1) Spiritual reasons for going plant based
There are several religions that teach about kindness and compassion for all living beings and eating only whole plant based foods is part of their spiritual practice. Many civil rights leaders who practiced peaceful and nonviolent ways to bring about effective change were plant based. The Creation Care movement can include refraining from animal products as well. There are several healthcare providers that are plant based and have a strong faith, including Dr. Baxter Montgomery and Dr. Scott Stoll.
There is a sense of higher purpose and clarity of thought and mission when you are doing all you can to care for creation and your values are fully aligned. The reasons for going plant based relate to values such as kindness, compassion, promoting peace, saving resources, protecting the environment, and caring for the local, national, and global community.
2) Social and environmental justice
Workers in animal agricultural food production experience social and environmental injustices because of low pay, long hours, unsafe working conditions, and few other options for employment.
https://www.farmsanctuary.org/issue/social-justice
The communities affected by animal agriculture industries are often people of color with a lower socioeconomic status. Factory farms contribute to air, land, and water pollution that significantly harms the community.
3) Food for an exponentially growing global population
- Sustainable global food supply
There are an estimated 300,000 plant varieties that are edible “but combined globally, we consume only around 200 species in total.”
“Consolidation in high yield crops is a lot easier for the food production system than supporting diversity. Our modern food systems are efficiently producing calories at the expense of nutrients and biodiversity”
From “Fiber Fueled” book by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
If farmers are supported to transition from animal agriculture to plant based agriculture, they will have more resources to grow and provide a greater diversity of crops.
Also, growing and consuming organic, whole plant based foods can support more sustainable food supply efforts like renewable agriculture and carbon sequestration
https://www.ethosfarmproject.org/initiatives
- Food and nutrition security
Even with the generous subsidies from the US government for animal agriculture, the recent global inflation and supply chain issues drove the cost of animal products higher than the costs of whole plant based foods. The Standard American Diet is high in ultra processed food and animal products, which are significantly more calorie dense than whole plant based food. WFPB options are far more nutrient dense and low calorie than ultra processed food and far less contaminated than animal products. This is especially true when the whole plant based foods and drinks are organic.
As you add more plants to your plate, your gut microbiota and taste buds change for the better. If you consume 30 or more plant varieties a week and reduce or eliminate ultra processed food and animal products, you begin to notice that whole plant based food can taste truly delicious.
4) Going plant based is good for the environment
- Deforestation
Animal agriculture is “accountable for 67% of the deforestation caused by agriculture” When an area of forest is cut down for farm animal grazing, deforestation and overgrazing can cause soil erosion and degradation and lead to desertification, which makes formerly fertile land more arid and reduces the quality of the soil for planting crops. Also fewer trees means hotter temperatures and drier conditions for wildfires.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9024616
- Biodiversity of plants and animals
When forests are cleared for animal agriculture, habitats are destroyed for many species of plants and wild animals
- Animal agriculture causes air, water, and land pollution including greenhouse gases
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9024616
Animal agriculture uses an unsustainable and disproportionate amount of resources like land, fresh water, and fuel.
“Approximately 83% of farm land is used to produce meat, eggs, farmed fish, and dairy, yet they only provide 18% and 37% of our calories and protein, respectively”
If there can be a global shift to whole plant based food, more land could be used for planting crops, rebuilding forests, and allowing land to go back to a natural state for greater diversity of plants and animals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9024616
Also, as people go more plant based and are able to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases, there will also be significantly less medical waste.
- Summary about going plant based for the environment
“The world’s five biggest meat and dairy producers emit more combined greenhouse gases than the top three oil production companies”
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/vegan-diet-environment
The Livestock Environment and Development Initiative report on animal agriculture investigates all the harmful effects on the environment.
https://www.fao.org/3/a0701e/a0701e.pdf
5) Health and welfare for farm animals
Almost all animal products, including meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs, are now from factory farms, rather than the small scale, family farms from decades ago. Although animal agriculture businesses often try to market their products as “humanely” raised, this is not the case any more.
“Nearly 10 billion animals are killed for human consumption each year in the United States. And 99% are raised on factory farms, which maximize agribusiness profits at the expense of the animals, the environment, social justice, and public health”
This number does not include farmed and wild aquatic animals, which would increase the number to nearly 14 billion animals total each year.
There are several efforts to offer healthy protein sources as an alternative to animal products, such as cultivated meat, mushrooms and mycelium, whole plant based foods, and minimally processed plant based foods.
https://gfi.org/science/the-science-of-cultivated-meat
Summary of the harmful effects of factory farming on humans, farm animals, and the environment
6) Healthy aging and longevity
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has reported on studies that show how whole food plant based nutrition promotes healthy aging
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/plant-based-diets-promote-healthful-aging
Dan Buettner has explored several areas in the world called the “Blue Zones” and has shown the ways people who live in those cities “live better and longer” than in most communities. One of the main aspects of better health and longevity is whole food plant based nutrition.
Because the show “Live to 100” about the Blue Zones has been a popular show on Netflix, several mainstream media outlets have reported on the show and on whole food plant based nutrition. This is not typical because print and broadcast media is often sponsored by the ultra processed food industry, animal agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industry, so they tend to promote those types of products rather than endorsing whole plant based foods.
7) Peak performance
Because whole plant based food is the cleanest and most efficient source of glucose, which is fuel for the brain and muscles, and protein, which helps to build muscles, elite athletes have achieved peak performance and success at the highest levels. In addition, these elite athletes found that they had better recovery from illness and injury because of WFPB nutrition. The movie “The Game Changers” shows the many benefits of WFPB nutrition for success in sports and those benefits are available for anyone.
8) Going plant based can save money
- Whole plant based foods can be less expensive than animal products, as PCRM’s Universal Meals initiative shows
https://www.pcrm.org/universalmeals
Governments at all levels could save money
The federal government would save costs with Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA health insurance because Americans would be much healthier.
A change to whole plant based foods could also significantly reduce fuel and transportation costs associated with animal agriculture. If there was a national shift to whole plant based foods, the US government could save money by not having to heavily subsidize animal agriculture and the fossil fuel industries.
NYC mayor Eric Adams has shown that going plant based in public schools and healthcare systems saves money. Recently, 1400 mayors supported a US Conference of Mayors resolution to adopt a plant-based approach in areas such as schools, hospitals, and social services to address issues affecting their cities such as chronic disease, climate change, and fiscal sustainability.
- Healthcare costs would be significantly reduced
The U.S. spent $4.3 trillion on healthcare in 2021 and is projected to spend nearly $7.2 trillion in 2031. In 2021, national healthcare expenditures accounted for over 18% of the GDP.
- Unhealthy nutrition from animal products and ultra processed foods is the greatest risk factor for lifestyle related diseases.
- With a global adoption of whole plant based foods, preventing, treating, and reversing diseases can significantly reduce medications and other healthcare costs. This would include chronic diseases as well as epidemics and pandemics.
Healthcare systems, health insurance companies, medical and pharmaceutical research companies, and the pharmaceutical industry have incentives to ensure that diseases remain long term, chronic medical conditions so they can continue to expand and to earn greater profits. Treating symptoms with conventional medicine is significantly more profitable and much more likely to be reimbursed by insurance than preventing, treating, and reversing disease with whole food plant based nutrition would be in our current system. This emphasis on treating symptoms is reactive, not proactive, and in the long run, is not economically sustainable because healthcare costs are far outpacing inflation.
Lifestyle medicine and the core component of whole food plant based nutrition can address the cause of the disease and would actually save money in the long term, including for patients, healthcare systems, health insurance companies, and all levels of government. Because chronic disease management is the current approach, there will be significant push back from industries that believe they would lose profits with a change to whole plant based foods, such as the ultra processed food industry, animal agriculture, the pharmaceutical industry, and any medical companies that are motivated by short term profits from medications, expensive imaging, medical devices, procedures, and surgeries. The economic model of increasing quarterly profits for shareholders, no matter the impact on others, needs to expand to consider the health and welfare of consumers, employees, communities, and the environment, as well as shareholders.
9) Whole food plant based nutrition is better for our healthcare system
- Conventional medicine teaches doctors to treat the symptoms of a disease. With conventional medical education, medical students often do not learn about whole food plant based nutrition at any time in their training, instead learning about medications, medical devices, procedures, and surgery.
“In 1985, the National Academy of Sciences recommended at least 25 hours of nutrition education in medical school, but a survey of U.S. medical schools in 2010 found that only 27% of programs met that recommendation.”
https://time.com/6282404/nutrition-education-doctors
- There is a high rate of healthcare provider burnout because conventional medicine is often not effective at preventing, treating, or reversing disease. Many healthcare providers are leaving the profession.
As a response to the fact that our healthcare system based on conventional medicine is not working, the practice of lifestyle medicine is growing exponentially. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine has become the fastest growing professional medical association in the world. ACLM promotes whole food plant based nutrition as one of their six pillars of health. Lifestyle medicine, with the core component of whole food plant based nutrition, determines the root cause of disease to prevent, treat, and even reverse lifestyle related chronic diseases.
ACLM, Greener by Default, PCRM, and Universal Meals are bringing about change in healthcare systems and other organizations by promoting whole food plant based nutrition. Healthcare systems that promote lifestyle medicine, including the core component of whole food plant based nutrition, can achieve the following positive goals of reduced food waste and greenhouse gases in hospital systems, as well as
Reduced healthcare costs
Improved patient satisfaction
Improved patient health outcomes
Better health equity for all patients
Enhanced healthcare provider well being
10) Going plant based improves public health
- The EAT Lancet Commission determined that whole plant based foods including “whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes are the optimal diet for human health and environmental sustainability.”
There is a great deal of evidence that whole plant based food is the best type of nutrition for optimal human health. Consistently consuming whole plant based foods and drinks improves endothelial function and blood flow, is nutrient dense instead of calorie dense, provides healing antioxidants, and offers a natural and slow release source of glucose.
In general, whole food plant based nutrition reduces inflammation, increases immune system health, provides better recovery from illness and injury, increases life expectancy, is better for physical health, cognitive and mental health, and can prevent, treat, and reverse lifestyle related chronic diseases. The movie “Forks Over Knives” shows several examples of doctors helping patients to treat and reverse their diseases and even stop taking medications completely.
Sources include American College for Lifestyle Medicine, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and the movies Forks Over Knives and The Game Changers
http://www.forksoverknives.com
- Brain health
Saturated fat and trans fat, which are found in dairy products, meat, and fried foods, can increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions. A low fat, whole food plant based diet eliminates these unhealthy foods and is rich in antioxidants, folate, and vitamin E, which may offer a protective effect.
Also, most plant based foods are complex carbohydrates, which convert to glucose as fuel for our brains and body. Complex carbohydrates release their energy gradually and promote good health by providing vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Most animal products are not good sources of glucose, which is essential for our brains, so plant based foods improve brain health and functioning.
Source Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
- Mental health
Eating a WFPB diet reduces inflammation in the body and increases immune system health to contribute to overall physical health, which affects mental health as well.
Plant based foods can contain folate, fiber, complex carbohydrates, Omega 3 fatty acids, phytonutrients, and magnesium, which have all been linked to better mental health by reducing stress, lowering cortisol levels, improving mood, and providing greater clarity of thought.
With WFPB nutrition, you reduce inflammation in the brain as well as the body. There is a two way gut brain connection and 40% of dopamine, which relates to reward and motivation, is in your gut and 90% of serotonin, which relates to well being and stability of mood, is in your gut.
Food from animal products increases inflammation into your gut and brain pathways, which dampen dopamine and serotonin levels. Also, when you eat animal products, your body is deprived of healthy phytonutrients from plants, so you are more likely to feel stressed and depressed. Ultra processed foods are also harmful for mental health. The foods to avoid that can cause mental health distress are sugar, caffeine, chemical additives, dairy, eggs, and meat.
Source Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
- Whole plant based food is a cleaner and more efficient source of nutrients
You can get your nutrients from whole plant based food, that is where the animals get them! If you consume a variety of 30 or more whole plant based foods and drinks each week, you will significantly improve your gut microbiome and get all your nutrients, including calcium, electrolytes, fiber, iron, healthy fats like Omega 3 fatty acids, collagen, and protein, with all the essential and nonessential amino acids. You will also be getting nutrients not typically found in animal products, including antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, and natural sugars that convert to glucose.
- Although this fact is not well known, plant foods contain all 20 dietary amino acids.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6394758
The main nutrient that a person needs if they are not consuming animal products is vitamin B 12, which can be obtained from sources like fortified cereals, soy drinks, and vegan vitamin B 12 supplements. Also, be sure to get enough iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and zinc because those nutrients may be lower for those who are going fully whole food plant based.
- Animal products are not a “treat” or a “reward” because they are very unhealthy
Animal products like meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs can have harmful levels of dietary cholesterol, trans fat, and saturated fat. They often contain contaminants such as antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, preservatives, growth factor hormones, unhealthy bacteria and other pathogens, and chemical toxins.
The World Health Organization classified processed meat like bacon and hot dogs as a Group 1 carcinogen, which means processed meat is known to cause certain types of cancer at the level of asbestos and tobacco smoking
The World Health Organization also classified red meat, which is muscle meat from any mammal, as a Group 2 A carcinogen, which means red meat is a probable carcinogen.
Processed meat and red meat have also been linked to higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high LDL cholesterol.
Sources American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the World Health Organization
Fish and seafood can contain mercury and other heavy metals, DDT, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, parasites, and microplastics.
https://p.widencdn.net/zsvtil/Health-Concerns-About-Fish-Fact-Sheet
https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-fish-tissue-contaminants
Cholesterol, carcinogens, and pathogens such as fecal contaminants found in chicken products increase the risk of heart disease, breast and prostate cancers, urinary tract infections, and foodborne illness.
Source Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Eggs contain saturated fat and dietary cholesterol and have been linked to cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-with-eggs
Dairy products like milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese contain saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, hormones, and growth factors like IGF-1, which promotes certain types of cancer development. Dairy products significantly increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
https://www.doctorklaper.com/dairy-free
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy
In summary, animal products can cause food borne illnesses, impair endothelial function, reduce blood flow, convert to harmful TMAO, cause chronic inflammation, turn on disease causing genes, and reduce immune system health, which can be linked to cancer and the majority of chronic diseases.
Sources include American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
- Ultra processed foods and drinks are also very unhealthy
Ultra processed foods and drinks often contain harmful additives such as artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, artificial sweeteners, trans fat, saturated fat, and refined sugar. And ultra processed foods are hyper palatable with chemically engineered flavors and a harmful combination of salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
Whole food plant based nutrition provides a healthy source of carbohydrates, which include fiber, starches, and sugar like glucose. Although carbs have a bad reputation sometimes, the type of carbohydrates that are unhealthy are refined and ultra processed carbohydrates, like white bread, refined sugars, and snack foods like chips and cookies.
Whole plant based foods and drinks tend to be nutrient dense rather than calorie dense, like ultra processed foods often are. Nutrients from whole plant based foods are essential for good health for many reasons, listed in this article below
https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a40810639/are-carbs-bad-for-you
- Whole plant based foods reduce chronic inflammation
While consuming animal products can increase inflammation in the body, plant based foods actually reduce inflammation in many ways. Inflammation has been linked to many chronic health conditions.
Here is an article about whole food plant based nutrition reducing inflammation
- Whole plant based foods improve immune system health
Dr. Robynne Chutkan explains how plant based nutrition reduces inflammation and increases immune system health in an interview with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
As Dr. Chutkan explains, “To optimize our immune system we really have to optimize our gut health”
- Going plant based helps with weight loss and weight management
Whole plant based food is the most natural and sustainable way to lose and manage your weight. There is an incorrect belief that we are destined to gain weight, especially from middle age on. However, whole plant based foods offer plentiful fiber, which makes you feel full so you are less likely to overeat, and most plants have no saturated fat. Plant based foods can stimulate a peptide hormone called GLP-1, which is a natural appetite suppressant. The new popular weight loss drugs contain a GLP-1 analog, but eating whole plant based foods with fiber is the more healthy way to suppress your appetite, with no negative side effects. Also, there is a significant increase in your metabolic rate after eating a plant based meal, according to a study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. As we age, we do start to lose muscle mass, so continuing to exercise to build muscle is important as well. The combination of exercise and whole food plant based nutrition assists in losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight.
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/vegan-diets-aid-weight-loss-more-mediterranean-diets
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/plant-based-foods-aid-weight-loss-and-improve-blood-sugar
- Epigenetics
Another false belief is that we are destined to develop certain medical conditions based on our genes and our family history. The study of epigenetics has shown that lifestyle choices and environment can determine whether a gene is expressed or not. Whole food plant based nutrition can turn on genes that prevent disease and turn off genes that cause disease. Animal products do the opposite. We have more potential for improving our health because of the hopeful study of epigenetics.
- Antimicrobial resistance
Because antibiotics are used so often in animal agriculture, the bacteria in animal products can become resistant to medications.
“Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria can contaminate meat or other animals products. Some of the bacteria that cause food poisoning are antimicrobial resistant – meaning certain medicines do not work against the bacteria.
People with a severe infection may need to see a doctor, be prescribed antibiotics, or be hospitalized. Resistant infections can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat. This can lead to more costly treatments and higher risks for side effects.”
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/challenges/antibiotic-resistance.html
- WFPB nutrition can prevent public health epidemics and pandemics.
There are many examples of highly infectious diseases that are originally transmitted from animals to humans
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK570559
- Whole food plant based nutrition can reduce the intensity and duration of COVID symptoms
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/plant-based-diets-decrease-risk-severe-covid-19
Although there have been several studies showing that going plant based can protect against serious complications of COVID, the CDC does not mention WFPB nutrition along with the standard recommendations such as social distancing. And WFPB nutrition can prevent and reduce serious symptoms for other viruses as well.
Some of the ways humans can get infected with disease from animals are through animal research and animal agriculture. In addition, as habitats are destroyed for wildlife, humans will be in closer contact to a wider variety of species, which can lead to exposure of new types of diseases.
Dr. Michael Greger is an expert on WFPB nutrition and has published a book called “How to Survive a Pandemic” for solutions to this global concern.
There are many ways to promote the cause of whole food plant based nutrition that relate to and impact business, economics, financial investing, politics, government, public policy, city planning, and all forms of media.
As you can see, there is no good reason to consume animal products. Going plant based is better for all types of health, including animal, human, economic, social, spiritual, environmental, governmental, and organizational health for the entire world.
Learning about and considering the many reasons to go plant based will align with positive values such as kindness and compassion and help make the transition more purposeful and sustainable.
And the greater your clarity of thought and the more you experience improvements in your health as you go plant based, the more ways you see to get involved in changing the world for the better
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