Essay on Veganism: the Negative Effects on Health and the Environment

Veganism is not only a diet but a lifestyle and a humane act towards animals. Many people believe that eating a vegan diet is the best choice for people and the planet. As veganism is growing, eating a diet deprived of animals is not always the most beneficial choice. Veganism is not a sustainable diet because of the negative effects it has on health and the environment.

First, when it comes to being a vegan, impact on health and nutrition are one of the major concepts people think about when speaking of a vegan lifestyle. For vegans, there are many vitamin deficiencies that can occur such as Iron and vitamin B12. There are many plant based iron sources however there are no heme sources meaning that they do not get absorbed by the body as readily. According to Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, “Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet “The body absorbs 15% to 35% of the heme iron in meat, but only absorbs 2% to 20% of the non-heme iron found in vegetarian sources like leafy greens and beans”. (Dietary supplement fact sheet) Animal products and supplements today are the only way to get vitamin B12. Deficiency in vitamin b12 can lead to side effects. A vegan diet might also increase your risk for osteoporosis or low bone density and bone fractures, according to Vanderbilt University Health Psychology Department. Vegans tend to have lower levels of calcium and vitamin D than non-vegans. Low calcium and vitamin D levels in vegan diets may lead to soft and deformed bones. Having diet constrictions and cutting out food that has natural vitamins that are beneficial to our bodies is very unhealthy.

Next, while veganism can be an optimal choice for people,it isn't always the best option, especially for the environment. According to Mike Archer, a professor at the University of New South Wales, said vegans tend to do more harm to animals by taking away the one thing they survive on — plants. Growing a plantation takes more time and labor than animal farming.  Also grazing animals are crucial for land management. Grazing animals cycle carbon and various nutrients from the above-ground vegetation and put it back into the ground to nourish the soil and promote further growth. Meat substitutes, or plant-based meat alternatives, are gaining popularity.  However, Atze van der Goot — Associate Professor of the Food Process Engineering department at Wageningen University — claims that meat substitutes also have an environmental impact that you must consider. (Goot)  Goot goes on to explain that there are inefficiencies in the water and energy processes used to make meat alternatives that diminish the environmental benefits they are aiming to improve.

Rob Greenfield, an environmental activist, continues to share his thoughts on veganism and why he himself avoids it. Greenfield shares his story when he first tried out veganism. At first his health was at top levels, but after a few months it started to decline. Low energy,fatigued,irritable and loss of strength were many of the affects he explains. Later on he was embarking on a new project and had to change his diet. Greenfield got a blood test and was extremely deficient in vitamin B12. Starting the project he was not excited to eat meat and was planning to do it only for that month however, his body felt better. Having more energy,more strength. Greenfield admits that he is no whare against veganism and is continuing to eat meat for his body and for the Earth because he believes that's truly healthy and the beneficial way to eat and tht animal products can be eaten in an environmentally sustainable way. (Greenfield)

Many research has shown that Industrial farming has adverse effects on the environment including a rise in greenhouse gasses, contributing to global warming. The environment would benefit greatly from a rise in people who live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle because the less profit and demand that these factory farms have, the less supply they will need to produce. Others think just the opposite, for example, in “Why Veganism Isn’t as Environmentally Friendly as You Might Think,” Emma Henderson, a member of the editorial team of Independent Daily, explains why the healthy lifestyle epidemic is poorly affecting the earth. Henderson writes that “as we greedily plunder the world’s bread basket, [it is] the consumer who benefits, while those at the source can be left high and dry” (Henderson 3). With this, Henderson is explaining that in countries like America, the people can more easily decide their diet than in less fortunate countries.

With deficiencies in vital vitamins and time spent growing plants, veganism is not a sustainable diet. Increase in osteoporosis and high energy needs to make meat alternatives just are not the most beneficial. After all, we humans are animals. And some animals need to eat other animals to be healthy.