What is Veganism and what are it's benefits?

Veganism is a way of life where the person keeps away from the use of animal products both in diet and in other forms or commodities. This person is therefore known as a vegan. Vegans understand that the world would be a better place if one exercised respect and compassion.

This Ultimate Guide to Going Vegan will open your eyes to a world of great possibilities when getting to this plant-based lifestyle. The benefits realized will last a lifetime.

How many vegans are there around the world?

It is easier to count the number of vegetarians worldwide than to particularly pinpoint how many people are purely vegan.

The number of vegans is growing ever year, there are about 10 million in the world. This is a very insignificant number compared to the 430 million vegetarians worldwide according to the estimate data obtained from major countries between 2003 and 2016.

The search term ‘Vegan’ in Google Trends graph between 2004 and 2017

It is evident that people are becoming more interested in the vegan diet as seen from Google Trends search results for the term ‘vegan’.

The next section will explore why the vegan lifestyle is becoming one of the fastest growing movements in the world.

Recap: There are not less than 10 million vegans around the world.

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Why is it beneficial for me to go Vegan?

You are probably interested in making lifestyle changes and could be thinking of adapting to a vegan lifestyle. Listed below are some of the reasons this is a good idea.

Health and well being

The vegan lifestyle is a choice for many people because of the tremendous health benefits associated with it.

A vegan-friendly healthy and delicious salad

Keeping to a strict vegan diet has the following benefits:

Reduction in body weight (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013)

Lower cholesterol level (Journal of the American Heart Association, 2015)

Less risk for heart disease (The Journal of Pediatrics, 2015)

Reduced blood sugar (Diabetes Care, 2006)

Lower the necessity for the intake of diabetes medication (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009)

Moreover, majority of people report changes in their wellbeing; they are more clear-headed, empathetic and energized.

Recap: it is proven that there are lower risks for high blood sugar, heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes, and total body weight associated with the vegan diet.

Do vegans have a longer life span?

“As within, so without.”— Socrates Life expectancy is largely increased by sticking to a plant-based lifestyle as seen from Massachusetts General Hospital study in 2016.

People who opt to replace animal protein with plant protein are not only healthier physically but are experience healthier lifestyles in the various spheres of their lives. With the vegan diet, they think about their health. Vegans do not smoke, take their exercise seriously and are generally more active.

With this kind of a diet together with healthy habits and regular exercise, it is proven that those who practice it have a less likelihood to get high blood pressure, cancer and heart disease.  Thus,   promote a long lifespan with great energy.

Recap: It is proven that life expectancy can be increased by sticking to plant protein.

Does being vegan help me lose weight?

One of the most effective ways to lose weight alongside many other health benefits is by following a plant-based diet.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine research series in 2016 suggests that the best diet for weight loss is veganism. To come to this conclusion, the Atkins diet, at the American Diabetes Association diet amongst other well sought after predominant diets were looked at.

Losing weight of an average of about 5 pounds was concluded by this research as one of the benefits of the vegetarian diet.

A vegan diet is rich in fiber and lower calories since they are mostly nutrient-dense foods.  This is why consuming this food results in decrease in body fat therefore, you’ll eat less and will not feel hungry all the time.

Recap: If you do it right, going vegan is an excellent way to lose weight. Ensure you get quality, nutrient-dense foods that will serve your body for the long term.

Recap: by consuming the right kinds of vegan foods, you can lose weight in a healthy way. All you need to do is ensure the food is nutrient-dense and your body will be good for a long time.

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Ethics

Animal agriculture and factory farming as some of the topics well known to those who have a done some online reading on vegan or vegetarian niches.

Factory farming is an industrial operation that raises farm animals in large-scale for food.  This accounts for about 67% of the world’s farm.

Due to the abuse caused to the billions of animals worldwide, most vegans prefer to stick to a plant-eating cause.

Two beautiful sheep standing in a grass field

Here’s is what usually takes place. From a tender age, the animal deemed good for food are taken away from their families and transported to facilities where they are pumped with hormones and antibiotics so as to maximize their output.

In the animal warehouses, these animals are most of the time mutilated in a bid to keep them from harming other animals as well as to keep them obedient. They usually have their horns, genitals or beaks cut off without pain relievers.

Most of these animals are confined in their cages since there is little or no room to move about given that they are so many in a given location.

Due to the caged, overcrowded, loud environment that they live in, they end up becoming stressed and sick.

The lives of these animals end suddenly when they reach full maturity. They are taken down an assembly line where they are prepared for slaughter by workers. This may involve hanging them upside down or abusing them into submission.

Recap: 47 billion farm animals are taken away from their families, abused and slaughtered for food each year.

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Sustainability / Environmental Concerns

The plant-based diet has tremendous benefits; it not only reduces the agricultural strain on the environment but also helps to save animals. As a result, adopting a vegan diet is a big step towards creating a sustainable future.

The World Resource Institute’s article here shows how dairy and meat products produce more greenhouse gas (GHG) than lower-impact plant-based foods. This concludes that dairy ad meat products are overall more resource-intensive than their vegetarian counterparts

A study at Oxford University in 2016 demonstrates how global deaths are reduced by 6-10% by adopting a plant-based diet. In addition, it allows an economic benefit of up to approximately $30 trillion and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%.

Below are some few surprising sustainability statistics:

1 pound of meat is produced by about 2,400 gallons of water while it takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of wheat.

Half of all the water used in the USA is for raising animals

Number one cause of water pollution according to The Environmental Protection Agency is animal agriculture.

Recap: The plant-based diet could allow an economic benefit of approximately $30 trillion; reduce water consumption, water pollution, greenhouse gas and agricultural strain on the environment.