Plant-based diet

In the current modern society where a large array of different kind of foods are available at an instant, there are many reasons why some choose to be "vegetarian". However, most of them can fall within one or more of these broad categories:

1. Animal welfare
   
2. Environment
3. Religion
4. Health

As the title of this post is plant-based diet, I am only pursuing the question on the benefits of vegetarian diet practice. This is not a veganism, where one seek to exclude even the use of animals in clothing or any other purpose.
Those who know me knows that I love my thick cut of juicy steak from Morton's of Chicago. However, as I scientist I am always open minded with different opinions. Okay, let us see those 4 categories one by one.

Animal Welfare
I frankly find that PETA moral/ethical arguments are not sufficiently convincing. See Steven Davis rebuttal on typical vegans argument of "The Least Harm Principle" or this free article.

If you are concern about the modern cattle/poultry/fishing industry, you could opt for animal products that come from free-range poultry, organic/natural pasture-fed cattle, and dolphin friendly fishing.

Environment
One of the primary argument in this category is the methane emission by cattle. As you know methane is one of the powerful greenhouse-gas that contribute to global warming. The research on this is indisputable, such as this paper. Just like the great horse-manure crisis of 1894, I don't believe the solution of this problem is solved by being a vegan. We invent technology to solve problem. What is needed here is a proper economic incentive for that. For an immediate short-term action, we can cut our meat consumption and/or buy food products from farmers/industry that practice sustainable food system.

Religion
Wikipedia have a nice article summarizing the relation of Vegetarianism with various religions. Some vegetarian diet on certain religion I find it weird (and arbitrary), such as no garlic. I can't see any logic behind that at all. Anyway, since my believe is in Christianity, here are some relevant verses on this discussion.

• Genesis 1:29
• Genesis 9:3
• Daniel 1:8-16
• Acts 11:5-10
• Romans 14:20-21

So, the way I see it is that during the point of creation, God mandated a vegans diet on Gen 1:29. After the flood, which presumably destroy most crops since Noah only took the animals on the ark, God allows animal to be part of the diet. And Leviticus will further refine what food considered clean (kosher) and unclean. Interesting to note the in Daniel 1:8-16, dispel the common preconception that plant-based diet will make you weak.

When we move on to the new-testament area, God even lift up the prohibition of non-kosher food on Acts 11. However Romans 14 put a caution that our choice/belief on dietary issue should not become a stumbling block for other brothers.

Hence there is no arguments against eating meat in the Bible (most of Jesus disciples are fisherman and remember the miracle of five loaves and two fish; and more importantly the lamb on the passover meal). But it poses a question why did the original diet plan from God is plant-based diet? And Daniel example shows the possibility of healthy plant-based diet.

Health
Now I come to the core part of this article. My initial interest in this subject is due to health concern. Unfortunately the plethora of informations out there suggesting all difference kinds of diet approaches made us only more confused. We always get ads saying things like milk and cheese are rich in calcium that help you having stronger bone. Meat are mostly protein, and protein are important for your health. Hence my belief has always been a healthy balanced diet of everything (not that I have been eat a balanced one, in fact I love meat more than my vegy).

Let me digress a little bit. On my last year oh high-school I was shocked with the news that my friend who teach at UK Petra died of a heart attack. I know him to be a slim person and led a typical healthy lifestyle (i.e. cycle to work). How could this be? Many people suggested, maybe its gene. And from there on I have encountered 2 more friends in NUS that suddenly died of heart-attack while exercising. This all doesn't seems to make sense. Then I come across a blog post of my good friend Rhandeev, which detailed how his athlete father got a heart-attack and how he discover a plant-based diet that reverse the medical condition.

I know my friend Rhandeev as someone who wouldn't just buy into someone idea if it is not backed up with a solid scientific grounding. Hence I ask him for some resources for me to investigate further. Here are some links he gave me (first 3 are videos, and the rest are books):

• TED talk: Can We Eat To Starve Cancer? by William Li
• YouTube lecture: Sugar
  
• YouTube lectures: Physically Addictive Foods
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Caldwell Esselstyn M.D.
• The China Study T. Colin Campbell Ph.D.
• Eat To Live Joel Fuhrman M.D.

I am astonished by what I learned from the first 3 videos. So, now I am planning to read those 3 books, and will let you know. I want to find out how they address Vit D, Vit B12, and Omega-3 fatty acid (especially the EPA and DHA) on plant-based diet. Also why no milk, egg, fish and avocado on their suggested diet?
Although now I am not completely buy the full-scale vegan-diet (see Flexitarianism), I have made certain changes on the diet. No more soft-drinks (or any high sugar content stuff), reduce eating fried stuff, no pre-processed snacks, mix brown-rice and white-rice at home. Let see whether the books give enough convincing arguments for me to give up on animal proteins :-)
And of course, I will also balance my reading by taking into account the opposite camp arguments.