But just because we’ve grown up believing something is "normal," and even "essential," it doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for our health or the health of the world. This revelation has become clear in the midst of increasing incidences of cancer and heart disease, alongside the clear risks of climate change. These detrimental impacts have been linked to the increased consumption of meat and animal products in the United States and other parts of the world.
Before we despair, there is another way. Plants! There are millions of people on the planet who thrive on a plant-based and even fully vegan diet—getting plenty of nutrition from fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. But what exactly is veganism, and what are some reasons to give this way of eating a try?
What is veganism?
Veganism is about modifying consumption habits that cause harm to animals, no matter how great or small. Veganism aims to reduce animal suffering and advocate for a more compassionate world by avoiding products made from animals.
As such, veganism can be both a food and lifestyle choice. A vegan diet is made up of plant-based food options that replace products like meat, eggs, and cheese. Going a step further, a vegan lifestyle involves other considerations—like wearing clothes made from plants, such as cotton, linen, or alternative materials like faux leather. This is in lieu of materials that result in the harm of animals, like wool from sheep and leather from cows’, lambs’, or others’ skins.
Of course, veganism—like all food and lifestyle approaches—is far from perfect. While the industries surrounding animal agriculture are known to cause extreme human rights and environmental abuses, the cultivation of commodity crops like corn, sugar, and coffee can also leave humans exploited and take a toll on the environment, depending on how these crops are grown. Naturally, the goal of veganism is to reduce as much harm as possible.
Reasons to go vegan for the animals
Animals play a notable, but often unseen, role in our daily lives. Industrial agriculture, and the large corporations who employ factory farming, are very skilled at obscuring the horrifying conditions animals endure. It’s often believed that if we, as consumers, knew where our meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products came from, we wouldn’t be able to stomach them. But thanks to eye-opening initiatives like undercover investigations and awareness campaigns, more and more people are learning about the unacceptable and unhealthy conditions in which animals are raised.
Ready to learn more? Here are 24 reasons why adopting a vegan, plant-based lifestyle is the kindest and most impactful choice you can make—for animals, for your personal health, and for our planet.
1. Battery cages
Battery cages are widely considered to be one of the worst forms of torture endured by any animal raised for food. These cages confine a laying hen, who produces eggs in an industrial factory farm, to an area no bigger than a piece of letter-sized paper—without space to even spread her wings. An egg-laying hen is forced to spend her life standing and lying down on wire flooring, which causes painful damage to her feet. The cages are so low that she can barely stretch her neck upwards—let alone run, hop, fly, or explore. Other than eating, she's prevented from doing anything that comes naturally to her. But even eating comes with consequences, since she must stick her neck through the wire bars to access the feed trough. Doing this can rub off her feathers and leave her skin raw and stinging.
Thanks to efforts like The Humane League’s cage-free campaigns, hundreds of the world’s largest companies are choosing to source eggs from farms that don't use battery cages. Of course, leaving eggs off your plate altogether is the best way to avoid the suffering and abuse of egg-laying hens.
2. Dairy cruelty
Dairy cows used to produce milk not only suffer physical tortures, but psychological abuses as well. In order to lactate, a cow must first give birth to a calf, and this calf is taken away from her almost instantly after birth. Breaking the mother-offspring bond is something many people would agree is a violation of a sacred relationship. But on dairy farms, this practice is simply considered normal. In fact, it’s a linchpin of the business model.
Selective breeding has also caused mother cows to produce unnaturally high volumes of milk, resulting in physical problems that can give rise to chronic pain. Combined with the feces-ridden conditions in which cows are forced to live, it becomes clear why dairy is anything but harmless.
3. Cruel transportation
After an often terrifying, exhausting, and pain-ridden life on a factory farm, animals—chickens, pigs, turkeys, and cows—are rounded up for the final trip of their lives as they are sent to slaughter. This trip is far from comfortable. Whether chickens, pigs, turkeys, or cows, every animal is crammed onto trucks with barely any space to move around. They can be exposed to extreme heat or cold on these journeys for many long hours. Often, they aren't even provided with adequate food or water. By the time animals arrive at their final destination, they can be so terrified and neglected that they sometimes soil themselves. Covered in feces, their spent bodies are then brutally slaughtered for human consumption. What's delicious about that?
4. Forced molting
After about a year on industrial egg production farms, the body of a layer hen begins to break down. (After all, even though she's treated like a machine, she isn't one.) Soon, she's unable to produce the extremely high volumes of eggs that factory farms' production schedules demand. And any drop in production means less profit for the corporations behind it all.
But in one final act of cruelty—before she is sent to slaughter—a laying hen will likely endure forced molting, a process designed to squeeze as many eggs from her body as possible. Hens naturally molt, or lose feathers, with the change of seasons as winter approaches. To mimic these conditions, factory farms manipulate light, keeping it on for shorter periods throughout the day. Hens are also starved of food and water, sometimes for days at a time. After this starvation period, which can kill many hens, the birds are finally fed and given water, which kicks their bodies into one last spurt of egg production. Forced molting makes it abundantly clear that the only thing egg factories care about is eggs.
5. Gestation crates
Gestation crates rank alongside battery cages as one of the most heartless ways to treat animals. A pregnant pig, known as a sow, is forced into one of these cages for the duration of her nearly four-month-long pregnancy. In this tiny, coffin-like crate, all she can do is sit, stand, and eat. In fact, gestation crates are so small that she can't walk at all, visit her neighbors as her social instincts would encourage, or even turn around.
Imagine the mind-breaking boredom, and pain, of being forced to remain in exactly one spot for months on end—notably, while pregnant. After she gives birth, a mother pig will be impregnated again, repeating the cycle until she is sent to slaughter when she’s no longer fit to bear babies. At that point, she's just 1 ½ - 2 years old. No bacon is worth her tortured life.
6. Veal crates
Gestation crates and battery cages aren't the only forms of extreme confinement that animals endure on factory farms. Veal crates are yet another heartbreaking example of the horrors of industrial animal agriculture. When baby cows are born as "byproducts" of the dairy industry, many are taken away from their mothers at birth—an incredibly traumatic experience for both the mother and her baby—and confined in tiny "veal crates." These crates are designed to restrict calves from moving around and developing muscle, which would toughen their meat. In some cases, the calves are even chained in place.
In a veal crate, a baby cow is essentially trapped in solitary confinement. Rather than playing and jumping as he's meant to do, he spends his short life looking out from the bars of a claustrophobic cage—until he's brought to slaughter, at just 16 weeks old. The shocking cruelty of veal crates has led them to be banned in some states, but they're still commonly used by the veal industry.
7. Mutilations on factory farms
In the factory farming system, mutilations are a part of life for animals raised for food. And the industry often performs them without any painkillers. A day-old chick destined for egg production is commonly debeaked, a terribly painful process in which the sensitive tip of her beak is sliced off without anesthesia. This procedure is thought to cause chronic as well as acute pain, and is especially cruel when you consider that a chicken's beak is the primary way she senses and experiences the world. Castration is another common mutilation on factory farms, which male pigs on hog farms and cows raised for beef are forced to endure.
8. Selective breeding
Selective breeding causes a host of issues for animals. Today’s dairy cow is selectively bred to produce huge amounts of milk, far more than her offspring would normally require. Her udder, if she is a breed such as a Holstein, can grow so large that it becomes distended and swollen. As a dairy cow, she also endures painful conditions like mastitis, the inflammation and infection of her udder area, that makes it painful for her to even lie down.
A typical chicken raised for meat has been selectively bred to the point where she cannot bear the weight of her own body, growing faster and bigger than is natural or healthy. This “rapid growth” can cause a host of painful and fatal conditions—from joint problems to broken legs to heart failure—that put intense strain on her body.
9. Tail docking
Tail docking involves removing portions of an animals’ tail. Young lambs are tail docked, as are hogs on factory farms and, in some cases, dairy cows. As a result of unnaturally crowded industrial farming methods, these procedures are done for various reasons on countless factory farms. And no matter the reason, tail docking always causes excruciating and lasting pain.
Reasons to go vegan for health
As if going vegan for the animals wasn’t enough, there are plenty of health reasons to leave animals off your plate. Read on to learn how a plant-based diet can benefit your body and mind.
10. Avoid toxins
In an attempt to kill bacteria like salmonella and listeria, traces of chlorine have been found on chicken carcasses. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the health risks associated with meat consumption. Fish, in particular, can contain relatively risky levels of dangerous chemicals. Farmed salmon has even been found to contain chemicals including dioxins and methylmercury. Both wild-caught and farmed fish can also contain persistent organic pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other compounds that can cause damage to the human body.
By removing these foods and other meat products from your diet, you can avoid these toxic risks and live a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.
11. Eliminate bad cholesterol
Most animal-based products—including chicken, shrimp, dairy and eggs—are high in cholesterol, which is linked to a risk of coronary heart disease. Plant-based foods, on the other hand, don’t contain any cholesterol. Eating a vegan diet free of meat, milk, and eggs lowers our blood cholesterol and reduces our likelihood of suffering from heart disease. One study found plant-based diets effective at lowering cholesterol levels anywhere by as much as 30 percent. This is a big win, especially since heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the US.
12. Give your skin what it needs to glow
It’s an age-old adage, and it’s true: your skin is your largest organ. So, just like the rest of your body, taking care of it from the inside out is vital to keeping it healthy. Eating antioxidant-rich foods helps fight skin-damaging free radicals—helping your skin to healthfully regenerate, naturally balance its oil and moisture levels, and glow! Luckily, antioxidants are everywhere in plant-based foods—in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts—but are rarely found in animal products. These plant-based foods tend to be easier to digest, as well, putting less strain on your entire body.
13. Boost your mood
Managing emotions can be a critical component of a happy, productive life. Luckily, studies have shown that a vegan diet can lead to an improved mood—meaning a greater sense of wellbeing. In one study, vegans reported less anxiety and stress than people who ate an omnivorous diet. Consuming plant-based sources of Omega-3 fatty acids—including flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and vegetables like collard greens and spinach—can help elevate your mood.
14. Healthy hormones
Hormones are essential in helping to regulate the body’s internal systems, and research is finding that a vegan diet can promote healthy, balanced hormones. Gastrointestinal hormones, which help regulate weight gain, blood sugar, and the feeling of being full after eating, were found to increase after people ate a vegan meal compared with a meal heavy in meat. Healthy hormones also can play a role in combating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
15. Improve your concentration
There are a variety of plant-based foods that can help improve your concentration, thanks to their amazing nutrient benefits. Some focus-boosting foods include:
- Leafy greens
- Bananas
- Hemp seeds
- Almonds
- Maca
- Cacao
- Spirulina
With so many delicious vegan food options, lagging concentration can be a thing of the past.
16. Prevent osteoporosis
A very common misconception is that humans need cow's milk to get sufficient calcium to maintain good bone health. However, recent studies show that vegan diets can provide just as much calcium as dairy products—and perhaps even more. Foods like broccoli, kale, and collard greens not only offer high levels of calcium, but they offer this essential mineral in a much more digestible form. Other nutrients required for preventing osteoporosis include vitamin D (found in grains, soy, bread), vitamin C (readily available in oranges, limes, tomatoes, and peppers), and potassium (naturally occurring in fruits, beans, and vegetables).
17. Reduce potential for food poisoning
Food poisoning commonly occurs because of contamination from salmonella or E. coli bacteria, both of which are found in animals' feces. While vegetables can also be contaminated with these toxins, research has shown that households that consume meat are more likely to suffer from food poisoning as opposed to vegan or vegetarian households. The culprit? Moist hand towels give bacteria ample places to grow. The easiest way to minimize this risk is to leave animals off your plate and out of your home.
Reasons to go vegan for the environment
Beyond your own health and wellbeing, making vegan food choices can also support the health of our environment. As we've seen with climate change, notable changes to our ecosystems can create catastrophic threats for both humans and animals.
18. Air pollution
Driving through the farmlands of America, you might encounter an inescapable stench that even makes it hard to breathe at times. Factory farms are often hidden from public view, but the air pollution they cause, while invisible, is impossible to mask.
Hog and chicken factory farms are particularly devastating when it comes to air pollution, which is a direct byproduct of confining thousands of animals in small spaces. Every single animal generates waste that seeps into the soil, water, and air. Workers, and the communities that are adjacent to these facilities, are most impacted by air pollution—which can cause headaches and other chronic conditions, alongside the economic impacts of lower property values.
19. Water pollution
Fecal contamination from factory farms poisons more than the air. Water that runs near factory farms can become contaminated, too, due to improper treatment of animal waste. Since our waterways are all connected, this pollution can extend out to marine environments, emptying from rivers and streams into the ocean. This pollution has been linked to dead zones in ocean habitats, such as in the Gulf of Mexico, where researchers have observed some of the largest dead zones in the world.
20. Water use
Freshwater is among the most precious of resources. And yet, animal agriculture treats it as just another material to abuse. Globally, the factory farming industry has been estimated to consume close to 20% of all fresh drinking water supplies. Nearly 1,000 gallons of water are used to produce a single gallon of milk, 900 gallons of water are required to produce one pound of cheese, and a whopping 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce a single pound of beef.
21. Deforestation
Factory farming causes deforestation in two ways: by clearing forests to raise cattle on land, and to make room for the vast mono-crops like wheat, corn, and soy needed to feed the millions of animals in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The World Bank found factory farming to be responsible for 91 percent of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil—a critical habitat that plays a key role in maintaining the global climate.
22. Global warming
Factory farming is responsible for emitting an enormous amount of greenhouse gases, including potent gases like methane. These gases play a pivotal role in global warming and climate catastrophe. Conservative estimates show that animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions—more than planes, trains, and motor vehicles combined. Clearly, animal agriculture is among the most significant contributors to today’s climate crisis—leading to extreme temperature shifts, ravaging wildfires, deadly tsunamis, and more.
23. Wildlife and biodiversity
Due to deforestation, pollution, and climate change brought on by factory farming, what little remains of uncultivated wild habitats is at risk. Increasingly, wild animals are having a difficult time surviving in their natural homes. Tens of thousands of species are going extinct each year due to the voracious needs of animal agriculture. Today, diets rich in meat are the greatest threat to the diversity of our world’s flora and fauna and the ecosystems on which they depend.
Is it really worth it to go vegan?
It used to be that eating vegan in the US, the UK, and other parts of the world was a lonely endeavor. It was difficult to go to a restaurant and choose anything other than a small bed of iceberg lettuce or a side of fries. Unseasoned blocks of tofu were the norm, as were bland veggie burgers that fell apart in the bun.
Not anymore. The evolution of alternative proteins like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat are so close to mimicking the flavor and texture of meat that they are essentially indistinguishable from the animal-based original. And vegan restaurants dedicated solely to dishing up plants in all forms are popping up in cities around the world, while vegan ice creams, yogurts, and milks are seeing a surge in popularity. And that brings us to the last reason to go vegan in 2024:
24. Going vegan is an empowering, exciting, life-changing adventure
Eating vegan is about what you can eat, not what you can’t. It's a way to explore delicious new foods that heal and nourish your body. It's a way to choose kindness every time you sit down to a meal. It's a way to make connections with new people and feel more connected to your community. And above all, veganism is a deeply powerful way to create the more compassionate, intentional world you imagine.
Whether you choose to give veganism a try for your health, the environment, or the animals, you’ll be creating an impact that extends far beyond yourself.
