[OPINIONATED] The True Benefits of Being Plant-Based
The True Benefits of Being Plant-Based
By: Navya Mittal
Being vegan and being plant-based are similar, but not exactly the same thing. Following a vegan diet involves not consuming animal products, like meat, fish, eggs, or dairy. On the other hand, living a plant-based lifestyle advocates for balanced eating that mainly consists of plant foods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes. However, whether you’re vegan, plant-based, or anything in between, our food choices have a significant impact on the environment, our health, and animals. Let’s dive into each of these areas as I share my personal story when it comes to conscious, healthy eating!
Environment
A 2023 UN climate report claimed that that year was the hottest year on record, with the past decade being the hottest ever. An older report from 2021 had already alerted people of the grave climate risks and called for a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels, suggesting that plant-based diets are the way to get there. Adopting veganism can remarkably alleviate climate change effects. It decreases individual carbon footprints by up to 73% due to lower greenhouse gas emissions from plant-based foods compared to animal products. Meat production generates considerable methane and nitrous oxide emissions, which are highly potent greenhouse gasses. Shifting to plant-based diets could cut methane emissions by 45% and lower nitrous oxide emissions from animal waste.
Veganism also conserves water – a plant-based diet can reduce water usage by up to 55%. The meat industry cultivates a high water consumption. In addition, the large land area necessary for animal agriculture contributes to deforestation and habitat destruction. These are serious threats to biodiversity. Plant-based diets require less land, can help preserve forests, and can shrink deforestation by up to 94%. Furthermore, veganism protects soil health and lessens the fossil fuels used in meat processing. It also addresses global hunger by reallocating land from animal feed to growing plant-based foods. Lastly, a plant-based diet lowers antibiotic use in livestock, which is linked to growing antibiotic resistance. Overall, adopting a vegan lifestyle or simply cutting back on meat can greatly reduce your environmental footprint and help build a more sustainable food system.
When I shifted to a vegan diet in 2017, I was only in 4th grade, and I didn’t have much of an idea of how much damage factory farming was inflicting on our resources and wildlife. In 8th grade, I did a civics project on methane released by cows and how that is affecting Earth. That really opened my eyes to how raising immense amounts of cattle was wasting water, land, trees, and polluting our air.
Health
Many people incorporate more plant-based foods into their meals because they have essential vitamins, minerals, and better health benefits overall. Because a vegan diet contains whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, they can lead to a higher daily intake of valuable nutrients. Several studies have reported that vegan diets provide more fiber, antioxidants, and beneficial plant compounds. They are also richer in potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and E. Vegan diets are even higher in iron. Yet, not all vegan diets are created equal. Poorly planned diets may not provide sufficient amounts of vitamin B12, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D, calcium, iodine, or zinc. That’s why it’s essential to choose whole plant foods and fortified foods. You may need to consider using supplements for certain nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and calcium, since a vegan diet may lack these. In addition, eating plant-based foods can help you lose excess weight. A small study found that people eating a low-fat, high-fiber vegan diet lost more weight than those eating a conventional low-fat diet. Participants following a vegan diet lost an average of 13 lbs (6 kg) over 16 weeks, while those following the Mediterranean diet did not see any weight loss.
Moreover, a vegan diet may provide health benefits for type 2 diabetes and declining kidney function by lowering blood sugar levels. Going vegan also protects against some cancers and reduces the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Since fiber is only found in plant foods, while LDL (bad) cholesterol is only found in animal products, there seems to be an ongoing connection between a vegan diet and fewer chances for disease as well as reduced joint pains from arthritis.
My mom once read the transformational book The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and his son. It had changed her entire perspective on eating and its impact. After that, coupled with informative and engaging documentaries like Forks Over Knives and What the Health, we decided to turn vegan. It was a gradual development; I was a vegetarian at birth, but cutting out eggs and dairy initially felt like a struggle. But, after researching healthier, more wholesome alternatives like oat milk, soy milk, cashew yogurt, oil-based butters, and a ton of other foods that have been around for generations, we were able to transition to who we are today. Now, I have a bunch of vegan recipes in my arsenal, including indulgent desserts like brownies and blueberry muffins, as well as delicious savory dishes from around the globe.
Animals
Veganism is a crucial step in combating animal cruelty. By refusing to pay for animal products, you reduce the demand for them, ensuring fewer animals are bred to suffer and die on farms and slaughterhouses. In the US alone, around 10 billion animals are farmed and slaughtered annually, including fish and marine animals, and a whopping 92.2 billion worldwide. A majority of these animals are raised in intensive conditions, known as factory farming, which can lead to disease outbreaks and injuries. Animal Aid and other organizations have conducted investigations into various farms and British slaughterhouses, finding that illegal abuse and cruelty are commonplace.
The dairy industry is particularly cruel to animals, where cows face forced impregnation, have their babies taken away, and are sent to slaughterhouses when no longer considered profitable. Egg-laying hens in the egg industry suffer horrendously. They are sorted into females and males at hatcheries, where their lives begin. Often, they are gassed to death at a day old or minced while alive and fully conscious. On the other hand, the fishing industry causes untold suffering to animals, with the exact number of fish caught in the wild and farmed every year too large to quantify. Ripping these animals from the sea causes horrific suffering for them and has a knock-on effect on other animals, such as non-target species being caught in nets and dying as a result. Discarded fishing equipment also contributes to global plastic pollution in the ocean.
Personally, going vegan for the animals was the most compelling reason. I always had an affection for all animals, including farm animals. I believe that every being has a light inside of them and that they deserve to live a safe, joyful life where they don’t have to worry if they’ll be killed tomorrow. Last year, as part of my research project in AP Lang about the harmful effects of eating animals, I made a children’s book on animal cruelty and how a pig named Connie escaped a farm to gain freedom from being butchered. We should all reconsider our ethical principles and value systems every time we pick what to eat for dinner, as it could literally be the life or death of the poor animals suffering in gruesome conditions.
The Bottom Line
In summary, going vegan, eating plant-based foods, and purchasing cruelty-free beauty products have a vast impact on our health, animals, and the environment. For more information, check out this website about the China Study: https://nutritionstudies.org/the-china-study/. In addition, the Forks Over Knives documentary is available to watch for free here: https://www.forksoverknives.com/the-film/. As well, What the Health is on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80174177. We can make a difference in the world we live in with just a thing as simple as our food choices, so why not start now?
Works Cited
Davison, C. (2023, July 28). The Beginner’s Guide to a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet. Forks Over Knives.
https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/plant-based-primer-beginners-guide-starting-plant-based-diet/
Seitz, Adrienne. “Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet.” Healthline, 30 March 2022, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-benefits#get-more-nutrients. Accessed 26 August 2024.
The Human League. “14 Environmental Benefits of Veganism: Can It Save The Planet?” The Humane League, 4 November 2021, https://thehumaneleague.org/article/environmental-benefits-of-veganism. Accessed 26 August 2024.
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