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Jackie Kasner

Dr. Adrienne Cassel

English Composition II

30 March 2020

Why is Veganism not common?

It’s a normal day at your home, and you are laying on the couch, tired and exhausted

from a long day at work. You scroll through your Instagram feed and you find an ad displaying a

video from a “factory farm.” This seems like a scary place to you, as you see workers throwing

animals and doing all sorts of cruel acts that would make you sick. Seeing the videos and images

of animals being slaughtered and mistreated disgusts you, causing you to wonder “Why do I

support such great companies who make great food but treat their animals like this?” But look no

farther, there seems to be a solution to stop this what seems like bizarre factory farm craziness:

Veganism. A vegan diet has proven to be beneficial as it provides many sources of nutrients the

body needs. Veganism can decrease health risks such as cancer, heart problems and diabetes,

therefore making it a beneficial and essential diet.

Diets influence the way we are through how we eat and what we eat. They also determine

how are lifestyles are and can help doctors determine their patients’ health. Veganism is no

exception, as it is a type of vegetarianism, not its own diet. People who are on a vegan diet do

not consume products made from animals including meat, dairy, eggs and other animal-based

products. Many types of diets in the world exist today, but veganism is rising to become one of

the popular ones. In a vegan diet, a person will receive much of the nutrients found in plants but

will need to make up for the lost nutrients usually found in meat and dairy.
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There are health complications that can be prevented as a person eats vegan. Many of

these health complications are associated with consuming meat and dairy products. A vegan diet

can prevent health problems such as diabetes and decrease a person’s weight. Also,

“improvements in blood pressure and dyslipidemia, and a lower incidence and/or mortality

related to ischemic heart disease…,” (Cramer et al.). Especially with the elderly, keeping a

monitor on blood pressure is vital to avoid any health complications that could arise. Eating

vegan would help prevent these health complications that happen from blood pressure. With the

benefits that eating vegan has on the heart, this diet is suitable as it prevents these complications

from becoming a real problem as a person ages.

When eating vegan, many nutrients are provided that can be achieved through an

omnivore diet, but in a more enhanced perspective. A vegan diet can provide increased “vitamin,

mineral and [fiber] levels and thinking ahead about your meals and snacks rather than relying on

convenience foods can help sustain energy levels,” (Medlin). These health benefits can help

change the way a person’s body digests food, as with there being an increase in fiber levels. An

increase in fiber levels means less chances of constipation, meaning that digestion is easier with

higher fiber levels than in lower fiber levels. This can prevent certain digestive health

complications from happening and eventually, other health problems.

While eating vegan, many significant changes happen as a person’s body becomes

accustomed to the new diet. Less saturated fat is consumed, making the health complications that

could arise in the future decrease. Many people with health complications use a vegan diet,

especially as 59.0% of respondents in a study done by a “secondary analysis of 2012 US

National Health Interview Survey Data,” (Cramer et. al) says that Veganism has helped a lot in a

specific health problem. This indicates that veganism can not only prevent a person from
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receiving certain health complications but can treat the certain health complications that people

may face.

There are many other sources that vegans can have to receive their nutrients without

having to consume animal-made products. Vegans can have soy products, cereals, orange juice,

whole grains, legumes, etc. (Craig). Within these food products, vegans can eat healthy and reap

the health benefits. Many sources of nutrients not made using animals are available, these

nutrients can be consumed and are easy to find. Although animal-made products have nutrients

that is not found in plants, vegans can have numerous nutrient benefits all without eating

products made from animals.

However, nutrient deficiencies can happen, so vegans need to be aware of the nutrients

that they are consuming or need to consume. Once vegans receive the nutrients their bodies need,

the health benefits will come into play. Not having enough nutrients though could lead to

deficiencies in Iron, Vitamin B12 and other, more severe health complications. If a person

becomes vegan to enjoy the health benefits, they must also be aware of the nutrients that is

usually found in animal products that their body is craving and find the plant-based sources that

have the needed nutrients. A vegan diet with all the nutrients required in the body would allow a

person to have a superior healthy lifestyle.

The availability of plant-based nutrients is becoming broader and broader. Supermarkets

and Grocery stores have made accommodations to allow vegans to purchase what their diet

requires, providing whole and varied selections to choose from. There are plenty of alternatives

to meat that “our appetite for meat is overall declining,” (Medlin). She also states how flexible

grocery stores are to support a vegan diet. Many alternative sources of nutrients can be found
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simply walking through a grocery store. This allows grocery stores and supermarkets to be able

to accommodate not just omnivores, but vegans and vegetarians as well.

In order to be a vegan and have all the health benefits work out, vegans must be

responsible enough to be able to receive all the nutrients they need, especially when having to

substitute nutrients. This will allow the body to retain its natural self and not appear depleted.

There are many sources of nutrients available and grocery stores that accommodate, vegans must

be willing to support themselves and have all the proper nutrients they need. Once vegans have

the proper amount of nutrients, they will be able to live healthier than an omnivore diet. Many

sources of nutrients are available, vegans must take advantage of using alternative sources of

nutrients.

In addition, Veganism does not only have to occur with people who share similar

characteristics. Everyone can be vegan, no matter your age, weight, medical conditions, and

anything that describes who a person is. If a person plans how they want to receive their nutrients

out, personal characteristics do not matter. Everyone can be vegan and reaping the health

benefits that go along with it. Veganism has no limits, and therefore people should know the

numerous benefits that eating vegan has to offer.

Since there is no limits in being Vegan, pregnant mothers can eat vegan as well. They

must be careful, however, and coordinate how they receive their nutrients, especially since

having certain nutrients is critical to the health of the mother and fetus. If a vegan pregnant

woman plans accordingly on how she will receive her nutrients, her pregnancy is indicated to be

as healthy as omnivores. This indicates that women who are vegan have the same capability of

having a healthy pregnancy as other, non-vegan women. Soon-to-be mothers, however, can

cause birth complications if they do not provide themselves and/or the offspring, vegans who are
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pregnant must receive the proper nutrients that they need. When they do receive the proper

nutrients, vegans will be able to reap the health benefits and experience the prevention of many

serious diseases, making veganism an excellent choice for a plant-based diet.

Even children can be vegan, starting them young can prevent health problems throughout

the course of the lifespan. Like how pregnant mothers must have nutrients usually found in

animal-made products, children must also have nutrients in order to prevent certain health and

developmental complications. For instance, in an article about eating vegan for children, it tells a

story about a mother who fed her daughter only food made from plants, no meat, fish and dairy.

Her daughter ended up appearing malnourished, having health complications that shocked the

mother. Children have the same capabilities of being vegan, but especially in the early stages,

nutrients must be consumed for development. Children who consume the right amount of

nutrients in non-dairy or meat products, usually a greater portion, as certain nutrients are needed

in the early stages, will not have any nutritional deficiencies, and will experience the benefits of

eating vegan.

Vegans can also be people who exercise, as there are even benefits for those who like to

improve their fitness levels. Even a marathon champion has won marathons, only eating a plant-

based diet. Scott Jurek, an accomplished ultramarathon runner, tells about how he won some

brutal ultramarathon running events including, “the most difficult one-hundred-mile trail race in

the world,” (Francis). Jurek also finds out that most athletes can perform efficiently on a vegan

diet, proving that even athletes, from recreational to elite, can eat a vegan diet. Vegan diets

provide less of the unhealthy nutrients than an omnivorous diet has, allowing for performance to

improve. Jurek proves that athletes can even eat vegan and it could actually help, not hurt, their

performance.
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A vegan can allow not only a certain group of people, but it can allow everyone to

participate in a more wholesome, health-beneficial diet. Not many people are aware of the

excellent nutritional benefits that eating vegan has to offer. Since many who follow a certain

vegetarian or vegan diet were more likely “30-65 years, female, at least high school educated,

chronically ill and/or physically active,” (Cramer et. al), ensuring not many people are aware

about how beneficial and essential a vegan diet is to their health. People need to be informed of

diets such as vegetarian and/or vegan before the diseases and health problems from eating an

omnivore diet occur to them. Eating a vegan diet is provides numerous health benefits, also

allowing everyone to participate, no matter what defines them.

Being vegan is also beneficial not only for humans, but for the Earth as well. According

to an article in the April/May 2020 issue of Girl’s Life magazine, environmental resources are

used more with animal-made proteins than with plant-based. A healthier Earth means a healthier

self, as not all the food that is available to humans is eaten by them. Being vegan will help

conserve water, as it is a natural resource that humans are damaging, especially since chemicals

that process meat and other animal-made products are going into a local sewage system. Eating

vegan will not only allow a person’s body to heal but could provide a person with more health

benefits than expected.

If an entire city went vegan, imagine not only the health and economic benefits, but

imagine the benefits that would occur in the environment around them. Water systems would be

cleaner, less energy would be consumed, and even has the capabilities of purifying the air,

making it less bound to pollution. The people in the city would be healthier, which could lead to

longer life expectancies and less times roaming in and out of hospitals due to health

complications. A city that went vegan would be considered an ethical, cleaner, and healthier city.
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Being vegan would not only impact a person’s health, but if many people were vegan it could

impact the World in so many ways.

The less environmental issues the Earth experiences because of being vegan, the more

people that can be informed on Veganism and its health benefits. It’s true, meat and fish

industries are the main causers of deforestation, overfishing and pollution. Humans need to care

for the Earth that they live in, so they can keep their care going for future generations. By being

vegan, humans ensure this, but if they do not care for the Earth, then the future generations will

be left with nothing but an unclean Earth, possibly leading to health problems. Eating vegan

would not only benefit your body, but the environment as well, allowing a person to reap

benefits inside their body and outside as well.

However, if a child is fed strictly non-animal made foods, the child is more likely to

appear malnourished. As one mother reported her daughter’s cheeks appeared pinched and the

child’s “upper front teeth were pitted with holes,” (Mann), the mother became concerned and

took her child to the doctor. Another child, who was a 12-year-old vegan, visited the doctor,

resulting in this child being diagnosed with rickets. Doctors also compared the child’s spine to

the spine of an 80-year-old woman. If a child does not have proper nutrients, they will not be

able to develop and will therefore look malnourished and younger than they should be. Children

need plenty of nutrients, such as iron or Vitamin B12 if they are sticking to plant-based diets,

especially if they are young so they can develop accordingly.

The same thing goes for unborn children as well. Many fetal malformations and other

birth complications can result from the mother not eating enough nutrients. Pregnant and

breastfeeding mothers can also suffer complications if meals and sources of nutrients are not

planned properly. However, if vegan mothers plan out how they are going to receive their
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nutrients, their pregnancy should be healthy and they could also pass on health problems

prevented by eating vegan to their children. Nutrient planning is critical to any vegan but

especially to a pregnant and breastfeeding mother.

Vegans are prone to nutrient deficiencies, but they can find alternative sources of

nutrients. Many grocery companies desire to accommodate vegans and any people on a diet.

Nutrient deficiencies and other health complications caused by lack of nutrients can be prevented

if vegans choose to plan their nutrients wisely. Many things are available for vegans, they just

need to be able to support themselves. Vegans can enjoy the health benefits once they have all of

the proper nutrients available to them.

Veganism has been beneficial to people for thousands of generations. The diet has been

proven to prevent many health complications, potentially saving lives of both humans and

animals. Vegans, however, must be aware of their nutrient needs, as they could suffer low bone

mineral density, malnutrition, and other complications if not planned accordingly. A plant-based

diet would provide more health, environmental and ethical benefits. The earth would appreciate

if more people became vegan, and so would the animals.

Imagine being an animal living on a farm out in the country with their family. One day,

they were suddenly taken away from your family as they were forced to be sent to the

slaughterhouse or in modern-day context, a factory farm. There, an animal would be crowded

with other animals and cruelly mistreated by workers. Animals deserve to be in a place where

they can run free and not be treated as property. Animals also receive added chemicals and

medicines while at the factory farm, making the factory farm seem like a unethical place.

Workers constantly beat and torture these animals and eventually kill them for food, now how

harsh is that?
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It is morally right to be a vegan, as a person is helping save the lives of thousands of

innocent animals who die for food each day. Veganism has nutrients found in it that you can

rarely find in an omnivore diet, making it a health-beneficial diet. Saving animals’ lives because

a person has chosen to become vegan will impact a society for the good. The diet does not only

impact a person, but it impacts the world around them as well.

Figure 1: This chart above was a study done by a data journalist who was interested in

researching who was vegan and vegetarian in America. Few people eat vegetarian or vegan,

could cause an increasing number in health problems as there are benefits to eating vegan which

most people are unaware of. 

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If people are not aware of the many benefits of eating vegan, more animals will suffer

terribly, and more health complications from an omnivore diet could occur. Many places around

the world, like grocery stores and restaurants are becoming more accommodating to vegans and

vegetarians. Risks of health complications occur less when people choose to eat vegan, allowing

for more health care places to accommodate people with more chronic and serious

complications. Very few people know about the health benefits of being vegan, so it is important

that people know how important being vegan is to their health before it is too late in their lives to

do anything.

Being vegan not only has health benefits but is also impactful in the economy and in the

world as well. Less meat and dairy products would be in demand, making it a cleaner, healthier

environment. There would also be more animals who would have a more fair and equal chance

of living, as they would be able to roam and play in a safe place they can call “home.” Animals

would also not worry about living in fear and dealing with their cruel and harsh workers. In the

economy, the sale of meat, dairy and other animal made products would go down, allowing for

less production as few people would consume animal-based products.

Even though eating animals and animal-made products is a custom that has existed for

centuries, being vegan has been proven to be much healthier to a person’s body. Many people

today are omnivores, unaware of the benefits of eating vegan and the damages they could do to

their body. Eating vegan saves the lives of many innocent animals and can also help save the life

of the Earth. Many animals are constantly suffering injuries, internal health complications and

death by living for food and it is causing a crisis in our society today. Animals deserve a life like

humans, one of freedom and innocence, where they do not have to suffer and can be as well

cared for.
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Works Cited

Craig, Winston J. “Health Effects of Vegan Diets.” The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition,

vol. 89, no. 5, May 2009, p. 1627S–1633S. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736N.

Cramer, Holger, et al. “Characteristics of Americans Choosing Vegetarian and Vegan Diets for

Health Reasons.” Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, vol. 49, no. 7, July 2017,

pp. 561–567. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2017.04.011.

D' Argenio Waller, Jessica. “It's Easy Being Green.” Girl's Life, 2020, pp. 74–75.

Mann, Natasha. "A Vegan Diet Can Cause Malnourishment, Especially in Children."

Vegetarianism, edited by Debra A. Miller, Greenhaven Press, 2010. Current

Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010705210/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=cfed7ae3. Accessed 17 Mar. 2020. Originally published

as "How Our Vegan Diet Made Us Ill," Independent, 17 June 2008.

McCarthy, Joe, and Erica Sanchez. “9 Reasons Why Going Vegan Is Better For The

Environment.” Global Citizen, Global Citizen, 15 Aug. 2016,

www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/9-reasons-why-veganism-can-save-the-world/.

McCarthy, Niall. “Who are America’s Vegans and Vegetarians?” Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/08/06/who-are-americas-vegans-and-

vegetarians-infographic/#7757421a211c.

Medlin, Sophie. “How a vegan diet can affect your body in the first year.” Independent, 16

August 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/vegan-diet-

body-changes-veganism-year-a8493936.html. Accessed 03 March 2020.

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“Preface to 'Is a Vegetarian Diet Beneficial for Health?'." Vegetarianism, edited by Amy Francis,

Greenhaven Press, 2015. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010705135/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=8083f103. Accessed 03 Mar. 2020.

Sebastiani, Giorgia, et al. “The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diet during Pregnancy on the

Health of Mothers and Offspring.” NUTRIENTS, vol. 11, no. 3. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.3390/nu11030557.