From: jackson@ponder.csci.unt.edu (Bruce Jackson(sysadm))
Subject: Re: A Collection of Amazing Facts!
Organization: University of North Texas, Denton
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 23:45:41 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.220716.23689@liebe.uucp> kevin@liebe.uucp (Kevin Brawley) writes:
>gunter@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Gunter Ahrendt) writes:

>>Number of pure vegetarians who can be fed by the grain needed to
>>feed 1 meat-eating person:  20
>
>Never mind that the veget-aryans would be an unhealthy lot, since you
>cannot easily obtain all the necessary vitamins through veggies alone.

Ok Kevin,  I agree that I do not pay much attention to any self-serving
statistics that get publised.

However, vegetarians have no problem what so ever geting all of the
nutrients that they need from grains and vegetables.  Your daily
calorie expendature of grains and vegetables has far more of almost
every vitamin that you need.  The only vitamin that is lacking in
a pure vegetarian diet is B12.  Nobody knows why vegans do not get
enimic from lack of B12 but they generally don't.  One theory is
that people produce B12 from intestinal flora.  Another theory is
that a healthy body can store enough B12 to function for decades.

Vegetarians who occasionally eat eggs, milk, or fish (I personally
consider fish meat and don't eat it) get plenty of B12 in these
servings.  The ones that don't seem to do fine as I said above.
Often the same number of calories in a low fat vegetarian diet
has more protein than a meal with meat since meat can be very 
fatty.

>>Pesticide residues in U.S. diet supplied by meat:  35%
>
>>Pesticide residues in U.S. diet supplied by vegetables, fruits,
>>and grains:  11%
>
>More emotional pandering.  Are you maybe implying that meat consumption
>would be okay, if the pesticides are eliminated?  Of course not.  It's
>just more of your misguided vendetta against people.
>

No, He was just pointing out that eating higher on the food chain
concentrates pesticides.  For example alge may absorb a some
pesticide, small fish eat a bunch of alge and concentrate it
further, big fish eat little fish concentrating it further,
etc. until something gets enough pesticide to damage it.  Eating
lower on the food chain reduces pesticide residue.

It's obvious that the original poster hit a nerve with you since
you seem to think that he has a `vendetta against people' and
immediately jumped to the conclusion that he would be anti-
animal testing.  I put it to you that vegetarians are a very
concientious group who feel that their lifestyle is better for
them and less injurious to the world.  If it turns out that
we are misguided and are wasting our time so be it.  Your
idea that we have some sort of vendetta against people is bull.

The biggest problem that I see with heavy meat consumption is
the large scale deforestation of the rain forests for grazing
land for cheap meat.  Almost all health professionsals believe
that people would be healthier if they cut down on meat so
probably health care costs would be lower if people cut down
on meat.

       Bruce Jackson, UNIX Sysadm    | jackson@ponder.csci.unt.edu
       Univ. of N. Tx, Comp Sci Dept.| jackson@csci1.csci.unt.edu
       P. O. Box 13886               | GAB 550E (817)565-2279
       Denton, Tx. 76203-3886        | FAX: (817)565-2799



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