There are a variety of reasons why people decide to go vegan.
Making the decision to go vegan is a huge step towards becoming a healthier person. However, many people don’t understand that veganism is more than a diet; it’s a way of life, and there are many benefits to embracing all facets of it.
A vegan diet (otherwise known as a plant-based diet) is one that does not contain any animals products at all. Most people know that the vegetarian diet is one that does not include any meat products but the vegan diet also excludes all dairy products and also eggs and honey – in fact, any product that comes from an animal, and this will include such ingredients as the food additive chochineal, which is made from the crushed bodies of female insects.
For Animals
Roughly 60 billion land animals and over a trillion marine animals are used and killed as commodities per year to satisfy human taste preferences.
Although most people are less familiar with pigs, chickens, fish and cows than they are with dogs and cats; animals used for food production are every bit as intelligent and able to suffer as the animals who share our homes are.
Veganism is about neither using nor abusing animals. Vegetarians claim is that every living creature has the right to life and experience freedom.
For People
A plant-based diet requires only one third of the land needed to support a meat and dairy diet. With rising global food and water, insecurity due to a myriad of environmental and socio-economic problems, adopting a more sustainable way of living by going vegan is one of the simplest ways an individual can reduce the strain on food as well as other resources.
Veganism can be part of taking a stand against inefficient food systems which disproportionately affect the poorest people all over the world.
For Health
Well-planned plant-based diets are rich in protein, iron, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. The plant-based sources of these nutrients tend to be low in saturated fat, high in fibre and packed with antioxidants, helping mitigate some of the modern world’s biggest health issues like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
A lot of medical research has indicated that people can live perfectly healthily without having to eat any animal-based foods.
For Planet
The production of meat and other animal products places a heavy burden on the environment – from crops and water required to feed the animals, to the transport and other processes involved from farm to fork. The vast amount of grain feed required for meat production is a significant contributor to deforestation, habitat loss and species extinct. On the other hand, considerably lower quantities of crops and water are required to sustain a vegan diet.
Making the switch to veganism is one of the easiest, most enjoyable and most effective ways to reduce our impact on the environment.
These following three reasons - ethical, health and environmental – are the main influencers as to why so many are now choosing a plant-based diet, and together they do add up to a good way of helping to look after ourselves, treating animals better and looking after the planet.