veganism: Im a vegetarian i do it for the rigth of animals and because its healthier.I was thinking abut vegans and does that have to do with the rigth of animals too ? if it does i want to become one.Or is it just to live a healthier lifestyle?|||There is nothing good about veganism and there are no benefits. There are a lot of dangers because you aren't eating any meat, fish, eggs or dairy, which are all the best sources of complete protein. Vegans often lack iron and vitamin B12. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least 2 servings of fish a week. Fish oil is very important for your health. I take fish oil supplements everyday. But vegans won't use them. They say you can get omega fatty acids from flax seeds but it's not the same as the omegas from fish. Vegans won't wear wool or eat honey. They say we are stealing honey from the bees. They don't believe in using any animal products, even if it doesn't hurt the animal. For example, if you own chickens and take good care of them, they still don't think you should eat the eggs. You want to know what their reason is? Because vegans don't use any animal products. What kind of reason is that? Either that or you are exploiting the chicken. ha ha Believe me, you don't want to get mixed up with them. Remember, you are posting this question in the vegetarian/vegan category so everyone will tell you to go vegan. They don't care about your health, they just want to save the animals.|||There are three main reasons to become vegan: for the animals, for one's health, and for the environment. For the animals: If you don't already know animals suffer a tremendous amount. The are put in disgusting conditions that causes them pain, many deformities due to their circumstances, and eventually death. To get into the details of their suffering is definitely worth while and intense. For one's health: Animal products (including meat, dairy, and eggs) are incredibly unhealthy for the body and have been linked to many diseases including Cancer. A plant-based diet is the absolute best diet to be on. For the environment: The animal producing business is the larges contributor to greenhouse gases. They use incredible amount of finite resources (as well as water-which some consider finite) to raise and then kill these innocent animals. The largest positive impact we can make on the environment is to stop eating animals. The benefits are endless. The biggest one is you feel better. One, the guilt is gone, as far as being a part of the animals' suffering. Also healthfully you feel better. Many vegans report feeling happier. I certainly do. In fact, it is hard to get me down and I used to be a very negative person. It also shed's light on many other things in life. It promotes education in more ways than one and promotes activism. Activism is normally seen as a bad word but is really empowering and very fulfilling. I hope this help. Here are some resources that moved me and I HIGHLY recommend: 1) A book called: The Food Revolution by John Robbins (many people contribute their conversion to veganism this book or this man). 2) The China Study: T. Colin Campbell 3) A website called compassionatecooks.com. It was the first time I was introduced to podcasts. She does amazing very informative podcasts. Here is a link to her podcasts: http://feeds.feedburner.com/VegetarianFoodForThought Hope these help and best of luck! You would make a HUGE difference if you choose to take this path!|||The Hunger Argument Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20 Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80 Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95 Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90 How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000 Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250 Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56 Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16 The Environmental Argument Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75 Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85 Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75 Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year The Cancer Argument Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times. The Cholesterol Argument Number of U.S. medical schools: 125 Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30 Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent The Natural Resources Argument User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25 Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000 Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13 Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260 Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78 To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2 Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33 Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2 The Antibiotic Argument Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55 Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13 Percentage resistant in 1988: 91 Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support The Pesticide Argument Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99 Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8 Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides Also, please go check out www.veganthis.org It will change your life.|||As far as animal rights go it's to protect animals. Dairy cattle and laying hens lives are not significantly better than livestock used for meat. Vegans are against the exploitation of animals with no exceptions. Vegans also don't wear leather anything else made from animal products.Its more than a diet. Watch the movie Earthlings|||It does not really make sense to be vegetarian for animal rights (unless you are the traditional vegetarian who eats only plant based foods) a typical vegetarian today will consume eggs, milk, and also buy products that contain animal by products or were tested on animals, even leather wool, silk etc..... that is not in any way consistent with animal rights read this they word it so much better than I can http://veganfreak.com/opinion/why-vegeta鈥?/a>|||"Aubrey" and "susie" said it way better then anyone else every will, Green houses gas is also produced by the cows themselves because there are a lot of them, methane which is more concentrated then carbon dioxide(this is fact which was told by many independent scientists) More food is used to feed the cows,pigs as per person More fuel is used from raising to the delivery of the meat. The "GOOD AND SMART" doctors recommend people to eat 3-5 serving of fruits and vegetables for a good reason(why don't they recommend meat?/ because it causes may health problems) And as for the fish oil or eating fish, it make be healthy but due to increase in pollution the fish are more and more toxic and ARE BELIEVED to cause some brain damage/neurological damage AND humans are OVER FISHING WHICH IS LEADING OTHER FISHES SUCH AS SHARKS, WHALES TO FIND NEW GROUNDS TO FIND FOOD WHICH IS LEADING THEM TO DANGER OF GOING EXTINCT SINCE THEY REPRODUCE VERY SLOWLY. DO THE FREAKIN RESEARCH THEN SAY SOMETHING.