More and more we are hearing the facts about recent studies that are revealing mounting evidence that a vegetarian diet can lead to a healthier physical state and decrease the chances of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
However, the general public seems to be oblivious to the true nature of protein intake and continues to believe that meat-based diets are essential.
A high protein diet, namely animal protein, causes the body to excrete high levels of calcium, oxalate, and uric acid.
These three elements are the primary components of the accumulation of stones in the urinary track.
British researchers have advised that a vegetarian diet is best for people who have a tendency to form kidney stones.
The American Academy of Family Physicians has concluded that high animal protein intake is mostly responsible for the high incidence of kidney stones in the United States and other industrialized countries and recommends protein reduction for the prevention of kidney stone disorders.
For similar reasons, those who adopt the vegetarian diet are at lower risk for osteoporosis.
Animal products force calcium out of the body, but it is a mystery to most as to why that should take place.
Animal protein has high levels of an element known as methionine, which causes the blood to become acidic.
In order to function properly and be healthy the body has to be totally alkaline, which is the opposite of acidic.
Therefore, the body has a natural tendency to neutralize the levels of acidity in the blood, which can only be accomplished by drawing calcium out of the bones.
In countries that have large intakes of vegetable diets (and with less dairy product consumption), osteoporosis is exceptionally less than in the United States, even when the rate of calcium intake is less.
Calcium is vitally important, but trying to get it from dairy products is an unproductive effort.
Most people remain committed to a meat-based diet, while at the same time loading up on calcium supplements and prescription drugs in an effort to ward off the effects of osteoporosis, which is counterproductive because many of those drugs often cause radical side effects and calcium absorption is not fortified without the perfect balance of magnesium and various other minerals.
Besides that, experts agree that calcium supplements are very much inferior to calcium that is derived from natural food sources.
Getting your calcium from eating a healthier diet is a much more sensible approach.
There is a wide variety of calcium sources in the vegetarian diet.
Orange juice, for one thing, is very rich in it.
Dry beans, such as kidney beans and black beans and black-eyed peas, are another good source, as are leafy green vegetables such as mustard greens, spinach, kale and broccoli.
Tofu (a soybean protein) is also an exceptionally good source of calcium.