As of 2024, there are approximately 2.5 million vegans in the UK, which is around 4.7% of the population. The number of vegans in the UK has also increased by 1.1 million over the previous year, indicating that veganism is only getting more popular.Â
With more and more food manufacturers offering new and exciting vegan alternatives, and veganism becoming even more popular, now seems like the perfect time to consider going vegan. Veganism is here to stay, but what are the pros and cons of veganism? And is a vegan diet healthy?
If you’re still on the fence or you are just curious about the benefits of a vegan diet, we thought it would be helpful to explore 5 reasons to consider going vegan.
It’s a Healthy Option
Arguably one of the most well-known reasons to go vegan is because it is a healthier diet. Choosing a vegan diet, especially whole foods and plant-based meals, can reduce the risk of developing a plethora of different conditions, from heart disease to cancer.
Some suggest that vegans are the only group of people who, on average, have a normal and healthy BMI. In fact, some studies have shown that the more meat you eat, the higher your BMI goes. So if you want to lose weight or just improve your BMI, switching to veganism may be a great option.Â
A further testament to the benefits of a vegan or plant-based diet is the fact that many sports stars are switching to a vegan diet to keep on top of their game. Athletes like Lewis Hamilton, Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic are just some of the names who made the switch.
To Save & Protect Animals
One of the most commonly-cited reasons people go vegan is for animal welfare. Vegans are often dedicated to animal welfare, this being a key reason why they might eliminate all products derived from animals.
Every year in the UK, around 1.2 billion land animals are used for human consumption. While becoming vegan will not automatically save all animals, it will certainly help. While it’s hard to quantify the exact impact that turning vegan will have and how many animals will be saved, there’s little doubt it will have a positive impact.
Improve Your Mood
If you are under the impression that swearing off meat and other animal products would make you miserable and gloomy, then think again. Depending what you eat as a vegan, a vegan diet can improve your overall mood.
A vegan diet can boost mood because a lot of vegan foods are good for your mental health, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. These foods contain nutrients and compounds that may help reduce the risk of depression and improve mood.
Help The Planet
We are all looking for ways to help the planet, and turning vegan can help the planet in a few distinct ways.
Firstly, meat production produces a vast amount of pollution. In fact, meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gases from food production.
Add to that the fact that animal farm “factories†require a high amount of energy in order to function. These farms are impacting our environment.
In addition, the world hunger problem could be eased if each of us moved away from eating meat. The amount of food to produce animal products amounts to around 50% of the grain worldwide. Instead of producing farm animals for meat and dairy products, humans could instead eat that grain.
It Could Save You Money
There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding the pricing of vegan alternative foods. Many people think that switching to a strictly vegan diet means paying double, or even triple, the food costs. This isn’t strictly the case. Despite what you may think, going vegan doesn’t have to break the bank!
Firstly, buying good quality meat and seafood can be very expensive. Plus, the price of meat products is increasing and is only projected to increase. For example, the price of minced beef increased by over 16% in the past year.
If you’re on a budget, you can also easily stock up on plant-based cupboard essentials such as beans, legumes, pulses, rice, potatoes and whole grains. You can use these to create a delicious vegan-friendly meal on a shoestring budget, and it may be significantly healthier than the meat-based alternative.
Learn More About Healthier Ways of Living With YorkTest
We haven’t had time to mention some of the delicious vegan foods available at the moment, but we hope our exploration of their benefits has enticed you to at least consider the possibility of veganism.
However, it’s worth saying that everyone is different, and a vegan lifestyle won’t be suitable for everyone. For instance, those people who are susceptible to vitamin B12 or iron deficiency and people who have certain food intolerances, for example intolerances such as a gluten intolerance or a banana intolerance may find that their vegan options are far too narrow. It’s always important to replace the foods that you remove from your diet with foods that are equally nutritious, checking health markers such as your vitamin and iron levels as you go. The key may be not to just simply adopt veganism as a lifestyle, but to take the time to understand whether it would benefit you personally.
At YorkTest, we take pride in helping you to live a healthier lifestyle. If you’re considering switching to a vegan diet, then something like our premium food intolerance test can give you vital information to help you judge what changes are feasible. You can also use our essential health check or one of our other home health tests to keep monitoring essential health markers as you change your diet. Learn more about making healthier lifestyle choices on our blog, and you can even contact our experts for additional assistance.
