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World Vegetarian Day 2022: History, Significance, and the benefits of vegetarian diets
It might come as a surprise to us Indians, but close to 90% of the World's population consumes meat. Yes, only 10% of people in the world are vegetarians. And if not for Indians, that number could easily have gone down below even 5%. India is considered the global capital of vegetarianism with almost 40% of the population (as per the 2021 pew research survey) strictly avoiding the meat of all kinds in their diet. No wonder India has the lowest per capita meat consumption in the world.
World Vegetarian Day is celebrated every year on October 1 to emphasize the personal health and environmental benefits of ditching meat and animal products. As an added advantage it also protects animals' rights, and above all their lives.
World Vegetarian Day History
World Vegetarian Day was introduced by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977; it got a further endorsement by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978. Ever since, the world is celebrating this occasion with great fanfare.
A vegetarian diet consists of everything that grows in fields and more. Be it grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds or legumes. Animal products, where killing is not involved, like eggs, dairy and honey also come under vegetarian products.
World Vegetarian Day Significance
It is celebrated with the triple motive of protecting our health, the rights of animals, and the environment. Let's have a look at the benefits of becoming vegetarian.
Advantages of vegetarianism
- You are less likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
- Vegetarians are also more likely to enjoy lower body mass index and lower cholesterol.
- It reduces the risk of major human killers such as heart disease, stroke and cancer by cutting exposure to foodborne pathogens found mainly in meats.
- The more people eat meat, the more animals will be cultivated for profit. You get a taste, businesses get money, but the environment suffers resource drain, pollution and related global warming.
- It costs the environment a lot more to produce meat than plant-based food. For example, 78 calories of fossil fuel get consumed to produce 1 calorie of beef, whereas 1 calorie of soybeans consumes only 1 calorie of fossil fuel. That's 780% more efficient than meat production!
- Too much animal farming is bad for ecological balance. By shifting to vegetarianism, we can protect our vital resources like fresh water and fertile topsoil which are increasingly being consumed by these for-meat animals.
- For kind hearts among us, it's a great opportunity to save animals from the pain and terror of slaughter.
How can we celebrate the World Vegetarian Day 2022
Even if you're not a vegetarian, become one for a day. Bring or buy some vegetarian food even for the factor of novelty. Trust us, every small step goes a long way. There are multiple options available to try. Who knows, you might develop a permanent taste for it.
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