The way you speak about it, I should be dead... instead of much, much more healthy than when I ate meat, and feeling indescribably better. Yes my test levels are higher, it is very noticeable, so it is possible. Most of the arguements you and the links you gave are tailored for -vegans-, not -vegetarians-, there's a difference! We drink milk. Milk is very healthy. Humans drink milk from the time that they are born, and can until the day they die. We just switch from human milk to cow's milk. There is plenty of nutrition in the cow's blood, and it is all also in her milk. The civilized, intelligent human will get the nutrition from the correct and humane source - the milk. Killing the cow for her blood instead of drinking her milk is the very same as killing your mother as an infant for her blood instead of drinking her milk. Is that a very nice thing to do? No, it is sinful. In the end when all debates cease, it just comes down to the matter of sin.
The guy in that article who claimed atrophy when going vegetarian, he used the wrong word. He meant to say vegan because he said he took no dairy. And even that isn't why. It's because he didn't have a balanced diet, he didn't even try. He went into that thinking he was going to prove it wrong and ate poorly, either on purpose or out of lack of nutritional knowledge.
Again, I will stress this ever important point! There is not one single thing that the human body needs to be healthy in that is found in meat, that is not also found in a vegetarian source (meaning: MILK, grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.) The human body is vegetarian. But it can take a little stress from eating some meat if absolutely nessecary. To be at optimal health, though, a vegetarian diet is needed. One may be 'healthy' and eating meat, but that only means that with a
well balanced vegetarian diet they would only be more healthy.
Although you called bullshit on what I said, you linked an article which said rice and beans make a complete protien. I already knew this, but rice and beans are staple in the vegetarian diet just to let you know. The formation of a well balanced vegetarian diet is to the point where you do not even need to think of worrying over your health or if you're eating enough of this or that, if you know what you're doing. We produce enough bacteria in our mouths to get a sufficient amount of B12. To utilize that just drink a glass of water in the morning before you brush. We also get B12 through milk. Vegans who lack B12 must be using too much mouth wash and not enough water. It is painfully ridiculously simple how easily vegetarians can get every single needed nutrient. I don't even need to watch what I eat. I just eat a good, healthy, balanced vegetarian meal and I have no worries for health, or 'if I got enough protien. Actually what we should -all- be worrying about, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike, is if we are getting
too much protien! We all get more than twice what we need and the unused protien is treated like a toxin by the body and causes kidney strain and takes calcium from the bones and causes ostioporosis, among other things.
There is no way that being vegetarian would not benefit every single human on this planet, if they ate a balanced diet which includes milk, grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. And guess what... since I've stopped eating meat I don't have to eat as much! Yep, I had to eat more when I ate meat to get the needed nutrition. I think some of the toxins in meat probably kill some of the nutrition you take in and that may be why, but that's only my theory. I just wanted to let you know that because you seemed to imply that a vegetarian would have to eat more. That is not true.
All in all, vegetarians are healthier and live longer, but when it comes down to it, it's the choice of the individual. You may choose to forego a little health for a little taste, but again, that is all your choice and that is all fine and good! Remember,
it is your choice. So don't get upset at me over mine.