word vegan, was born in South Yorkshire, England into a meat-eating family. His journey to veganism began when he was very young, at the farm of his Uncle George. There, he says: I was surrounded by interesting animals. They all "gave" something: the farm horse pulled the plough, the lighter horse pulled the trap, the cows "gave" milk, the hens "gave" eggs and the cockerel was a useful "alarm clock" - I didn't realise at that time that he had another function too. The sheep "gave" wool. I could never understand what the pigs "gave", but they seemed such friendly creatures - always glad to see me. He realized what purpose the pigs served when he saw one slaughtered, and his life was changed. At the age of 14, he became a vegetarian as a New Year's resolution, and in the 1940s, after learning about milk production, he became a vegan. In 1944, he and some friends founded the Vegan Society. Someone in the group would have come up with a word to describe their diets, he believes, but he suggested "vegan", using the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian". It was "the beginning and end of vegetarian", and it stuck. At the age of 95, on the evening of November 16, 2005, Watson died in his home in northern England. MYTH: "Vegetarians get little protein." FACT: Plant foods offer abundant protein. Vegetables are around 23% protein on average, beans 28%, grains 13%, and even fruit has 5.5%. For comparison, human breast milk is only 5% (designed for the time in our lives when our protein needs are as high as they'll ever be). The US Recommended Daily Allowance is 8%, and the World Health Organization recommends 4.5%. [more on this topic, inc. chart] MYTH: "Beans are a good source of protein." FACT: There is no such thing as a special "source of protein" because all foods -- even plants -- have plentiful protein. You might as well say "Food is a good source of protein". In any event, beans (28%) don't average much more protein per calorie than common vegetables (23%). [more on this topic, inc. chart] MYTH: "Meat protein is better than plant protein. You have to combine plant foods to make the protein just as good." FACT: This myth was popularized in the 1971 book Diet for a Small Planet and has no basis in fact. The author of the book admitted nearly twenty years ago that she made a mistake (in the 1982 edition of the same book). [more on this topic] ."The average man in the US eats 175% more protein than the recommended daily allowance and the average woman eats 144% more." (Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health, 1988) that was in 1988,meat consumption has risen since then.You should ask yourself how much protein are you over consuming.
My mum is 66 and she's been vegetarian all her life. She has more energy than any meat eaters her age. She can walk several miles a day! Meat eaters consume way too much protein and meat takes days to digest, leading to constipation. Meat eating can also cause hundreds of health problems such as obesity, cancer, heart problems etc. A vegetarian diet is pure and healthy and consists of living food, not dead flesh. We don't need much protein, and it's a myth that we do. Plant sources provide plenty. If you search the internet you will find plenty of evidence that a veggie diet is the healthiest way to be.
you've never met an old vegetrian because all the senoirs now were mostly raised on farms so they had to raise and kill their food...aka eat meat. i know my grandma was raised up in the moutins on a farm and vegetrianisim wasn't even considered. it was just that sate if mind then and they just carry it out through out their lives. all the younger people now have more of a vegetrian population 'couse it's not really a "survivial" thing anymore. we have more of a range of what we can eat. i'm 13 and i've been a vegetrian for 3 months, and still going proud! (it took me 3 years to become a vegetrian-family are big meat eaters.)
According to National Geographic November 2005 issue, vegitarians live longer than anyone else. Protein is found in some of the basic staples of a vegitarian--nuts and legumes.
since you are a rude stupid punk i think they all avoid you!
You don't die young because of lack of protein, I have herd that every year you are a vegiterian it adds another 5 years to your life span.
Actually, if you consider the Chinese culture, your theory can be proven incorrect. Buddhism is the most prevalent religion in China. Buddhists do not eat meat. The Chinese have the longest life expectancy of any other country. This would lead me to conclude that choosing a vegetarian lifestyle might actually increase my chances of getting old rather than decrease.
i've been a vegetarian almost my whole life. i'm only 16, but i have heard that meat (particularly fast food) actually shortens your life due to the high cholesterol, high fat, and potential diseases (among other things) in meat.
I am in total agreement with Vegan and proud and Starby. The reason why you haven't seen a 'really old' vegetarian is that they will most probably look and feel at least 30 years younger!! The rest of them (in brilliant health) saw you coming and ran!! when I asked V and V how old they were and how old they looked all answerers apart from the teens constantly got told that they looked tonnes younger! !! If this was my question I'd give Vegan and proud the 10 points. He certainly gave you a fab answer!!!!
You know, my grandfather died at 80... he was a pure veg!!! Veggies do have source of Proteins.
I'm 95 and still going strong.....
ever meet an old cow or chicken?