13 interesting facts about veganism you should know!

Ira Mak

Curious about veganism? New to the vegan lifestyle? A vegan expert? Well, let’s see how many of these facts you already know! Choosing vegan is a beautiful decision. People who follow a vegan diet get to make choices throughout the day that help their own health, the planet, and so many animals. Veganism is so widespread nowadays, it is more appealing than ever before!

1. What’s veganism anyway?

Veganism is a lifestyle that seeks to exclude, as much as possible, all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals. This means that vegans don’t eat animal-based foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and dairy. Many vegans also boycott clothing and other products that involve animal exploitation, such as leather and fur.

2. Why do people go vegan?

The current top three reasons that make people choose veganism are improving their health, saving animal lives, and helping the planet.

3. Trying vegan can be one of the best decisions you make for your health!

Many people switch to veganism because it’s healthy! Recent studies found that a plant-based diet can reduce your chances of certain cancers and of developing type 2 diabetes. A vegan diet can also reduce blood pressure levels and lower cholesterol!

4. Each vegan spares up to 365 animals' lives a year

That’s thousands of animals saved over a lifetime, and millions when we work together.

Animals in the food industry are abused, neglected, crammed into small spaces, mutilated, and slaughtered. The industries use horrific practices in order to generate maximum profit. 99% of farmed animals spend their whole lives confined in factory farms and are slaughtered when still babies. Around the world, over 220 million farmed animals are killed for food every day. By trying veganism, you’re protecting animals.

5. Veganism is great for the environment!

Factory farming is significantly responsible for deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and water shortages.

• Livestock and their by-products are accountable for 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions, worldwide. 
• 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce just 1 pound of beef. 
• Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon rainforest destruction.

It is so easy to help the planet – by eating a plant-based diet you will be living a much more sustainable life.

6. Veganism can solve world hunger!

Research shows that we could feed an additional 4 billion humans if we grew our crops directly for human consumption, rather than feeding the crops to farmed animals and then consuming them.

7. We could have fishless oceans by 2048

Fortunately, veganism can save our oceans! Animal agriculture causes ocean dead zones due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change which is destroying marine ecosystems. Scientists expect fishless oceans by 2048 unless we change the animal food industries and their practices.

8. A plant-based diet increases metabolism

The metabolism of people who follow a plant-based diet burns calories 16% faster on average than the metabolism of meat-eaters for the first few hours after meals.

9. The term “Vegan” is less than 100 years old

The term “vegan” was coined by British animal rights activist Donald Watson in the 1940s. “Vegan” describes the philosophy that animals should not be exploited and hurt for food or other purposes.

10. A plant-based diet can easily provide complete protein!

There are so many affordable options for plant-based protein. Beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, soya chunks, and seitan are only a few options for vegan protein!

11. Vegan food is delicious and very diverse

There is a vegan version of just about anything you can think of. As demand soars, more and more companies are launching new vegan products, such as vegan meats and dairy-free milks and cheeses.

12. So many social justice activists throughout history have been vegan or vegetarian

Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, Mahatma Gandhi, Dolores Huerta, Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, and countless more, have been saving animals and exposing the abuse involved in animal agriculture while fighting for social change.

13. The easiest way to try veganism is with Challenge 22

Challenge 22 makes it easier than ever to try veganism with the support of experienced mentors, registered dietitians, and a community that’s always growing. You will get advice, recommendations, and recipes to show you how easy and delicious a vegan diet is. To try a vegan diet for 22 days for FREE, sign up for the vegan Challenge here!