5/9/2022 Veganism: Is It Worth It?Did you know that over 80% of the world eats meat or includes meat products in their diets? Statista conducted a survey from February 2020 to March 2021 and they found that the top three meat-eating countries are Japan, Russia and the U.S.A. But, with the fast-growing trends of meatless diets, are meat and animal products seeing an end to their glory? Since the beginning of time, meat and animal products have always been included in our daily diets. Prehistoric humans hunted and killed for meat to feed their families and even today, nations and communities around the world have cultural meanings behind the meat they catch, kill and eat. Meat contains high quantities of important vitamins and minerals that are key for our survival. Although meat does have its flaws such as negatively impacting our environment, is it really worth getting rid of for good? That leaves one question left to answer: "Is switching to a vegan diet really worth it?". Vegan diets have been seen to cause disastrous effects to our climate and ecosystems and many negative health effects later on in life; therefore, cutting meat and animal products out of our diet completely should not even be considered. Meat has been included in our diets since prehistoric times and has significant cultural importance to many people around the world. In First Nations communities, the act of catching, preparing and eating fish are important practices and help Aboriginal peoples connect to the land they live on. According to John Ikerd, "[First Nations people] believed and continue to believe that animals have spirits and that animals give their bodies to provide food, fur and other materials. The taking of an animal's life was and is a sacred act" (The Economic Pamphleteer: Indigenous wisdom of eating meat, 2019). In Chinese culture, pork is used as an offering to the Jade Emperor (the first god) in hopes to achieve great success. In Korea, beef has been a symbol of wealth for generations with the culture dating back to the 60s and 70s, when meat was not easy to purchase. Now, as Korea's economy prospers, people eat meat and reflect on how far they've come as a nation. Getting rid of meat from our diets would practically bring an extinction to these traditions and practices meant to bring families and communities together. Keeping meat in our diets ensures that these sacred practices do not become forgotten. Aside from cultural value, animal meat and products contain plenty of beneficial vitamins and minerals for the human body. They are important for growth and development as well as healthy bones and teeth. Meat and poultry contain minerals such as iodine, zinc, and most importantly, vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 helps keep the body's blood and nerve cells healthy and aids in the creation of DNA. It also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition in which people become extremely tired and weak. Fish, on the other hand, is a low fat, high-quality protein. It contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins D and B2 (riboflavin). Omega-3 fatty acids (also found in eggs) help in lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks, fast/slow heart rate and stroke. It also helps the brain function properly and assists in developing vision and nerves in infants during pregnancy. Dairy products such as cheese and milk contain calcium, essential for healthy bones and teeth. Calcium deficiencies can cause brittle bones and osteoporosis, a condition in which bones break very easily. Without these key nutrients in our bodies, we can become extremely sick and put our future generations at risk of birth defects or a low birth weight. With a vegan diet, humans will not be able to receive the vitamins and minerals they require to survive, potentially causing anemia, hormone production disruptions, and vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies. Continuing to eat meat in healthy proportions can ensure people of all ages can receive the appropriate amount of nutrients needed to live a long, healthy life. One might argue that meat causes a sizable percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions; however, vegan diets can cause great environmental issues as well. To make up for the nutrients lost by the lack of meat in a vegan diet, most vegans resort to replacing their meat portions with more plant foods. Foods such as avocados, jackfruits, mangos, and asparagus are all imported goods from tropical countries outside of North America. The action of transporting produce either by air, land, or sea causes massive emissions of greenhouse gasses each year. For each tonne of pineapples that the Dole plantation transports, it produces around 44 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Additionally, fruits that grow in warmer climates require higher amounts of water; fresh water, which is not readily available in the farmlands, needs to be transported, making it a heavily inefficient cost to the environment. In Mexico, trees are being cut down to make space for farmland, in order to keep up with the high demand for produce such as avocados. As we know, trees are natural air purifiers, responsible for absorbing CO2 in the air and in return, producing oxygen and ultimately reducing pollution found in the air. As vegan diets become more prevalent in society, the demand for produce outside of the country causes massive environmental impacts such as pollution and waste, making the diet pointless with the intent of being more "planet-conscious". The amount of emissions, water, and resources used to grow and transport plants is easily one of the highest sources of pollution and therefore, is not a valid reason in which people should be switching to these diets. Another issue with meat consumption and the consumption of meat products is the ethics behind the way animals are being treated in slaughterhouses and farms. One of the biggest reasons people go vegan is because they cannot bear the fact that the meat they are eating came from a poorly-treated animal. However, the fix to unethical meat production doesn't always need to be to cut meat out of one's diet for good. The answer is easy: simply choose meat from ethical and sustainable farms. Farms that offer pasture-raised meat are ensuring that the animals are stress free and offer plenty of benefits regarding animal welfare. Animals that are raised on pastures are allowed to forage naturally and aren't treated with antibiotics. Another way to buy ethically raised meat is by going to a local butcher shop instead of visiting big-chain grocery stores. The benefit of getting meat from a butcher is that they can usually find information regarding the way the animal was treated before being killed. Going vegan is not the only way to ensure that one's diet only consists of ethically sourced foods. As long as the meat is sourced from an ethical and sustainable farm, keeping meat in one’s diet can be no problem. Although a vegan diet offers many benefits health-wise and environment-wise, there is not enough evidence that should suggest that we push for vegan diets. Keeping meat in our diets is keeping the culture and traditions we all know and love; eating it brings us together as a community. Continuing to consume meat and animal products is still okay as long as it is being sourced from ethical and sustainable farms and suppliers. Additionally, it's important to keep in mind that meat should be eaten in proportion to every other food group, such as fruits & vegetables and carbohydrates. To reduce the amount of greenhouse gases over time, meat proportions should be reduced and more local fruits and vegetables should be integrated into one's meal. This allows the body to feel full and stretch the quantity of meat over the course of several days, rather than just a couple days. Meat is a great source of vitamins and minerals and tastes great when prepared in the right way; vegan diets shouldn't be the only way to reduce carbon footprints. Given that we continue to be conscious of how and when we eat meat and where we source them from, meat is here to stay for good! #veganism #meat #healthyeating #food Works Cited:
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