Veganism
From RationalWiki
Veganism is a lifestyle, or to some a philosophy, that eschews the exploitation of animals in any way. As such it is a subset of vegetarianism.
Vegans go beyond conventional vegetarianism, which is a matter of diet, and will not wear leather, for example. Some even won't wear wool or silk. Vegans also typically go much further than vegatarians in their diets, eschewing, for example, honey which is an animal product (from bees), as well as dairy-derived products such as whey and casein which can be found in many vegetarian foods. As with many ideas individuals must still make their own judgments about where to draw the lines. A subset of vegans also practice raw foodism.
"Freegans" are vegans who will not buy anything containing animal products, but have no problem eating or wearing them if they are thrown away or in second-hand stores. The motivation here appears to be unwillingness to financially support the animal agriculture industry while at the same time making sure nothing already derived from it goes to waste.
Vegans are absolutely opposed to sex with animals. As are all sane people.
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[edit] Benefits
- Low cholesterol diet.
- Lower fat diets (plants do have fat, too, although, see the next item).
- Much lower saturated fats.
- No animals were harmed in the making of your meals, clothes, etc. (unless they were used to harvest your plants - WINK!)
- Vegetables require less water than animals (liters of water used in production/kilogram of food).
[edit] Problems
- Getting required amino acids in diet:
- Humans need 20 amino acids to survive, but only produce 8 of their own. The other 12 must be obtained from food.
- Vitamin B12 is not found in foods of plant origins. One has to eat fortified foods, or take a vitamin supplement in order to make sure one gets enough B12 - meaning, essentially, that without modern synthesis of vitamins, a vegan diet would lead to slow death.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Beyond Milk and Honey: The Vegan Controversy by Nina Rubin
- Health Benefits of Veganism - Vegan 2000: Life style of the millennium
[edit] Footnotes
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