Veganism is a way of living on the products of the plant kingdom. A vegan is a total vegetarian who consumes no animal byproducts. Vegans avoid both animal derivatives and animal-tested products in their lifestyle. This means an avoidance of meat, milk, eggs, butter, etc., as well as leather, wool, cosmetics, soaps and shampoos derived from animal ingredients or tested on animals.
Why? Most people who have chosen a vegan lifestyle have done so because they have become aware of the cruelty and exploitation involved in the making of animal products. Vegans realise that it is unnecessary to inflict suffering on animals in order to lead a healthy, happy, normal life. Indeed, avoidance of animal products usually results in enhanced, natural good health. Coupled with compassion for animals is the awareness that animal production is a grossly inefficient means of producing food.
Every
day more and more people become vegan. Some because they are
concerned about the quality of food they eat and the effect on their
health, some are concerned about the suffering of animals to produce
their food and others, the environmental impact that raising animals
for meat has on the planet. Whatever the reason, veganism is
becoming increasingly popular every day.
Making such a change in
your lifestyle, however, raises many common questions and this article
addresses the most common concerns and questions asked. It provides you
with the information you need to make your own informed decision. Your visit to this site has already indicated your concern and I sincerely hope that you will make the change.
Becoming
vegan will be the best decision you will ever make in your lifetime, for yourself, for the animals and for the environment.
It’s kinder for animals
It
seems easy for a child to understand that eating meat is morally wrong
because it causes pain and suffering to animals. Maybe this is why
parents don’t tell them the whole truth about meat until they are much
older; after they have had tradition drilled into their minds until it
becomes acceptable that meat consumption is necessary.
Yet even
many adults are oblivious to the fact that animals are now treated as
commodities and bred extensively in mass production such as in factory
farms and feedlots. Contrary to what some people believe, they do not
live a contented life down on the farm until their day arrives when
they will happily forfeit their lives to us for a meal.
The
truth is that many animals are kept in overcrowded conditions, are
denied the freedom to perform their natural instincts, are fed large
doses of antibiotics and growth hormones to make them larger and more
productive and are bred continually to produce more and more offspring.
Cows
are bred continually so that they are kept in an almost constant state
of lactation. Just like humans and other mammals, they must be either
pregnant or nursing to produce milk which, in their case, is largely
for human consumption. Their calves are then taken away from them
(which is extremely distressing for both the calf and its mother) and
sent away for slaughter while its mother is impregnated again.
Pigs
are highly intelligent and inquisitive animals, yet sows are kept in
stalls barely bigger than their bodies, unable to walk or turn around
and often forced to lie in their own faeces. They are kept continually
pregnant, the physical stress of which causes uterine prolapses. Their
piglets have their teeth clipped, ears notched and tails cut off
without anaesthetic. After a short, miserable life of around six months
they are sent to the abattoir for slaughter.
Hens are kept
crowded together in small battery cages. They are denied their natural
desire to scratch in the dirt and establish a pecking order - part of a
complex social system. At a young age, part of their beak is cut off to
prevent cannibalism, caused by the high level of stress they are forced
to endure. They are slaughtered at a young age when they stop producing
sufficient eggs and usually end up as chicken stock, baby food or pet
food.
After a short miserable life, animals are transported from
the factory farm to the abattoir. Their well-being is rarely taken into
consideration, as they are regarded as mere commodities, not sentient
creatures. They are often transported long distances by road train with
no food or water. It is not considered worth feeding and watering the
animals when they are only going to be slaughtered anyway. Many die or
are injured on the way.
The end of the journey is no relief to
the frightened animals. They are led to the slaughterhouse in a state
of despair. They have no escape and, despite apparatus such as stunners
to make the whole process a little more humane, many animals are still
fully conscious when their throats are slit. The pig slaughterer who
complains that a pig is obstinate and difficult to handle is just
observing an intelligent animal doing everything in its power to save
the most precious thing he has - his life!
It’s kinder on the environment
With
more and more animals being raised on intensive farms there has been
increasing concern about the effects on the environment.
Rainforests
in Central America are being felled or burnt to provide land for
grazing beef cattle. The destruction of such a huge area of land has a
devastating effect on the ozone layer. Each animal produces over 300
litres of methane (a ‘greenhouse’ gas) each day and the termites which
feed on the rotting trees produce even more methane. The topsoil is
eroded by the cattle, which are hard-hoofed, and the ground is doused
with fertilisers and pesticides to maximise production. The land and
the waterways are polluted with both poisonous residues and the
effluent of the animals.
In Australia, the effluent produced
from intensive piggeries, battery farms and cattle feedlots is also
polluting our rivers and waterways.
It takes around 10kg of
vegetable protein to produce 1kg of animal protein. Therefore, it makes
more sense to grow crops for direct human consumption, rather than to
feed animals which will later be eaten.
Around 70% of crops
grown in the United States are fed to animals which are later used for
human consumption. At the same time, somewhere in the world a child
dies of starvation every two seconds. The world’s population is growing
rapidly and, unless our resources are used more productively for a
vegetarian diet, there simply will not be enough food to go around!
It’s kinder for you
The
three biggest killers in the Western world are heart disease, cancer
and stroke. Amazingly, all three conditions can be attributed largely
to unhealthy eating habits, such as the consumption of meat and dairy
products.
Both heart disease and stroke are caused by a build-up
of cholesterol in the arteries. Over time, this can create an
obstruction preventing the blood from reaching the heart or the brain,
resulting in a heart attack or a stroke. Cholesterol can only be found
in animal products and removing all animal products from your diet
greatly reduces the chance of heart disease.
Many cancers have
been linked directly to a meat-based diet which is high in fat and low
in fibre. It was noted as early as 1892 in Scientific American that
“cancer is most frequent among those branches of the human race where
carnivorous habits prevail”.
In contrast, vegan diets
contain a higher amount of fibre and anti-oxidants, such as
beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, which are known to fight
cancer. Cancer rates amongst vegans are 50% less than in
meat-eaters.
Osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones thin and
become fragile, has been used by the dairy industry as a marketing tool
to promote its products. However, it has been found that the incidence
of osteoporosis is much lower in countries that consume little or no
dairy products. It is the United States, where large amounts of dairy
products are consumed, that has one of the highest incidences of
osteoporosis in the world. The amount of calcium in the bones is
controlled by hormones, and increasing calcium in the diet does not
necessarily prevent the disease. A high intake of animal protein
encourages the loss of calcium from the bones. Eating plant proteins
instead, and being physically active helps preserve the calcium in our
bones.
Overall, vegans have been found to live longer and
be healthier. They have less chance of suffering from heart disease or
cancer, as well as from obesity, food poisoning, constipation or
diabetes.
Common Questions
Won't I suffer from nutritional deficiencies?
Not
if you eat a healthy, varied diet. The meat and dairy industry have
such strong advertising power that they have drilled into people’s
minds the importance of calcium and iron. Sure, they are important. But
not any more important than say, vitamin C or carbohydrates! The
assumption that vegans will suffer from iron and calcium
deficiency is due largely to the advertising campaigns of these big
corporations. You can get all the nutrients you need without eating
any animal products.
Don't I need protein to grow strong?
Yes,
and there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be getting enough protein.
Protein is found in lots of foods, not only in meat. Consider some of
the strongest animals you know...bulls, buffaloes, elephants,
gorillas... they are all vegetarians and they all obtain plenty of
protein from their plant-based diets. Everyone has heard of the saying
“as strong as an ox” - another vegetarian! Like these animals, it is
better to obtain your protein directly from the source (plants) than to
obtain it second-hand from other animals.
As quoted by the Australian Farm Journal (September ‘97) “Chickpeas have the highest calcium level of any legume in the world. They are a complex carbohydrate, high in fibre, and have more protein than beef”. [Emphasis added.
Aren't vegans pale and sickly looking?
That
really does depend on the person and what they eat. A carnivorous
person who merely gives up meat, eating meals which consist of meat and
three vegetables minus the meat would probably not be getting their
full dietary requirements. However, those that consume a diet full of
fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, pasta and legumes would only
appear pale and sickly if they never went into the sun and were
genuinely ill. Look at the list of famous vegans, particularly the
sports people. Do you think that any of these people look pale and
sickly? It should be recognised that both a vegan and a
non-vegetarian diet have the potential to be deficient. It is entirely
up to the individual to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods.
Aren't we meant to eat meat?
Let’s have a look at a comparison between carnivores and herbivores:
- Carnivores
have large canine teeth for ripping the flesh away from their prey,
while herbivores (including humans) have teeth suitable for grinding
vegetables, seeds etc.
- Carnivores have a much shorter digestive
tract than herbivores, which is designed to get the meat through the
body as quickly as possible, before it begins to putrefy and toxify in
the body.
- Carnivores have a stomach acid 10 times stronger than herbivores.
What would happen to all the cows and other animals if we stopped eating meat?
To
assume that the world would become vegan overnight, although a
wonderful idea, would be somewhat naive. It will be a slow process. As
more and more people become vegan the demand for meat and dairy will
decrease and farmers would, therefore, breed fewer animals. The entire
concept of eating meat will, therefore, disintegrate slowly but surely.
Doesn't a carrot feel pain too?
Based
on what we know about plants and animals, one of the major things that
distinguishes the two is that animals possess a very complex nervous
system connected to the brain.
Together, the nervous system and the
brain serve as a survival tool, identifying pain, stress or fright as
signals that their lives may be in danger and prompting them to take
appropriate action.
Plants do not have these mechanisms. They do not
have the ability to run away from danger so the presence of a nervous
system would not be of use to them.
Isn't vegan food boring?
Where
have you been?!!!! Have you ever tried lentil curries with brown rice,
stir-fried vegetables with tofu and sweet & sour sauce, spicy dahl
with pappadams or falafels with hommus and tabouli? There is a whole
world of vegan food just waiting for you to try. You’ll never need
to look at a boring steak or boiled egg again.
What about when I go out for meals?
Vegan
food is now available in all restaurants. Any establishment that is
unable to cater to your requirements is not worth visiting. If you are
unsure, give them a call before you arrive to ensure that they can make
something up for you. Don’t be afraid to ask whether the “vegan”
soup is made with a meat or vegetable stock or if they use animal or
vegetable oil in their cooking. They don’t all understand that it’s not
much good having a vegan meal if it’s cooked in beef fat! The more
people ask for vegan food (and it is so often asked for that it’s
nearly always commonplace) the more choices they will have to offer.
We
recommend you visit restaurants that cater specifically for
vegans. They give you a much wider choice of dishes and they
deserve your support. You will often find meat-eaters looking
enviously at your more appetising (and usually cheaper) meal,
particularly in aeroplanes when your meal gets served first!
So
you see, eating animals not only hurts the animals and the environment,
it hurts you too. It really makes you wonder why anyone would even
contemplate a non-vegan diet. Make the start today to a life that
is more compassionate, more environmentally sound and so much healthier
that it could very well save your own life. GO VEGAN TODAY!
Plant Sources of Essential Nutrients
IRON - Green leafy vegetables, breakfast cereals, whole grain bread, soy products, legumes, nuts, mushrooms, seeds.
CALCIUM
- Sesame seeds, Chinese tofu, almonds, brazil nuts, soy beans, parsley,
green vegetables (including kale, spinach, watercress & parsley),
fortified soy milk, tahini.
PROTEIN - Almost all foods contain protein. The richest sources are soy beans, chick peas, nuts, seeds, lentils, baked beans, tofu.
VITAMIN A - Carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, sweet potato, apricots, mangoes, paw paw, rockmelon.
VITAMIN B - Whole grains, nuts, legumes, yeast extracts, green leafy vegetables, fruit, wheatgerm, potatoes.
VITAMIN B12
- Fortified soy milk (such as SoGood, Sungold brands). A vitamin B12
supplement is recommended if you do not use fortified soy milk or eat
any animal products.
VITAMIN C - Citrus fruits, berries, mangoes, tomatoes, green vegetables, capsicum.
VITAMIN E - Whole grains, legumes, vegetable oils, wheatgerm, nuts, margarine.
Acknowledgements
Information provided by Helen Rosser with the assistance of Amanda Benham and Lisa Schmidt for Animals Australia and The Vegan Society of NSW.
