According to the WHO and the CDC, cardiovascular disease is the number one leading cause of mortality worldwide. Studies show that consuming animal protein promotes plaque in our arteries and damages its lining, leading to heart attack and stroke. In other words, the world is killing itself voluntarily. Let me explain.

Animal protein can be found in not only their flesh (meat) but also their bodily fluids (dairy). The vegan diet eliminates any animal products and is completely plant-based. Being vegan is considered healthy if a proper balance of nutritional intake is maintained. Just like any other diet, you cannot eat vegan ice cream all day every day and expect to be healthy. The potential to be more healthy is there with a vegan diet, but you must include all food groups in appropriate proportions daily.

On a more current event note, CNN states that the Amazon rainforest is burning because the world eats too much meat! This is because the production of meat creates the largest carbon footprint in terms of food systems. Overall food systems are responsible for almost one-third of energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is why meat production is creating an imbalance in our environment leading to global warming. Many vegans are well aware of the ramifications of meat production, which is why veganism is more than just a diet, it is a movement.

All in all a vegan diet is the practice of the one health paradigm which incorporates the relationship between humans, the environment, and the species. Parasitology is a great class to learn about the pathophysiology of all the pathways that can go wrong within your body if you consume any part of an animal infected with certain parasites. These health risks could range from gastrointestinal irritation to death. It seems that the policies on meat production do not stress or inform the public of the biohazards when consuming animal products. The FDA does not include the additives of antibiotics and hormones to meat and dairy in the nutrition guidelines. A simple ham and cheese sandwich could leave you at the hospital with unnecessary medical bills to pay because the doctors can't figure out where your steroid hormone imbalance is coming from.

Aside from the health risks humans can endure if they eat animals or consume their bodily fluids, eating animals or drinking their milk is unethical. It is more unethical to give animals in meat production farm facilities immense hormones, steroids, and antibiotics that they don't need for their health because these supplements harm them more than anything. Animal welfare is crucial. Canada has already upgraded its food pyramid as of this year and has taken meat and dairy out as notable food groups for proper nutrition. Their outlook was aimed to alleviate our world on a grand scale and hopefully start a greater movement towards mitigating global warming. Natural disasters have been shown to increase in occurrence from global warming, which thereby brings in outbreaks of diseases out of the area. Then, once again, doctors are faced with diagnosing irregularities without prior applicable knowledge on where the illness is coming from — leading to more medical bills to pay.

Lately, the public is becoming more aware of the injustice to not only the animals but also to themselves, as they are starting to look more into how to become vegan to help everyone.