Research Proposal: Vegetarianism

Abstract

This research proposal pertains to the field of Alternative Medicine and its purpose is to study the side-effects of vegetarianism and comparing the disadvantages to its advantages. Approximately 7.3 million people in the USA are vegetarians and refrain from consuming any sort of animal product. Although many people consider this as a healthy practice, there are various side-effects that arise from the lack of animal product intake. The proposal discusses the literature that is already published in this regard, the proposed research methodology, characteristics of the research data and a graphical representation of the proposed research timeline.

Research Proposal: Vegetarianism

Introduction

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Vegetarianism refers to the practice of refraining from the use of animal products or eating meat and fish. Such a person then subsists on fruits, vegetables and grain. A recent study by the Vegetarian Times, the most popular vegetarian recipe website, reveals that almost 3.2 percent of adults in the USA (approximately 7.3 million people) are vegetarians and refrain from devouring animal products. Additionally, almost 22.8 million people in the United States prefer vegetarian-inclined diets and consume animal products on a very occasional basis. The data for this survey was collected from approximately 5000 respondents from the US population and analysed by RRC Associates, a well-known research firm of Colorado. Generally, the consumption of vegetables is considered as a healthy practice but when people adopt vegetarianism and stop consuming animal products entirely, it may lead to a number of side-effects that arise from deficiencies that occur in the body. Mostly, people stop consuming animal products for two main reasons. One is the cruelty that the animals are usually subjected to and the second is the general belief that animal products lead to certain forms of cancer and entirely vegetarian diets are a healthier substitute.

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