Page 37 - Spring2008

Twenty-Two Reasons

Not to Go Vegetarian

By Sally Fallon

urrently making the rounds on the internet is an

article resurrected from a 1999 issue of Vegetarian
CTimes, “22 Reasons to Go Vegetarian.”
“Consider making this healthy choice as one of your

new year’s resolutions. . .” says the teaser. “Stacks of stud-

ies confirm that a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables
and grains is your best bet for living a longer, healthier and
more enjoyable life. There are literally hundreds of great

reasons to switch to a plant-based diet; here are 22 of the

best.”
Leaving aside for the moment the fact that a “plant-based diet” is not
necessarily the same as a vegan diet, and that in the US a diet containing
fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a marker for prosperity and
health consciousness (and therefore would naturally give better results
than a diet lacking in these items), let’s look first at the American origins

of the premise that a diet composed largely of fruits, vegetables and grains
(presumably whole grains) is a passport to good health.

SPRING 2008 Wise Traditions 37