Is it normal to want to be a vegetarian just for health reasons?

I think I want to become a vegetarian just for my health. Yes, the giant farming corporations treat the animals like shit. And I believe that supporting them by buying meat and other animal products is supporting animal cruelty and suffering. But I like meat and eggs and butter etc, and they are all nutritious, so up to this point I've just chosen to be an immoral person. If you want to be super arrogant and judge me, go ahead.

However, recently, I've started thinking that it is best for my health to not eat any animal products, including fish. Not because animal products are high in fat or anything. Because:
1) Antibiotics are almost universally used in high dosages to fatten animals up.
2) Cows are often fed corn, which is totally unnatural and fucks up their stomach, which makes their meat more likely to be contaminated with E. coli. Something to do with the corn messing up their digestion, which is designed for grass.
3) I don't want to consume hormones that are injected into animals for growth.
3) The most alarming fact is that contaminants in the soil (and the ocean) such as PCBs and phthalates and other carcinogenic endocrine disruptors have high concentrations in animal fat due to biomagnification. And it just so happens that the biggest problem is the only problem that cannot be fixed by buying organic.
And I'm sure if I do some more research I will find other reasons. But I already have enough information to know that I want to eat a LOT less animal products, if not go completely vegan

I've eaten primarily vegan while I was on a meal plan in college, just because I didn't like the meat-based dishes they were serving up. I felt pretty good. I might not have been getting all of the nutrients I needed, but there are supplements for that. Anyone else feel this way?

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Based on 38 votes (29 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • bananaface

    Of course that's normal. It's not like there's an exclusive veggie club and if you don't meet all the requirements you get kicked out or something:P. Eat what you want to eat, assuming you're not putting your health at risk. It's important to know about the food you're eating and you sound more aware than a lot of people, which is good.

    I'm a vegetarian and it could be said that it's because of selfish reasons, because eating animals would make me feel very bad about myself, despite me liking the way it tastes. So I don't eat it.

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  • iEatZombies_

    If you're worried about health, just cut back on the meat. You don't have to cut it out. As a matter of fact, it would be healthier to eat a smaller amount of meat than to either not eat it or eat it every night. I'm a vegetarian, btw.

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  • PatrickZ

    It's a perfectly natural way of thinking, I'm thinking more or less the same way. I also try to lower my meat consumption and when I do eat meat it's mostly biological meat. Those animals are being treated a lot better and they get better (more natural) food. More importantly, biological animals don't get any hormones and antibiotics injected. I think you need to reward biological farmers for this. But I also like some good vegetarian food.

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  • MissyLeyneous

    Here we fucking go again....

    All of your points are correct, and all of them can be solved by GROWING YOUR OWN MEAT.

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  • Darkoil

    Take this advice from an actual nutritional advisor, if you cut meat out of your diet including fish you probably will not be getting enough complete proteins, essential fats and the fat soluble vitamins. Another health risk is that vegetarian dishes are one of the main sources of trans fats due to the oils that are used to cook them.

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  • KacyWatson

    Yea it's normal. a little bit on the common but yes it's normal I'm a vegetarian for health reasons but it's because I literally cannot digest meat at all.

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  • noid

    I was raised vegetarian for health and I still am. Its fine. Go for it.

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