vegetarianism vegetarianism vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). it may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. not to be confused with veganism. vegetarianismdescriptiondiet derived from plants, with or without eggs and dairyvarietiesovo, lacto, ovo-lacto, veganism, raw veganism, fruitarianism, buddhist vegetarianism, jain vegetarianism, jewish vegetarianism, christian vegetarianism, sattvic vegetarianism vegetarianism may be adopted for various reasons. many people object to eating meat out of respect for sentient animal life. such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs as well as animal rights advocacy. other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic, economic, taste-related, or relate to other personal preferences. there are many variations of the vegetarian diet: an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products, an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, and a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs. as the strictest of vegetarian diets, a vegan diet excludes all animal products, and can be accompanied by abstention from the use of animal-derived products, such as leather shoes. vegetarian diets pose some difficulties. for vitamin b12, depending on the presence or absence of eggs and dairy products in the diet or other reliable b12 sources, vegetarians may incur a nutritional deficiency. packaged and processed foods may contain minor quantities of animal ingredients. while some vegetarians scrutinize product labels for such ingredients, others do not object to consuming them, or are unaware of their presence. origin the first written use of the term "vegetarian" originated in the early 19th century, when authors referred to a vegetable regimen diet. historically, 'vegetable' could be used to refer to any type of edible vegetation. modern dictionaries explain its origin as a compound of vegetable (adjective) and the suffix -arian (in the sense of agrarian). the term was popularized with the foundation of the vegetarian society in manchester in 1847, although it may have appeared in print before 1847. the earliest occurrences of the term seem to be related to alcott house—a school on the north side of ham common, london—which was opened in july 1838 by james pierrepont greaves. from 1841, it was known as a concordium, or industry harmony college, from which time the institution began to publish its own pamphlet entitled the healthian, which provides some of the earliest appearances of the term "vegetarian". history parshwanatha founded jain vegetarianism in 9th century bce, which is widely considered to be the earliest form of planned vegetarian diet the earliest record of vegetarianism comes from the 9th century bce, inculcating tolerance towards all living beings. parshwanatha and mahavira, the 23rd and 24th tirthankaras in jainism, respectively, revived and advocated ahimsa and jain vegetarianism between the 8th and 6th centuries bce; the most comprehensive and strictest form of vegetarianism. in indian culture, vegetarianism has been closely connected with the attitude of nonviolence towards animals (called ahimsa in india) for millennia and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers. the acharanga sutra from 5th century bce advocates jain-vegetarianism; and forbids the monks from walking on grass in order to avoid inflicting pain on them and prevent small insects dwelling inside from getting killed. vegetarianism in ancient indiathroughout the whole country the people do not kill any living creature, nor drink intoxicating liquor, nor eat onions or garlic. the only exception is that of the chandalas. that is the name for those who are (held to be) wicked men, and live apart from others. ... in that country they do not keep pigs and fowls, and do not sell live cattle; in the markets there are no butchers' shops and no dealers in intoxicating drink. in buying and selling commodities they use cowries. only the chandalas are fishermen and hunters, and sell flesh meat. — faxian, chinese pilgrim to india (4th/5th century ce), a record of buddhistic kingdoms (translated by james legge) the ancient indian work of tirukkural, dated before 5th century ce, explicitly and unambiguously emphasizes shunning meat and non-killing as a common man's virtues.: 156–171 : 13 : 127–129 chapter 26 of the tirukkural, particularly couplets 251–260, deals exclusively on vegetarianism or veganism. among the hellenes, egyptians, and others, vegetarianism had medical or ritual purification purposes. vegetarianism was also practiced in ancient greece and the earliest reliable evidence for vegetarian theory and practice in greece dates from the 6th century bce. the orphics, a religious movement spreading in greece at that time, also practiced and promoted vegetarianism. greek teacher pythagoras, who promoted the altruistic doctrine of metempsychosis, may have practiced vegetarianism, but is also recorded as eating meat. a fictionalized portrayal of pythagoras appears in ovid's metamorphoses, in which he advocates a form of strict vegetarianism. it was through this portrayal that pythagoras was best known to english-speakers throughout the early modern period and, prior to the coinage of the word "vegetarianism", vegetarians were referred to in english as "pythagoreans". vegetarianism was also practiced about six centuries later in another instance (30 bce–50 ce) in the northern thracian region by the moesi tribe (who inhabited present-day serbia and bulgaria), feeding themselves on honey, milk, and cheese. emperor tenmu began bans on killing and eating meat in 675 ce in japan. in japan in 675, the emperor tenmu prohibited the killing and the eating of meat during the busy farming period between april and september but excluded the eating of wild birds and wild animals. these bans and several others that followed over the centuries were overturned in the nineteenth century during the meiji restoration. in china, during the song dynasty, buddhist cuisine became popular enough that vegetarian restaurants appeared where chefs used ingredients such as beans, gluten, root vegetables and mushrooms to create meat analogues including pork, fowl, eggs and crab roe and many meat substitutes used even today such as tofu, seitan and konjac originate in chinese buddhist cuisine. labeling is mandatory in india to distinguish vegetarian products (green) from non-vegetarian products (brown). following the christianization of the roman empire in late antiquity, vegetarianism practically disappeared from europe, as it did elsewhere, except in india. several orders of monks in medieval europe restricted or banned the consumption of meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them eschewed fish. moreover, the medieval definition of "fish" included such animals as seals, porpoises, dolphins, barnacle geese, puffins, and beavers. vegetarianism re-emerged during the renaissance, becoming more widespread in the 19th and 20th centuries. in 1847, the first vegetarian society was founded in the united kingdom; germany, the netherlands, and other countries followed. in 1886, the vegetarian colony nueva germania was founded in paraguay, though its vegetarian aspect would prove short-lived.: 345–358 the international vegetarian union, an association of the national societies, was founded in 1908. in the western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and—more recently—environmental and economic concerns. varieties a variety of vegan and vegetarian deli foods a vegetarian hamburger with potato slices comparison of the main vegetarian diets meateggsdairy ovo-lacto vegetarianism noyesyes ovo vegetarianism noyesno lacto vegetarianism nonoyes vegan diet nonono comparison of selected vegetarian and semi-vegetarian diets (view template) plantsdairyeggsseafoodpoultryall other animals vegetarianism lacto-ovo vegetarianism yesyesyesnonono ovo vegetarianism yesnoyesnonono lacto vegetarianism yesyesnononono veganism yesnonononono semi-vegetarianism flexitarianism yesyesyessometimessometimessometimes pollotarianism yesmaybeyesnoyesno pescetarianism yesmaybemaybeyesnono there are a number of vegetarian diets that exclude or include various foods: fruitarianism permits only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant. macrobiotic diets consist mostly of whole grains and beans. lacto vegetarianism includes dairy products but not eggs. ovo vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy products. ovo-lacto vegetarianism (or lacto-ovo vegetarianism) includes animal products such as eggs, milk, and honey. sattvic diet (also known as yogic diet), a plant-based diet which may also include dairy and honey, but excludes eggs, red lentils, durian, mushrooms, alliums, blue cheeses, fermented foods or sauces, and alcoholic drinks. coffee, black or green tea, chocolate, nutmeg, and any other type of stimulant (including excessively pungent spices) are sometimes excluded, as well. veganism excludes all animal flesh and by-products, such as eggs, milk, honey (not always), and items refined or manufactured through any such product, such as animal-tested baking soda or white sugar refined with bone char. raw veganism includes only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. food must not be heated above 118 °f (48 °c) to be considered "raw". usually, raw vegan food is only ever "cooked" with a food dehydrator at low temperatures. within the "ovo-" groups, there are many who refuse to consume fertilized eggs (with balut being an extreme example); however, such distinction is typically not specifically addressed. some vegetarians also avoid products that may use animal ingredients not included in their labels or which use animal products in their manufacturing. for example, sugars that are whitened with bone char, cheeses that use animal rennet (enzymes from animal stomach lining), gelatin (derived from the collagen inside animals' skin, bones, and connective tissue), some cane sugar (but not beet sugar) and beverages (such as apple juice and alcohol) clarified with gelatin or crushed shellfish and sturgeon, while other vegetarians are unaware of, or do not mind, such ingredients. in the 21st century, 90% of rennet and chymosin used in cheesemaking are derived from industrial fermentation processes, which satisfy both kosher and halal requirements. individuals sometimes label themselves "vegetarian" while practicing a semi-vegetarian diet, as some dictionary definitions describe vegetarianism as sometimes including the consumption of fish, or only include mammalian flesh as part of their definition of meat, while other definitions exclude fish and all animal flesh. in other cases, individuals may describe themselves as "flexitarian". these diets may be followed by those who reduce animal flesh consumed as a way of transitioning to a complete vegetarian diet or for health, ethical, environmental, or other reasons. semi-vegetarian diets include: pescetarianism, which includes fish and possibly other forms of seafood. pollotarianism, which includes chicken and possibly other poultry. semi-vegetarianism is contested by vegetarian groups, such as the vegetarian society, which states that vegetarianism excludes all animal flesh. consumption of eggs is not considered to be a part of a vegetarian diet in india, as egg is an animal product that gives birth to the next generation of the relevant species. health research on average, vegetarians consume a lower proportion of calories from fat (particularly saturated fatty acids), fewer overall calories, more fiber, potassium, and vitamin c, than do non-vegetarians. vegetarians generally have a lower body mass index. these characteristics and other lifestyle factors associated with a vegetarian diet may contribute to the positive health outcomes that have been identified among vegetarians. dietary guidelines for americans, 2010 – a report issued by the u.s. department of agriculture and the u.s. department of health and human services acorn soup a fruit stall in barcelona in western countries, the most common motive for people practicing vegetarianism is health consciousness. the american dietetic association has stated that at all stages of life, a properly planned vegetarian diet can be "healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." vegetarian diets offer lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, vitamins c and e, and phytochemicals. bones studies have shown that a vegetarian diet may increase the risk of calcium deficiency and low bone mineral density. a 2019 review found that vegetarians have lower bone mineral density at the femoral neck and lumbar spine compared to omnivores. a 2020 meta-analysis found that infants fed a vegetarian diet containing milk and dairy products exhibit normal growth and development. a 2021 review found no differences in growth between vegetarian and meat-eating children. diabetes vegetarian diets are under preliminary research for their potential to help people with type 2 diabetes. cardiovascular system meta-analyses have reported a reduced risk of death from ischemic heart disease and from cerebrovascular disease among vegetarians. mental health reviews of vegan and vegetarian diets showed a possible association with depression and anxiety, particularly among people under 26 years old. another review found no significant associations between a vegetarian diet and depression or anxiety. eating disorders the american dietetic association discussed that vegetarian diets may be more common among adolescents