Going vegan seems to be the new trend for teenagers, athletes, and LA restaurants alike, and when there are new trends, there is also new criticism. As a wave of activism threatens the meat-based diet of America, many people are wondering if veganism is really the way to go. How healthy is it? And is it really better for the environment?

Before you start reading, I’m obligated to tell you that I am lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means that I can’t eat meat, poultry, or fish, but can eat eggs and milk. But, as a fellow curious learner, I have put away any biases that I may have to give you the most accurate analysis possible. Now, on to the article. 

One of the first concerns of being vegan is health. Going vegan means becoming a vegetarian that doesn’t eat meat, poultry, fish, or animal-based products like eggs, dairy, or gelatin, which is different from other vegetarian diets that may include some animal-based products or fish. A vegan diet in and of itself isn’t necessarily healthy. However, any vegetarian will generally consume less saturated fat and cholesterol, while consuming more vitamin C and E, magnesium, dietary fiber, and folic acid. While the long term effect of being vegetarian isn’t yet known, vegetarianism may have lower risks of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Being vegetarian may also lead to a lower BMI. However, these results refer to general vegetarianism rather than veganism. For example, fish-eaters have higher levels of omega-3 and lower risks of cancer compared to other vegetarians.

As for health risks, vitamin D and K deficiencies can lower bone health, and the total exclusion of meat-based products leaves vegans susceptible to insufficient levels of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. However, taking supplements will easily fix these problems. 

But what about the environmental aspect of veganism? Since food is one of the main contributors to climate change, releasing 19-29% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, a sustainable diet is an important consideration. One study shows that the combination of deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions for raising livestock contributes more to climate change compared to the use of fossil fuels in transportation.  Moving to a plant-based diet can reduce the impact of agriculture by significantly reducing agricultural land use by 72%, greenhouse gas emissions by 49%, acidification by 50%, and eutrophication by 49%. Livestock also consumes resources such as water and grain. 1 kg of animal protein requires about a hundred times the amount of water 1 kg of plant protein requires. Even by just cutting out meat, the amount of grain fed to livestock to produce eggs and dairy (a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet) is about half of the amount of grain fed to livestock to produce meat. 

So, in all, going vegan can help lower the effect agriculture has on the planet. But is that it? Is a plant-based diet the silver bullet that will help us save the Earth? Not quite. 

Both plant and meat-based diets require a lot of nonrenewable fossil fuels. When foods like avocado or quinoa are imported from different countries, they still need a lot of resources and greenhouse gases to be shipped to America. All the while, exporting high demand crops can drive up prices for locals. While going vegan can help the environment, it’s not necessarily the cure-all for climate change and environmental protection. The solution? Finding a balance by buying locally sourced food. Local farms can support sustainable agriculture by utilizing systems such as efficient irrigation, crop rotation, and agroforestry.

​

When it comes to the future of the nation, it’s uncertain if veganism is the most sustainable diet. If America adjusted to veganism, lots of the grazing land unsuitable for crops would go to waste, and the diet would feed an estimated 735 million people. Compared to the lacto-vegetarian diet, which could feed 807 million, and omnivore diets that incorporate 20-40% meat into its meal, veganism isn’t the most sustainable for feeding America’s population. 

​

Nevertheless, going vegan is a diet that can be good for your health and help the environment. John Poore, who led a published study based on data from 40,000 farms from 119 countries, said that the vegan diet is “far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car”. While it’s not certain that veganism is the best way to sustain a country or the human race, the diet can drastically improve our impact on the Earth.

​

References

Becoming a vegetarian. (2008, October). Retrieved from Harvard Health Publishing website: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian

Carrington, D. (2018, May). Avoiding meat and dairy is 'single biggest way' to reduce your impact on Earth. Retrieved from The Guardian website: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth

Feenstra, G. (n.d.). What is sustainable agriculture. Retrieved from Agricultural Sustainability Institute website: https://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/ucsarep/about/what-is-sustainable-agriculture

Henderson, E. (2018, January 27). Why veganism isn't as environmentally friendly as you might think. Retrieved from Independent website: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/veganism-environment-veganuary-friendly-food-diet-damage-hodmedods-protein-crops-jack-monroe-a8177541.html

Peters, C. J., Picardy, J., Darrouzet-Nardi, A. F., Wilkins, J. L., Griffin, T. S., & Fick, G. W. (n.d.). Carrying capacity of U.S. agricultural land: Ten diet scenarios. Elem Sci Anth. http://doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000116

Pimentel, D., & Pimentel, M. (n.d.). Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.3.660S

Poore, J., & Nemecek, T. (n.d.). Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science, 360(6392), 987-992. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaq0216

Potter, J. D. (n.d.). Red and processed meat, and human and planetary health: Contemporary meat consumption harms human health and is equally bad for the planet. The BMJ. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/17ad/b9371348d9440adb0a0d8928e89d134f8001.pdf

Tuomisto, H. L. (2018, August 01). Importance of considering environmental sustainability in dietary guidelines. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30174-8

What is eutrophication? (n.d.). Retrieved from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/eutrophication.html