Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes meat, including game, slaughter by-products, and poultry (sometimes with the exception of eggs). The definitions of "vegetarian" in authoritative, mainstream dictionaries vary, and may include consumption of fish; this practice is sometimes defined as pescetarianism, a form of semi-vegetarianism. However, the Vegetarian Society, which initiated popular use of the term vegetarian as early as 1847, does not consider pescetarianism a valid vegetarian diet.
The reasons for choosing vegetarianism may be related to morality, religion, culture, ethics, aesthetics, environment, society, economy, politics, taste, or health. There are several variants of the diet, some of which also exclude eggs and/or some products produced from animal labor such as dairy products and honey. Veganism, for example, excludes all animal products from diet. By some strict definitions, animal products are not used for attire either, whether or not the production of clothing or items has directly involved the actual death of an animal (dairy, eggs, honey, wool, silk, down feathers, etc.). A generic term for both vegetarianism and veganism, as well as for similar diets, is "plant-based diets". Properly planned vegetarian diets have been found to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have shown vegetarianism to significantly lower risks of cancer, ischemic heart disease, and other diseases.
(read less)Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes meat, including game, slaughter by-products, and poultry (sometimes with the exception of eggs). The definitions of "vegetarian" in authoritative, mainstream dictionaries vary, and may include consumption of fish; this practice is sometimes defined as pescetarianism, a form of semi-vegetarianism. However, the Vegetarian Society, which initiated popular use of the term vegetarian as early as 1847, does not consider pescetarianism a valid...
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