Veganism is a controversial topic among many people that often results in heated debates. Those who follow the vegan lifestyle, or at least advocate for it, argue that it is a clean and healthy way to live, and a way that has a positive effect on both a person’s physical health and their impact on the environment. On the other hand, there are people who counter that veganism is a radical and impractical lifestyle that is almost impossible to maintain today and that the physical benefits might not be worth the effort or as good as they seem. However, is it undeniably clear that those wishing to live a healthier and more environmentally friendly life should adopt a vegan lifestyle, despite the challenges it presents?
Veganism is a plant-based diet that eliminated the consumption of all animal products. This includes not only the meat from the animal itself but anything produced by an animal, such as milk and dairy products, eggs, honey, and fish. Etc. These products are substituted for products derived from plants, like soymilk or tofu.
There are many refutable pros to veganism. They include weight loss, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, lower risk of developing illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis, and higher levels of key vitamins like dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, and vitamin C and E. Weight loss sparks a certain amount of interest in many people, and in some cases is the prime reason why people transition to a vegan diet in the first place. Vegans tend o be thinner than average people because of the lack of saturated fats in a plant-based diet and because of the significantly lower caloric density of plant-based foods. An article on healthline.com discussing the benefits of veganism and weight loss claims that “In one study, a vegan diet helped participants lose 9.3 lbs. (4.2 kg) more than a control diet over an 18-week study period” and furthermore, “participants on the vegan diet lost more weight than those who followed calorie-restricted diets, even when the vegan groups were allowed to eat until they felt full”. This means that vegans can eat a higher volume of food for a lesser number of calories, and who does not want more food? The article explains that vegans also tend to have higher levels of key vitamins; plant-based foods are not only lower in calories and harmful fats, but higher in vitamins and antioxidants. When comparing a vegan dish, lentils, to a traditional dish, chicken, you can see that the vegan dish is a much healthier option. For example, in 3.5 oz. of lentils, there is 2 percent more calcium and 24 percent more iron than there is in 3.5 oz. of chicken breast, not to mention 18 percent less fat (SkipThePie.org, Lentils vs. Chicken).
Another key pro of veganism is the positive impact it has on the environment and the refusal to purchase from companies that use inhumane treatment of its animals as well s unsustainable resources. Animal-based products use far more precious resources such as water or land to produce than plant-based products do. PETA, an organization focused on countering the abuse and neglect of animals and the environment, compiles research to show exactly how wasteful and harmful producing animal-based foods is. For example, “It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of cow flesh, whereas it takes about 180 gallons of water to make 1 pound of whole wheat flour” (Kreith, PETA). If more people were to adopt a vegan lifestyle, the demand for meat would decrease, and along with it, the use of water. Furthermore, “Of all the agricultural land in the U.S., 80 percent is used to raise animals for food and grow grain to feed them – that’s almost half the total land mass of the lower 48 states”. (Vesterby and Kupra, PETA). If more people were to adopt a vegan lifestyle, these numbers would decrease significantly and there would be more available land for parks and forests, things necessary for a healthy planet. It would also discourage the unfair and cruel treatment that many farm animals experience in the process of becoming edible products. The goal of large corporations is to produce the most product in the least amount of time using the least amount of money possible, even if that means overlooking ethical practices. Many food corporations that specialize in meat products often mistreat the animals they use and force them to live their lives in miserable conditions. Oftentimes, “Cows, calves, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, and other animals are kept in small cages or stalls, where they are often unable to turn around”. (PETA) and “are fed drugs that fatten them more quickly, and they are genetically manipulated to grow fast or produce much more milk or eggs than they would naturally.” (PETA). It is a common misconception to think that food labeled “organic” do not use these practices; according to PETA, “since none of the labels applies to transport or slaughter and none prohibits bodily mutilations such as debeaking, tail-docking, ear-notching, or dehorning, the worst cruelty continues to be completely unregulated”. A quite common product found in many American households, milk, is obtained through questionable methods. Just like humans and all mammals, cows only produce milk when nursing their young. According to PETA, “Female cows are artificially inseminated shortly after their first birthdays. After giving birth, they lactate for 10 months and are then inseminated again, continuing the cycle. Some spend their entire lives standing on concrete floors; others are confined to massive, crowded lots, where they are forced to live amid their own feces.”. Artificial insemination of animals is unethical because their bodies are forced repeatedly to undergo drastic changes that strain the animal both mentally and physically. In a book on the ethics of veganism titled Farm to Fable by Robert Grillo, Grillo argues that artificial insemination is cruel because “All of this is done without the animal understanding why she is being violated or why her offspring are being taken away from her” (Grillo, 49). Furthermore, Grillo explains that oftentimes, the practice of insemination is unclean and ill-done as those doing it are often “farm workers who have little or no veterinary experience.” (Grillo, 49). Adopting a vegan diet boycotts malpractice like these and is more “ethical”. Since ethics vary from person to person and culture to culture, it is hard to set a standard for what is ethical and what is not. In an article titled “A Case for Ethical Veganism” by Tristram McPherson, McPherson makes a point that in some cases, veganism is not adopted because a person doesn’t believe animals should be consumed, but because they believe that the animal doesn’t have to suffer but deny that it is wrong to kill animals” (McPherson, A Case for Ethical Veganism). America uses animals in a capitalist manner; large food corporations chew them up and spit them out in large factories for a profit, without concern for how these animals are treated humanely. Since America is all about supply and demand, switching to veganism would ultimately lower the demand for animal products, and as a result, lower the number of animal products produced. Many Americans can agree that after watching Food Inc. and Supersize Me, documentaries that show the behind-the-scenes of how our most popular foods are made, that food production in the U.S. is very flawed and grotesque; yet despite this, many choose to turn a blind eye because, well, meat tastes good. Those who do switch to a vegan diet significantly reduce their ecological footprint and can rest with an easy conscious knowing that they are not supporting the unethical abuse of animals.
Considering all these pros, veganism may seem like an obvious choice. While it is the best solution for a healthy and earth-friendly life, there are drawbacks to this lifestyle that make it difficult for some people to commit to, such as difficulty sustaining a meat-centered society, a significant decrease in calories and certain nutrients, and social stigma. The capitalist structure of America is centered around making the highest profit in whatever way possible. The first drawback is the challenge that veganism presents in a capitalist society. American corporations are notorious for widescale greed and American citizens are notorious for omnivorous and fat-saturated diets, whether these fats are coming from fried meats or sugary treats. The United States Department of Agriculture makes information on the product for the beef public citizens. In 2015, the total U.S. beef consumption was 24.8 billion lbs. (USDA), proving that America has a huge appetite for cow meat. America has a meat-centered diet, and a few restaurants are conscious of a vegan lifestyle and do not offer vegan dishes. However, as veganism grows in popularity, more business has included vegan meals on their menus. Despite this, the majority of restaurants and even groceries in the United States, are not vegan-friendly. This makes it extremely difficult when dining out on a plant-based diet. Unless a meal is specified as vegan, vegans must be one hundred percent certain that every ingredient in the dish was derived from a plant and not an animal. Even dishes that are declared vegan are few and far between at restaurants and can leave vegans stranded with few measly options when dining out.
Another concern with opting for a vegan diet is the change in nutrition. It is a commonly known fact that meat is high in protein, and that protein is key in building muscle and maintaining good health. Mets also have high levels of iron in them, particularly red meats like beef and pork, which is essential to healthy blood cells and therefore a healthy immune system. Women especially need to maintain adequate iron levels due to loss of blood during menstruation (womenshealth.org). A woman with a vegan diet is more likely to suffer from an iron deficiency than a man with a vegan diet due to their lower levels of iron. The upside to this dilemma is that there are other plant-based foods high in iron. These foods include quinoa, spinach, dark chocolate, cereals and grains, squash, and more (myfooddata.com). Iron and protein are not the only things vegans must be sure to consume an adequate number of plant-based foods that tend to be less dense in calories than foods derived from animals. For example, 101 ounces of chicken contains approximately 197 calories, while 100 ounces of tofu contains 60 (twofoods.com). Vegan dishes are often significantly lower in calories than traditional dishes, meaning that vegans must be wary of eating enough calories and maintaining a healthy body mass index. It is possible that between the combination of less iron, less protein, and fewer calories, vegans are physically weaker than those who follow a traditional diet, and that healthy body weight cannot be maintained with a vegan diet.
One smaller and more somewhat subjective downside to veganism is the social stigma surrounding it. Veganism is seen as a very radical decision by many people who follow traditional diets. There are stereotypes that label vegans as “tree-huggers” “hippies” or “social justice warriors”. Vegans are sometimes portrayed as condescending and patronizing toward people with traditional diets. However, this is all a matter of opinion and can even interfere with political affiliation or religion.
There are pros and cons to transferring from a traditional omnivorous diet to a plant-based vegan diet. So, which outweighs the other? Is Veganism worthwhile? Veganism has many positive effects on both an individual's bodily well-being and the environment with some drawbacks here and there. Veganism can lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of illness, assist in weight loss, and discourage unethical techniques utilized when getting animal products. In the end, it is your choice whether these things are worth the possible deficiencies in iron and protein, the subject and education necessary when dining out or cooking on a vegan diet, and the social stigma surrounding the whole deal. But if you are looking for a fitter body and a much better way to coexist with nature, veganism is obviously the thing to do.