3 Key Reasons You Should Consider Going Vegan

Veganism isn’t a new concept, in fact it was believed to be first coined in 1944 however there is historical evidence that people were vegan long before the term first came into existence.

In this article we will go over the 3 key reasons why you should consider going vegan.

For the Animals

The first and most obvious reason is the ethical argument for the animals. There is no denying that no matter how well treated an animal is, at the end of the day it will be killed in order to provide the meat that is then consumed. For this reason it cannot be called humane as humane is defined as: 

“characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, especially for the suffering or distressed” 

Ending the life of a sentient being without permission cannot be considered humane and as animals are unable to directly communicate with humans, and therefore it is impossible for permission to be granted. 

The above ignores the fact that a large number of animals are not treated humanely at any stage of the animal agriculture process. There is far more detail that can be given on this topic area however some of the details can be very grim and therefore we will not go into more detail here. 

However, if you are interested in knowing more you can watch the movies “Earthlings” or “Dominion”, the former having been narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

For your Health

Over the past few decades there have been many studies into veganism in regards to health which show that the less meat and animal products you consume the less likely you are to die of various different human diseases. These include but are not limited to heart disease, diabetes (type 2) and certain cancers.

The key ingredient that causes havoc in the human body is animal fat and specifically saturated fat which leaves the body’s arteries clogged with fatty deposits. These restrict blood flow and can lead to more strain on your heart which can lead to heart attacks and heart disease. 

These deposits can also lead to the development of type 2 diabetes which has long been wrongly identified as caused by too much sugar. However the reality is that the inability to process sugar in the body is the effect of developing diabetes and not the actual cause.

Some of these key causes of death can actually be reduced and even reversed by switching to a wholefoods plant based diet.

If you are interested in knowing more about the health benefits of veganism a great place to start is a film called “The Game Changers” on Netflix or “What The Health”. You can also visit nutritionfacts.org which is a website run by Dr Michael Greger who is a leading doctor in the area of health and nutrition.

For the Environment 

For years we have been told that our consumption of fossil fuels in our transportation network is the key factor to climate change and the destruction of our planet. But what if I told you it is not the number one cause, what if I told you it was second to animal agriculture? You’d probably think I was wrong but in actual fact the animal agriculture business is more polluting than the entire transportation network of the planet. Which includes huge greenhouse gas emissions and large amounts of industrial waste

Also vast sections of the amazon rainforest are cut down to provide grazing land mainly for cattle which requires huge amounts of water. One pound of beef takes around 1800 gallons (~4.5 liters per gallon) of water to produce. This contributes to the reduction of freshwater available. In contrast a slice of bread takes 11 gallons and a pound of potatoes 119 gallons of water to produce. 

Going Vegan will have a bigger positive effect on the environment than switching to a hybrid or electric car. Something to consider perhaps.

If you are interested in knowing more about the environmental benefits of veganism a great place to start is a film called “Cowspiracy” on Netflix.

So those are 3 big reasons why you may want to switch to a vegan diet.

Further Reading:

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell: 

How not to Die by Dr Michael Greger: