Being a vegan is definitely more of a lifestyle choice and a philosophy than a diet. A vegan does not eat anything that is of animal origin. Vegans will not use animal based products for clothing, or any other purpose.
A person can become a vegan because of ethical reasons involving animal rights, for environmental factors, or for better health. According to an article published by PETA1, approximately 2.5 percent of people in the U.S. are vegans.
Veganism is seen as a subset of various possible vegetarian diets/lifestyles.
This article is also part of a series called What Are The Eight Most Popular Diets Today?
What is the difference between Veganism and Vegetarianism?
SomePEOPLE may disagree with the meaning of vegetarianism. The general interpretation is that a vegan will not consume any foods of animal origin, not even honey, while a vegetarian might consume eggs (ovo-vegetarian), or dairy (lacto-vegetarian).
Another general interpretation is that Veganism is a subdivision of Vegetarianism. However, some vegans say that the only true vegetarian is a vegan.
Virtually all vegan societies also add that a vegan does not use products that come from animals, such as leather, wool, down, cosmetics, or products which have been tested on animals. The Vegetarian Resource Group2 states that "vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products."
The three main reasons people adopt veganism
Animal rights
Vegans do not consume or use dairy products or eggs even though doing so would not kill the animal. Part of the reason is a belief in the absolute right of animals to exist freely without human interference, but also because many commercially-raised egg-laying chickens and dairy cows are slaughtered when their productivity declines with age - this is even the case withFREErange animals.
Many vegans also say that there would still be slaughter of animals if we all became vegetarians who only consumed dairy and eggs from animals.
Bulls and cockerels would most likely be slaughtered at birth, unless everybody were willing to pay more for their eggs and dairy in order to maintain these "unproductive" animals.
Farming today is very different from what it used to be. Modern farms are highly mechanized factories - a lot of animals are given products to make them produce more.
Vegans say that veganism is a lifestyle with a philosophy that animals are not ours to use. According to Vegan Action3, Veganism is "an integral component of a crueltyFREE lifestyle."
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
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