Though plant foods are loaded with the most essential nutrients, vegetarians do need to take some extra precautions to make sure that their diet includes a variety of plant foods. Lack of such variety may result in deficiency of vitamin B12, Iron, Calcium, and Zinc. Vegetarians can easily fix these possible deficiencies by including certain functional foods and taking certain inexpensive supplements. In any case, however, these potential deficiencies do not justify the consumption of meat, fish, and eggs simply because of the following reasons:
• It is not difficult to include a variety of plant foods in the diet to avoid certain potential deficiencies.
• The potential deficiencies can be fixed easily through supplements.
Meat consumption at current levels cannot be justified only to avoid some deficiencies since such consumption adds tremendous long-term complications to human health and results in large-scale violence against innocent animals. Even if it is proved that certain nutrients are found only in meat, humans have no right to kill animals for their food and health since they should try to find an amicable and rightful solution to their small problems. For example, we know that 40% of average Canadians earn less than $25,000 annually but let’s say they need $26,000 to live comfortably. Will this shortfall allow them to steal or commit fraud at work just because they need extra income? Don’t we preach that we need to live and manage within our means or try to increase our incomes through rightful means? Why is the same principle not followed for some minor deficiencies in plant foods?
Medical science is sufficiently advanced now to solve the minor problems caused if any due to vegetarian diets. Is it not better to live with minor problems and try to solve them rightfully rather than facing obesity, overweight and increased risk of diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, clogged arteries, asthma, impotence, and many more?
