The advocates of shifting from a diet primarily of animal proteins to a diet of plant foods claim that the immediate changes in the human body can be expected, such as a drop in cholesterol levels, weight loss, and avoidance of constipation.
Long term changes follow such as clearing of blood vessels for better delivery of oxygen to the tissues, stronger immunity, less toxins, lower blood pressure, fewer illnesses, and longer life. These are confirmed by those who have experienced these health effects.
However, the effects of shifting diets from animal foods to plant foods are not easily realized. There is a growing body of knowledge that tends to show that the carnivorous food habits of humans are drivers of environmental changes, including climate change.
Large areas of land are used to raise farm animals. For cattle, large areas of grasslands are needed for grazing. About 87 percent of agricultural land is used to raise farm animals. A large proportion of corn and grain is fed to cattle to produce beef. About 2/3 of U.S. grain exports feed cattle in other countries. To produce one kilogram of beef, 13 kilograms of grain are needed.
It is known that large areas of forest in the Amazon have been cleared to be converted to grasslands to feed cattle for export to the U.S.A. to be made into hamburgers in the fast-food industry. One hamburger is estimated to destroy 67 ft2 of Amazon forest.
Tropical rainforests are carbon sinks, preventing the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Farm animals produce 130 times more wastes than people. Farms are usually not required to have sewage systems, and animal wastes pollute inland water bodies, killing fish and other biodiversity species.
Animal farms produce a lot of carbon dioxide and methane, both implicated in climate change.
Methane is 20 times more efficient than carbon dioxide in trapping heat, contributing to the increase of atmospheric temperature.
Animal farms tend to deplete ocean life. Half of the fish caught from oceans are fed to livestock.
For the Philippines, most of the fish in livestock feed are imported. The human carnivorous habit is driving aquatic biodiversity to depletion.
The demand for animal protein is driving food-producing activities such as cattle farming, poultry-raising, and fish culture. These activities, in turn, cause environmental degradation and climate change.
There is reason to shift to a predominantly herbivorous diet. The traditional prescription for a “balanced diet” needs to be critically assessed in the light of health facts that tend to show that plant foods can supply all the dietary needs of humans to maintain good health, thus, avoiding the use of expensive medicines and other supplements that our people can ill afford.
