In our society, many advocacies have been presented around the world with different purposes. There are nonprofit organizations that help children in need through fundraising campaigns. Some, write books and print posters advocating for peace to give an end to violence perpetrated on people of all ages, classes, and genders. In addition, there are feminists and human rights advocates who protest and join worldwide forums to promote women's empowerment and promote gender equality. Because of these advocacies, we can now look around and see the world changing into a better place with less discrimination, and with more appreciation—but for some people, change should not only be applied to humans.
Before, there were people who practiced a “plant-based diet” with eggs and dairy products, called “vegetarians”. They practice this diet because of their belief that it lessens the risks of major health problems such as heart disease and cancer. But as time passed, this advocacy is not just about health anymore, it’s now applied as a solution to addressing animal rights issues. There is a group of people called “vegans”, who present the idea that people should refrain from eating products derived from animals to “save millions of animals”, and “save the world” while having a “healthy” diet. But because of some recent studies relating to veganism and malnutrition, some people began to ask: Is veganism a “healthy way” to save the animals? Subsequently, can veganism save the animals and the world?
Veganism on environmentalism and animal welfare.
Veganism and vegetarianism only differ in their degree of consumption, and their consideration of which animal products are acceptable. Even though vegetarians are opposed to killing animals for food, they still consider it acceptable to consume animal products such as dairy and eggs as long as they think that they’re not hurting any animal (Radnitz et al. 32). On the other hand, vegans avoid all animal by-products—making it an effective way to give a large beneficial impact on the environment (34). To support this claim, here is some research published about the issue of environmentalism in food consumption:
According to Henning Steinfeld, Chief of FAO’s Livestock Information and Policy Branch, Livestock are one of the major threats to the environment leading to alarming problems that need an immediate solution (Matthews). Research done by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), shows that the consumption of animal products has a larger impact on the environment than plant foods, as animal feed uses fertilizers, pesticides, and other resources—responsible for 9 percent of human-caused carbon dioxide generation—that otherwise could be used to produce vegetables and grains consumed directly by people (Archambault 229). Additionally, the grazing of animals has increased pressure on deforestation because of its large impact on biodiversity as wildlife habitat is diminished by approximately 70 percent and its production of approximately 18% of the world’s greenhouse gases (Lacour et al. 2).
In response to the issue, a 2018 Oxford University study found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming takes up 83% of our farmland—making veganism an effective way to save the environment (Carrington). But will it still make sense, if the people themselves will be deprived of the nutrition they need?
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Rethinking Veganism
I have been taught in my elementary days that eating healthy means eating a balanced diet. In technical terms, one must eat a diet that includes foods from each of the main five food groups—dairy, fruit, grains, meat, and vegetables—to fulfill his nutritional needs (Fletcher). This is the reason why I have been so skeptical about people who practice a vegan diet. When I hear actresses from the news or social media sites saying that they’ve changed their eating habits through veganism, I always find myself drawing a question mark on my mind and saying, “If they’re not eating any meat, aren’t these actresses malnourished?”.
But as I grew older I witnessed more and more people absorbing their selves into the vegan world—even my friends who seemed too skinny for that kind of lifestyle—because of the “plant-based” food trend that spread globally in the year 2018 (Oberst). Out of curiosity, I dug through articles to look for pieces of evidence proving that conforming to a vegan lifestyle is possible. As soon as I stepped into one of the websites like “The Vegan Society”— known as the oldest vegan society dating from 1944, founded by Donald Waston, an English animal rights advocate (Davis 13)— that listed proven accounts of vegans who are living healthy lifestyles, I began to rethink my perspective regarding veganism.
Yes! Veganism is a Healthy Way to Save the Animals—but only if it’s done right.
Going through a lot of articles and accounts of veganism, one thing I learned is the reason why veganism is a healthy way to save animals is because veganism does not only concern people’s diet. Practicing the lifestyle of veganism also means refraining from buying products that have been tested on animals, avoiding clothing derived from animals, and not going to like zoos or any place that makes use of animals as a source of entertainment. But with regards to the main concern whether a vegan diet is healthy or not, the answer is still yes—but if it’s done right.
According to Winston Craig, and Ann Mangels of the American Dietetic Association, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” For those who have spent most of their lives pursuing a “meat and dairy-rich” diet, beginning a vegan diet in exchange for their usual diet can lead to significant changes within the body including lower blood pressure, and cholesterol levels; lower risk of heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes (1267).
In addition to the health advantages of a vegan diet, research also shows that vegans tend to have a lower body mass index because they tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, that’s why people in the field of sports, practice a vegan diet to achieve their best performances and improve their quality of life (Wirnitzer 397). Nutritional differences gained from plant protein produce higher levels of phytochemicals such as dietary fiber, vitamins C and E, magnesium, potassium, and flavonoids (Wirnitzer 401). However, vegans may have lower intakes of vitamin B-12, calcium—for the nerves, vitamin D—for bones, muscles, and teeth, zinc—for the immune system, and long-chain n-3 fatty acids that are mostly derived from consuming meat in the traditional diet which is one of the reasons why some are still opposed to the idea of veganism ( Craig et al.1270). Luckily, there are ways to eradicate this problem.
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