Vegans do not consume any animal products. But why is that? Here you will discover the five most compelling arguments for a vegan lifestyle!
Almost everyone has at least one vegan friend or acquaintance. Vegans are people who do not consume any animal products. It becomes very annoying for bystanders if he or she abstains from even specific beverages. If one inquires more, it will be discovered that certain wines, juices, and CO. containing gelatin are cleared. That often comes as a surprise, and the question of what one could eat or drink at that point arises.
Vegans, contrary to popular belief, do not survive just on salad and water! The majority of them have perfected their diet and lifestyle.
1. health aspects
Avoiding meat has many health benefits, including a positive effect on cholesterol levels. In addition, eliminating animal products from one's diet reduces the likelihood of developing obesity, diabetes, or arthritis.
It also bypasses all the harmful byproducts that can be ingested through the consumption of animal foods: Because it is no longer a secret that conventional agriculture and especially factory farming leaves antibiotics in meat, pesticides in honey or eggs contaminated with pollutants - from which, unfortunately, even foods with organic labels are not always completely spared.
2. avoidance of animal suffering
Male chicks that are shredded alive immediately after hatching, calves that are separated from their mothers shortly after birth, or several chickens that have to share a single square meter - the list is almost endless and shows the worst effects of our consumer economy, whose principles aim at quantity instead of quality. Even if you pay attention to organic products and support regional agriculture, there are still plenty of foods sneaking in that have animal products hidden in some ingredients. And unfortunately, the extraction of these ingredients all too often involves a high level of animal suffering. To avoid this, the consistent conclusion is ultimately to do without animal products altogether and to eat a vegan diet.
3. environmental considerations
Animal husbandry not only uses a lot of water but also contributes to the greenhouse effect and soil degradation. The reasons are self-evident: animals must be watered and fed, and feed requires regular irrigation during cultivation, resulting in extremely high water consumption in animal agriculture. The warming impact is compounded by the gas methane, which is 25 times more strong than CO2 and is generated by cows. Last but not least, vast swaths of rainforest are removed to make way for pasture or livestock feed.
4. Livestock farming worsens global famine.
Millions of agricultural animals are fed corn, grain, and soy, only to wind up on our plates as a few steaks. The logic is straightforward: why not use the plant foods grown to feed people directly, given that over 800 million people globally are hungry?
5. What you consume determines who you are.
Vegans:innen, in the vast majority of cases, devote a great deal of time and effort to their diet. Fast food and ready-made products frequently contain milk powder, egg, or additives with E-numbers derived from animal products, making it difficult to grab something quickly. Freshly prepared food and an examination of the ingredient list are thus the foreign currency for vegans. This has a positive aspect.
But what about B12 if you're a vegan?
Converting to a vegan diet may require some research, work, and time, but the benefits are clear. Anyone who now claims that B12 deficiency is a valid counter-argument should be informed that vitamin B12 can also be obtained safely through dietary supplements. In fact, B12 is the only vitamin that isn't found in a completely plant-based diet, and a lack of it can cause serious health issues. As a result, it is critical to monitor the situation regularly.
So living vegan can not only have a positive effect on health and the environment, but it also avoids animal suffering and raises awareness of one's diet. Nevertheless, a varied diet and knowledge of the various nutrients are the be-all and end-all of a vegan lifestyle. If the conversion to purely vegan nutrition is too drastic for you thereby, you do already something good, if you reduce animal products clearly and look around for all the vegetable, leckeren alternatives. And it's even really fun because seitan, tempeh, and jackfruit open up completely new flavors and interesting cooking recipes. Give it a try!