8 March 2007
Vegetarians Are Smarter… But Why?
My dad sent me an intriguing This is London article that references a study from the British Medical Journal which claims vegetarians are more intelligent than our meat-eating counterparts. While I think a vegetarian diet is healthier overall, I’m not sure I’m convinced that a vegetarian diet is any better for your brain power than a healthy, moderate omnivorous diet.
As to why vegetarians may be more intelligent, I agree with researcher Dr. Catharine Gale who said “…there could be several explanations for the findings, including intelligent people being more likely to consider both animal welfare issues and the possible health benefits of a vegetarian diet.”
Several of my good friends are also vegetarians, but we were all bright, honours-course-taking individuals before we ever became vegetarians. I personally became a vegetarian for health, moral, and ecological reasons, and I believe many people become vegetarians because they choose to stop and really think before putting something in their mouths.