4 Reasons Why People Go Vegan

Over the past couple of years, veganism has become an increasingly popular lifestyle. Veganism (not to be confused as vegetarianism) has been around since the 1800s but it’s been only a few decades now that we are seeing people make drastic changes in their lifestyle. For people who are unfamiliar with these terms, the difference between them can seem blurry. Vegetarians do not eat animals but can consume products that come from them such as eggs or dairy products whereas vegans have more diet restrictions. They do not even consume dairy products or things made out of animal byproducts. So, why is it that the once mocked lifestyle is now a mainstream one? Check out our list given below that talks about the reasons for going vegan.

Improved health

A lot of the times, the number one reason for people opting for veganism is because of the health benefits it brings along with it. People generally choose plant-based diets and this is one of the advantages of being a vegan because of how it can eliminate various kinds of heart disease. The lack of animal-based products means lesser amount of saturated and trans fat consumed. Studies also proved that vegan diets can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cancer. Moreover, a few health benefits of eating vegan is that it can lower levels of blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce the body mass index. Plant and fruit based diets also happen to be rich in fiber, vitamins, magnesium and potassium.

There has always been many arguments for and against veganism but one thing that deems to be true is that you don’t need meat or animal products to live a healthy life. Your reasons for going vegan should include healthy eating habits.

Sustainable environment

Nowadays, people are becoming more environmentally conscious. Industrialized animal farming is a major factor that contributes to the degradation of our environment. Vast amounts of land is necessary to support and feed livestock. Moreover, animals need to consume a huge amount of grain. The immense amount of water used for animal agriculture and irrigation to the amount of grain grown for feeding animals are major contributors of deforestation. Feeding and taking care of animals create a lot of pollution and this is one of the primary causes that contributes to climate change. You’re more likely to ‘go green’ by cutting down on your meat intake instead of taking on other greener practices.

Save animals

According to a research, a vegan can save approximately 200 animals per year. Now, shouldn’t that be one of the reasons for going vegan? Most of the time, animal farming takes place in environments that are unclean and can cause these animals severe distress. Keeping the animals in such unhygienic and crowded conditions can also result in them getting sick that can later pass onto whoever consumes it. Hence, one of the health benefits of eating vegan is that you will be able to prevent catching any food-borne diseases. Among many others, advantages of being a vegan includes saving a lot of animals just by changing your dietary preferences.

Morality

The harsh truth is, we breed and kill billions of animals every year. People who adore animals may feel guilty and switch to a vegan lifestyle which is one of the major reasons for going vegan. For many people, the exploitation of animals still remains one of the reasons they turn to veganism. When animals are bred for the sake of being food at the end, they tend to live a short life. Most cows are slaughtered as soon as their rate of productivity drops. Male calves, as they add no value to dairy farms, are sold off to different farms and are slaughtered.

Embracing veganism is not going to happen overnight. Maybe you’ll cut down on red meat. Eventually, you’ll stop eating poultry and dairy products at the end of the transition. Know that it’ll take time once you start but the end result is likely to create a positive impact on yourself and the environment.