There was a time in human history when we were hunters and gatherers. Food was hard to come by during winters and droughts mak us rely on hunting animals to feed and stay alive. While agriculture has made sure that we don’t have to go hunting for our food anymore, animals still continue to be a large part of our diet. You might dismiss veganism as a fad but the fact is that several scientific studies and research papers have proved that a plant-based diet is more conducive to human health. If you’re wondering what the fuss is all about, here are 5 reasons why you should consider becoming a vegetarian.
1. To Do Your Bit For The Environment
Animal farming is one of the biggest threats to the environment. Billions of animals are raised across the world only for the purpose of human consumption. The consumption of meat, especially beef, has a significant impact on the environment. The amount of grain and land used to produce a pound of beef, as well as the volume of methane the animals produce, contribute to the destruction of the forests for farming and an increase in greenhouse gases. Water usage is also an aspect to consider. An estimated 2,000 gallons of water are needed to produce just one pound of beef in the United States.
2. To Lower Your Chances Of Getting Type 2 Diabetes
More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes and approximately 40 percent of the population is pre-diabetic. Research has shown that meat consumption is consistently associated with the risk of Type 2 diabetes.1 Research also found that sticking to a vegetarian diet protects you against the risk of type 2 diabetes caused by lifestyle.2 There are several studies which point to the fact that there is a strong link between consuming aminal protein and diabetes. By going green, you can easily avert this risk and shift to a healthier lifestyle.
3. To Eat Healthy Proteins
It’s a common notion that a vegetarian diet does not provide your body with the required amount of protein. While it is true that a diet that’s deficient in protein can be harmful, having excess protein is also not good for your body. Americans who are omnivores consume 1.5 times more than the optimal amount of protein and most of this is from animal sources. Your body stores the excess calories from protein as body fat which contributes to obesity, heart disease, inflammation, and cancer. Plant proteins, however, contribute towards preventing chronic disease. When you’re on a plant-based diet, if you are meeting your daily calorie requirement, you will have all the protein that you need.
4. To Reduce Body Inflammation
Studies have found that consuming meat can increase the chances of inflammation which could be the cause for several long- and short-term diseases. Chronic inflammation could cause strokes, diabetes, heart attacks, and atherosclerosis. Plant-based diets can naturally reduce inflammation levels in your body. A protein known as C-reactive protein is used as an indicator of inflammation in the body. Researchers found that the presence of this protein was significantly lower in people who were on vegan diets. 3
5. To Live A Life Of Compassion
As humans, we are at the top of the food chain but that does not mean that other life on this planet does not deserve the chance to live with dignity. No matter how much we convince ourselves that animals slaughtered for our consumption are being killed “humanely”, the fact is that we are rearing these animals in confined spaces, feeding them food that’s designed to make them grow unusually fast, and killing them without mercy. The fact is that no animal deserves to be killed to satiate the human craving for meat. When you give up eating all forms of meat, you also making a choice to live a life of compassion.
Science has proved enough number of times that humans do not need animal meat to live healthy and normal lives. In fact, the human digestive system is essentially designed to ingest plant foods rather than foods from animal sources. By shifting to a plant-based diet, you’re not only doing your body a favor but also making a conscious choice to live in harmony with the environment, just like all the other creatures on the planet do.
