Should You go Vegan?

By: Sarah Baerenklau, Reporter

A new trend lately doesn’t have to do with clothes or new makeup techniques, but it’s changing to a vegan diet. Over two million adults in the U.S. alone are switching to the vegan lifestyle.

For those who don’t know, veganism is when there is no form of animal products in a diet.

People switch to veganism for many reasons. Including religious reasons, beliefs in animal justice, health reasons or just a change in lifestyle. Senior Madison Baker switched to a vegan lifestyle back in 2016.

“I wanted to go on a diet but I wanted it to be more of a lifestyle change. So I did some research about the meat and, dairy industry and I didn’t want to support something that treats animals in such a bad way,” Baker said.

Going vegan can be expensive for things like meat substitutes, but fruit and veggies are significantly cheaper than animal products. It can also help with a person’s health. Cutting out the meat from your diet lowers your cholesterol and intake of saturated fats. It also makes your vitamin B and C levels spike.

Being vegan can also come with risks.

“After a few months of going vegan, my face was swollen and red and hurt to touch. It also gave me horrible acne and stomach pain. I decided to stop the vegan diet and 3 weeks after adding meat back into my diet all the pain went away,” professional bodybuilder Jess Scott said.

If you don’t watch your diet you can develop nutrient deficiencies. Cutting the fats out of your life may seem smart but, not having the higher fats in your diet can weaken your digestive system and slow down metabolism.

According to Butternutrition.com, Dr. Ray Peat PhD gives advice for those who are vegans or are considering becoming a vegan.

“People who are vegans tend to have low protein diets. It might not seem that bad but it can affect your liver’s response to the thyroid and throw off your hormones,” Dr. Ray Peat PhD said.

As long as you watch your diet and pay attention to what your body tells you, going vegan could be a new lifestyle for you.