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Vegetarianism and Health, Debate on Vegetarianism Vegetarianism in the East is usually considered to have originated in India. For religious reasons, India is a land of vegetarianism, and strict Hindus have been vegetarian for two thousand years. Until now, the Indian diet is structured around vegetarianism.

In China, many ancient philosophers believed that a vegetarian diet could cultivate the body and nourish the mind, and prolong life. By the time of the Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties, Buddhism was introduced to China from India, although Buddhism in India only requires abstinence from killing, and does not require a vegetarian diet, but Emperor Wu of Liang issued a decree prohibiting monks and nuns from eating meat, and only then did Buddhism become a vegetarian religion in China. Buddhism made vegetarianism widely spread among the people. After several dynasties, Chinese vegetarian cooking skills reached a high level.

Modern society, with a large amount of meat as the representative of the diet brought about by a variety of problems, is gradually threatening the survival of mankind. The number of people suffering from "rich people's disease" is increasing, the number of animal races is shrinking, the natural environment is being destroyed, mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, SARS, avian influenza one after another ...... With the progress of the times, people have gradually begun to As time progresses, people gradually begin to reflect on "eating". How to eat is not only a personal choice, but also a social phenomenon, involving the harmony of man and nature **** place, and even the relationship between national economy and people's livelihood. Vegetarianism is a healthier and more natural way of eating, both for the body to provide adequate nutrition, but also color and flavor, but also love animals, saving resources, protecting the environment, so that man and nature more harmonious. Vegetarianism shows the world a more environmentally friendly, more energy efficient, more humane way of life.

Vegetarianism everywhere is more or less related to religion, the founders of most religions have a vegetarian tendency, or are thoroughgoing vegetarians, and there is often non-violence, tolerance, and avoidance of killing in the teachings. Basically, all religions are able to respect life, love life and thus protect life, and vegetarianism is not unrelated to these concepts.

According to historical records, the ancient Japanese lived on grains, beans, vegetables, and a small amount of fish and shellfish, and consumed little poultry or animal flesh. After Buddhism was introduced to Japan, hunting and fishing also became taboo. The Emperor of Japan also issued a decree forbidding the consumption of fish and shellfish, and although the consumption of fish and shellfish was sanctioned again a few decades later, it was not until about 130 years ago that the Japanese actually began to eat meat.

Vegetarianism in the West originated in the Mediterranean region. Many of the wise men of ancient Greece advocated vegetarianism, and Pythagoras may have been the earliest vegetarian, so that before the English word "Vegetarian" appeared in 1847, people who did not eat meat were often called Pythagoreans or followers of Pythagoras. Centuries ago, some religious sects and spiritual groups in the West also began to advocate vegetarianism, and the real landmark event was the first vegetarian society born in Manchester, England in 1847, and since then, the vegetarianism movement has been popularized in other Western countries as well. The concern for health, ethical and environmental issues in Western society has always played an important role in the development of vegetarianism. The tragic treatment of animals in the real world has inspired people to think about animal rights and the relationship between animals and humans from an ethical point of view, and many people have been influenced to choose vegetarianism.

At present, the number of vegetarians in the UK has reached 4 million, accounting for 7.5% of the total population; in the US, about 2.5% of the population are vegetarians; and in countries such as Holland, Germany, Italy, and Spain, there is also a high proportion of vegetarians. However, just as more and more Westerners are turning to vegetarianism, Asian countries, which have been predominantly agrarian and vegetarian since ancient times, are gradually abandoning their dietary practices and are instead beginning to chase the Western tradition of meat-eating. This is a concern for many vegetarians.