Deformed chickens, genetically altered sheep, and tortured cows. Vegans may have a point after all.

More competitive than any sports game, it seems that the war between vegans and the food industry has gained more publicity over the past few years. But, to some it seems like veganism is
just a fad or a fancy way of being a food snob. What are the benefits of limiting what type of food you eat–And do they outweigh the sacrifices made to your everyday life?

Becoming a vegan is a life changing decision, and a commitment that doesn’t just limit what you put in your mouth. Not only are you giving up eggs for breakfast, but you’re saying goodbye to
your wool fleece. Quite a sacrifice, yet it is gaining popularity. It seems that although a challenge, a veganism lifestyle may be the healthiest and most morally just choice you can make.

The most common arguments against vegans are along the lines of: Where will I get my source of protein? If no animals are killed in the process, why can’t I eat eggs, drink milk, or wear
wool? Well, it’s time to be educated on the way animals are treated before they make it to your plate.

While it’s true that many people think animal meat is the only source of protein, and that sheep may not be killed for their wool, it is also true that way their bodies are genetically manipulated
and the way in which they are mistreated might be worse than death.

To address the first misconception, almost all vegetables, beans, peas, grains, nuts, soy, and seeds can be eaten in place of animal meat, because they all contain protein. The average American
consumes twice as much protein as the human body needs, so another misconception is that animal protein is vital to survival. In fact, many Olympic athletes and ultra-marathoners are vegans, and they claim it has bettered their performance.

French toast, hardboiled, eggs over easy, scrambled eggs–it seems as if the egg is as important to Americans as football. Millions of different styles, millions of uses, eggs are a staple of the American diet. But your omelet is not worth it.

Cooped up their whole lives, chickens are placed four to an extremely small wire cage. Their waste builds up and the absurd amounts of ammonia cause sick birds. Not only that, but hens
have been raised to quickly grow huge breasts and thighs to produce more meat
in less time. This means that as time goes by, the space in the cages is getting smaller. They have no space to lie down or spread their wings, and they are constantly in the same upright position. Their feet get cut by the wire, and their stagnant stance leads to their toes growing around the wire. Cramped and anxious, the hens peck at each other, injuring their cage-mates. As a solution to this problem, hens’ beaks are seared, or sometimes burned off. After being alive for one year,(chickens can live for fifteen years), they are sent to a slaughterhouse.

Saying that cows are tortured to produce the milk we drink is an understatement. To produce milk, cows must have calves. After the cows give birth, their calves are instantly taken away, and
mothers mourn for days. Male calves are used for veal, and to keep the meat from getting tough, the calves are kept in crates in which they cannot move in any direction, left or right, up or down, and they are barely fed. Lacking iron and fiber, they appear sickly and this results in anemic calves, which in turn produces the delicacy of pale veal.

As for the cows’ milk, cows produce milk unnaturally, by being artificially inseminated repeatedly. Their milk is drained from them until they are too sick to create huge quantities. When the dairy farms feel that the cows are not producing enough to earn their lives, they are sent to the slaughterhouse. Here they are shot in the head to be made unconscious. If they are lucky, the shot will disable their power to think, but it not, they will be able to witness themselves being shackled around the ankle and hung upside down to be dismembered.

Ugg boots and polyester sweaters make the winter season tolerable–at least for humans.

Sans man, sheep only produce one coat per year. This is not enough to make the wool industry rich, so sheep are now genetically manipulated to grow wool year round. They have been bred to
grow more than their body needs, and this warm and moist environment is the perfect home for flies and maggots. To prevent their sheep from the “fly-strike” in which they are being eaten alive, farmers remove the wool as fast as they can. Because the process is rushed, sheep’s skin is mutilated because the wool is too close to their skin. This process is called mulesing.

Not only will going vegan point your moral compass in the right direction, but your body will be healthier. Going vegan has been known to cure asthma, diabetes, obesity, acne, depression, and
many more sicknesses.

I’m not saying that you should be picketing outside of a Patagonia Warehouse, but the next time you decide to eat a hamburger or wear a wool hat, think of the long and detrimental process that
it took for that animal product to be in your hands.