Encyclopedia of vegetarianism. The history of vegetarianism and types of vegetarian diets
Brief reference and highlights.
To the industrial revolution.
Meat eat little almost everywhere (in comparison with today's standards).
1900-1960 - Meat consumption has greatly grown in the West, since transportation and cooling became easier
1971 - Publication "Diets for a Little Planet" Francis Moore Lappe launches the vegetarian movement in the United States, but, unfortunately, it presents the myth that the vegetarians need to "combine" protein to receive a "full-fledged" protein.
1975 - The release of the book "Liberation of animals" of the Australian professor of ethics of Peter Singer gives impetus to the emergence of the movement for animal rights in the United States and the founding of the Reta Group, Yary Supporters of Vegetarian Nutrition.
The end of the 1970s- The release of the magazine "Vegetarian Times" begins.
1983 - The first book about the veganism, written by a graduate Western doctor, Dr. John McDugal, "McDougall Plan".
1987 - "Diet for New America" \u200b\u200bJohn Robbins inspired the vegan movement in the United States. Vegan movement resumes.
1990-E.- Medical evidence The benefits of a vegetarian diet become widespread. The American Dietary Association officially approves vegetarianism, the books of famous doctors recommend the low-aluminous vegan or almost a vegan diet (for example, McDigalla program and the program of Dr. Dina Ornisha for the treatment of heart diseases "). The US government finally replaces outdated and sponsored meat and milk manufacturers a system four groups of products with a new food pyramid, which shows that the human nutrition should lie cereals, vegetables, beans and fruits.
Before the appearance of written sources.
Vegetarianism is rooted in times far from the appearance of written sources. Many anthropologists believe that ancient people mostly fed vegetable food were more collectors than hunters. (See David Popovich's Articles and Derek Walla.) This point of view is confirmed by the fact that the human digestive system more resembles a system of herbivores than predators. (Forget about fangs - they are from other herbivores, but there are no chewing teeth predators, unlike a person and other herbivores.) Another fact in favor of the fact that early people were vegetarians: people who eat meat much more often They suffer from heart disease and cancer than vegetarians.
Of course, people began to eat meat very long before the appearance of written references, but only because, in contrast to animals, capable of similar experiments. However, this short period of meat refrigeration is insufficient in order to have evolutionary value: for example, animal products increase the level of cholesterol in the human body, whereas if the dog is racing a cream oil briquette, the cholesterol level in its body will not change.
Early vegetarians.
Greek mathematician Pythagoras was a vegetarian, and vegetarians until the invention of this term was often called the Pythagoreans. (The term "Vegetarian" was created by the British vegetarian society in the mid-1800. Latin root of the word means the source of life.) Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and George Bernard Shaw were also vegetarians. (The modern legend states that Hitler was a vegetarian, but it is not so, at least, not in the traditional understanding of the word.)
Increasing meat consumption in the 1900s.
Until the mid-1900, the Americans ate much smaller than meat than now. The meat was very expensive, the refrigerators were not common, and the spread of meat was a problem. The side effect of the industrial revolution was the fact that meat was cheaper, it became easier to store and distribute. When this happened, meat consumption rapidly increased - as well as the number of degenerative diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. As Dean Ornish writes:
"Until this century, a typical American diet was poor animal products, fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar, but rich in carbohydrates, vegetables and fiber ... Earlier in this century, with the arrival of refrigerators, a good transport system, agricultural mechanization and economic prosperity, American food And the lifestyle has become radically changing. Now the nutrition of most people in the United States is rich in animals, fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar, and poor carbohydrates, vegetables and fiber. "(" Eat more, and lose weight "; 1993; reprint 2001; . 22)
The origin of vegetarianism in the United States.
Vegetarianism was not particularly common in the USA until 1971, when Bestseller Francis Moore Lappe "Diet for a Little Planet".
A native of Fort Worth, Lappe, threw the graduate school of the University of California in Berkeley to begin his own study on the world hunger. Lappe was amazed by learning that the animal consumes 14 times more grain than it gives meat - a huge waste of resources. (Cattle eats over 80% of the total grain in the United States. If the Americans had reduced meat consumption by 10%, it would be enough grain to feed all the hungry in the world) at the age of 26, LAPPE wrote a "diet for a small planet" to inspire There are no meat people, thereby stopping to translate food pastry.
Despite the fact that the 60s were associated with hippies, and hippies - with vegetarianism, in fact vegetarianism was not very common in the 60s. The starting point served exactly "Diet for a Little Planet" in 1971.
The idea of \u200b\u200bcombining protein.
But America perceived vegetarianism at all like today. Today there are many doctors who act to reduce the use of meat or refusal from it, as well as the results of successful athletes and celebrities, which confirm the benefit of vegetarianism. In 1971 everything was different. There was a common opinion that vegetarianism is not just unhealthy, which is impossible to survive on a vegetarian diet.
Lappe knew that her book would be perceived ambiguously, so she conducted a study of the nutritional of a vegetarian diet, and at the same time made an important mistake that changed the course of the history of vegetarianism. LAPPE found studies conducted at the beginning of the century on rats, which showed that rats grew faster if they were fed by a combination of vegetation food, the set of amino acids of which resembled animal food. LAPPE received a wonderful means to persuade people in the fact that they can make plant food "same good" like meat.
Lappe dedicated half of his book the idea of \u200b\u200b"combination of protein" or "Protein's supplement" - for example, how to file beans with rice to get a "full" protein. The idea of \u200b\u200bcombining was infected: it appeared in all the books of all vegetarian authors published after, and penetrated academic circles, encyclopedias and American thinking. Unfortunately, this idea was incorrect.
First problem: Protein combination theory was only the theory. People studies have never been conducted. It was rather prejudice, not science. It is not surprising that the rats grew not as people, since the rats need ten times more protein on caloria than people (rat milk contains 50% protein, while human - only 5%.) Then, if the vegetation protein is so defective, then How cows, pigs and chicken, who eat only cereals and vegetable food, get protein? Isn't it strange that we eat animals for the sake of protein, and they eat only plants? Finally, vegetable food does not have such a "deficit" of amino acids, as Lappe thought.
As Dr. McAdugal wrote: "Fortunately, scientific research has developed this tangled myth. Nature has created our food with a full set of nutrients long before they hit the dining table. All replaceable and essential amino acids are represented in unrefined carbohydrates, such as rice Corn, wheat and potatoes, in quantities that significantly exceed the human need, even if we talk about athletes or weightlifters. Common sense says that this is true, since the human race has survived on this planet. During the entire history, their families were in search of rice and potatoes for his family. Mixing rice with beans was not careful. It is important for us to quench the hunger; you do not need to say to us to mix protein sources to achieve a more complete set of amino acids. It is not necessary because it is impossible to create a set of proteins and amino acids more perfect than in natural carbohydrates. "(McDougall program; 1990; Dr. John A. Macdugal; p. 45. - More BNO: Plan McDougall; 1983; Dr. John A. Macdugal; ss. 96-100)
"Diet for a Little Planet" quickly became a bestseller, making the famous LAPPE. Therefore, it was amazing - and worthy of respect - that she recognized the mistake in what made her famous. In the publication "Diets for a Little Planet" 1981, LAPPU publicly recognized the mistake and explained:
"In 1971, I highly emphasized the Protein's addition, because I thought that the only way to get enough protein was to create a protein, which would be assimilated as animal protein. Fighting with the myth that meat is the only source of high-quality protein, I created another myth. I introduced it so that to get enough protein without meat, you need to carefully choose food. In fact, everything is much easier. "
"Taking into account three important exceptions, the risk of protein lack on a vegetable diet is very small. Exceptions - diets, very strongly dependent fruits, tuberplods, such as sweet potatoes or manica, and harmful food (refined flour, sugar and fat). Fortunately , few people live on diets in which these products are almost the only source of calories. In all other diets, if people receive enough calories, they get enough protein. "(diet for a small planet; 10th anniversary edition; Francis Moore Lappe ; p. 162)
End of 70s
Although LAPPE did not solve the problem of world famine alone, and if not to take into account the ideas about the combination of protein, "diet for a small planet" was unconditional success - millions of copies were sold. She served as a impetus to the development of the vegetarian movement in the United States. Vegetarian culinary books, restaurants, cooperatives and communes began to appear from nowhere. We usually associate the 60s with hippies, and hippie - with vegetarians, but in fact, vegetarianism was not particularly common before the release of "diet for a small planet" in 1971.
In the same year, Hippie from San Francisco founded a vegetarian commune in Tennessee, which they called simply "farm". The "farm" was big and successful and helped determine the clear image of the "commune". Farm also made a great contribution to the culture. They popularized the products from soy in the United States, especially tofu, which was practically unknown in America to the "Culinary Farm Book", which contained recipes from soybean and the recipe for Tofu's preparation. This book was published by the Farm's own publishing house, which was called the Farm Publishing Company. (They also have a postal catalog, whose name you can guess yourself.) Also, the farm told about homemade births in America, and raised a new generation of rents. Finally, the farm residents have improved the methods of natural birth control (and, of course, wrote about this book).
In 1975, the Australian Professor of Ethics Peter Singer wrote the book "Liberation of Animals", which became the first scientific work, in which ethical arguments were presented in favor of refusal of meat and animal experiments. This inspirational book was an excellent addition to the "diet for a little planet", which told exactly how animals do not eat. What did the "Little Planet Diet" for Vegetarianism, the "Liberation of Animals" made to protect the rights of animals, put the movement for animal rights in the United States overnight. In the early 80s, groups of animal defenders were everywhere, including reta (people for ethical attitudes with animals). (Retta paid for the additional edition of the "Liberation of Animals" and distributed it to new members.)
Late 80s: diet for new America and the birth of veganism.
"Deet for a Little Planet" launched a snowball of vegetarianism in the 70s, but by the mid-80s some of the myths about vegetarianism were spread. One of them is the idea presented in the book itself - the myth of the combination of protein. Many people considering the transition to vegetarianism refused this because they would have to carefully plan food. Another myth is that dairy products and eggs are healthy food, and that vegetarians need to eat them in sufficient quantities in order not to die. Another myth: it is possible to be healthy, being a vegetarian, but it does not bring any particular health benefit (and, of course, the use of meat did not associate with any problems). Finally, most people did not know anything about industrial animal husbandry and environmental consequences of animal husbandry.
All these myths were debunked in the book of John Robbins "Diet for New America", released in 1987. The work of Robbins, in fact, contained little new and original information - most ideas have already been published somewhere, but in scattered form. The merit of Robbins is that he took a huge array of information and gathered it into one big, carefully worked out, adding his analysis, which is presented very affordable and impartially. The first part of the "diet for New America" \u200b\u200brevealed the horrors of industrial animal husbandry. The second part convincingly demonstrated the deadly harmfulness of the meat nutrition and the obvious benefit of vegetarianism (and even veganism) - along the way the disseminating myth of the combination of proteins. The third part told about the incredible consequences of animal husbandry, which even many vegetarians knew before the publication of the book.
"Diet for New America" \u200b\u200b"restarted" a vegetarian movement in the United States, having launched the movement of vegans, it was this book that helped introduce the term "Vegan" to the lexicon of the Americans. Within two years after the publication, about ten vegetarian societies were created in Texas.
1990s: Stunning medical certificates.
Dr. John McDougall began publishing a series of books that promote a vegan diet for the treatment of serious diseases, and the greatest success reached in 1990 with the McDougall Program. In the same year, I saw the light "The program of Dr. Dina Ornisha for the treatment of heart diseases", in which Ornish proved for the first time that cardiovascular diseases can be reversed. Naturally, most of the Ornich program is low-aluminous, almost completely vegan diet.
In the early 90s, the American Dietary Association published a document on its position regarding a vegetarian diet, and the support of the veganism began to provide in medical circles. The US government finally replaced outdated and sponsored meat and milk producers system four groups of products with a new food pyramid, which shows that there should be cereals, vegetables, beans and fruits.
Today, representatives of medicine and ordinary people as never well refer to vegetarianism. Myths still exist, but the overall shift in relation to vegetarianism, which occurred from the 80s, is simply awesome! Being a vegetarian since 1985 and Vegan since 1989, I can say that this is a very long-awaited change!
Bibliography:
McDougall program, Dr. John A. McDugal, 1990
McDougall Plan, Dr. John A. McDugal, 1983
Diet for New America, John Robbins, 1987
Diet for Little Planet, Francis Moore Lappe, Various Editions 1971-1991
Additional Information:
The founder of modern veganism and the author of the word "Vegan", Donald Watson, died in December 2005 aged 95 years.
The first reliable information about people who consciously abandoned meat food are dating about IV - V millennia to our era. To communicate more successfully with the gods and perform magical rites, the ancient Egyptian priests became vegetarians. Perhaps played the role of the animal appearance of many Egyptian gods, and maybe the ministers of the cult feared that the spirits of the eaten live creatures would prevent a full-fledged dialogue with the highest forces.
In ancient Greece, vegetarianism emerged much later, during antiquity. And the reason for his appearance was already completely different. No mysticism. Just progressive Greeks thought: why kill innocent animals, if you can eat well by plants? Socrates, Plato, Diogen, Plutarch and many other philosophers were vegetarians and reflected in their writings about the feasibility of a plant diet.
Pythagoras on the fresco of Rafael, 1509 year. (Wikimedia Commons)
However, a key role in the spread of vegetarianism was played in the VI century BC PIFAGOR. The famous philosopher and mathematician believed in the resettlement of the shower, so flatly refused meat of animals. His numerous students, young people from influential families, following the example of a mentor, also moved to the plant diet, it was the first "society of vegetarians" in world history. "Does the vegetarianism do not hurt?" - Relatives of Pythagorites worried. This question answered the IV century to our era, the great doctor Hippocrat. Speaking about wellness nutrition, he approved vegetarianism.
With the decline of ancient Greek civilization in Europe about vegetarianism forgot forgot. The vegetation diet was observed only by representatives of some religious communities, Christian ascetics and self-hermit monks. The rest of the ate that will have to, and not particularly thought about the origin of food. The interest in vegetarianism returned to the Renaissance era, but, except for an amateur of all innovations, Leonardo da Vinci, who wanted to abandon meat food, was a bit. And only by the middle of the XIX century, vegetarianism began to acquire a massive character.
Monument Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise. (Pinterest.com)
It is officially believed to re-opened the vegetarianism of the British. Together with the fashion for all Eastern, they brought from India, their largest colony, and the ideas of the ancient Indian Vedic religion, which forbids killing living creatures for food. Having seen on the hungry aborigines and the excreted cows and pheasans, carelessly walking around the city, the British thought. And on returning to their homeland, many of them abandoned animal food.
To call itself the "vegetarians" adherents of plant food steel, starting from 1842. The authorship of this term belongs to the founders of the British Vegetarian Society. The most suitable imagined by the Latin word "vegetus", which means "healthy, vigorous, fresh". It turned out quite symbolic, because on the sound it was reminded by the English "Vegetable" - vegetable.
From England, vegetarianism gradually spread throughout Europe and America. The main goal of Western vegetarianism was the same as Indian - abandon the murder of defenseless animals. However, some political scientists argue that for Europeans, the binding economic crisis was played by the final role and the rise in price of traditional meat foods followed.
Lion Tolstoy at breakfast, 1901. (Nibler.ru)
In Russia, the mass vegetarian movement developed gradually and reached its peak by the beginning of the twentieth century. In St. Petersburg in 1901, the first vegetarian society in Russia was registered. After that, such organizations of like-minded people and veganness adherents were organized in many major cities. Members of vegetarian societies were not only educational and familiarization work, they opened their dining rooms with vegetarian food.
Vegetarian dining room in Moscow at Nikitsky Boulevard. (leafclover.club)
Lion Tolstoy made a great contribution to the spread of vegetarianism. He not only adhered to a vegetarian diet himself and wrote about her in his books, but he also opened his money for children's educational institutions and folk canteens, in which fed the low-income people with tasty, but simple vegetarian food.
After the October Revolution, the new communist power banned the vegetarian movement. The idea of \u200b\u200ba humane attitude towards animals was contrary to that tough policies that was introduced into the masses. And even many years later, the word "vegetarianism" could not be found in any dictionary in the Russian language, and only one phrase was written in a large Soviet encyclopedia: "Vegetarianism, based on false hypothesis and ideas, has no adherents in the Soviet Union."
Paul and Linda McCartney with vegetarian hamburgers, 1991. (Thevirginer.com)
Today, the attitude towards vegetarianism is completely different. The ideas of humane attitude to the fellows of our smaller was not given to disappear from the minds of enlightened people. Therefore, now the vegetarian movement is actively gaining momentum around the world and expands the ranks of their adherents.
For a modern man, the concept of vegetarianism is familiar to everyone. Most understand under the word Vegetarianism - a complete rejection of meat food in its diet. But did anyone think about the origin of vegetarianism, about its origins?
History of vegetarianism
Over the years, a vegetarian lifestyle has been practiced in the territory of those countries where religions are common as: Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.Vegetarianism has enough deep roots. Religion, which has become the basis of Buddhism, contained numerous prescriptions of the vegetarian sense. There is a similar image of gastronomic, the sacred texts are found at the Upanishad and Vedic teachings of the Gurveda, which belong to the eighth century BC. Vegetarian motif is non-violence towards animals.
Jainism is a religion that was founded in the sixth seventh century BC, their main credo is not to harm everything alive. Therefore, the followers of this religion, there are many restrictions in food. They not only do not eat meat, but also try not to harm even the smallest insect. Related prohibitions exist in Buddhism. Best News.
From eating the flesh of animals, they abstained, and members of the mystical sect of the Offikov, originated at the beginning of the sixth century BC, in the beginning of the sixth century. Also, the followers of Pythagora argued that meat - prevents the forecasting of the future, darkens the clarity of the mind, spoils the innocence of the soul and is the cause of nightmares. And the fibers and Pythagorians also avoided in their diet.
In the fifth century BC, the Sicilian philosopher and EmPedocl doctor proclaimed himself, proclaimed himself. He philosophized in the Pythagorean spirit and preached about the resettlement of souls. And it is for this reason that he prescribed abstinence from meat food and bloody victims who considered as the killing of neighboring. Empedocl allowed only vegetable food, with the exception of beans prohibited by Pythagorean rules.
Empedocle, as well as his teacher Pythagoras, believed in the interpretibility of all living organisms and in the resettlement of souls. After all, according to the teachings of reincarnation, the soul of man after death periodically returns to our world in a new body, often choosing an animal body for this.
Vegetarianism in the modern world
The authentic dawn of origin of vegetarianism in Europe occurs in the nineteenth century. In 1847, "Vegetarian society" is established in England, and in 1853 it has about 900 people. British vegetarians believed in a simple life, clean food, humanistic ideals and followed the clear moral principles that they borrowed in Hinduism.In Russia, vegetarianism begins to spread since the end of the seventies of the nineteenth century. First of all, in scientific essays. In 1872, in the magazine "Issues of Philosophy and Psychology", the Bible of Russian Vegetarianism appeared, the author of which was none else, as Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy himself. The outcome of this, in 1901, "First Russian Vegetarian Society" is formed in St. Petersburg. What in turn, rooted vegetarianism in Russia and near countries.
Arguments of vegetarianism
Most people choose the arguments beneficial for him in favor of a vegetarian lifestyle.Types of arguments:
Thus, knowing the story of the origin of vegetarianism and taking into account all aspects, everyone does the choice of how to take advantage of the argument in favor of his choice of life without meat.
Vegetarianism is a fashionable nutrition system, which, according to experts, is only gaining popularity. It holds stars and their fans, famous athletes and scientists, writers, poets and even doctors. And regardless of its social status and age. But each of them, as well as other people, sooner or later, the same question arises: "But how did it all start?"
When and why people first refused meat?
Contrary to the common belief that the origins of vegetarianism take their beginning in England, when the term of the same name was introduced, they knew about him in antiquity. The first confirmed mention of people who were consciously abandoned meat, fall on the V - IV Millennium to our era. At that time, it helped them in the process of communicating with the gods, as well as when making magical rites. Of course, first of all, the priests appealed to vegetarianism. And they lived in ancient Egypt.
Modern scientists suggest that the animal appearance of most Egyptian gods came across such thoughts. True, they do not exclude the fact that the Egyptians believed in the spirits of killed animals, which can prevent conversations with the highest forces. But, no matter how it was, vegetarianism existed at least several peoples, and then successfully inherited by others.
Vegetarianism in ancient India
It is relifically known that in the period from VI in the II millennium BC, a special system began to emerge in ancient India, which helps a person to improve not only spiritually, but also physically - Hatha Yoga. Moreover, one of her postulates was a refusal of meat. Just because it conveys a person all the ailments and suffering a dead animal and does not make it happy. It is in the eating meat that people saw the cause of human aggression and malice. And the best proof of this was the changes that took place with everyone who passed to plant food. These people became more healthy and strong in spirit.
The value of Buddhism in the development of vegetarianism
A separate stage of the formation of vegetarianism scientists consider the origin of Buddhism. This happened in the I millennium BC, when the Buddha is the founder of this religion, together with his followers, began to promote the refusal of wine and meat food, condemning the killing of any living being.
Of course, not all modern buddhists are vegetarians. This is primarily due to the rigid climatic conditions in which they are forced to live, for example, if we are talking about Tibet or Mongolia. Nevertheless, they all believe in the commandments of the Buddha, according to which it is impossible to use unclean meat. This meat, to whose appearance a person has the most direct relationship. For example, if the animal was killed specifically for him, at his disposal or themselves.
Vegetarianism in ancient Greece
It is known that love for vegetable food here was born back in antiquity. The best confirmation is the works of Socrates, Plato, Plutarch, Diogen and many other philosophers who willingly reflect on the benefits of such a diet. True, the thoughts of philosopher and mathematics of Pythagora were distinguished among them. He, together with his numerous students who were immigrants from influential families, moved to plant food, thus creating the first "vegetarian society". Of course, people from their surroundings constantly worried about whether a new nutrition system can harm health. But in the 4th century BC. e. The famous Hippocrat responded to all their questions and dispelled their doubts.
He was heated in interest in her that in those days it was enough to find an extra piece of meat, except that, only during the sacrifices of gods. Therefore, it was basically rich. The poor, unwillingly became vegetarians.
True, scholars of men perfectly understood the benefits that vegetarianism brings people and always told about it. They focused on the fact that the rejection of meat is a direct path to strong health, effective land use and, most importantly, minimizing violence, which is involuntarily reborn when a person decides to deprive the life of the animal. Moreover, then people believed in their presence and in the possibility of its relocation.
By the way, the first disputes about vegetarianism began to appear in ancient Greece. The fact is that Aristotle, the follower of Pythagora, denied the presence of shower in animals, as a result of which the meat eaten himself and others advised. And his pupil, theophrast, constantly argued with him, pointing out that the latter can feel pain, and therefore have feelings and soul.
Christianity and vegetarianism
In the era of his origin of views on this system was pretty contradictory. Judge for yourself: According to Christian canons, animals do not have a shower, therefore they can be safely eaten. At the same time, people who dedicated their lives of the Church and God are involuntarily stretching towards vegetable food, as it does not contribute to the manifestation of passions.
True, in the third century of our era, when the popularity of Christianity began to increase, everyone remembered Aristotle with his arguments in favor of meat and began to actively use it into food. Finally, it stopped being a lot of rich, which is fully supported by the Church. The same, who did not think so, turned out to be in the bons of the Inquisition. It is worth saying that thousands of true vegetarians also got into their number. And lasted so almost 1000 years old - from 400 to 1400 N. e.
Who else adhered to vegetarianism
- Ancient Incas, whose lifestyle still causes live interest in many.
- Ancient Romans in the early period of the republic, who even developed scientific dietology, the truth, designed for sufficiently rich people.
- Daoists of ancient China.
- Spartans who lived in complete asceticism, but at the same time were famous for their strength and endurance.
And this is not a complete list. It is reliably known that one of the first caliphs, after Mohammed, called upon his students to abandon meat and not turn his stomachs into the graves for killed animals. The statements about the need to eat vegetable food are in the Bible, in the Book of Genesis.
Renaissance
It can be safely called the era of the revival of vegetarianism. After all, in the period of the early Middle Ages, humanity about him forgotten. Later, Leonardo da Vinci became one of his brightest representatives. He assumed that in the near future, the murder of innocent animals would also be treated as to the murder of a person. In turn, Gassendi, the French philosopher, said that the use of meat food was not characterized by people, and in favor of their theory described the structure of the teeth, focusing on the fact that they are not intended for chewing meat.
J. Ray, a scientist from England, wrote that meat food does not bring power. And the great English writer Thomas Tronon went even further, saying on the pages of his book "Path to Health" that meat is the cause of many diseases. Just because the animals themselves existing in difficult conditions suffer from them, and then involuntarily transmit them to people. In addition, he insisted that the deprivation of the life of any creature for food is meaningless.
True, despite all these arguments of those who want to refuse meat in favor of plant food there were not so much. But everything changed already in the middle of the XIX century.
New stage in the development of vegetarianism
It is during this period that the fashionable nutrition system began to gain its popularity. Not the last role in this was played by the British. They say that they brought her from India, their colony, together with the Vedic religion. Like all Eastern, she quickly began to acquire a massive character. Especially since other factors contributed.
In 1842 there was a term " vegetarianism"Thanks to the efforts of the founders of the British Vegetarian Society in Manchester. He was born from the already existing Latin word "vegetus", which in the translation meant "fresh, cheerful, healthy". In addition, it was quite symbolic, because in his sound resembled "Vegetable" - "Vegetable". And before that, the well-known nutrition system was called simply "Indian".
From England, it spread across Europe and America. In many ways, it contributed to the desire to abandon the killing for food. However, according to some political scientists, the economic crisis that caused the rise in price of meat products was played here. At the same time, famous people of their time were expressed in favor of vegetarianism.
Schopenhauer said that people who deliberately move to plant food are characterized by higher moral stuff. And Bernard Shaw believed that he behaves like a decent person, refusing to eat innocent animals.
The appearance of vegetarianism in Russia
A huge contribution to the process of development of this system was made by Lion Tolstoy at the beginning of the twentieth century. He himself refused meat back in 1885 after a meeting with William Frey, who proved him that the human body is not intended to digest such stiff foods. It is known that promoting vegetarianism a great writer helped some of his children. Due to this, a few years later in Russia began to lecture on the benefits of vegetarianism and conduct the conferences of the same name.
Moreover, the development of vegetarianism Tolstoy helped not only in a word, but also. He wrote about him in the books, revealed children's educational institutions and folk canteens with ordinary vegetarian food for those who need people.
In 1901, the first vegetarian society appeared in St. Petersburg. During this period, active educational work began, following which the first full-fledged vegetarian canteens appeared. One of them was in Moscow at Nikitsky Boulevard.
After the October Revolution, vegetarianism was banned, but after a few decades it was revived again. It is known that today there are more than 1 billion vegetarians in the world, who are still stating his benefits to all, trying to make it popular and, thereby, to protect the lives of innocent animals.
The process of development and formation of vegetarianism is calculated by millennia. There were periods in it when it was at the peak of popularity or, on the contrary, in oblivion, but, despite them, it continues to exist and find its admirers around the world. Among celebrities and their fans, athletes, scientists, writers, poets and ordinary people.
As a conscious choice of diet exists from time immemorial. His origins for historians still remain a mystery, although in the mythology of many cultures you can find mention of times when people behaved without violence, feeding only vegetation. One of the most widely known properties is given in the Old Testament, where God tells Adam and Eve about what should be their food:
And God said: Here, I. Gave you all the grass, seeding the seed, what is on the whole of the earth, and every tree, in which the fruit is wood, sowing seed; - You will eat this in food.
(Genesis 1:29)
In the history of mankind vegetarianism Always was an integral part of various world cultures. Many of the greatest philosophers and thinkers of our planet refused meat food, despite the fact that sometimes such beliefs were contrary to the existing habits or direct instructions of the ruling class.
In the Western world, the first such scientist was Pythagora, which is often called the "Father of Vegetarianism". Up until the end of the XIX century, when the word "vegetarian", people who prefer the vegetation diet were introduced, called the Pythagoreans.
Pythagoras was born about 580 BC. It is famous not only "Pythagore's theorem" and the wording of the heliocentric idea of \u200b\u200brotating the Earth around the Sun, as well as the basis of society, the purpose of which was to gain wisdom based on faith in the resettlement of souls and meditation practices. Among the Pythagoreans did not encourage materialistic views, the use of animal flesh was not welcomed. In contrast to the dominant, the women in the society of Pythagoreans were considered equal to men. In addition, Pythagoras was convinced that the human body is an effective tool for the development of philosophical potential, therefore in his society practiced strict regime and exercise, including gymnastics, running and struggle.
Following the example of Pythagora, many influential thinkers have refused meat food over the centuries:
I am with small, years old refused to eat meat, and I believe who the day comes when people like me will look at the murder of animals just as they look at the murder of a person.
Leonardo da Vinci, 1452 - 1519.
My refusal to eat flesh leads to some inconveniences, and they often scold me for this "oddity", but taking only light food, I develop much better, for it contributes to the clarity of the mind and a clearer understanding of things.
Benjamin Franklin, 1706 - 1790.
Meat products can not be called the most suitable food for people, and our primitive ancestors did not eat animal food. 3 meat or animal food there is nothing that would be necessary or desirable to power the person and did not contain in plant products.
Dr. J. CX. Kellogg, 1852 - 1943.
Why follow the prayers to the compassionate Lord every day, asking him about the blessing, if we, in turn, do not show elementary compassion to our smaller brothers?
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869 - 1948.
If I bring harm to any form of life, then reported to be quite sure that it is necessary. I can never go beyond the scope of the inevitable, even in those things that seem insignificant. A real follower of ethical principles can be called the one who does not disturb any crystal of ice shining in the sun, does not curse any leaflet from the tree ...
Albert Schweizer, 1875 - 1965
Nothing will bring the human health of the greater good and will not increase the likelihood of saving life on Earth as the transition to the vegetarian diet.
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955.
This list can be continued infinitely: Plato, Socrates, Plotin, Plutarch, Newton, Voltaire, Shelly, Darwin, Emerson and Show - and these are just a few of those who chose a vegetarian lifestyle. In those days, for each of them, becoming an adherent and preacher of the ideas of vegetarianism was a very bold act.
George Bernard Show (1856 - 1950) Describes the reaction of his doctor when he informed that he was refused to refuse meat food. The doctor warned a young show that if he continues to insist on such a diet, he, beyond doubt, will soon die of malnutrition, which show said that she was more likely to die than "eat corpses." Cause a smile of the words of the show, written by him shortly before the 85th anniversary: \u200b\u200b"The average life expectancy of the meatoneal is 63 years old. I am soon 85, and I still work, without making any discounts on age. I lived a rather long life and try to die, but I could not do it in any way. One-only Beefstex would finish me in place; But I can't make him swallow him. I will sing fear from the idea that I will have to live forever. This is the only drawback of vegetarianism. "
In England of the XIX century, the position of people compared to all living beings, had such a huge effect on the population of the country that people began to gather together, discuss and maintain the point of view of vegetarians.
So in 1847 In England, the first vegetarian society of modern type was founded, following which such communities were opened in many European countries and in the United States. The development of vegetarianism went slow the pace. In the first half of the 20th century, the growth of the vegetarian movement was resting at the reformist ideas of the health care system and on ethical principles of vegetarianism.
Despite the fact that meat has always been considered a symbol of wealth and culture, the possibility for all social segments of the population to acquire meat products appeared only in the last century. In the XVIII and XIX centuries, even wealthy families in many European countries, such as France and Holland, could not afford to put meat on the table more often than once a week. In fact, the significant majority of the world's population was fed and eating so far mostly only vegetarian products.
New era of vegetarianism
The end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s of the XX century gave rise to a new era of vegetarianism. The groups of "countercultural" youth, preaching peace and love, began to spread around the world, preaching the ideas of harmony with the environment and the natural lifestyle. Vegetarianism for many people has become synonymous with Hippie's movement. Doctors began to be afraid of a dangerous fashion, which, in their opinion, could lead to a lack of nutrients in the body.
The book of Francis Moore Lappe "Diet for a Little Planet" released in 1971 served to the unprecedented increase in the popularity of vegetarianism. Vegetarian diet Acquired many supporters - environmentalists and fighters with hunger problems on Earth.
The positions of the vegetarian movement further strengthened John Robbins, the author of the books "Diet for New America" \u200b\u200b(1987) and "Let everyone be fed" (1992). The works of Robbins reflect problems, understandable and close to most people - environmental protection, world famine and degenerative diseases. In addition, the first raised question of the rights of animals, touched upon the hearts of many people who were not even thought about such a problem.
Old stereotypes according to which - It's hippies, already departed in the past. Today we are seeing that the vegetarian diet choose people of different ages and from different social groups, and condemning votes are heard less and less.
Along with noticeable differences in the Wednesday of the Vegetarian Groups themselves, there is a common relationship between them, uniting anyone who decided to refuse to eat in food flesh of animals. Such people make their choice based on the problem of health - the health of people, the health of the Earth in general and the health of the animals, with whom we divide our planet. As these problems are aware of these problems, the vegetarian alternative offers an increasing number of people a way to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Nowadays, the growth of the vegetarian movement is significantly accelerating, as a result of which we can observe how all new and new opportunities are opened for vegetarians - vegetarian shops, separate menus in restaurants, vegetarian books and magazines.
The theme of vegetarian food is affected at conferences and seminars, in medical journals and brochures. It is not possible to doubt that such changes in the minds of people will spread more and more rapidly, towards the consciousness. The potential effect of vegetarianism is huge. Perhaps it will be not so much time, and vegetarian hamburgers will become a mandatory menu item in each hospital, school or Fast Food restaurant in America. It may be on-step and such a day when the number of burgers sold will exceed the sale of hamburgers in MsDopolds restaurants.