Veganism Research Paper

Change is necessary; necessary for moving forward, and necessary, in fact, for survival. We, as a society, need to change the way we live for the sake of the earth, the animals, and ourselves. The most practical solution, and the one that would have the most impact, is to shift to a more plant-based diet. Vegetarianism means not eating meat while Veganism is a lifestyle that entails not consuming or using any animal goods, and while it may seem extreme to some, the benefits of such a diet are enormous. Today it seems almost everyone is looking to improve the state of the environment and global health, and recycling and diet drinks are simply not going to cut it. Saving the earth and preventing future health problems may seem far removed, but …show more content…
If done right, a vegan diet can be incredibly healthy with lasting effects. The main elements of a plant-based meal are a variety of fruits and vegetables, legumes, and some sort of grain. This type of diet can absolutely provide every nutrient and mineral the body needs, with the exception of Vitamin B12. With the proper planning and education, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says a plant-based diet is "healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases " (McWilliams). It has also been found that, “vegetarian diets—naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals—help to prevent cancer. Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters” (“Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health”). A vegan diet similarly rules out many of those tempting snacks that have proven so dangerous to the human body; cookies and donuts offered at work functions, the drive through menu at McDonald's, the Friday night pizza. And although these all certainly taste good, their vegan equivalents can taste just as delicious, without many of the negative effects on the …show more content…
Recently, the Western world was outraged and shocked at the Yulin Dog Festival, many claiming it to be cruel and disgusting how these dogs were treated and eaten. While vegans would agree with this, the hypocrisy is also painfully evident. It begs the question: what makes torturing and killing other animals any different? Despite the way we see pigs, often only mindlessly thought of as bacon, studies have shown that they “outperform 3-year-old human children on cognition tests and are smarter than any domestic animal, and animal experts consider them more trainable than cats or dogs” (“If Your Dog Tasted…”). Now, accepting that these outputs of animal agriculture are sentient beings that deserve to live without torture, anyone who calls themselves an animal lover cannot overlook the conditions in which these unfortunate creatures are raised in factory farms.The way animals are raised and slaughtered in factory farms is horrendous, and the practice is very rarely questioned and almost never challenged. When a dairy cow has a calf in order to produce milk, the calf is immediately taken away so that the milk intended for the baby goes to the dairy industry. If those calves are female they will become dairy cows and consequently have about 20 years cut off of their lives, and if male, they are immediately sent to veal farms. The same

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