Why is Veganism so Popular?
More and more people are making the decision to switch over to plant-based and vegan diets and lifestyles. Moving towards these lifestyles not only provide health benefits, but also benefit the world we live in. For those that enjoy meat, you might be wondering, why would you cut it out?
In order to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle, it’s good to understand the reasons why. Since it is a big change, connecting the lifestyle to your values and morals is important. Some people go vegan because they value the lives of animals while others go vegan solely because of the health benefits.
Health Benefits
In order to sustain yourself on a plant-based diet, you have to make sure you are consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and more. All of these options are very healthy and are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You still have to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to live well. Because they are so nutrient-dense, a vegan diet can reduce the risk of health conditions like:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Stroke
- And more
It doesn’t matter how old you are; a vegan diet can benefit you at any age. Plant-based diets require cutting out all the animal products. This can impact the food industry and the environment.
Environmental Impacts
For those that choose to be vegan because of animal welfare and environmental purposes, they have good reasoning. The production of meat and other animal products uses up our natural resources in an inefficient manner. Since the demand for meat has only gone up over the years, the industry is taking over more than half of all agricultural space. 60% of worldwide deforestation is due to transforming land into agricultural land for raising cattle. By choosing a plant-based lifestyle, you aren’t contributing or supporting the meat production industry. It contributes less air pollution and doesn’t requires as many natural resources since it doesn’t require as much land.
The meat industry in itself isn’t the most ethical, as documentaries and articles have shown over the years. Animals are kept in tight spaces and are treated poorly. Their living conditions are terrible until the day they are slaughtered. Some people find this good enough reason to give up meat entirely, but others might find it harder to understand why people choose to go vegan.
Ultimately, it comes down to this:
- Plant-based and vegan diets are healthy for the human body and the environment
- We are using up too many resources on meat production alone
- The poor treatment of animals in slaughterhouses touches upon the heart of some people
Meat and animal products are a large part of society, but if more people moved towards a plant-based and vegan lifestyle, they could reduce the damage that is being done to our environment.
