A meat diet can contribute to many diseases
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Heather Moore
Published: July 9, 2008
I can save health officials — who are still trying to pinpoint the exact cause of the recent salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 800 people in 36 states —both time and money. It’s the meat!
Tomatoes and other plant-based foods do not naturally harbor salmonella bacteria. Like E. coli, salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts and feces of animals. When animal manure is used to fertilize crops or leaks into waterways, fruits and vegetables can become contaminated.
For consumers who are wary of food-borne bacteria, the solution is simple: Stop eating animal products.
Seventy percent of food poisoning is caused by contaminated meat. Case in point: More than 531,000 pounds of potentially E. coli-contaminated beef was recently recalled in at least 20 states.
As more people adopt a vegan diet, fewer animals will be bred for food, lessening the threat of yet another attack of the “killer tomatoes.”
To find out more, visit GoVeg.com.
Heather Moore
Senior Writer
People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals
Norfolk
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( eyesis ) on July 16, 2008 at 9:53 am
Please read all of what you comment on. You completely missed the main point which is: radicalism in any form is not justifiable. If you have to throw fake blood, verbally attack, and harass, then you have a problem. PETA continually harasses people. I have personally been harassed by people who don’t even know me or my personal habits. It is not their business. You failed to even acknowledge this because maybe it blows the justifications for their actions out of the water. Does vegetarianism make people callous also? Kill yourselves anyway you want; whether it is food or any other means. As long as we are happy that is what counts. We all die eventually. Look at Dr.Atkins. He slipped and died. Like I said, no one is quantified or qualified to dictate how we should live.
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Posted by ( proud dad ) on July 15, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I hink taht all peta people should go tothe forest and tell all the wild animals that it’s because of them that the animals all over he world will be safe . Have you hugged your Grizzly today?
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Posted by ( rjma ) on July 15, 2008 at 12:37 pm
eyesis- These are all anecdotes. There are plenty of people who are trim and healthy who eat meat. Same with vegetarians. I did find this on the CDC page: Because some vegetarians avoid eating all (or most) animal foods, they must rely on plant-based sources of protein to meet their protein needs. With some planning, a vegetarian diet can easily meet the recommended protein needs of adults and children.
So can we rest the notion that vegetarians cannot be healthy? If you have some real evidence that can be documented then maybe you’ll have something. I’d be willing to bet that a high percentage of the most obese people are also meat eaters. It’s not that the meat alone made them fat but it is a contributing factor. A high fat diet is also associated with heart disease and clogging of the arteries. Right?
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Posted by ( eyesis ) on July 15, 2008 at 8:42 am
Actually, my sister in-law is strict veg. She weighs in @ 225lbs. She also eats constantly because she does not get the proper proteins necessary to metabolise. Also, your body will produce bad cholesterol if some cholesterol is not taken in. In Richmond where I stayed, alot of the younger set are veggies or vegan. Yes, they were skinny, but skinny does not mean healthy. Oh, I forgot DL, he weighs 325lbs. One girl age 25 had stopped menstruating directly due to her diet. Most of these appeared listless, easily agitated, and lethargic. Can you explain the gray tint the vegans have in their skin tone? If you are going to do ANY kind of diet, do it with knowlege and common sense. I do not care for any one to tell me how to live. Period! I don’t appreciate having any dogma being shoved in my face. Vigilante vegetarians are some of the rudest people I have met. I personally had some accost me in a restaurant because of my meal. I was eating and minding my own business. They did not have the right to curse and abuse me. If that is what vegetarianism does to people, then I want nothing to do with it. That was NOT “free speech”. I am 50, I am healthy.(125lbs,124cholesterol,body mass,1%) I use common sense. By the way vigilante veggies, plants have feelings too! Don’t tell me how to live. I doubt very seriously if you have the intelligence or wisdom to do so.
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Posted by ( El Debibble ) on July 13, 2008 at 9:03 am
You need meat.
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Posted by ( rjma ) on July 11, 2008 at 3:55 pm
eyesis-
I’m no big supporter of PETA, but saying “You need meat” is every bit as wrong as PETA saying “Meat will kill you”. I’d be willing to bet that vegetarians are generally healthier than meat eaters. Ever seen a 350 lb. vegetarian?
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Posted by ( Carol ) on July 11, 2008 at 2:28 pm
What does eating meat or not eating meat have to do with the fertilizer being used on vegetables (tomatoes)? Even if everyone stopped eating meat, there would still be animals (cows, etc. ) whose fertilizer would be used for the growth of produce. As indicated in a previous blog, meat contains the proteins we need to be healthy, especially children growing, just don’t overdo it! I say eat the meats!
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Posted by ( quetzalmom ) on July 11, 2008 at 1:11 pm
OK Heather, you’ve convinced me. How ‘bout I back my cattle trailer up to the front door of PETA headquarters and set my cattle free?
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Posted by ( eyesis ) on July 11, 2008 at 10:55 am
The last time I saw any thing about PETA, a woman was wearing almost nothing except her skin sitting in a cage. I think she was truthfully more concerned about attention(for herself)not the animals. By the way, we have incisors, which are meant to chew into meat. There certain proteins that can only be gotten by eating meat. Unless you are from a society that for thousands of years has been vegetarian,then you need MEAT and MEAT rules. Have you seen the pallor of some of these no-meat people? They look like death eating crackers. Excess in any form is bad. On that note I’m going for a juicy ribeye now. I like mine almost mooing! Oh, and my cholesterol is 124.
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Posted by ( caveman823 ) on July 10, 2008 at 7:22 pm
The first time I read PETA literature was at a bus stop in DC. It said fishing was cruel because fish felt fear and pain. It also said that they wanted to take away peoples pets (dogs and cats) because the animals were being exploited. At the time, I thought these people were just nuts. Now I believe, because of the large amounts of money they get donated and the large salaries they pay themselves, that it is all about the money. I would rather support People Eating Tasty Animals.
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