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Caleb Ellis
Professor Blandford
UWRT 1103
December 9, 2015
Final Conversation
Vegetarians have made an impact on the realm of food intake, as well as the thought of a
healthy lifestyle, with their passion in spreading their ideas and beliefs. From my previous
personal interaction with vegetarians, I concluded that they all had some passion about what they
believed was right to eat and why, and were open in sharing their beliefs with me if I asked.
However, until now, I never took the time to ask a vegetarian questions or research what
vegetarianism is all about and why they are so passionate about it. Starting from the basis of
researching general information on vegetarians such as types, health benefits, and reasons to
begin a vegetarian diet, the information led me to focus on pursuing the history of vegetarians. I
wanted to find out how vegetarianism developed, what it was like to be a vegetarian in past time
and how vegetarians of today are similar or different.
There are many different types of vegetarians throughout the world. A vegetarian is
someone who doesnt eat meat, fish, poultry, or any slaughterhouse by-product such as gelatin
(Kimball 29). Semi-vegetarians eat dairy foods, eggs, chicken, and fish, but no other animal
flesh. Pescetarians eat dairy foods, eggs, and fish, but no other animal flesh. Lacto-ovovegetarians eat dairy foods and eggs but no animal flesh. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy foods, but
no other animal flesh or eggs. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but not other dairy foods or animal

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flesh. Vegans eat no animal flesh of any type (Kimball 17-18). People who eat chicken or other
poultry but no other meat from mammals are known as pollotarians (Driscoll 1).
The word vegetarian was coined in the 1840s and shortly after, the Vegetarian Society
was formed in 1847. Throughout history many individuals have struggled to discover mans
relationship with nature. Western society believed the earth and everything in it had been made
strictly for mankind. However, this idea came to be countered by a few individuals who
questioned whether humans should be eating animals. This idea rose in popularity just before and
during the Industrial revolution. Dating back to the time of Aristotle, the popular belief was that
God had given mankind dominion over the earth. Meat eating, backed by this view, remained an
unquestioned practice until it began to take heavy fire around the 17th and 18th centuries. Many
people, whether cultural elite, religious leaders, or common citizens used arguments against the
meat-eating industry (Tristram XVII-XVIII).
Some accused the meat industry of wasting resources that could otherwise be used to feed
people, while others pointed to the luxury of the mainstream culture to eat as much meat as they
could at feasts. Medical examiners argued that the human intestines were not designed to digest
meat. Religious extremists agreed with vegetarian practices and argued that God dwelt within
animals, so humans should interact with them at peace. Arguably the most impactful idea,
however, that sparked a growth in popularity of vegetarian ideas came from European travelers
who explained to Western society the culture they had observed in India that thrived off of fruits,
vegetables, and various plants (Tristram XIX-XX).
This same culture held a non-violence policy to any living things they had animal
hospitals and respect for even the lowliest of animals. Around this same time, medical research
was conducted that led to results in favor of vegetarians. Medical professionals revealed that

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human teeth and organs seemed to be aimed towards that of a herbivore; also vegetables traveled
down digestive tracks more easily and dissolved into enriching fluids more quickly than that of
meat. A medical breakthrough in neural science that revealed that animals have nerves similar to
humans and feel as much pain as we do, led to a movement that advocated vegetarianism based
solely off of sympathy. The majority of these followers even said that the slightest instinctive
feeling of sympathy within an individual was enough to indicate that killing animals was
contrary to human nature. Benjamin Franklin, the first well-known vegetarian in the United
States, decided to forgo meat eating on the grounds that he could no longer justify the need to kill
animals (Driscoll 1). However, at this same time, many philosophers and cultural elite rose up to
spark a movement against vegetarians that argued that sympathy for animals was a valid point,
but not extreme enough for an entire group called vegetarians; they also pointed to the thought
that eating vegetables alone was not suitable enough for a diet. Despite all the heavy debate and
arguments, Tristram states that By the end of the 18th century, vegetarianism was advocated by
medical lecturers, moral philosophers, sentimental writers, and political activists (Tristram XXXXIV).
As Romanticism arose throughout the 19th century, the beliefs from India presented back
in the 17th century became more present than ever. The belief set found within Hinduism
presented a philosophy of universal sympathy and equality which accorded with animal rights.
People who travelled to India and returned to Western culture became shocked at the treatment of
animals and the un-sympathetic society. Environmental degradation and population growth
became a serious problem in Europe, so economists looked at natural resources and pointed out
that producing meat was hugely inefficient because nine-tenths of the things pumped into the
animal were wastefully transformed into feces. Finally, utilitarians revealed that a vegetarian

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diet could sustain more people per acre than meat, and was the better choice between meat and
vegetables in terms of productivity and food consumption. Tristrams overall statement about the
history of vegetarians was this: Vegetarianism had sustained its role as a counter-cultural
critique, backed up by evidence that many in the mainstream of society could accept (Tristram
XXIV-XXV).
It is estimated that today, 12.4 million Americans consider themselves to be vegetarians
(Kimball IX). As there were multiple reasons people throughout history converted to a vegetarian
diet, today many of those same reasons are still in use. Multiple people perceive plant foods as
beneficial because they are high in dietary fiber and are generally lower in saturated fat than
most animal foods (Kimball 3). Religious reasons also continue to impact individuals decisions
to begin a vegetarian diet. One reason to go vegetarian that was not mentioned throughout my
historical research on vegetarians, was taste. Judy Bethesda, MD, says she is a vegetarian
because I just plain enjoy the taste of vegetables and pasta (Kimball 12). Some individuals
today have switched to a plant-based diet because of recalls of contaminated meat and foodborne outbreaks of E. coli and Listeria bacteria, as well as high levels of mercury found in
various seafoods (Driscoll 1). In her article on vegetarian health benefits, Ballaro Beverly says
that recently, a number of frightening illnesses have emerged as a direct result of the human
appetite for livestock (1). Ideas of meat contamination were not as popular throughout history
because meat was often not looked at as a primary reason for an individuals sickness.
Environmental issues, as they did throughout history, continue to play a large role in the ethical
side of vegetarianism. Many species of fish have become endangered due to overfishing, while
significant amounts of the Amazon rainforest have been cut down to provide land for cattle to
graze upon (Driscoll 1). Ethical issues, being the most impactful reason to switch to a vegetarian

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diet in history, sparked by the Indian society, are still the number one reason people switch to a
plant-based diet today. Many argue it is more ethical to eat low on the food chain meaning, eat
plant foods, not the animals who eat the plant foods (Kimball 4). In a survey, the Vegetarian
Society revealed that the majority of people say that they gave up eating meat because they did
not morally approve of killing animals, or they objected to the ways that animals are kept,
treated, and killed for food (Kimball 29). Organizations such as People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) advocate vegetarianism by publicizing about the unethical
treatment of animals (Driscoll 1).
Many of the health benefits that were primarily speculated about in history rather than
proved because medical research was just beginning on the topic, are still being discussed today.
Data is strong that vegetarians are at lesser risk for things such as obesity, lung cancer and
alcoholism. Further evidence reveals that risks of coronary artery disease, type II diabetes, and
gallstones are lower. Evidence is only fair to poor that risks of things such as breast cancer,
colonic cancer, and calcium kidney stones are lower among vegetarians (Kimball 4). Among
these benefits, a plant-based diet can also provide some obstacles. The FDA warns vegetarians
that the more you restrict your diet, the more difficult it is to get the nutrients you need. To be
healthy, vegetarian diets require very careful, proper planning (Kimball 4). Many individuals
today advocate for a diet that includes vegetables and meat. Nutritionists have continuously
argued that a balanced diet is the healthiest choice, which includes eating meat, vegetables, fruits
and grains. They continue, saying that eating meat is still the best and easiest way to intake the
necessary vitamins and proteins present within meat. While it is common that some individuals
over-indulge in meat products, vegetarians often go to the opposite extreme, and extreme diets
often lead to eating disorders and health problems (Issitt 1).

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As I attempted to find differences between vegetarians of the past and vegetarians today, I
struggled. It seems to me that since the idea of vegetarians has developed, it has not changed its
roots much at all. Many of the reasons people switched to a vegetarian lifestyle in history, are the
same reasons people switch to a plant-based diet today. The only things that could be considered
new reasons, taste and meat contamination, may very well have been present in history, just not
as popular, leading historians who recount the topic to not include the information. What I did
find most interesting throughout my historical research, was that ethical reasons, the most
popular previously in history, are still the driving factor behind many vegetarians decisions to
switch to a plant-based diet today. I think this helps me understand my initial curiosity and
confusion behind why vegetarians are so passionate. I would argue that the passion you see today
in vegetarians was initially ignited by the founders of vegetarians in history and passed down to
vegetarians of present day. To introduce a new concept and lifestyle to a society so grounded in
their ways took courage and a convincing argument; to continue to press their ideas even when
unpopular and outnumbered took passion. Those who practiced vegetarianism in the past passed
their passion down to others who passed it down to others and so on.
While searching for the best source that provided a history of vegetarians, I concluded
with Tristrams review. I wanted to focus on vegetarianism in the United States alone, but there
was little information provided by any source besides Tristrams. I thought that Tristram
provided points that he backed up with explanations and examples, while trying to register it in
an original way. His history lined up with other sources that I saw the only thing I noticed he
didnt include was points about vegetarianism during Greek times. I think that he didnt include
this because, information on people like Aristotle and Pythagoras, who may have composed
writings that possibly referenced a lifestyle that lined up with a vegetarian lifestyle, is often not

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valid because of lack of documentation on these individuals. In a few portions of his writing, I
could feel the pro-vegetarian bias of Tristram. Although I do not consider him an avid vegetarian
supporter, I noticed a few subtle things in his recount of vegetarian history. I thought the most
obvious occurrences portrayed themselves when he made it seem like vegetarians won the hearts
of their competition so easily. Granted, the movement was not stopped, but I think it was much
more difficult to promote at that time than Tristram made it seem. Nevertheless, I considered his
historical recount to be accurate and interesting, and found him to be a credible author whose
bias did not affect his writing as much as it could have.
I think I chose to use three articles and two books for my sources because of my literacy.
Because I have never really loved reading or writing, I tried to stay away from extensive works
to research. The two books I used were both hundreds of pages of each, but I did not read them
in their entirety; rather, I chose certain chapters that I thought were most relevant and helpful for
my research. Throughout all the sources, I did not find many contradicting points. I think this is
because the history of vegetarians and the beliefs on their lifestyle are widely agreed upon. When
a source I used was anti-vegetarian, the author did not spend much time trying to explain why
they considered a vegetarian lifestyle to be wrong, but rather they just stated it was wrong and
did not back it up with examples. The only main discrepancy I saw was medical benefits; many
people accepted things for true that had not been medically proven yet. Ideas such as a plantbased diet prevents cancer, and vegetarians live longer than non-vegetarians are two of the most
popular. I could tell how biased a source was towards vegetarians, depending on how they
explained health benefits. Some tried to list as many as they possibly could and over-exaggerate
the point, while other admitted that the medical benefit may or may not be valid.

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Before I composed this essay, I had no similar identity to vegetarians. My initial,
stereotypical views of them were almost all incorrect and I thought a plant-based diet would be
impossible to maintain. However, now that I have completed my research on vegetarians, I feel
as if I have a solid understanding of why vegetarians do what they do and where their passion
comes from. I found it very interesting that the passion centered in vegetarianism has remained
since it started previously in history. I now have more of an appreciation for certain foods and a
new found respect for vegetarians. I know that following a plant-based diet is a serious, difficult
matter and needs proper planning and medical input in some cases. I found that, in some ways,
my literacy and lifestyle developed in a similar fashion to that of vegetarians. Most of how I feel
about reading and writing today, and the ways in which I live my life were based off my
observation of others. Similarly, vegetarians today developed their lifestyle and beliefs from
observation of other vegetarians, including the individuals in history who continuously made
their plea for a vegetarian lifestyle.

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Works Cited
Ballaro, Beverly, and Nancy Sprague. Vegetarianism Promotes Both Human and Planetary
Health. Points Of View: Vegetarianism (2015): 1. Points of View Reference

Center. Web.

28 Nov. 2015.
Driscoll, Sally, and Ann Griswold. "Vegetarianism: An Overview." Points Of View:
Vegetarianism (2015): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Issitt, Micah, and Rosalyn Carson-Dewitt. Vegetarianism is an Unhealthy Dietary Choice.
Points of View: Vegetarianism (2015): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 28 Oct.
2015.
Kimball, Chad T. Vegetarian Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information About
Vegetarian Diets, Lifestyle, and Philosophy. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2002. Print.
Stuart, Tristram. The Bloodless Revolution: A Cultural History of Vegetarianism from 1600 to
Modern Times. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2007. Print.