Nowadays it is not uncommon for society to go through several trends in just the span of a few weeks. More recently however, and somewhat ironically, the trends seem to also be going through trends. Amongst these trend of trends, people have begun taking their health a little bit more seriously, and while the motivation for such a change can vary drastically, from altruistic health concerns to ethics to weight gain or loss. Because of this debatably beneficial health craze, major figures in popular culture have tried a myriad of diets on for size, one of these being veganism. With the rise in popularity of this trend, there has also risen a major controversy as to whether this diet is sustainable, viable or even safe to participate in. However, much research has proven that a vegan diet is more than just sustainable and viable, it is also beneficial because it is anti-carcinogenic, it is entirely possible, nutritionally speaking, for humans to thrive on a vegan diet, and it allows for more mindful living.

One of the many alluring features of a vegan diet is that it claims to be anti-carcinogenic. To begin with, a carcinogen is defined as any agent or substance that causes cancer. Red and processed meats are known carcinogens, categorized in the same group as tobacco, meaning that the consumption of meat has the ability to augment the spread of cancerous cells in the body. This is because animal protein increases levels of a cancer-promoting growth hormone in the body called IGF-1, but within two weeks of switching to a vegan diet, IGF-1 levels in the bloodstream drop dramatically, which helps slow the growth of cancer cells if not reversing their effects fully. In accordance with this, a series of experiments were performed in which people were placed on different diets and their blood was dripped on human cancer cells growing in a petri dish and women placed on plant-based diets for just two weeks were found to suppress the growth of three different types of breast cancer. The conclusion of this myriad of studies were that not only is the vegan diet viable, but it just might be even more viable than the standard American diet.

Critics of the vegan diet argue primarily concerning nutrition, more specifically, protein and B12. The concern regarding B12 is entirely legitimate as it is the only nutritional need for which there are no longer any natural, vegan sources. Despite this, modern vegans now have access to supplements of all kinds, and vitamin B12 fortified foods, such as tofu, plant milks, soy derived products, and many more. All B12 is found in soil, but as soil gets overworked, the vitamin becomes depleted; for this reason, all reliable sources of B12 have been restricted to being derived almost exclusively from animals. However, the B12 that animals provide, is also gained from the depleted soil, so this has resulted in B12 deficiencies in animals raised for consumption. This newfound deficiency has resulted in the supplementation of the vitamin mainly in cattle and sheep. This ludicrous redundancy eliminates the need for eating meat because the valid argument of consuming animals for the B12 becomes invalid once meateaters begin consuming secondhand supplements.

In regard to concerns about protein, doctors worldwide have made it clear that this concern is only the result of a common misconception in popular culture. Protein is certainly an essential nutrient which plays many roles in the natural function of our bodies, but we do not need huge quantities of it. Only about one calorie out of every ten we consume needs to come from protein. Essentially protein deficiency cannot exist if a person’s caloric needs are being met, and they are eating a large variety of food to meet that need. While there is no natural vegan equivalent that is as protein packed as red meat is, foods this full of protein aren’t necessarily needed. The average American consumes the  amount of protein appropriate for a 200 pound person, so a downgrade would actually be more beneficial than harmful. Having sufficient protein on a vegan diet is entirely possible, it only requires one to monitor their diet and ensure that they’re meeting their caloric needs, which people should be doing anyway.

As mentioned above, eating a strictly vegan diet requires one to monitor the food they’re eating quite closely, if not to ensure that they’re meeting their daily calorie requirements, then to ensure that they’re not consuming any animal products. This pushes participants of this trend to inquire about the ingredients of the food before they consume it. This concern for animal, personal, and environmental wellbeing spans beyond just food choices. Typically vegans are vegan in every aspect of their lives, insisting that their clothing remain free from leather, wool, and other animal derived products. Thus making it more akin to a lifestyle than a mere diet. Because of this, vegans and vegetarians have been proven to be more empathetic than the typical omnivore. In a study published by the Public Library of Science, researchers recruited 60 volunteers—20 omnivores, 21 vegans, and 19 vegetarians—and took MRI scans of their brains while flashing random pictures depicting animal or human suffering.  They even found that certain areas of the brain seemed to be activated only by vegans and vegetarians when witnessing both human and animal suffering.

Overall, despite much debate from the opposing side, a vegan diet is definitely sustainable and viable as well as being beneficial for the health of the individual rather than detrimental. It is a diet more than worth considering, and is often called the diet of the future, because of they many benefits it provides to both the consumer, the animals, and the environment as a whole.