CSUN On Point

When people choose to be vegan, they say no to eating and using animal products.

This ranges from not eating meat, to not using skin care products tested on animals.

Vegans avoid any form of exploitation to animals.

“Being very connected to animals, and living with them, and knowing them on a personal level, it really motivated my veganism,” said CSUN Central American Studies professor, and vegan activist Dr. Linda Alvarez.

For many, veganism represents a larger ethical approach.

“Try to suck less in life,” vegan blogger Al Borja said. “Meaning, whatever it is that you are doing, you can be more conscious and aware of what it is you are consuming: animals being one [thing], the products that come from animals are another…[Veganism] is a holistic approach, an awareness of what’s really happening in your lives. Veganism is really just a label, to get people familiar with what [the larger ethical issues are]…”

Other vegans believe veganism is healthier. They say one of the benefits of a meatless diet is increased energy, but vegans say it is also important to be educated when going vegan. A well-planned vegan diet can provide enough protein, iron, calcium, and other key essentials, and this can benefit your health by reducing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

“Being vegan is probably the [most nutritious] way to go. But there are so many different levels of that and so many different layers, that it really is a personal choice,” said CSUN’s Klotz Student Health Center dietitian Ellen Bauersfeld. “Diet quality is important, whether you are eating animal products or not, and as a vegan you still have to make good choices.”

“I had really high cholesterol; I was over 200 in cholesterol, and my grandfather was going through pancreatic cancer,” Borja said. “That lead to research, and that was really important, trying to figure out if it really was for me, if it was something I could do. The most important thing for me was doing the research and making sure it fit with who I am and what I want to become. It’s a journey.”

Still misconceptions about protein deficiency in a vegan diet persist.

“You have to be educated, and you have to look at eating and an overall balanced diet,” Bauersfeld said. “But if you are smart about it, it would be very unlikely that you would have a protein deficiency.”

Many experts believe that being a vegan is also good for the environment, although the arguments are complicated and controversial. Avoiding animal products will likely help lower a person’s carbon footprint, while eating in fast food chains can be environmentally harmful, as well as unhealthy.

“You don’t have to be in prison to be on death row,” Borja said, about fast food restaurants lined up on streets of the San Fernando Valley and other communities.

Alvarez suggested getting involved in organizations that help promote animal rights and going vegan or vegetarian.

“We need to have animal advocates out there, discussing the issues that affect animals,” she said, “because there are so many ways that we continue to further oppress animals. Even in our daily talk, someone can say ‘he treated me like a dog’. What does that mean? When we refer to animals, [it’s] something always negative.”

For those looking for healthier diets that are less damaging to the environment and animals, there are many different choices, including veganism and vegetarianism. Many nutritionists advocate pescetarianism, a mostly plant-based diet that includes fish; and flexitarianism, a plant-based diet that includes occasional meat and dairy products.

“Everything is on a continuum,” Bauersfeld said. “And that’s the beauty of this: you get to pick and choose, if you want to make those changes.”

Moderator: Luzita Pineda

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Anchor: Rosa Rodriguez

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Veganism is a way of life that requires people to change their diets, their clothing, and other buying decisions, with the goal of ending the exploitation of animals.

People are drawn to veganism for all sorts of reasons. One might be increased vitality, another to reduce pollution, and another out of concern for animal rights.

Nutritionist Diana Shore said vegans feel better, have better digestion and elimination, and maintain a more desirable weight without even trying.

According to Vegetarian Times, one of the biggest impacts of a meat-eating diet is the depletion of natural resources, especially the consumption of huge amounts of water for livestock production.

Therefore being a vegan may a positive effect on the environment. By going vegan, individuals may help prevent global warming, rainforest destruction, and pollution, while saving water and other natural resources. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chemical and animal waste runoff from factory farms is responsible for more than 173,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams.

But many people also choose to become vegans for animals.

“I originally did it for the compassion aspect of it, and on a more global level, too,” long term vegan Keith Sikora said.

“There’s a great piece of mind in knowing that because of our compassion, we’re not contributing to the suffering of the animal’s plight,” said Marilyn Peterson, chef and author of Vegan Bite By Bite.

Peterson describes in her book the two stages of becoming a vegan. The first stage is dropping processed foods from a diet, and foods with no animal or dairy ingredients. The second stage is to adopt completely plant-based foods. Her book offers a six-week menu guide.

One common misconception is that a vegan diet doesn’t supply enough protein and calcium. But many experts say it is easy for a vegan to meet the recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is sufficient. Strict protein planning or combining isn’t necessary. The key is to eat a varied diet.

“Vegans get their sources of nutrients through peas, beans, lagoons, lentils, dried fruits and dark green vegetables,” Shore said.

A study by Loma Linda University reported that vegans have lower rates of cancer than meat eaters and vegetarians. For example, vegan women have a 34 percent lower chance of contracting female-specific cancers like breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer. Similar results occur in men for prostate cancer.

The number of vegans in the U.S. has doubled since 2009, from 2.5 percent of the population to more than 5 percent. About half of these vegetarians say they are vegan.

“The awareness is heightened today because it’s the information age,” Peterson said. “There’s so much great technology and research is so strong that a vegan diet is so healthy, and all of the causes for degenerative conditions are linked to animal products and dairy.”

“It’s a commitment and a choice,” Sikora said, “but definitely a lot easier than what most people might think it is.”

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