There has always been a raging controversy about which is better: vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism. While Vedic texts and many other spiritual scriptures advocate being vegetarian, this is based on certain principles such as the laws of karma and the modes of living. People who do not believe in these obviously do not follow any of them. And of course, there are people who have no choice in the matter as they reside in areas that have more animals than plants. They’re forced to live off meat and hence go for the kill.Scientifically speaking, non-vegetarians hardly suffer from deficiencies because meat, both red as well as white, is a rich source of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Essential minerals like calcium and iron are also found in abundance in the animal sources of food. The only thing lacking is fiber. However, research studies have shown that meat-eaters have an increased tendency to suffer from constipation, hypercholesterolemia, various inflammatory pathologies, and even gastrointestinal cancers. This happens because when meat is being digested, the amount of toxins liberated is far greater than that released during the digestion of vegetarian foods.
Pure vegetarians, on the other hand, tend to suffer from protein deficiencies; more so, if they do not consume eggs, which are biologically complete proteins. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also common amongst them and needs to be supplemented through nutraceuticals in a number of cases. Vegetarians find it very difficult to gain muscle mass in spite of working out for hours in the gym, unless they consume whey or soy proteins regularly. There is also a belief that meat eaters are more aggressive as compared to the vegetarians, but there are no clinical studies to support this.
So, as always, the middle path seems to be best, except for those who are pure vegetarian for religious or spiritual reasons
