2. WHAT?
“Veganism is a way of
living which seeks to
exclude, as far as is
possible and practicable,
all forms of exploitation of,
and cruelty to, animals for
food, clothing or any other
purpose.”
7. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
“A vegetarian diet is associated with many health benefits because of its higher content of fiber, folic acid,
vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, and many phytochemicals and a fat content that is more unsaturated.
Compared with other vegetarian diets, vegan diets tend to contain less saturated fat and cholesterol and more
dietary fiber. Vegans tend to be thinner, have lower serum cholesterol, and lower blood pressure, reducing their
risk of heart disease.”
Anyone who is opposed to injustice in the world, should pause and think about the fact that we breed and kill billions of animals on an annual basis, just so that we can eat them. People who passionately believe that the world would be a much better place if we all learned to look past our differences and embrace the common ties that bind us will eventually have to confront the injustice we inflict on animals for our pleasure, convenience and entertainment. If you oppose racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination based on class, sexual orientation, physical appearances or abilities, then veganism can be looked upon as a natural extension of the belief in equality. This doesn’t mean that humans and animals are the same in every way and animals need to enjoy the same rights as human beings. What this means is recognizing that animals do not exist solely for us to use them as a means to an end.
We don’t mean to imply that all the other paths to veganism are not logical ones. However, many people turn to veganism because of a combination of all the above factors. They turn to this lifestyle choice as the most meaningful step one can take against institutionalized systems of exploitation of living beings, to do something positive for their health, the environment and to live in a manner that reflects their ethics. Veganism is a logical choice because it is good for us, for animals and the planet. If you respect life, you should not directly or indirectly participate in the exploitation of life; if you respect nature, you cannot support industries that contribute to the destruction of our natural world, and lastly, if you value your own existence, you wouldn’t want to consume products that can have a detrimental impact on your health. It’s that simple, and you don’t need elaborate theories, complicated moral reasoning and a billion scientific facts to help you arrive at veganism as the solution.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1627S.full
A vegetarian diet provides a variety of cancer-protective dietary factors (24). In addition, obesity is a significant factor, increasing the risk of cancer at a number of sites (25). Because the mean BMI of vegans is considerably lower than that of nonvegetarians (8), it may be an important protective factor for lowering cancer risk.
