Benefits of Veganism

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Some would not be able to live without eating any animal products in their diets, such as, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and honey. For vegans, however, this is a normal way of life. Vegans are frequently misunderstood as either people who have eating disorders, or an unnatural passion for animal rights. It is time for people to realize that veganism, a challenging yet rewarding lifestyle, goes way beyond being skinny or caring for animals. In reality, veganism can be extremely advantageous to anyone who adapts it as a way of life and has many different benefits that come along with it.

At one point in time, veganism appeared problematic due to the lack of necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins in the diet. However, gradually, over time it has been proven to be a safe and healthy way of life for all ages. The vegan diet includes foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and soy products. These foods provide nutrition and high levels of vitamins and minerals that are necessary to survive, such as magnesium, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants, protein, carbohydrates, and phytochemicals. Recent research has shown that people who are vegan are extremely healthy and may even be healthier than people who eat meat. (57 Health) In fact, people who consume animal products are forty percent more susceptible to cancer and at an increased risk for many other illnesses, including stroke, obesity, appendicitis, and diabetes. It is also often mistakenly believed that meat eaters are stronger than vegetarians, but an experiment conducted by Professor Irving Fisher of Yale University on 32 vegetarians and 15 meat-eaters showed that vegetarians had more endurance than meat eat...

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... world's resources would be more efficiently utilized if the land used for livestock production was changed to raising crops to feed people. (Fallon)

Though it can be challenging at first, making the decision to become a vegan, one would be benefiting oneself immensely. Eating a vegan diet allows you to be healthier, care for animals, and be more environmentally friendly. It is a lifestyle of taking only what you need and reducing excess.

Works Cited

Fallon, Sally; Friedrich, Bruce. "Debate: Is veganism a better way of life?." Ecologist. 01 Oct. 2001: 20. eLibrary. Web. 09 Nov. 2011.

Hood, Sandra. "The vegan diet." Practice Nurse. 08 Feb. 2008: 13. eLibrary Science. Web. 09 Nov 2011.

"57 Health Benefits of Going Vegan | Nursing Schools : LPN RN BSN MSN : Online Nursing Degree." Nursing Schools : LPN RN BSN MSN : Online Nursing Degree. 09 Nov. 2011

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