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Why did some vegetarian reformers in the 1800s also oppose alcohol?

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Illustration of a vegan food pyramid divided into four sections: whole grains at the base, followed by vegetables, then fruit, and legumes at the top, with recommended daily servings and images of representative foods in each group. — vegetarianism A vegan food pyramid, which excludes meat and animal products.

In the 1800s, many vegetarian reformers opposed the consumption of alcohol because they viewed both meat and alcohol as detrimental to a healthy, moral, and harmonious lifestyle.1

Rather than focusing solely on diet, these reformers often advocated for a comprehensive approach to well-being that emphasized temperance, nutritional advantages, and ethical sensibilities. For instance, figures like Sylvester Graham promoted a regimen that combined a vegetarian diet with the avoidance of alcohol and tobacco, alongside practices such as regular exercise and cold showers, to foster physical and moral purity. Similarly, John Harvey Kellogg integrated vegetarianism into a broader philosophy of "biologic living," which mandated the avoidance of stimulants like alcohol to maintain health and suppress what he considered "unnatural" impulses.1234

Ultimately, these reformers saw the rejection of both flesh and alcohol as essential components of a disciplined, humane, and "cosmically harmonious" way of life.1