Veganism

Veganism

A major disconnect exists between the thoughts and the realities of American eating habits. A whopping 90% of Americans claim they eat a healthy diet; however, research from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that 68% of Americans are overweight or obese (Rowan). Although, the hype over Jay-Z and Beyonce’s three week vegan challenge and Justin Timberlake’s Saturday Night Live “Bring it on Down to Veganville” performance is rising in the media, so the gap may grow closer (“Me”; “Jay-Z”; Sareen). Google Trends shows an increase in recent years of people searching information associated with the term “vegan” (Sareen). Between the excitement over vegan celeberites and the desire for a bikini-ready-body, Veganism is becoming the new global trend (Sareen; “Me”).

Pure vegans avoid the consumption and use of all types of animal products. The plant-based diet consists of legumes, fruits, whole grain, and vegetables that are high in fiber and nutrient and are low in fat and cholesterol. Vegans exclude dairy, eggs, flesh (including fish and poultry), gluten, and honey from their diets, as well as the use of animal commodities for apparel (Nordqvist; Lord; Haupt). Typically, vegans start with a vegetarian diet before obtaining a completely vegan diet. Lacto-Vegetarian and Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian are the two main categories of vegetarians. Lacto-Vegetarians avoid meat products and eggs, but consume diary. Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians abstain from meat products, but consume eggs and dairy products (Leong; Nordqvist). Recently, society has taken veganism to the next level by adding the word “raw” in front of it (Suddath). Raw veganism suggests that by only consuming uncooked foods, the body will remain pure and healthy (Wanjek). A study from the Vegetarian Resource Group, conducted by Harris Interactive in 2011, claims that the number of Americans eating vegan diets has doubled since 2009. The study reports that approximately 5% of Americans follow a vegetarian diet, and roughly 2.5% follow a vegan diet (Dickey; Sareen).

The idea of avoiding meat developed around 500 BCE, when followers of certain religions believed in compassion and charity among all species. Vegetarianism grew during the 18th century as people began to consider human superiority. In 1847, the first vegetarian society was formed in England, and the American Vegetarian Society was established in America three years later. In 1944, Donald Watson created the term “Veganism” to describe people who did not consume dairy, eggs, or meat (Suddath). Vegans believe in the rights of animals, efficiency of the environment, and human health (Nordqvist; Lord). Vegans believe that animals should exist freely without human inference; therefor, animal slaughter is deemed unethical. Eggs and dairy are excluded from the vegan diet because factory-farmed egg-laying chickens and dairy cows are raised in poor treatment, and then killed once their productivity rates drop. Factory farming is deemed wasteful since requires a disproportionate amount of water, land, energy, and other raw materials that could be used for producing crops to feed humans. It is also considered inhuman typically uses antibiotics and hormones to feed the livestock (Lord; “Meat”; Nordquist). Many choose the diet because those who eat a vegan diet are known to have less of a risk than those who eat a non-vegan diet to develop several diseases and conditions (Nordquist; Lord). Others choose to eat a vegan diet because of their religions beliefs, and some just like a challenge (Garduno-Diaz). Health seems to be the primary reason that people adopt a vegan diet (see Figure 1 on page 3).

In 2003, a global movement began with the purpose of improving human and environmental health by slashing meat consumption by 15%. The movement promotes “Meatless Mondays”, a day when participants avoid meat (“About”). Schools are catching onto the movement by designating specific days for not consuming meat, and several colleges are adopting vegan food options in dinning halls (“Me”; “About”). Replacing meats high in saturated fat and cholesterol with plant proteins can result in many health benefits and may prevent several diseases and conditions. For example, red meat and processed meat intake have been linked to colon cancer and cardiovascular disease (Craig; Dugdale;). According to European research, people who consumed a least 5 ounces of red meat per day were approximately one third more likely to develop colon cancer than those who consumed less than an once of red meat a day (“Red Meat”). A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which compared vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores over 12 years, showed that vegans had a 57% lower risk of developing heart disease than omnivores, and vegetarians had a 24% lower risk than omnivores. Researchers claim that the egg and dairy included in the vegetarian diet can increase the risk of heart disease, which is why the vegans showed a lower risk for developing heart disease (Haupt). Similarly, eliminating dairy products can aid in the prevention of certain diseases, such as Osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, and Diabetes. Milk is well known for strengthening bones and blocking Osteoporosis (a disease of the bones); however, The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which examined over 75,000 women for 12 years, suggests that the consumption of calcium through dairy will not prevent Osteoporosis (“Understanding”; Trestyn; Feskanich, et al.). Another benefit of a vegan diet is the intake of whole foods, which contain more protective nutrients than their meat, dairy, and egg counterparts. Whole foods contain