Many people say that veganism isn't healthy because they think that one needs meat, dairy, and eggs to survive. In my opinion, a plant-based vegan diet is the one of the healthiest and most nutrient-dense diets/lifestyles out there. For optimal health, the top experts in nutrition and dietetics recommend veganism. Vegan diets usually have a higher content of fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, many phytochemicals, and a fat content that is more unsaturated. Eating meat, dairy, and eggs has been linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, etc. Also, have you ever thought about how the animals people are eating (cows, chickens, and pigs) are all herbivores, therefore the nutrients you "get" from meat, you are originally getting from plants? In addition, animal proteins contain sulfur that creates acid in our bodies when immediately after eating.The condition is called acidosis, which changes the pH of our bloodstream. One of the body’s common ways to reduce this acidity is by using calcium phosphate from the bones to make the pH go back to a normal range. This process of calcium coming from the bones to balance acidity caused from animal proteins causes osteoporosis. Vegan diets have been shown to prevent heart disease, cancer and strokes, which are America's leading killers. The book "How Not to Die" by Dr. Michael Greger of Nutritionfacts.org recommends a vegan plant-based diet for preventing and even REVERSING disease. Vegetarians and vegans have a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and lower body mass indexes, as well as lower overall cancer rates. Scientists have also discovered that vegans have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters. Vegans are less susceptible to everyday illnesses such as the flu. Vegetarians and vegans live, on average, six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters. Vegan diets do take a little bit of planning in the beginning, but it provides all the necessary nutrients without saturated fat, cholesterol, and contaminants found in meat, dairy, and eggs. Because fruits and veggies are lower in calories, vegans can eat WHOLE foods (fruits, vegetables, and grains) in abundance with no repercussions, such as weight gain. Bon appetit!

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Works Cited

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PETA. "Eating for Your Health." PETA. PETA.org, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.