Meat consumption isn’t good for anyone–especially the animals who die by the billions every year for unnecessary — and unhealthy — diet choices. By trying plant-based, you can safeguard your own health and save animals. What do you have to lose?
Image by Daria Shevtsova, Pexels
As consumers increasingly reject cruelly-produced, unhealthy animal
products, the meat industry is grabbing at any chance it can to win them
back. In late 2020, AgWeb published an article entitled “Eat Meat to Support
Your Immunity During a Crisis.” But as people resolve to eat more plants in
the new year, thousands participating in Veganuary, consumers are proving
that they are smarter than the meat industry’s profit-driven pleas.
A pandemic is the perfect time to reassess your diet, and we can distill
AgWeb’s misinformation down into three main points proving that you should
actually avoid meat during these times – and any time.
1. Industrial farming got us into this mess.
Now a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s thought that the coronavirus
jumped from an animal to a human at a live market. Intensive animal farming,
whether in a live market or in a factory farm, is a ticking time bomb when
it comes to pandemics—and always has been. Animal agriculture was also
responsible for the deadly outbreaks of both swine and bird flu.
Even now, animal agriculture is a huge contributor to the spread of the
virus. In slaughterhouses it’s nearly impossible for workers to maintain a
six-foot distance between each other, with lines moving faster than ever and
workers being forced to stand elbow to elbow just to keep up.
Slaughterhouses have become COVID-19 hotspots; this already dangerous
occupation has become even more unsafe for workers and their communities.
And instead of protecting employees, industry managers put them at risk for
the sake of profits, going so far as to bet on how many employees will test
positive for the virus.
Even as more people begin to understand COVID-19’s link to animal
agriculture, live markets are alive and well in the U.S. It’s time to
rethink our food system completely, and that begins with ditching meat–not
eating more of it.
2. Meat is not healthy.
The meat industry touts animal meat as an important source of protein–a
nutrient that can be found in plenty of far healthier plant-based foods. In
fact, while animal products like chicken and eggs may be high in protein,
they’re also remarkably high in cholesterol, which can lead to heart
disease–a leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States.
In 2021, with slaughterhouse line speeds moving recklessly fast, meat is as
dangerous as ever. Animal Outlook investigations have revealed time and time
again that the meat industry cuts corners at the expense of animals,
consumers and workers. From metal possibly making it into the meat you buy
at the grocery store to workers changing the “best by” dates on meat to make
it appear fresher than it is, the risks far outweigh the mythical benefits
of meat eating.
3. Plant-based is the way to go for a healthy body and mind.
Vegan foods are one of the most effective ways we can protect our health.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Heart Association and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) all agree that there are many
health benefits associated with reducing or eliminating the consumption of
meat, dairy and eggs. According to the USDA, vegetarians, on average, have
“lower levels of obesity, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and
lower total mortality.”br />
EEven if you’ve eaten meat all your life, cutting cruel animal products from
your diet could potentially reverse heart problems and lower cholesterol.
Choosing a nutrient-dense vegan dish is a great way to protect your heart.
Plant-based eating can help prevent diabetes and control your weight, and
has been touted for its ability to renew energy by elite athletes.
Eating plants protects you, animals and the world.
Don’t fall for the meat industry’s propaganda. Meat consumption isn’t good
for anyone–especially the animals who die by the billions every year for
unnecessary — and unhealthy — diet choices. By trying plant-based, you can
safeguard your own health and save animals. What do you have to lose?
Visit TryVeg.com to get started today. You’re not alone in making the decision to live independently of meat industry myths and come to your own conclusions, and you can take the first step today.
Number of animals killed in the world by the fishing, meat, dairy and egg industries, since you opened this webpage.
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