Recently, veganism has gained enormous popularity. According to NPR, the number of vegan and vegetarians in the United States increased by 50% since 2006, with about 3.3% of people identifying as vegetarian or vegan in 2016. These numbers are humbling compared India’s 30% vegetarian population and the world’s 5%. Hummus has even become so popular that tobacco farmers are switching to growing chickpeas, owing to the overall growth in popularity of plant-based foods. I myself have been a vegetarian (or pescetarian to be specific) for three years, and I have been debating whether or not to make the full switch. There are many reasons why veganism is great for the environment, for animals, and for your health, but dare I ask the question: is it the healthiest diet for a human being?
A vegan diet excludes animal products: meat, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, and even animal-sourced clothes and soaps. Following a vegan diet will significantly reduce your carbon footprint. A study done by scientists at Oxford University concluded that cutting dairy and meat products out of your life can lower your carbon footprint by 73%. Many argue that eating vegan is one of the best ways you can help save the planet. It provides more environmental benefits than buying an electric car, recycling, or flying less frequently. A vegan world would not only dramatically lower the amount of methane and carbon dioxide contributing to the greenhouse gas effect, but would also free up hundreds of thousands of acres of land deforested to raise cattle. According to a study published in Science, “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use.” The study even pointed out that being vegan is superior to buying sustainably sourced meat and dairy, which still at the end of the day contributes to global warming.
There is no question that animals suffer in the meat and dairy industry. Many raised in factory farms live in squalor conditions, some never seeing the light of day. Cages or stalls are often too small for animals to have space to move, and they are treated so poorly by workers that they are often abused, mamed, and tortured. By being vegan, you choose not to buy products associated with animal cruelty. In doing so, the meat and dairy industry lose profits and they are taking notice. It is no coincidence that we now see labels like “cage-free,” “free-range,” “pasture-raised,” “grass-fed,” and “Certified Humane” on our food. (Not all of these are legit. If you are concerned about animal welfare when buying meat or dairy, be sure to look up which labels are certified and which are bogus.) These marketing strategies reflect rising consumer concerns for animal welfare: shoppers are making decisive choices about the animal products they purchase in the grocery store. So when people try to argue that being vegan won’t make a difference since animals will suffer anyways, tell them these trends say otherwise. Vegans have changed the food industry!
Despite the enormous environmental benefits that vegans provide to animals and the planet, the number one reason people convert to veganism is for their health according to NPR. To me, this is concerning since findings on the matter are conflicting. An article published by Oxford University Press in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that vegetarian and vegan diets offer many health benefits since these diets are often rich in fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, and many other beneficial compounds such as phytochemicals (like antioxidants). Furthermore, vegan diets also boast lower saturated fat and cholesterol.” In general, a vegan diet contains far more nutrients than the average American diet,” according to Megan Ware, registered dietitian nutritionist. Findings suggest that vegans are thinner. They also have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, which reduces their risk for heart disease. Some studies even claim a vegan diet can lower your risk for cancer. However, avoiding animal products altogether puts you at risk for deficiencies in essential nutrients like vitamin B12, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve and blood cells, and without it you will become anemic and your nervous system will start to deteriorate. Calcium is needed for strong bones, and omega-3 fatty acids have a slew of benefits including neuroprotective benefits as well as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Megan Ware also warns of the low availability of zinc and iron in plants, so vegans may also be at risk for deficiency in those.
These facts alone tell me that humans are not “meant” to be vegan if we cannot survive solely on plants. Many nutritionists argue that the healthiest diets are those that follow moderation, and are majority plant based like the Mediterranean diet. This diet was recently ranked as the best diet by U.S. News and Reports, which emphasize that regions of the world that follow this lifestyle tend to have the longest lifespans and the lowest rates of cancer and cardiovascular disease. While this diet does not exclude animal products, it significantly reduces their amounts compared to what most Americans are used to eating. Poultry, eggs and dairy are eaten in moderation, and red meat is only to be eaten for special occasions. What is interesting though is that it requires followers to eat fish and seafood a couple times a week. This would not be possible on a vegan or vegetarian diet.
While is it true without a doubt that hat veganism benefits the environment and animals , it not yet clear whether this diet is the healthiest for you. Yes, eating more plants will increase your uptake of nutrients and vitamins, but relying solely on plants will rob you of essential nutrients like vitamin B12 and calcium unless you take supplements. Therefore, I argue that keeping a majority of your foods plant based and limiting your meat and dairy consumption will offer superior health benefits.
As always, consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. Your doctor always knows what is best for you! •
Here is an excellent, comprehensive medical study that sums up all dietary choices, including Standard American, Mediterranean, Pescatarian, and Vegan. Cleary, vegan is the winner. Animal products are inflammatory and filled with hormones. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967195/
A pack of lies that gets repeated over and over again is still a pack of lies!
I think many people are attracted by the suggestion of a “cruelty-free” meal, but the reality is that there is no such thing. There is nothing that can be raised or grown that does not either die to become food or destroy the lives of animals in its production. Consider that no crop is grown without first destroying every individual, of every major species, on the land converted to agricultural purpose. The best we can do is to reduce the number of lives lost in food production. Certainly, one way to do this is to select foods lower on the food chain (eg. plants rather than animals) and thereby reduce the acreage required to feed the human population. When we reduce acreage, we reduce the number of creatures destroyed in the conversion of natural lands to ag fields. Yet, it turns out that some meats, such as wild-caught fish and game, require far less loss of life than any crop simply because they may be taken in a sustainable manner from undisturbed lands where habitat is left intact to support remaining wildlife populations that would be completely destroyed if, instead, these lands were used to grow crops. A deer taken from the field is immediately replaced by another that would die if not for the resources freed by the consumption of the first. Nature always breeds more animals than habitat can support and the excess die of starvation or disease, whether we consume them or not. It does no harm to animal populations or to habitat to consume the excess at a sustainable rate. If the goal is to preserve life and conserve wild lands, then it makes sense to utilize these resources fully before resorting to even more destructive methods of food production, and there is no food at all–plant or animal–that does not require the destruction of wildlife habitat and populations to produce.