Being vegan is not all good. However, through the rising interest, people are forgetting this. We can see this increase as vegan restaurants have multiplied in numbers. There are over 100 restaurants in Central London; Covent garden alone has 24 vegan restaurants (according to veganlondon.co.uk). Also as it is the new year, new diets and ways of life are being explored, boosting the vegan numbers.
Many question what is the vegan diet, a vegan diet is full of foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts beans and soy products. But cannot eat any animal products like dairy, honey and eggs. But on the other hand, to be within the vegan range, there are many appropriated whole foods available. Choosing this way of life has any benefits, such as: reducing your saturated fats intake, increasing carbohydrates and fiber in the body, naturally adding more vitamins and minerals like C, E and magnesium aiding in absorption and your immune system.
What are the disadvantages of veganism? Changing to a vegan diet is drastic, whether it’s for a week, year or lifetime. The radical change will affect your body at first, sometimes causing a bad stomach, as your body is learning to digest this new diet. There is also potential interference with existing medical conditions (like osteoporosis or diabetes), be sure to consult with a doctor before going through the diet. Even though, there have been many vegan restaurant openings, it still might be hard to dine out especially in areas with less restaurants to choose from. Fresh fruits and veg are not all great when it comes to supply your body with all essential vitamins, such as B12 which is rare to obtain from vegan diets.
Finally, there are many unrealistic expectations of being vegan as Anne Applebaum (journalist) says "A person might believe that by being vegan they are making themselves healthier. There are no good data of which I am aware proving that simply being vegan as an isolated behavior improves health,".
If the whole population is to be vegan or vegetarian, there is one main problem against this. The existing farm animals, that have been bred to feed us, will be overcrowded and there will not be enough space/food to feed and maintain them all. This means there will less space for the farming needed to grow food for the vegan diet. Leading to deforestation, as woodlands will be cut down for farming, interfering with the rain and flooding.
Either way humans will have an impact on the environment, whether it is the slaughter of animals for food or the cut of vital trees for plantation. So, will being vegan make a change?
