As awareness surrounding animal cruelty becomes more mainstream, it is clear that the vegan trend is steadily rising. Just a few years back, the word “vegan,” was not a common term heard within society; however, with social media engulfing our lives, the frequent disturbing videos of animals being tortured have spread like wildfire.

With videos of injured bunnies being shared and viewed over a million times, campaigns advocating veganism have erupted and going vegan has become popular among young adults.

A vegan can be defined as an individual who does not eat or use any animal products. They differ from vegetarians in that they do not only cut meat out of their diets, but they cut all animal products from their daily lives.

The transition from a typical diet consisting of meat usually occurs over a long period of time in which individuals begin with a strict vegetarian diet. Abruptly cutting animal products out of your diet and life is nearly impossible and it is common for there to be a gradual transition in order for the body to adjust to the change.

As a result, most vegans are first vegetarians before taking the full commitment of eliminating animal products from not only their meals, but also their ways of living.

“I would say that I have a pretty healthy and active lifestyle. I decided to become a vegetarian in eighth grade, so it has been over three years since I made the switch,” junior Anna Vogus said. “I decided to go vegetarian because there is a lot of animal cruelty in the meat industry, but also because it is a healthier lifestyle in general.”

For vegan diets, meat is not the only ingredient that is eliminated. Food with dairy, honey and gelatin are also avoided. In terms of their daily lives, many products like makeup as well as shampoo and conditioner tend to contain animal products and are not acceptable in adopting a vegan lifestyle. However, there are some companies that have committed to being vegan and cruelty free and serve as good alternatives for vegans.

“My plan is that either in college or once I finish college I will make the transfer [to become a vegan],” Vogus said. “I want to wait until I buy and make my own food. It’s a healthier lifestyle and there are a lot of different types of food you can substitute for meat.”

Although the task of eliminating animal products may seem to be difficult for many, it is a lifestyle that more people are beginning to turn towards. Vegans are encouraged to eliminate animal products from their lives for three reasons: the animals, their health and the environment.

This first factor is the most apparent in terms of having a societal impact as vegans avoid animal-derived ingredients because of the cruelty involved.

For most companies that make household items like liquid cleaners or even makeup, their products are typically tested on small animals like mice and bunnies.
Additionally, much of the food industry is known to mistreat their animals in which they are cruelly slaughtered in the process of production. These inhumane acts towards animals in both factories and food industries have influenced much of the public outrage and support for vegan campaigns.

The second reason for eliminating animal products is for personal health. Plant-based diets that both vegetarians and vegans follow are known to be rich in many necessary nutrients like iron, calcium and other vitamins.

Unlike meaty beef or other animal ingredients, vegan choices are low in saturated fats. Other health benefits of following a vegan diet include increased energy and good skin.

The third influence of going vegan is for the betterment of the environment. Although this quality is not mentioned as frequently, the production of meat and other animal products heavily affects the environment as the process increases the world’s carbon footprint.

The millions of acres of land and massive amounts of water required to care for livestock and crops will only continue to contribute to global warming and pollution.

In order to sustain the growing food demands of the world, deforestation is spreading and land is being cleared without consideration of the Earth’s well-being.