February 02, 2018 · Written by Foodtolive Team

The Benefits of Being Vegan for the Future of Your Kids

The main benefits of being vegan for the future of your kids are actually giving them a chance to have that future as veganism can help save the planet.

Benefits of Being Vegan for the Future of Your Kids

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The benefits of being vegan are so many that the number of vegans worldwide has increased by nearly 500% compared to 2014. In 2016 alone, the global popularity of veganism has resulted in the reduction of livestock slaughter by 400 million animals. This does not only mean less cruelty in the world, but a huge reduction in carbon emissions and soil exploitation. Veganism is a lifestyle that makes the planet healthier, meaning that you make it a better place for your kids. Raising them on a vegan diet from birth also helps improve their future. Vegan and vegetarian children are healthier overall and less prone to obesity.

Benefits of Being a Vegan for the Planet

In 2006, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has published a truly historic report Livestock’s Long Shadow. The numbers presented there are so shocking, the report going public is one of the main reasons why meat-free living has gotten popular so fast.

Consider some of these facts:

The greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector are greater than of all cars on the planet combined.
Carbon dioxide emissions from the beef and lamb industries are 250 times greater than of legumes (if you count per gram of protein).
The livestock industry produces gasses that are up to 250 times more dangerous for their contribution to the greenhouse effect than the dreaded CO2.

The CNN has a great piece on the topic that goes into more details on how going vegan can save the planet. Considering how pertinent the issue of a climate change is today, this is literally about saving the lives of future generations. The benefits of being vegan for your kids go far beyond their personal health. It’s the lifestyle choice that preserves the habitat and can prevent cataclysmic changes that might damage the planet beyond repair.

Another huge threat to the planet’s biodiversity that comes from the farming and livestock industries is that they contribute to the extinction of apex predators. Their destructive effect on the land and climate are some of the main reasons we are losing these invaluable animals. And as biology teaches us, the death of apex predators leads to the death of their entire ecosystem.

National Geographic ran a few pieces on this subject, with the recent one on the polar bears dying of sheer starvation being the most terrifying. The climate change has led to the rapid melting of ice, which resulted in this kind of devastation:

Heart-Wrenching Video Shows Starving Polar Bear on Iceless Land

The next time someone doubts the benefits of being vegan for your kids, just send them this video. Then, use the reports from above to show how that might not have happened had the livestock production not given off so much greenhouse gasses. Granted, this industry isn’t the only one to blame, but it’s one of the main offenders.

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Benefits of Being Vegan for Kids’ Health

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Saving the planet is a pressing issue, but it’s not the only good thing that comes out from adopting veganism. This choice literally can make your children healthier. For all that there’s a debate about this among scientists, multiple studies prove that vegans and vegetarians have a lower body mass index, lesser risk of developing heart disease, and a lower potential risk of mortality overall.

It’s true that a vegan diet runs the risk of nutritional deficiencies. However, if you take the right supplements and plan your meals well, it will make your children healthier without a doubt.

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