The advantages of vegetarianism are as wide and varied as the reasons behind people becoming vegetarian. Some of the key advantages are:
Animal Welfare
No animal is harmed in order to feed or clothe a vegetarian. As less people eat meat, there is a reduced requirement for the farming of livestock for meat. This means less need for intensive farming methods. As more people become vegetarian, farming and the meat production industry will change.
Environmental Issues
A vegetarian lifestyle will help address some key environmental concerns. In an interview with PETA, Sir Paul McCartney says about turning vegetarian, "That is a simple but extremely effective step that many people could take to help the environment and improve their own health at the same time". Real environmental benefits can be realized by people reducing their consumption of meat or becoming a vegetarian. The GoVeg website quotes Environmental Defense that reports that "if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. roads".
Budget
A person leading a vegetarian lifestyle can spend much less than their meat eating counterparts. Vegetarian food is often cheaper, this includes both the raw ingredients purchased from supermarkets and meals taken in restaurants and other eateries. Meat makes up a significant proportion of a typical household food bill. By taking meat from the equation, a large saving can be had. Of course, replacing meat with expensive vegetarian meat substitutes may not result in quite the same saving. If a household, however, replaces meat with lentils and other low cost forms of nutritious and natural foods, a greater saving will be realized.
Health
There are many real health advantages of being a vegetarian. Over recent years the impact of meat in our diets has been studied and researched. Some people will say that it is unnatural for humans to eat meat, others will say that it is a totally natural process. What is certain, however, is the modern meat-eaters diet includes a greater proportion of meat than that of our ancestors. This increase can cause health problems for a variety of reasons.
Meat can be difficult to digest
The fats are unhealthy Meat can contribute to high cholesterol levels. Some cancers such as bowel cancer are more prevalent in meat eaters. In contrast, a vegetarian diet is typically high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals, which is important to a healthy diet.