Veganism: A Win-win Trend
"A vegan diet is the future and the easiest step one can take towards better health, sustainability and a kinder lifestyle. Unlike the common perception, there are several sources rich in calcium and protein such as beans, nuts, peas, chickpeas which are easily digestible than their animal-based counterparts. Dairy, apart from being laden with oxytocin these days, is very heavy on the system and not meant for a human body. A vegan diet is cholesterol-free and healthy. I have seen several doctors and nutritionists on our platform who have reversed several cases of type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) through a whole food plant-based diet (WFPB)." - Palak Mehta, founder and CEO, Veganfirst.com - India's leading platform for all things plant-based.
Veganism can be defined as a lifestyle which removes all animal products from a person’s life. Hence, it is strictly against the exploitation of animals. Whether it comes to food habits, vegans avoid meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, honey and a large number of other products containing animal-derived additives. They eat a variety of other available foods and replace meat and dairy with plant-based alternatives.
“The ten years of my being vegan has been about no doctor visits, no flu, no migraine, no stomach upsets, nothing that we think is normal. How can being unhealthy be normal? And all about living light, energetic and happy! When the choices are in abundance, costs savings evident and health benefits indisputable, why would anyone think twice to live an ethical and healthy life?” says Anand Siva (CRM Consultant, Kantar, who is strictly vegan and spreads awareness related to it)
Weighing the pros and cons of veganism we should understand that it is important to have compassion and live peacefully, i.e. in perfect harmony with other beings like animals, all around us. Co-existence is the key to the future generations having an Ahimsa (non-violence) form of living. On the other hand, a vegan can get poor nutrition due to the lack of certain essential nutrients which are missing in their diet.
Some people go vegan for health reasons whilst others for ethical and environmental concerns. They care about all earthlings and believe in animal welfare. Whether it is food, clothing (for example leather) or any other factor, vegans keep their preferences of saving the planet in their minds.
“Switching to an all-plant diet may improve your health, and cut down the risk of certain chronic ailments but it may also raise your risk of certain nutritional deficiencies. Balance is the key. Only if planned and prepared with focus on making the diet rich in B12, iron and protein a vegan diet can have major health benefits. It improves cholesterol profile, may cut down risk of some types of cancer, reduce inflammation and improve gut health,” opines Manisha Bhagat, Nutritionist and Health Coach.
There are certain drawbacks of veganism as well. For example, one of them is the lack of Vitamin B-12 which is necessary for the functioning or the central nervous system, for optimizing metabolic functions, as well as production of red blood cells and prevention of anemia. Vitamin B-12 is found mostly in animal products and can be lacking in a vegan’s diet which may make cause weakness, fatigue, constipation, and lack of appetite. This deficiency
may go undetected in people who eat a vegan diet. Due to this, it's important for vegans to consider vitamin supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy products.
A growing number of people are turning vegan as of now. According to Marco Springmann, from Oxford University – “The environmental impacts of the food system are daunting. It’s responsible for about a quarter of our greenhouse emissions and uses about 70% of our fresh-water resources and it occupies about 40% of the Earth’s land surface. Food related emissions could increase to about 50% by 2050 and fill up the total emission budget that we have to avoid dangerous levels of the climate change.”
Hence, on a conclusive note, it can be said that veganism can help us not only towards achieving good health but also by creating an example for others to save the planet.
