More than a billion people on the planet do not eat meat for ethical and moral reasons. Refusal to consume animal products has a long history. It is known that even in primitive society, some groups practiced refusing to eat meat. Today vegetarianism, and this is the name of such a nutritional system, has many followers. Thanks to the mass media, almost everyone knows about the vegetarianism movement.
How vegan is different from vegetarian
But few people know that the vegetarian environment is not homogeneous - there are many communities with different ideologies and different dietary attitudes. Some do not eat meat and fish, but allow eggs and dairy products, others have completely switched to plant foods, and still others do not subject products to even the slightest heat treatment. The classic vegetarian has only one limitation - a ban on the consumption of meat of any animals, birds and fish. But he can afford milk, cottage cheese, eggs, as well as any dishes from them. Vegan diets are much tougher. Vegans are very strict vegetarians who completely refuse all products of animal origin, including milk, eggs, honey. Even gelatin, which is obtained from the bones and tendons of livestock, was even blacklisted.
Vegan beliefs go far beyond dietary restrictions. On such a person, you will never see a leather jacket, fur and wool are also prohibited. If the cream jar or shampoo bottle is labeled as animal tested, they will not be used by true vegans. But an ordinary vegetarian would not even think about looking for such an inscription.
It is among vegans that you can see the most active advocates of animal rights. They oppose the circus, since there is exploitation of animals, against bullfighting as a cruel entertainment. At the slightest disagreement with their views, vegans can become very aggressive and generate a stream of abuse at the "corpse eaters". Doctors call this behavior orthorexia - a mental disorder, a manic desire for a healthy lifestyle. Vegetarians can love and protect animals too, but they won't be so fanatical about it.
Vegans generally develop more active social activities, they hold protests, where they tell everyone about the terrible lot of animals and urge everyone to come to their senses and stop eating animal products. Regular vegetarians will never impose their lifestyle on strangers.
Criticism of vegetarianism
There is a lot of criticism about vegetarianism. It has been repeatedly proved by scientists from different countries that man is an omnivorous creature in his physiology. For the normal functioning of all body systems, he simply needs a balanced diet, including both plant and animal food. By their limitations, vegans and vegetarians can harm their bodies. The most unpleasant thing is that they also harm others. Some die-hard vegans put their dogs and cats on a vegetarian diet without considering their predatory nature. This sometimes ends with the death of pets.
Much more pity for the children of these vegan fanatics. Because of the "humanism" of their parents, they often receive less proteins important for the growth of the body. Some vegans feed their babies with soy milk, many do not allow children to enter child care, transfer them to homeschooling, only for fear that their children will be fed the wrong food. This behavior is in many ways reminiscent of sectarianism and surprises ordinary people.
