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Plants Are People Too!
Health | June 07, 2015
Okay, well maybe not exactly ‘people,’ but most of us are well aware that plants are living creatures. Now it may sound like I’m poking fun at some of my vegan friends (okay some of them might be frenemies!), but I really do want to make a point regarding our concepts of life and sentience (big word, I know!) in terms of what we eat and how we judge others for what they may or may not eat. This is kind of a follow-up to my other recent piece entitled Nutrition as Religion.
So just how alive are plants including all those delicious fruits and vegetables we love so much? Very much alive according to recent research coming out of the University of Missouri and elsewhere. Not only alive, but very much aware of things we usually associate with animals only. It turns out plants have a complex array of responses that very much resembles our own emotional responses.
A great place to begin is this recent article in The New Yorker. While the article emphasizes that early attempts in the 1960’s and 1970’s at gauging plant intelligence ended being more on the side of ridiculousness, there is emerging research that suggests that plants have a neurobiology very similar to animals. In fact, in 2006 a group of researchers suggested that “there may exist some brainlike information-processing system to integrate the data and coördinate a plant’s behavioral response.”
Fast forward to this fascinating study out of the University of Missouri and we’re beginning to see a growing trend in research that suggests that plants think and feel just like people. This particular study suggests that plants respond and become defensive when being eaten, in this case, by cute little caterpillars. This goes back to that big word I mentioned earlier: sentience. Plants are aware of when they are being harmed and react accordingly.
So where am I going with all of this? If plants are aware of themselves in the same manner as animals like us, then it stands to reason that the logic that many food zealots use against those of us who eat meat falls apart. When they say that ‘meat is murder!’ they might also want to add, ‘don’t be vicious to vegetables!’ Plants are just as alive as any other creature so why single out a defenseless cucumber, you monsters! I’m kidding, of course, but hopefully my point is understood.
I believe when it comes to eating moderation is key and we should do our very best to eat any and all living things that have been treated with dignity and respect. I always admire the way Native Americans treated the animals after a big hunt. For example, the Lakota Sioux thanked the buffalo for providing the tribe with sustenance. They also considered the buffalo a kindred spirit. Most importantly, the entire animal was used in some fashion so that waste was kept to a minimum.
I hope can you appreciate my gentle sarcasm. I know this is an ongoing discussion that is not going to get solved by one blog post. Please feel free to share your thoughts about it :).
Private Member |
Hi Zuz! I’m a vegan, but I will never attack someone about their lifestyle. I think we all should follow our hearts and respect each other. I’ve been a follower of you since many many years wayyy back when you started Bodyrock. I’m a fan 🙂 I think you have a beautiful and amazing personality. Love you hugs!! xx
Private Member |
Hey all :-),
Some very interesting responses here. So many points I agree with. Utimately we shouldn’t judge but at the same time we should encourage all to make responsible decisions about their food choices. We can subtly (without causing offence) raise awareness to the negativity of mass food production (I love zuska referral to the tribe killing a buffalo and having respect for its life and spirit and not wasting an inch- bit like avatar (fictional I know, but the idea for respecting all life is there). The problem we have in the modern world is the sheer volume of us and the demand for meat and the amount of waste is huge and with this comes abuse and no respect for the living. All id say really is be aware and know your food source with all food. If you eat meat, always always buy from a local butcher who has a chain of ethical farmers who farm free range grass fed only … demand drives sales. If we buy ethically then the demand for ethical meat etc goes up rather than the horrors of mass produced meats… trust me when i say there are some horrific atrocities inflicted on animals and it’s so far wrong. Personally I eat mainly vegan meals because I feel better doing so for many reasons (when done right it is a very effective diet – im a sports nutritionist) but I do believe that there is a reason lions eat antelope etc. & I’m undecided with regards whether complete vegan ism is the best option. So I am very lucky to have an exceedingly ethical butcher not far from my house and he is absolutely against mass factory meat production and actively advertises eating less meat overall, but when you do eat meat, eat ethically (which in turn is better quality). Now I agree with Brittany too in so much as different people require different nutritional food requirements definitely (one man’s meat is another man’s poison and all that). So some people just can’t eat vegetarian or vegan because their stomach can’t tolerate etc. But just choose ethically. Note those vegans that throw abuse about is not helpful by any means, non informative and unnecessarily upsetting to those in receipt of the abuse and it totally doesn’t help those animals that are really suffering under the bad people’s hands. Just become more knowledgeable about your sources – ask questions of which will all push towards more ethical eating and respect for life in all its forms. Floss 😉 ps love zuzka – awesome awesome workouts. Pps (sorry still here) think about your fashion brands too … are they ethical or no. There are many that are, but there are also some that are not so caring 🙁 X It’s all about responsibility … I personally don’t want to wear an angora jumper when I know a mass production line of bunnies have been torn to shreds to make it 🙁 . But you’d be surprised which brands are very ethical 🙂 just ask them and you’ll be able to tell from their reply I think 🙂 X hope I’ve not offended anyone X
Private Member |
I don´t really see the point here…It is no big news that a lot of plants are “Aware”, that has long been known. What is definitely not scientifically proven is that they FEEL the same as humans and animals. Since they have no central nervous system it is very unlikely that they suffer the same way. It wouldn´t really make sense for a plant since they cannot flee like animals.
If I may Quote you:” If plants are aware of themselves in the same manner as animals like us, then it stands to reason that the logic that many food zealots use against those of us who eat meat falls apart”.
The thing is, nowhere in the articles you linked does it say that “plants are aware just like us”. They have an
awareness, but there is no proof it is remotely like ours.
Another thing I don´t really get is, the bottomline with this explanaition would now be, since plants have some kind of awareness too, we can eat them AND animals from which we definitely know that they feel pain and emotions? I mean it is presumptuous to assume that as a vegetarian/vegan you cause no harm, it´s not really fully possible with our system unless you grow everything yourself but it is a way of trying to reduce the harm. Factory farming uses up most of the factory grown plants by the way, so the “harm” is eventually much bigger than just eating the plant.
I´m sorry if you had bad experiences with people who questioned your choices, but I don´t really see how this is a better “justification” than any other. I think it is cool that you try to be aware of what you eat though, more people should follow your example.
Private Member |
Thank you for saying that…!!!
Let’s have respect for ours opinions and other’s…, everybody es free to eat what it please you… healthy or not, is your choice, but don’t go to restaurants and dress like crazy and yell at people for they choices to eat meat…!!! ( Im saying for the people that does this kind of things).
And obviously plants are not the same way alive like animals are, but if animals kill other animals for food, why is so wrong that We humans do it too???.., the only thing that bothers me is to be cruel , with animals and every way , just to hurt them. But, please, people…eat whatever please you, meat or not meat.