Many different arguments are made in favor of a plant-based or a vegan. Whether it's a healthier lifestyle, ethical reasons, or for a better planet, certain issues hold different values for different people.
Since it takes various reasons for various people to get motivated and start making some changes, we will give you nine reasons to go vegan today.
It's 2020, and if you're still wondering, "Why go vegan?" our guide is here to show you nine reasons why.
1. You Show Compassion and Kindness to Sentient Beings
It can never hurt to be kind. It's hard to deny that sparing someone's life is always the right and just thing to do, more so if that someone is completely innocent.
Initiated by the meat and dairy industry, we see a major greenwashing campaign going on to play with our conscience. Meat and dairy industries paint a bucolic happy picture of animals on cartons and packages while the reality of these animals' lives reality is a lot more sinister. No matter how you try to paint it, there is nothing humane about animal farming or taking their life.
If you're wondering why go vegan rather than just vegetarian, keep in mind that the dairy and egg industries are in the same boat as the meat industries, working together in animal agriculture.
Did you know that dairy cows are forcefully impregnated, and once their calves are born, their calf is taken away and killed shortly after? After a few years, when these milk cows are deemed no longer "useful," they are killed and end up as hamburger meat.
2. You Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease
Both heart disease and type 2 diabetes are amongst the most common chronic diseases in the Western world, but did you know that they are man-made? Suffering from either of these two diseases is unnecessary and, best of all, preventable.
The buildup of plaque in our arteries can start early in life, as early as around the age of 10.
Studies have found that feeding individuals a low-fat vegan diet can reverse even aggressive cases of cardiovascular and save countless lives.
It's well-known and even acknowledged by major health organizations that animal products (rich in saturated fat and cholesterol) are a significant contributor to both diabetes and heart disease.
3. Resources and World Hunger
While it's essential to think about the farm animals when you think of reasons to go vegan, we should think about humans as well. Humans all over the world suffer, along with animals, because of society's massive demand for animal products.
It turns out; we have enough food to feed 10 billion people, while our planet houses about 7 billion.
Half of the grains worldwide are eaten by animals in the meat and dairy industries, while nearby the livestock, 82% of the children are starving. The meat farmed nearby these children are sent to feed people who live in first world countries.
In the U.S. alone, around 70% of the grain grown is fed to livestock, which is enough grain to feed about 800 million people.
4. Save the Environment and Stop Climate Change
Factory farming leads the board when it comes to contributing to the greenhouse effect, ahead of transportation. Around 18-51% of man-made pollution comes from the meat industry.
Did you know that it in the U.S. it takes around 40 calories of fossil-fuel energy to create each calorie of feed-lot beef? Now compare that to the mere 2.2 calories of energy needed to create plant proteins and add that to your reasons why you should go vegan.
5. Get and Stay Slim
The only group of people averaging a normal and healthy BMI are vegans. It's safe to say the more animal products people consume, the higher their BMI.
One of the reasons for this is that animal products do not contain any carbohydrates and are, instead, higher in fat. Another reason is the overall calorie density of animal products often leads to people overeating, while vegans can load up their plates with veggies and potatoes and stay lean.
6. Animal Products Are Dirty
Each time you sit down to a meal that has meat, eggs, or other dairy products, you're also consuming bacteria, hormones, antibiotics, dioxins, as well as a myriad of other toxins that can lead to serious health problems in humans.
Some examples of dangerous bacteria that live in the flesh, intestinal tracts, and feces of animals are E. coli, campylobacter, and listeria.
7. Boost Your Mood
Due to the high level of antioxidants in plant-based foods, people who are on plant-based and vegan diets tend to have healthier mood states. They experience less anxiety, tension, depression, fatigue, hostility, and anger.
Nutritious carbohydrate-rich foods, like steel-cut oats, rye bread, and brown rice, help regulate serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is vital for controlling our mood. This is one of the top reasons to become vegan if you are looking for a natural way to lessen your anxiety and treat your depression.
8. Better Skin and Digestion
Most of us don't know that clear skin and a healthy gut are connected. Dairy and fatty food are two of the worst offenders for most people with acne-prone skin.
Consuming vitamin and mineral-rich vegetables also help with getting better digestion as well as the elimination of toxins, which will help clear up your skin even more.
9. You Save Lots of Money
Contrary to popular belief, vegan diets can be extremely economical. If you're looking to cut your monthly food expense in half, try centering your diet around beans, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
If you're still wondering, "Why go vegan?", keep in mind that since nutritious plant-based diets can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases, you save by not having to spend as much on medication and trips to your doctor.
Why Go Vegan?
Whether it's a healthier lifestyle, ethical reasons, or for a better planet, many different arguments are made in favor of a plant-based or a vegan.
Since it takes various reasons for various people to get motivated and start making some changes, we gave you nine reasons to go vegan today.
It's 2020, and if you're still wondering, "Why go vegan?" we hope our guide inspired you to make the change! If you found this post helpful, check out more from our blog and sign up for our newsletter for more posts like this one!
