The Jain code of conduct is designed with a view to foster physical and mental health of individuals and society. It is illuminating to see that modern scientific research supports some of the unique features of the Jain code of conduct.

The present article relates to four features of the Jain code of conduct: vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol and drugs, abstinence from premarital and extramarital intimacy, and non-possessiveness.

It is expected that our readers are familiar with the Jain scriptural views regarding vegetarianism, abstinence from premarital and extramarital intimacy and non-possessiveness. Regarding alcohol, Acharya Amrit Chandra Suri writes in PURUSHAARTH SIDDHYUPAAYA:

MADYAM MOHAYATI MANO, MOHITACHITTASTU VISMARATI DHARMAM:
VISMRITADHARMA JEEVO, HIMSAAMAVISHANKAMAACHARATI:62:

Alcoholic beverages delude the mind, and a deluded mind ignores the precepts of religion by losing the ability to discriminate between right and wrong. An individual in such mental state indulges in physical and mental violence without hesitation.

RASAJAANAAM CHA BAHOONAM, JEEVAANAAM YONIRISHYATE MADYAM:
MADYAM BHAJATAAM TESHAAM, HIMSA SANJAAYETEAVASHYAM:63:

Alcohol is a fertile medium for germination of innumerable tiny living organisms, which are destroyed by drinking alcoholic beverages. Thus consumption of alcohol involves considerable physical violence of living beings.

Note that alcohol production involves the process of fermentation.

ABHIMAANABHAYAJUGUPSA, HAASYARATISHOAK KAAMAKOPAADYA:
HIMSAAYAAH PARYAAYAAH, SARVEAPI CHA SHARAKASANNIHITA:64:

An individual, under the influence of alcohol (and drugs), has emotional states involving passions such as pride, fear, disgust, ridicule, ennui, grief, sexual desire and anger. All these are forms of mental violence and are associated with physical violence as well. Thus alcohol involves both physical as well as mental violence. - D. C. J.

Scientists believe that the diet of any animal corresponds to its anatomical and physiological system. Animals can be divided into three categories according to their natural diet. Carnivores such as lions, dogs and cats, live mostly on meat; herbivores such as cows, sheep and elephants, eat grass and leaves; and frugivores such as anthropoid apes, live on fruits, nuts, and grains. Men, herbivores and frugivores have an intestinal tract which is about twelve times their body length and their teeth are small and dull. The intestinal tracts of carnivores are only three times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly, and they have claws and sharp front teeth for tearing while no flat molars for grinding. Carnivores have strong hydrochloric acid in their stomachs to digest meat, while men, herbivores and frugivores have stomach acid twenty times less strong than meat-eaters. In addition to these differences, carnivores have no pores and they perspire through their tongues to cool their bodies, while humans, herbivores and frugivores perspire through millions of pores on the skin. Flesh-eating carnivores have small salivary glands in their mouths because they do not need to predigest flesh. On the other hand, men, like other vegetarian animals, have well developed salivary glands, which are needed to predigest grains and fruits. From the above comparison, it is evident that man is vegetarian by nature. It seems that because of circumstances over the past several thousand years of man's history, some men deviated from their natural diet and became omnivores, who eat both meat and plants. However, our anatomical and physiological features have remained similar to those of other vegetarian animals. It should be remarked that man cannot eat raw meat like carnivores do. He has to cook it, bake it, broil it or fry it; and then flavor it with sauces and spices to suppress its raw taste.

In addition to anatomical and physiological features, man's natural instincts are very different from those of meat-eating animals. Barbara Parham [in 'What's Wrong With Eating Meat?', Ananda Marg Publication, Colorado, 1981, page 8] writes:

A cat will salivate with hungry desire at the smell of a piece of raw flesh but not at all at the smell of fruit. If man could delight in pouncing upon a bird, tear its still living limbs apart with his teeth, and suck the warm blood, one might conclude that nature provided him with meat-eating instinct.

On the other hand, a bunch of luscious grapes makes his mouth water, and even in the absence of hunger, he will eat fruit because it tastes so good.

In far away places with strange-sounding names, people tended to die of different forms of cancer than North Americans and our European brethren. This was usually associated with environmental factors - including diet ... What changed the picture, however, was epidemiological evidence that high-fat diets are associated with an increased incidence of breast, prostrate, and colon cancer. At the same time, persuasive epidemiological studies indicate that fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals seem to protect against some forms of cancer.

The evidence is increasingly impressive that what we eat has an effect on cancer incidence. ...

The anti-cancer diet is fat on fruit, vegetables, and whole grain cereals. ...

(It is estimated) that diet is responsible for 30% to 40% of cancer in men and 60% of cancer in women. ...

Among others, one of the guidelines is:

Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products daily, especially those high in vitamin C and beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A) for possible protection against cancer of bladder, bowel, skin, lungs, stomach and esophagus. The panel pushes citrus fruits, dark-green leafy vegetables, carrots, winter squash, turnips, tomatoes, and, in particular, cabbage and its cousins - broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. The committee stressed that vitamins and other nutrients should come from foods, not pills, and warned against taking high-dose supplements of individual nutrients.

Meat eating societies, such as the United States, tend to have higher levels of cholesterol in their blood, and higher rates of coronary heart disease, than societies where people depend more heavily on plant foods.

American vegetarians have been shown to have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure than their meat-eating counterparts. And Italian researchers have shown that substituting soy protein for animal protein in the diets of people with high cholesterol levels can lower these levels even more than is possible with a prudent low fat, low cholesterol diet.

But until recently the direct health effects of eating meat had not been studied. Now a team of medical researchers from Boston has shown that the addition of meat to the diet of vegetarians who rarely consumed other animal foods produced a rapid and significant increase in blood cholesterol levels. A similar, but significant, increase in blood pressure was also observed when meat was included in the vegetarian diet.

The meat used in the experiment, which is described in the August 7 issue of The Journal of American Medical Association, was about nine ounces of lean beef. It added saturated fats and about 170 milligrams of cholesterol to the vegetarian diet, which contained only 30 milligrams of cholesterol on average. To keep caloric intake the same, the vegetarians ate less of their usual low-fat, cholesterol-free grains, beans and rice while consuming meat.

In four weeks on the meat regimen, the cholesterol level increased 19% and blood pressure rose 3%. While other factors such as distress over eating meat could account in part for these effects, the researchers, headed by Dr. Frank M. Sachs of Harvard Medical School's Channing Laboratory, concluded that "the study suggests an adverse effect of consumption of beef" on cholesterol and blood pressure.

Did you know:

That in the United States, some one is killed every 23 minutes in an accident involving a drunk driver?

That in the United States, drunk drivers kill more individuals each year than die from all crimes involving murder, rape, robbery and assault?

That accidents are the fourth most important cause of death in the developed world, exceeded only by heart disease, cancer and stroke?

That accidents are the leading cause of death in the developed world among all persons age 1 to about 40?

That far more accidents occur in homes than in places of employment?

Driving under the influence of marijuana can cause a driver to think that he's only doing 40 miles an hour when in fact he is doing 80 or 90.

Marijuana intoxication may cause important reaction-time delays; inability to brake quickly; impairment of night driving abilities; a marked increase in the time needed to recover from glare; difficulty in backing, turning around, passing, getting on or off roads.

Impairments caused by pot plus alcohol are more than additive. One drug serves to fire up the other. Thus one plus one equals three or four on the impairment scale.

Alcohol reduces ability of nerve cells to conduct messages by its action on the function of the nerve cell membrane. In general, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that produces a marked decrease in motor performance and mental abilities. Its initial stimulatory effects are probably caused by suppression of the nervous system's inhibitory controls. Alcohol causes increased aggressiveness in many heavy users and may have adverse effects on the liver, stomach, intestines, and even the brain, producing delirium tremens or DTs if the supply is withdrawn. Alcohol is addictive, and treatment of alcoholism is extremely difficult.

Alcohol is a good example of the many dietary substances that can promote the development of cancer. For smokers who also drink, alcohol generally amplifies the risk of cancer at the sites where both smoke and alcohol impinge: the mouth, the larynx, and the esophagus. However, even for nonsmokers, the risk of cancer at these sites is two to three times greater for moderately heavy drinkers than for those do not drink. Thus alcohol may act both as a co-carcinogen and as a primary carcinogen.

The result of recent studies reported by the American Medical Association show that concentrations of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, have been steadily increasing and pose a threat to vital organs, and that the new A.M.A. 'Physician's Drug Abuse Handbook' points out that acute marijuana intoxication impairs learning, memory, thinking, comprehension and general intellectual performance; the book also notes that even at moderate levels of social use, driving skills are impaired.

You've probably heard that drinking alcohol could actually be healthy for your heart. But, before you rush out to buy a bottle of your favorite wine, get the rest of the facts!

Alcohol is an addictive substance that has measurable negative effects on the body. For instance, it can poison heart cells, kidney cells and brain cells. All of which have been proven in clinical studies. If those facts aren't scary enough, overindulging in alcohol can also cause liver cancer and it can increase a woman's risk for breast cancer.

Remember, alcohol is a drug. Is the risk of addiction, car accidents, reckless behavior, or cancer worth the uncertain cardiovascular benefit? Well, there is not sufficient evidence to say yes.

And those cardiovascular benefits, I remind you, can be achieved with proper diet and exercise, which, in most cases, are far less risky. {These four paragraphs have been adopted from the article 'Alcohol and heart health: Is it worth the risk?' by Andrea Pennington, M.D., posted on the website of Discovery Communications Inc.}

Alcohol destroys a vital enzyme necessary for muscle contraction when ingested in any quantity. It is also risky for people with heart problems to drink at all since alcohol can reduce cardiac output. {From the book, "Guidelines to Safe Drinking," Nicolas Pace, MD, 1984}

Alcohol use is associated with deleterious effects on virtually every part of the body. Eliminating or reducing alcohol can reduce the symptoms of heart failure and improve the quality of your life. {Alcohol Health and Research World, 1989, and Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1990}

Alcohol interferes with calcium absorption which is needed for heart contraction, so it is likely to impair the strength of the heart muscle. {Alcohol Health and Research World, 1990, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services}

Alcohol makes every kind of irregular heart rhythm worse, says Paul Hopkins, MD, doctor of internal medicine, University of Utah, Cardiovascular Genetics Research Center in Salt Lake City. Eliminate alcohol and you may be able to reduce or prevent symptoms of palpitations. {"Getting Healthy Now," book by Gary Null, 1999 - www.sevenstories.com}

Low to moderate doses of alcohol cause blood vessels within muscles to constrict, while causing those at the surface of the skin to dilate. Blood cannot reach the muscles where it is needed and performance is diminished. {Health and Human Services, pamphlet no. (CDC) 89-8414, DHHS publication}

Author's note: The heart is a muscle.

The adverse effects of alcohol on the heart muscle, or myocardium, have been known since the 1700's, and although the reason is unclear, acetaldehyde (the first product of alcohol oxidation), may induce myocardial damage (Screiber et al.). Alcohol has been shown to diminish myocardial protein synthesis (Bing).

{"Role of Alcohol in the Diseases of the Liver," NIH.gov - September 2002}

High blood pressure can be triggered by alcohol consumption. {Family Guide to Stroke, Heart Association, 1994, and Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 1998}

Alcohol consumption at any level significantly increases the risk of stroke, especially in women. Medical studies show that those with high blood pressure who drink alcohol should stop consumption because doing so results in a decrease in blood pressure. Men are more susceptible than women to the high blood pressure effect of alcohol. {"The Effects of Alcohol on the Heart," Alcohol Research Center, LSUHSC, August 2002}

Even light drinking (two or three a week) can double the risk of hemorrhagic strokes. {JAMA} To reduce stroke risk, lower triglycerides as well as cholesterol. According to the Dec. 11, 2002 issue of 'Circulation', high triglycerides raise your risk of stroke, independent of your cholesterol levels. {Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Focus on Healthy Aging newsletter, February 2002} Author's comment: Even small amounts of alcohol increase triglycerides.

Reuters Health reports that researchers have shown that people with elevated triglycerides are at an increased risk of having a heart attack, even when their cholesterol levels are normal. This study adds to the growing evidence on the importance of high triglycerides as a risk factor for heart disease.

{HealthCentral.com - June 2000}

High blood levels of triglycerides often go hand in hand with low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, and in a number of cases, high "bad" LDL cholesterol. The lifestyle steps necessary for improving the levels of these various substances in the blood often overlap, but not always. Decrease and cut way back on alcohol consumption. {"When Your Number's Up, Is Your Number Up?" Washington Post Health, August 1, 2000}

Alcohol reduces the amount of the enzyme that breaks down triglycerides. {Steven Inkles, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA Medical School and Physician at Pritikin Longevity Center}

Alcohol spurs the liver to make more triglycerides, and even light drinking (two to four ounces of wine a week) can raise triglycerides. {Diabetes Organization, Feb. 2000, and Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, July 1997}

High triglycerides and low levels of HDL (good cholesterol) that usually co-exist are important risk factors for the main type of stroke (called ischemic stroke) among patients with heart disease. {from 'Circulation,' on mercola.com and Dr. Mercola's comments, Dec. 2001}

Alcohol, even more than sugar, may increase blood triglycerides. Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients: avoid alcohol. {College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Holly Alley, MS, RD, LD - nutrition specialist, Dept. of Food and Nutrition. Dec. 2001}

Alcohol is the most potent substance for raising plasma triglycerides, and those who have high triglycerides are prone to diabetes over the next several years. If you have a triglyceride disorder you will harm yourself if you drink alcohol, even in small quantities. In addition, alcohol will potentiate the toxicity of cholesterol-lowering medications; actually this is a major problem with the statins. {Dr. Robert Rosenson, Director of Preventive Cardiology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, People's Pharmacy, Public Radio, Show #284, Oct. 1999}

LDL (bad) cholesterol rose even when the amount of alcohol consumption was fairly small. {Prevention, Nov. 1987}

Alcohol taxes the liver and reduces its ability to detoxify blood, causing more harm to blood vessels. If the liver is busy processing alcohol, it is less able to process cholesterol. {JAMA, 1985 study in Nutrition Science News, March 1999}

One should keep in mind the tremendous number of medical complications that alcohol, even in meager amounts, can cause. For example, one of the leading causes of cardiac arrhythmias is alcohol. The worst thing one can prescribe for any failing heart is alcohol in any amount. {"Alcohol, a Fitness Potient? Don't Believe It," Nicholas Pace, MD, letter to the New York Times, May 11, 1993}

Alcohol has adverse cardiac effects on blood pressure, ventricular function, and incidence of atrial fibrillation. Many non-cardiac conditions and diseases, such as violence, accidents, liver and neurological disease, pancreatitis, and cancer are exacerbated by alcohol consumption. In younger individuals it includes accidents, violence, suicide, and fetal alcohol syndrome, and there is no data supporting the benefit of alcohol in this age group. In older individuals, liver and neurological diseases, pancreatitis, and cancer emerge as the major adverse effects. Acute alcohol ingestion is associated with decreased left ventricular function and pro-arrhythmic effects, most notably paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ("holiday heart syndrome"). Alcohol increases triglycerides. {"Alcohol, Heart Disease, and Mortality: A Review," Robert A. Vogel, MD, FACC, Division of Cardiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Reviews In Cardiovascular Medicine, Vol. 3, No. 1 - 2002}

"If only we could eat right, exercise, and quit smoking, studies suggest we would stamp out a mind-boggling 80% of all heart disease. If you are interested in protecting your heart, taking hormones shouldn't be the first line of attack." {Susan Love, MD, Health, Jul./Aug. 1998}

A JAMA study reports that eating five to six servings of fruit and vegetables a day may reduce the odds of ischemic stroke by 31%. They appear to help prevent clot formation. {"Fruits and Vegetables Ward Off Stroke," The Center for Women's Healthcare newsletter, Jan. 2000}

The problems associated with teen sexual activity are well-known. Every day, 8,000 teenagers in the United States become infected by a sexually transmitted disease. The problems of pregnancy and out-of-wedlock childbearing are also severe. Less widely known are the psychological and emotional problems associated with teenage sexual activity. The present study examines the linkage between teenage sexual activity and emotional health.

The findings show that: When compared to teens who are not sexually active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active are significantly less likely to be happy and more likely to feel depressed.

When compared to teens who are not sexually active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active are significantly more likely to attempt suicide. Thus, in addition to its role in promoting teen pregnancy and the current epidemic of STDs, early sexual activity is a substantial factor in undermining the emotional well-being of American teenagers.

A full quarter (25.3 percent) of teenage girls who are sexually active report that they are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. By contrast, only 7.7 percent of teenage girls who are not sexually active report that they are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. Thus, sexually active girls are more than three times more likely to be depressed than are girls who are not sexually active.

Some 8.3 percent of teenage boys who are sexually active report that they are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. By contrast, only 3.4 percent of teenage boys who are not sexually active are depressed all, most, or a lot of the time. Thus, boys who are sexually active are more than twice as likely to be depressed as are those who are not sexually active.

The link between teen sexual activity and depression is supported by clinical experience. Doctor of adolescent medicine Meg Meeker writes, "Teenage sexual activity routinely leads to emotional turmoil and psychological distress. .... [Sexual permissiveness leads] to empty relationships, to feelings of self-contempt and worthlessness. All, of course, precursors to depression." {Meg Meeker, Epidemic: How Teen Sex Is Killing Our Kids (Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing Company, 2002), p. 64}

The significantly lower levels of happiness and higher levels of depression among sexually active teens suggest that sexual activity leads to a decrease in happiness and well-being among many, if not most, teenagers. This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that the majority of sexually active teens express reservations and concerns about their personal sexual activity.

Designer fashions are not just for celebrities and the red carpet &emdash; they're finding their way into classrooms and hallways as teenage girls seek out glamorous trends.

Adolescents have always had a thing for fashion, but now they're spending serious cash on clothing, jewelry and handbags from the "right" designers. These young ladies are interested in products from Tiffany, Coach, and Armani Exchange. "Logos are everything," said Suzanne Zarilli ...

The teens say designer labels contribute to their social ranking. "There's almost like this … boundary that you don't want to cross … because then you'll just be like, weird," Melanie Burg, a 13-year-old from suburban New York, said during a panel discussion 20/20 held with several teens and their moms.

One teen, Cheryse Pickens, explained the merits of a $200 bag which she called a "magic bag" for its mix of style and convenience. "You have everything you need in there," said the 17-year-old from New Jersey. … When asked why a less expensive bag of the same size would not do the job, she replied, "No, it's not the same."

(Problem number one:) Financing the Fashion

These mall-trotting teens carry credit cards, some using prepaid plastic that functions like a debit account. Last year young shoppers spent over $170 billion &emdash; double the amount just 10 years earlier. Many work for their money; others get it from parents. For parents on a budget, these fashion aspirations are a challenge.

The shoe collection of 16-year-old Nakeisha Williams of Hampton Bays, N.Y., illustrates the point. "I have over 20 pair of sneakers," said Nakeisha. "And boots, I have probably like 20 … If I could have a shoe for every day, I wouldn't repeat a pair of shoes once." Her dad disapproves of all the shopping, leaving her to sneak new fashions into the house when he's not around.

Several of the parents who spoke to 20/20 were critical of their materialistic kids. Cheryse's mom says her daughter's expectations are too deluxe.

(The more serious problem:) All in Fun or Damaging to Self-Esteem?

As teens shop around for the latest fad they are picking up some shallow values.

"Some of the girls talked about how good they feel when they go shopping," said Harvard psychology professor Dan Kindlon. "The risk is that … they can be empty when they get older."

Nakeisha was among the teens to admit shopping makes them feel better when they're having a tough day.

This type of attitude concerned Kindlon, whose book, 'Too Much of a Good Thing' encourages parents to stress traditional values. "If they have only materialistic values, they're not going to respect things that are more important in life," said Kindlon.

He said parents should consider giving kids a fixed allowance, instead of handouts, to teach money management. Getting kids involved in charity work can also give them a better sense of values.

(Real Estate Mogul Donald) Trump claims that he has never had an alcoholic drink or a cigarette in his life, and encourages his kids to avoid alcohol and cigarettes. When people ask Ivanka (Donald Trump's 22 year old daughter) why she never went to wild parties there's a simple explanation: "I think the difference is we wouldn't be allowed to. [It's] really as simple as that."

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