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By: Davis Green
A vegan is a person who avoids as far as possible the use of any animal
products for nourishment or for any other purpose.
Depending on one's level of commitment this can include not using
certain medicines because they are tested for safety on animals. A
Vegan will not buy or use animal products whether that’s a steak, an
egg, bread with milk in it or leather shoes. The overall goal of
veganism is to reduce animal suffering to the greatest extent possible.
Why do people choose to become Vegan?
Animal Welfare - Despite the common belief that drinking milk or eating
eggs does not kill animals, commercially raised dairy cows and
egg-laying chickens, whether factory-farmed or 'free range,' are
slaughtered when their production rates decline, not to mention the
appalling conditions to which they are kept. There is an ongoing debate
on the finer points of what constitutes an animal product; The Vegan
Society and most vegans include insect products such as honey in their
definition as well.
The environment - Animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the
earth. It is an inefficient way of producing food, since feed for farm
animals requires land, water, fertilizer, and other resources that
could otherwise have been used directly for producing human food.
Health - The consumption of animal fats and proteins has been linked to
heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney
disease, hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating
conditions. Cows' milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for
young calves, but far too much for humans. According to Gill Langley, a
Ph.D. in biology and author of Vegan Nutrition, "it is clear from the
example of many thousands of vegans worldwide that a varied plant-based
diet not only supports health and well-being but, additionally, can
have positive health benefits" (Langley 1995). A vegan diet is
protective against such major killers as heart disease and cancer.
Eating fewer animal products is a good choice for the environment and
your conscious. Animal agriculture produces surprisingly large amounts
of air and water pollution, and causes 80 percent of the world's annual
deforestation. It also requires large amounts of water, and livestock
worldwide consumes half the world's total grain harvest.
How Do I Know it’s Vegan?
When shopping, look out for the Vegan logo. It appears on thousands of
animal free products that have been registered with The Vegan Society.
You will need to examine the packaging and labelling carefully of all
non registered products to ensure that you avoid animal by-products
such as gelatin and rennet which can be found in everyday items such as
children's sweets.
About the Author: David Oglaza is the founder of the Green and Ethical
business www.guidemegreen.com.
This growing green resource lists 100s of Organic, Fairtrade, Eco and
Ethical companies. We even have Green jobs and a Green Forum!
Article Source: NewAgeArticles.com
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